Unexpected arrival of twin babies leads to home birth for Mound couple

A west metro couple is celebrating the unexpected arrival of their twins.

Jeff and Dana Rogney from Mound said the babies, a boy and a girl, were born three months early on their bathroom floor.

"It's been a couple crazy days. I don't know how else to say it," Jeff Rogney said.

Dana Rogney added, "This pregnancy was pretty special because we did struggle with infertility for almost four years, so all of this has just been a miracle."

Dana Rogney said she was having a relatively normal pregnancy and did not expect to deliver the twins early. Her labor started on April 27th, when she was almost 26 weeks pregnant.

"At 5 a.m., I felt like I had to go to the bathroom so I rushed in and then baby boy came out right after," Dana Rogney recalled. "It was in the toilet but we caught him pretty fast! Within three to five minutes, the second baby came out and I caught her. She was breech, so her feet were out first and I had to pull her out."

"I have no medical training whatsoever," Jeff Rogney said with a laugh. "It was a relying on instinct kind of experience for sure."

The Rogneys said while waiting for the paramedics to arrive, they realized the babies were struggling to breathe.

"His mouth was closed so I opened up his chin and helped him breathe," Dana Rogney said. "She also had some trouble breathing, so I tapped on her chest and opened up her airway."

The twins were taken to Children's Minnesota in Minneapolis. James Robert Rogney was 2 pounds, 3 ounces and 14.4 inches long. Vera May was 2 pounds, 1 ounce and 13.8 inches long.

"The hectic nature of the first 20 minutes of their lifetime was just incredible," Jeff Rogney said. "I would hope the rest of their existence is a little more normal."

The Rogneys said it will be a long road but they are hopeful their twins will keep getting stronger. They are expected to stay in the hospital until their original due date in early August.

"We love them and think they're miracle babies," Dana Rogney said.

If you would like to follow their journey, the Rogneys are posting blog updates here. You can also donate or purchase items off of their baby registry.