OB appointment

I had an OB appointment today. It went well. I have gained a total of 17 pounds so far this pregnancy, not too bad when I look at the size of my huge belly. I had no sugars or proteins in my urine. My blood pressure is slightly up, but she wasn't worried about it. I asked her about the weird heart issues I have been having, racing, thumping, jumping etc. She, like the Dr last week, told me that it is normal with twins due to the doubling of the amount of blood in my body.Not something to worry about, just annoying. I got to listen to both heartbeats and they sounded great. The babies, like normal, were jumping around in there being crazy monkeys trying to get away from the doppler.
There are 16 days until my first goal of 28 weeks. Twins on average come around 34-35 weeks which is only 8 or 9 weeks from now...

Welcome...

Welcome to the world Denver and Dawson.

When I was in the hospital for cerclage surgery at 19 weeks, a woman, who has since become an online friend, was in for the same surgery at the IWK too. She was 18 weeks pregnant when she went for her ultrasound on her twins and they discovered her cervix was open and that the membranes were bulging. They did an emergency cerclage (4 days after mine). Since then she has been on total bedrest (bedpans etc.) in an inclined bed. Sunday at 24 weeks 3 days her water broke and her twins were delivered by emergency c-section. Denver Allan weighed 1 lb 10 oz and Dawson Andrew weighed 1 lb 6.5 oz. They came out kicking and crying and 4 days later are still doing okay. They are real little miracles.

Baby Stuff...

I have been looking at lists of what people feel are necessary items for babies. I went through a few of these lists and came up with my own. I am looking for comments on what I may have missed and on things I might not actually need. I am planning on painting the nursery a Robin's Egg blue/green and would like to include some Beatrix Potter themed items into the room. I want the room to be good for a boy and a girl as the twins will be sharing for the first few years .

Here is my list, take a look and feel free to comment. Things that I dont view as necessary/am not sure about I have put a ? besides.

Baby stuff:

Nursery and Baby Gear:
Crib
Crib
Matress
Matress
Crib Matress Pads (2-4)
Changing table and/or dresser
Changing Table Pad
Baby Monitors (1? Or 2 with motion detectors?)
Baskets
Shelves/Bins
Closet Organizer
Baby Clothes Hangers
Glider or rocker and ottoman
Lamp with dimmer
Pack and Play (and/or 2 bassinets)
Double Stroller
Car Seat
Car Seat
High Chair
High Chair
Bumbee?
Bumbee?
Crib Sheets (6 +)
Mesh Bumpers(2)
Crib Skirts (2)
Curtains/ rod
Crib Mobile?
Crib Mobile?
Clothes Hamper
Baby Swings and/or bouncy seats?
Slings (2)
Jolly Jumpers?
Gymborees?
Baby Gate
Baby proofing items
Toys/Books

Layette:
Receiving/Baby Blankets (lots)
Onesies (10-20 in each size)
Sleepers (10-20 in each size)
Baby Hats (4)
Socks/Booties
Bibs(10+)
Sweaters/Long sleeve shirts
Pants/Overalls
Cute outfits (Boy and Girl)
Snowsuits/Hats/Mitts/Boots (6 months?)

Personal Care:
Diapers (lots! Prefer Green Brands)
Wipes (at home and travel)
Diaper Bag with Changing Pad
Daper Rash Ointment
Underpads
Baby Bathtub
Bath Toys
Shampoo/Soap/Lotion
Face cloths
Hooded towels
Thermometers
Baby nail clippers
Suction bulb
GripeWater
Pain Reliever
Teething Rings/Toys
Pacifiers
First Aid Kit
Hairbrush/Comb

Feeding:
Nursing Pillow (rent from POMBA?)
Breast Pump (Good quality electric)
Nursing Pads
Bottles
Bottle brush
New Born Nipples
Formula(? Just in case)
Baby Dishes/Utensils
Sippy Cups

Anything else?????????

25 weeks pregnant

Here is some of the weekly update e-mailed to me:

The baby now weighs arround 1.5 pounds / 660 grams and is approximately 13.5 inches/ 35 centimetres long from crown to heel. He makes breathing movements but has no air in his lungs yet. Fetal brain scans show response to touch. You can have fun with him by trying to tickle his foot when he kicks you or by lying on your back and rolling from side to side, to see how he reacts. His eyelids will open around now and his heart is beating so strongly, it may be heard with just a stethoscope.If you shine a light on your abdomen, your baby will turn his head, which according to researchers, means his optic nerve is working.
As your baby grows, you may feel some aches and pains as your body adjusts to accommodate him. Even your center of gravity changes along with your body shape.

