I had my 30 week ultrasound today. It went really well even after the nightmare I had last night. I woke up so scared to go to the hospital.
First, my cervix... Today was my last date with the "dildo cam" as friends of mine call the vaginal ultrasound. Yay! My cervix once again showed no change and was measuring 2 cm. The Dr. said from now on there is no need to worry about measuring it any more. Good news!
They did lots of measurements/tests on the babies this week. All is looking good. They have both grown about a pound this month. Baby A(boy) was 1 lb 15 ounces at 26 weeks and is now 2 lbs 15 ounces (1 ounce away from 3 pounds). Baby B was 2 lbs even at 26 weeks and is now 3 lbs 1 ounce. Their growth was slower this month than last (normal for twins) and both are close to the 30th percentile (for singletons). The Dr also tested the blood flow from the placentas and both placentas seem to be working well. I need to keep eating and gaining to keep up with their demands, which is getting harder to do as I watch the scales going up and feel the maternity clothes getting snugger. Also I am running out of room for my stomach as Baby B's head is right against it. Chances are they will be little babies, but the plumper I can get them the better. The Drs also commented on how active my babies are, they never seem to stop moving in there. They are still in the same position they have been in all month. Heads together on my left side. A is breech and B is transverse. I really hope that they decide to flip over at some point or I will be having a C section for sure. The Drs assure me there is still plenty of time for that to happen.
I go back in another 2 weeks (Friday June 12th) for an ultrasound.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Saturday, May 23, 2009
29 weeks pregnant
Here is some of what my weekly e-mail had to say:
Your baby's head is getting bigger and his brain is developing billions of neurons (important for later learning) at an amazing rate. His nutritional needs are growing too. To meet his body's demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid and iron. His bones in particular are soaking up lots of calcium right now, so drink your milk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had an OB appointment this week. It went well. She seemed very excited that I was still pregnant and had made it past my first goal of 28 weeks. I asked what my next goal is and she said to make it to 32 weeks. At 32 weeks the risks of developmental issues go way down. Three weeks to go....
I had gained a few pounds. I think I am now up 25 pounds from my starting weight. With twins they suggest between 30-50 pounds, so I should end up gaining somewhere in that range.
They tested my urine for sugars and proteins and those tests were negative. My blood pressure was slightly up, but it was a really hot day. She wasn't worried about it.
Next Friday we have our 30 week ultrasound. I can't wait. This ultrasound they will be doing the full measurements on the babies and will be able to tell us weights etc. It will be nice to see how much they have grown in a month.
Things are progressing slowly on the nursery. The room is almost cleaned out. It needs to be washed down, taped, primed and painted. It is hard having to wait for other people to have time to do these things. (The fun of bed rest...) We have the paint color all picked out now. I love it . It is a Robin's egg blue. I can't wait to have everything set up and ready for the babies, I will feel so much more relaxed.
Your baby's head is getting bigger and his brain is developing billions of neurons (important for later learning) at an amazing rate. His nutritional needs are growing too. To meet his body's demands, you'll need plenty of protein, vitamin C, folic acid and iron. His bones in particular are soaking up lots of calcium right now, so drink your milk.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I had an OB appointment this week. It went well. She seemed very excited that I was still pregnant and had made it past my first goal of 28 weeks. I asked what my next goal is and she said to make it to 32 weeks. At 32 weeks the risks of developmental issues go way down. Three weeks to go....
I had gained a few pounds. I think I am now up 25 pounds from my starting weight. With twins they suggest between 30-50 pounds, so I should end up gaining somewhere in that range.
They tested my urine for sugars and proteins and those tests were negative. My blood pressure was slightly up, but it was a really hot day. She wasn't worried about it.
Next Friday we have our 30 week ultrasound. I can't wait. This ultrasound they will be doing the full measurements on the babies and will be able to tell us weights etc. It will be nice to see how much they have grown in a month.
