Duck Dynasty mainstay John Godwin is officially a grandpa to twin girls, but their birth was a little more complicated than the family hoped it would be.
He shared the story on a new episode of the Duck Call Room podcast, explaining that baby girls Cassandra and Isabella were born in mid-December, before they were expected.
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Now, the babies are spending some time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), but they’re expected to go home any day now.
Why Were John Godwin’s Twin Granddaughters Born Early?
Cassandra and Isabella were born to Godwin’s daughter Johanna, who started developing preeclampsia symptoms in mid-December.
Godwin recounts how Johanna called her mother, Paula, shortly before the babies were born, and told her she’d had a blood pressure reading of 160/105. She went to the hospital, in hopes that doctors could treat her symptoms and postpone delivery as long as possible.
- According to the Mayo Clinic, preeclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication that can cause high blood pressure, high levels of protein in urine, severe headaches and other symptoms.
- Left untreated, the condition can be fatal for both mother and baby.
- Depending on the severity of symptoms, early delivery is often the recommended course of action.
John Godwin Shares His Twin Granddaughters’ Birth Story
Godwin says the morning after Johanna was hospitalized, it became pretty clear that the babies were going to be born — and quick.
“She called at 5:30 the next morning, said, ‘Y’all need to get up here, y’all fixin’ to have grandkids,'” he remembers.
So he and his wife hurriedly piled into the car, and he says he was “over the speed limit a little bit,” but it wasn’t fast enough for his wife Paula. When his daughter called back to say they were about to take her into the operating room, Paula replied, “No they’re not. We’re not there yet.”
“Paula looked at me, and she’s doing the point down the road,” Godwin recounts. “She hit the flasher button and I mashed on it. And we got there in 40 minutes.”
Even though they got there in record time, Godwin and Paula didn’t arrive quick enough to see Johanna before she was taken back into the OR. “We got there and she was gone by a minute,” Godwin says.
Still, the two girls were born safe and sound, and Johanna’s condition improved after the birth, despite the fact that “she had to have magnesium” and “was pale for a couple days,” Godwin continues.
“She didn’t even get to hold ’em for a day and a half. Yeah, it was tough,” he adds.
How Are John Godwin’s Grandbabies Doing Now?
Isabella and Cassandra are getting better every day, Godwin reports. In fact, they’re due to go home any day now.
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On Dec. 28, Johanna shared an update on the girls, sharing a photo of the two babies in adorable pink and green knit hats.
She said that the babies are making huge strides in the NICU, and that they are “off CPAP, light blankets and feeding tubes.”
“They are excelling in everything and we are hopeful that maybe we are looking at coming home very soon!” she wrote.
What Other Babies Have the Duck Dynasty Family Welcomed Lately?
The youngest Duck Dynasty generation is filling out quick, with several new babies being welcomed into the world.
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In fact, Isabella and Cassandra won’t be the only new set of Duck Dynasty twins for long. John Luke and Mary Kate Robertson are currently expecting twins, who are due early this year.
That means Willie and Korie Robertson will be grandparents to a total of 11 grandchildren.
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Gallery Credit: Billy Dukes