At every prenatal visit, your midwife or doctor will take your blood pressure and do tests on a sample of your urine. In this way, pregnancy-related conditions such as pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes can be detected and treated.

Your fingers, wrists and hands may be feeling achy and numb. The carpal tunnel in the wrist is swollen, as are many other tissues in your body. Nerves that run through the tunnel end up pinched, creating pressure that manifests itself as shooting or burning pain. Wearing a brace may help.

24 1/2 week ultrasound

I had another ultrasound on Wednesday. There hadn't really been any changes to my cervix. The Dr. (a different one) measured my cervix at 1.6. When I asked her if I should be worried since the last Dr. had measured it at 1.8 she said that the .2 cm difference was probably just a difference in the Dr. She looked at the old ultrasound and said she didn't see any real changes. So that is good news. The cerclage (stitch) is still doing its job. Kind of scary to know that the babies are literally being kept in by a thread though...

We still need to decide when to do the steroid shots. We decided to wait at least another week (next ultrasound is May 1st) to decide if we will do it that day, or wait a little longer. Ideally we would be able to put it off until after 28 weeks, but there are risks to doing that if I go into labour earlier.

They didn't do measurements on the babies this time. They did check their hearts, kidneys, etc. and the amniotic fluids. All looked well.

24 weeks pregnant (6 months!)

Here is part of what one twin website had to say:

By 24 weeks your twins are proportioned like newborns but thinner - their "baby" fat hasn't yet developed. Although they're getting heavier every day, their skin still appears wrinkled because they need to gain more weight. Their lips are distinct and their eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas and the thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands, essential in the production of hormones, are developing steadily. Tiny eyebrows and eyelids are now visible. Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum line. Before you know it, your twins will be born, and soon after, their first teeth will come through.

Your twins' lungs continue to develop and mature to prepare for breathing. They're swallowing and are making breathing movements. They have no air in their lungs yet but it's essential practice for when they are born.

More than half of twins are born before term (before 37 weeks). If your babies were to be born before 24 weeks, they would only have a small chance of survival even with the right care. Every day in the uterus makes a difference at this stage. Their chance of survival rises rapidly after 26 weeks, and from 32 weeks they should survive if they are growing normally.

A blog I like

I came across this blog on a twin information site. I found it very informative, and a little scary. The babies in the blog were born 4 days from where I am now, and at a smaller size than my babies. If you are interested in twins or preemies take a look:

http://micropreemietwins.blogspot.com/

Update

Well I had a long day today... my first day out of the house in 13 days.
I had an appointment with my OB this afternoon. Everything looked good there. I had only gained one pound in the last 2 weeks. My blood pressure was good and there was no sugar or proteins in my urine. I talked with my Dr about the contractions I had had on the weekend and the soreness and pressure I have been feeling occasionally in my pelvis. She decided to send me right away to the IWK hospital for an ultrasound. I hadn't had one for 2 weeks and was booked to have one again until May 1st.
The ultrasound was fine, both babies are looking good. Both are over a pound and a half and over a foot long. The Dr said they were growing really well. We then did the transvaginal to check on my cervix. No change. Still at 1.8 cm with funneling, but it hasn't gotten any worse. The stitch is still in place and seems to be holding well.
I had a long chat with the Drs there to decide what the plan is. Basically I am on the verge of hospitalisation/being at home on bed rest. I am back at home, but am to do absolutely nothing. The Dr joked that the extent of my exercise should be changing the channel on the remote.
We discussed steroid shots. (Used to mature the babies lungs). He explained to me that it is really only safe to give the shots once, and that the effects tend to wear off in a couple of weeks. So we could have done the shots today (almost 24 weeks), but by 26 weeks they would have worn off. He said we want to delay them as long as posssible, but not wait too long. It is a hard decision when to have them as we have no way of knowing when labour will start (hopefully not until 37 weeks!)
I will go back next week for another ultrasound of my cervix and we will see about doing the shots then, or maybe the week afterwards.

A post about the weather...

The last couple of days have been beautiful. It feels like spring. There isn't a hint of snow out any of my windows, and I have been leaving the windows open during the day. My sand riding ring is dried out and yesterday my hubby turned my horses out in it to play (paddock is still to muddy to really run around) They went nuts galloping and bucking like crazy enjoying the sunshine and firm footing. I watched them playing from the balcony, and thought "isn't it nice spring is here". I even enjoyed hearing the first few buzzes of flies... a sure sign the fine weather has arrived. I can even see the tips of tulips and daffodiles poking their heads up in the garden.