Things are progressing slowly on the nursery. The room is almost cleaned out. It needs to be washed down, taped, primed and painted. It is hard having to wait for other people to have time to do these things. (The fun of bed rest...) We have the paint color all picked out now. I love it . It is a Robin's egg blue. I can't wait to have everything set up and ready for the babies, I will feel so much more relaxed.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
test results
I got a call from my OB's office today with my blood test results. The first was good news. I passed my 1 hour Gestational Diabetes test. Yay! The 2nd wasn't so good, I am low in Iron. I need to start taking a supplement to get my levels up. Not too bad, except that iron supplements are hard on the tummy and lead to constipation... such fun.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
28 weeks pregnant! A Milestone.
When I first discovered I was pregnant with twins back at 13 weeks, I had a long chat with my Dr about the risks involved. At that point the first goal of 28 weeks was set. Although some babies do survive when born before 28 weeks, the risks are really high. Once you cross the 28 week mark the risks drop significantly and the rates of survival quoted range from 85 to 95 %. Those are pretty good odds. Also preemies (also refered to as micro preemies) born before 28 weeks have a much higher risk of permanent health issues. At 28 weeks, although those risks are still high, they drop considerably. I am very happy to cross this milestone this weekend. I feel like I can now really start to prepare for the arrival of these two babies with confidence. Things can still go wrong, any pregnancy has its risks, but now the chances of a good outcome are in my favour instead of the other way around.
Now on to the next goal... 30 weeks or making it until June. Only 2 weeks to go....
I thought this was a cute picture of 28 week old twins. My 2 are not in this position! (Yet) They are both breech using my bladder as a trampoline to jump on. I asked the Drs if there was still time for them to turn, and everyone said yes. I will keep hoping that in the next month or so they decide to kick me in the ribs instead of the bladder.
Here is part of what some of the websites/e-mails have to say:
Twin Pregnancy Week 28
Congratulations. You are about to start your third trimester.
Your babies weigh around 2 pounds. (Mine were both 2 pounds 2 weeks ago) Their eyebrows and eye lashes are visible now. Mind you, some are born without eyebrows or very faint ones!! Of course they will have them sooner or later. The amount of brain tissue is increasing at the time as well.
From this week, your babies will try to put on more fat. They have also started to store iron, calcium and other essential nutrients.
If you babies are born now, chances of survival is very high. However, it is much better if they arrive later. Try to get plenty of rest and elevate your legs as much as possible
And another:
At 28 weeks your twins will have grown to about 15 inches/ 38cm from top to toe (10 inches/ 25.5 centimetres from crown to rump) and will weigh nearly 2 lb /875g each. Their eyes open and close, they sleep and wake at regular intervals and they may suck a finger or thumb. Your twins' brain growth is very rapid this month. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops. Nearly all fetuses react to sound by the end of the seventh month. At about this time, your twins can open their eyes and turn their heads in utero if they notice a continuous, bright light shining from the outside. Their fat layers are forming. In boys, testicles descend from near the kidneys through the groin en route to the scrotum. In girls, the clitoris is relatively prominent because it's not yet covered by the still-small labia. These will grow to cover it in the last few weeks before birth. Their skeletons are hardening even more. While your twins may soon slow down growing in length, they will continue to gain weight until they are born. A pint and a half/around a litre of amniotic fluid now surrounds each of your twins.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am starting to feel uncomfortably large, which isn't surprising since by about 30 weeks with twins your uterus is the size it is during a full term singleton pregnancy. I think it is funny to imagine the weights I am carrying as food. The babies together weigh close to 5 pounds. A sugar bag is often 5 pounds. Each placenta weighs over a pound, so I imagined 2 blocks of 1lbs of butter. And for each baby there is a litre of fluid, so I imagine 2 litres of milk. When I picure all that in my belly, I understand why I feel like I do...
Now on to the next goal... 30 weeks or making it until June. Only 2 weeks to go....