Then today, on the weather report... A SNOWSTORM WARNING. What??????

23 weeks pregnant

Not too much has changed in this past week. I am still at home, still on bedrest. I haven't left the house in over a week, unless standing on the balcony counts. I have had a few visitors this week, which makes life much more interesting. Thanks! I did count down the days until my July (37 weeks) due date and there are less than 100 left. My next OB appointment is next Thursday and my next ultrasound is May 1st. I find myself looking forward to these dates as they mean I get to leave the house. Both babies continue to be active. I feel lots of kicks and some of them even sort of hurt (like when Baby A kicks me in the bladder/cervix.) My belly feels huge, and I am scared to see what it looks like a few months from now. I have chatted to a few other Moms of multiples and have heard the stories of "twin skin" that results from all the stretching. Ah well, I never wore bikinis anyways...

Here is part of this weeks e-mail update:

Your baby now weighs a little over one pound/ 500 grams and measures about 11.4 inches/ 29 centimetres from crown to heel. (They were both 1 pound 2 ounces over a week ago) Her hearing is well established and she can make out a distorted version of your voice, the beating of your heart and your stomach rumblings. (And Daddy and Grandma chatting to them?) Loud noises often heard in utero, such as the barking of a dog next door or the roar of a vacuum cleaner, probably won't bother your child when she hears them outside the womb.
In addition to advances in your baby's hearing, her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing. She's swallowing but usually won't pass stool until after birth. If your baby were to be born now, she would have a good chance of survival (about 85 per cent) with the right care. Advances in science and technology now mean that a 24-week-old baby can grow outside the womb if necessary.
As for you, you may feel clumsy now that your centre of gravity has shifted (Do I ever feel clumsy!). Your gums may bleed when you brush your teeth (Nope!) and your belly button, once an 'innie', may now stick out. Don't worry. It'll revert to its pre-baby state soon after you give birth. ( Mine is still an innie, but much wider and shallower)

22 weeks pregnant + ultrasound update

Thursday I got to leave the house for the first time in a week and a half. I went to my OB appointment. It all went well. I had my pee checked for sugars and proteins and the tests were negative, my blood pressure was in its normal range, and I had gained some weight. I am now up 9 pounds from my start weight, but when you consider that from my start weight I lost 5 pounds in the first trimester, I have actually gained about 14 pounds in the last 5-6 weeks. Hopefully that slows down a tiny bit. I am happy with a pound or 2 a week, but not more. I hadn't heard anything about my GD test (they had said they would call if there was any issues), but the results had come back normal. I have a family history of Diabetes, so it is a relief not to be showing any signs of Gestational Diabetes. I will possibly do the test again in a couple of months to make sure there are no changes. We listened to the heartbeats on the doppler, and all sounded well with the babies being very active.

Friday I got to leave the house again (exciting end to the week!) for my ultrasound appointment. The Dr. (Maternal Fetal Specialist) doing the ultrasound was really nice. He was the Dr. who had delivered my friends twins a few months ago. He really took his time and checked and rechecked all his measurements. We were in there for at least an hour and a half. He confirmed that Baby A is a BOY and this time Baby B cooperated, spreading those little legs apart and there were 3 little lines and Baby B is a GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!!! So we are having one of each. And for those of you wondering, yes we have picked out names, but since nothing else will be a suprise at the end of this pregnancy, we have decided to keep the names a secret until they arrive. Sorry :)

He checked all the organs, the chambers of the heart, the nuchal fold, the limbs etc. and everything checked out fine. Phewww... The babies are both over a pound now (1 pound 2 ounces for both of them) and are 22-23 cm long. He said they are a great size for their age, right within the normal range. I got a cute profile shot of both of them. (If you want to see it you will have to come visit as my scanner isn't hooked up). I have to say I have cute kids already...

Next came the scary part, the trans vaginal ultrasound to check on my cervix and the stitch. It was good news. There was no change in the last 2 weeks. I am still at 1.8 cm and the stitch is still in place. They told me to stay on bed rest for the next month and to come back for another ultrasound check on May 1st. I asked about attending the pre natal classes that I am scheduled to start next week. He told me not to bother as I will be "reading from a different book".