I thought this was a cute picture of 28 week old twins. My 2 are not in this position! (Yet) They are both breech using my bladder as a trampoline to jump on. I asked the Drs if there was still time for them to turn, and everyone said yes. I will keep hoping that in the next month or so they decide to kick me in the ribs instead of the bladder.
Here is part of what some of the websites/e-mails have to say:
Twin Pregnancy Week 28
Congratulations. You are about to start your third trimester.
Your babies weigh around 2 pounds. (Mine were both 2 pounds 2 weeks ago) Their eyebrows and eye lashes are visible now. Mind you, some are born without eyebrows or very faint ones!! Of course they will have them sooner or later. The amount of brain tissue is increasing at the time as well.
From this week, your babies will try to put on more fat. They have also started to store iron, calcium and other essential nutrients.
If you babies are born now, chances of survival is very high. However, it is much better if they arrive later. Try to get plenty of rest and elevate your legs as much as possible
And another:
At 28 weeks your twins will have grown to about 15 inches/ 38cm from top to toe (10 inches/ 25.5 centimetres from crown to rump) and will weigh nearly 2 lb /875g each. Their eyes open and close, they sleep and wake at regular intervals and they may suck a finger or thumb. Your twins' brain growth is very rapid this month. The characteristic grooves on the brain's surface start to appear and more brain tissue develops. Nearly all fetuses react to sound by the end of the seventh month. At about this time, your twins can open their eyes and turn their heads in utero if they notice a continuous, bright light shining from the outside. Their fat layers are forming. In boys, testicles descend from near the kidneys through the groin en route to the scrotum. In girls, the clitoris is relatively prominent because it's not yet covered by the still-small labia. These will grow to cover it in the last few weeks before birth. Their skeletons are hardening even more. While your twins may soon slow down growing in length, they will continue to gain weight until they are born. A pint and a half/around a litre of amniotic fluid now surrounds each of your twins.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I am starting to feel uncomfortably large, which isn't surprising since by about 30 weeks with twins your uterus is the size it is during a full term singleton pregnancy. I think it is funny to imagine the weights I am carrying as food. The babies together weigh close to 5 pounds. A sugar bag is often 5 pounds. Each placenta weighs over a pound, so I imagined 2 blocks of 1lbs of butter. And for each baby there is a litre of fluid, so I imagine 2 litres of milk. When I picure all that in my belly, I understand why I feel like I do...
Friday, May 15, 2009
appointments
This has been a week for appointments.
I had a root canal on one of my upper pre molars a few years ago. When I was first pregnant the tooth cracked and I lost a piece of it. This was around when I was puking every day, so I knew going to the dentist was a bad idea. Well the other day it cracked further and now the front half of the tooth is loose. I decided I really had better see a dentist. Turns out that they really can’t do much for teeth when you are pregnant. There isn’t really anything they can do for the tooth now anyways. It is too cracked to use to make a crown. In the fall I will have to have surgery to have the tooth removed and then we will look at doing an implant. Implants don’t sound fun, basically a screw into your bone with a false tooth attached. Such fun to look forward to in the future.
Thursday I had a consult with the anesthesiologist. It was interesting. He explained the different types of pain management available and also went over what is considered the least risky with twins. There are basically 2 scenarios that are likely. 1st if both babies (or possibly just baby A) are head down then a vaginal delivery may be possible. He recommended having an early epidural in place as soon as I start going into labor. With twins they want you to labor in the operating room in case they suddenly need to do an emergency C section. He explained the differences between epidurals and spinals (same thing except with an epi they leave a tube in so they can keep adding medication.) I had a spinal with my Cerclage surgery, so I know what to expect there. The 2nd scenario that is likely is that Baby A is breech, and I will have a spinal and a planned C section.
I have gained 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks (19 total so far). My blood pressure seems to be staying the same. I did the Gestational diabetes test again today, so hopefully when I get the results from that next week I will pass it again.
I had another ultrasound today. All is well. The babies are both looking very cute in there. They are both still breech with their heads together (almost touching, just the thin membranes between them). It looked like Baby B was whispering in Baby A’s ear. They just did a quick check today, they will do measurements again in 2 weeks. The also checked my cervix. Good news! There has been no change. It almost looked like it had gotten a little longer; she measured it at 2 cm in a couple of shots and 1.8 in another. Even putting pressure down on it by pushing on the babies, she couldn’t see any shortening. It was decided that I was safe to go home for another 2 weeks. We delayed the steroid shots again. I might get them next time at 30 weeks if it looks like I will need them.
I had a root canal on one of my upper pre molars a few years ago. When I was first pregnant the tooth cracked and I lost a piece of it. This was around when I was puking every day, so I knew going to the dentist was a bad idea. Well the other day it cracked further and now the front half of the tooth is loose. I decided I really had better see a dentist. Turns out that they really can’t do much for teeth when you are pregnant. There isn’t really anything they can do for the tooth now anyways. It is too cracked to use to make a crown. In the fall I will have to have surgery to have the tooth removed and then we will look at doing an implant. Implants don’t sound fun, basically a screw into your bone with a false tooth attached. Such fun to look forward to in the future.
Thursday I had a consult with the anesthesiologist. It was interesting. He explained the different types of pain management available and also went over what is considered the least risky with twins. There are basically 2 scenarios that are likely. 1st if both babies (or possibly just baby A) are head down then a vaginal delivery may be possible. He recommended having an early epidural in place as soon as I start going into labor. With twins they want you to labor in the operating room in case they suddenly need to do an emergency C section. He explained the differences between epidurals and spinals (same thing except with an epi they leave a tube in so they can keep adding medication.) I had a spinal with my Cerclage surgery, so I know what to expect there. The 2nd scenario that is likely is that Baby A is breech, and I will have a spinal and a planned C section.
I have gained 2 pounds in the last 2 weeks (19 total so far). My blood pressure seems to be staying the same. I did the Gestational diabetes test again today, so hopefully when I get the results from that next week I will pass it again.
I had another ultrasound today. All is well. The babies are both looking very cute in there. They are both still breech with their heads together (almost touching, just the thin membranes between them). It looked like Baby B was whispering in Baby A’s ear. They just did a quick check today, they will do measurements again in 2 weeks. The also checked my cervix. Good news! There has been no change. It almost looked like it had gotten a little longer; she measured it at 2 cm in a couple of shots and 1.8 in another. Even putting pressure down on it by pushing on the babies, she couldn’t see any shortening. It was decided that I was safe to go home for another 2 weeks. We delayed the steroid shots again. I might get them next time at 30 weeks if it looks like I will need them.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Puffy has lost his puff and Chirpy has lost his chirp.
Puffy (real name is Casey) is our 8 year old long haired cat. Puffy has earned his name due to his long fluffy hair, but also his Santa Clause like belly. Puffy s a vey clean cat and kept himself well groomed for years, but in the last couple of years his flexibility has been reduced due to his "puffiness" and he has a hard time reaching his back and sides. His coat was looking less and less puffy and more and more matted, so we decided he needed to be clipped. We had had a few mats clipped off him at the vets last year and he was a good boy, so when my sister volunteered to help me clip him (she raises and shows persians) I took her up on the offer. Well he wasn't a good boy... I have the scratch scars to prove it. He got away and hid underneath the tub where we couldn't get him out. So we abandoned that plan and yesterday he was taken to the vet to be clipped. Well once again he was a good boy. Apparently all 20 pounds of him was as relaxed as could be and he rolled around enjoying the experience. No need to sedate him at all. He now is a very stream lined puffy cat , bald everywhere except his legs head and tail. He feels like a new man! And his haircut has had a sliming effect too, he looks much less rotund.
Chirpy losing his chirp isn't as nice a story. Chessy, usually called Chirpy due to his cute little chirpy meow has been having health issues for a while now. He has horrible breath forever and started to have trouble eating like his teeth hurt. He also had red inflamed and bleeding gums. We took him to a local vet and he was tested (again- he was tested before we brought him home 2 1/2 years ago as well) for feline leukemia as well as an immune virus (similar to AIDS in humans) and was negative for both. He was prescribed antibiotics and steroids for infection. We shoved these pills/drops down his throat for a few weeks and he seemed to be getting better. He got the full doses of both and he plumped back up, started eating well and got quite saucy and full of himself. Well a week or 2 later these started to wear off a bit and this week he was back to having trouble eating. To make matters worse he also lost his chirp. When ever he meows this pathetic little squeek comes out. We decided to take him to a different vet (a little farther from home, but one I have know for years who practices traditional vet medicine/surgery as well as homeopathy/acupuncture etc) The appointment was yesterday, and it doesn't sound like good news. He is running further blood tests, but with an infection like this one (getting worse quickly, coming back so fast after steroids and antibiotics) there is probably an underlying cause. Probably a type of cancer. Chirpy is on a homeopathic remedy now to try to build up his immune system, but the vet is doubtful this will have long term effects. He thinks we should start looking at care as being palliative and for pain relief. My poor Chirpy.
Chirpy losing his chirp isn't as nice a story. Chessy, usually called Chirpy due to his cute little chirpy meow has been having health issues for a while now. He has horrible breath forever and started to have trouble eating like his teeth hurt. He also had red inflamed and bleeding gums. We took him to a local vet and he was tested (again- he was tested before we brought him home 2 1/2 years ago as well) for feline leukemia as well as an immune virus (similar to AIDS in humans) and was negative for both. He was prescribed antibiotics and steroids for infection. We shoved these pills/drops down his throat for a few weeks and he seemed to be getting better. He got the full doses of both and he plumped back up, started eating well and got quite saucy and full of himself. Well a week or 2 later these started to wear off a bit and this week he was back to having trouble eating. To make matters worse he also lost his chirp. When ever he meows this pathetic little squeek comes out. We decided to take him to a different vet (a little farther from home, but one I have know for years who practices traditional vet medicine/surgery as well as homeopathy/acupuncture etc) The appointment was yesterday, and it doesn't sound like good news. He is running further blood tests, but with an infection like this one (getting worse quickly, coming back so fast after steroids and antibiotics) there is probably an underlying cause. Probably a type of cancer. Chirpy is on a homeopathic remedy now to try to build up his immune system, but the vet is doubtful this will have long term effects. He thinks we should start looking at care as being palliative and for pain relief. My poor Chirpy.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Baby Stuff List Updated
Here is the list updated with a few things subtracted and added. Still looking for comments...
I put an * by the things I have (or have some of) already. Some things I know I wont need for many months, others I will need before the babies arrive.
Baby stuff:
Nursery and Baby Gear:
Crib(2)**
Matress (2)**
Crib Matress Pads (4+)
Changing table*
Dresser *
Changing Table Pad*
Baby Monitor*
Baskets *
Shelves/Bins *
Closet Organizer
Baby Clothes Hangers
Glider and Ottoman
Lamp with dimmer
Pack and Play
Double Stroller*
Car Seats (2)*
High Chair (2)
Bumbo (2?)
Crib Sheets (6 +) *need more
Crib Skirts (2)
Curtains/ rod *
Crib Mobile (2)
Clothes Hamper
Baby Swings
Bouncy seats**
Slings (2)
Jolly Jumper*
Gymboree/Play mats ?
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 (cloth Bum genius 3.0 brand)
Garbage can with tight lid
Wipes (at home, cloth and travel)*
Diaper Bag with Changing Pad
Daper Rash Ointment *
Underpads
Burp Cloths*
Bath Toys
Shampoo/Soap/Lotion (Aveeno)
Face cloths*
Hooded towels
Thermometer*
Baby nail clippers
Suction bulb
Pain Reliever
Teething Rings/Toys*
Pacifiers/Soothers
First Aid Kit
Hairbrush/Comb*
Feeding:
Nursing Pillow (rent from POMBA)
Breast Pump (Good quality, electric, double)
Nipple cream (lanolin)*
Nursing Pads *
Nursing Bras
Bottles
Bottle brush
New Born Nipples
Formula(? Just in case)
Baby Dishes
Baby Utensils*
Sippy Cups
I put an * by the things I have (or have some of) already. Some things I know I wont need for many months, others I will need before the babies arrive.
Baby stuff:
Nursery and Baby Gear:
Crib(2)**
Matress (2)**
Crib Matress Pads (4+)
Changing table*
Dresser *
Changing Table Pad*
Baby Monitor*
Baskets *
Shelves/Bins *
Closet Organizer
Baby Clothes Hangers
Glider and Ottoman
Lamp with dimmer
Pack and Play
Double Stroller*
Car Seats (2)*
High Chair (2)
Bumbo (2?)
Crib Sheets (6 +) *need more
Crib Skirts (2)
Curtains/ rod *
Crib Mobile (2)
Clothes Hamper
Baby Swings
Bouncy seats**
Slings (2)
Jolly Jumper*
Gymboree/Play mats ?
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 (cloth Bum genius 3.0 brand)
Garbage can with tight lid
Wipes (at home, cloth and travel)*
Diaper Bag with Changing Pad
Daper Rash Ointment *
Underpads
Burp Cloths*
Bath Toys
Shampoo/Soap/Lotion (Aveeno)
Face cloths*
Hooded towels
Thermometer*
Baby nail clippers
Suction bulb
Pain Reliever
Teething Rings/Toys*
Pacifiers/Soothers
First Aid Kit
Hairbrush/Comb*
Feeding:
Nursing Pillow (rent from POMBA)
Breast Pump (Good quality, electric, double)
Nipple cream (lanolin)*
Nursing Pads *
Nursing Bras
Bottles
Bottle brush
New Born Nipples
Formula(? Just in case)
Baby Dishes
Baby Utensils*
Sippy Cups
Saturday, May 9, 2009
I am an Aunt
My hubbies family all decided that this was going to be the year for babies. First his little brother and his wife got pregnant, than his little sister and her fiance got pregnant, and not to be outdone, we got pregnant with twins. 4 cousins all due within months of each other. My niece Sadie arrived on April 17th. My Nephew (or so the ultrasound said) was due to arrive last week. My SIL is going to be induced today and hopefully soon I will hear of the arrival of my nephew. Best of luck to Lori and James!
27 weeks pregnant & work shower
Here is part of what my weekly e-mail update had to say:
You're in the home stretch — two trimesters down, one more to go. Your baby is growing steadily as he prepares for delivery day. He will gain weight rapidly over the next weeks and, as the size of your belly increases, you may feel more breathless and tired. Your baby's acting more like a newborn now, too. He opens and closes his eyes, sleeps and wakes at regular intervals, and may suck a finger or thumb. He may also be hiccupping a lot this week, which explains that odd rhythmic sensation you've probably been feeling.
I didn't have any Drs appointments or ultrasounds this week (it feels strange) so don't have any updates there. All in all I am feeling okay most of the time. I still occasionally get weird heartbeats (faster or louder than normal), but just try to igore them as all the Drs I have asked about it assure me it is normal in a twin pregnancy. The belly is feeling huge (I am sure if I make it another 10 weeks I will look back at that comment and laugh). Occasionally I feel the babies move into weird positions and it can be quite uncomfortable. I think they are changing position quite often because I feel kicks in all sorts of different areas. I am sure they will soon get too big and start running out of room to flip around so much.
There was an inservice day at school yesterday, so I went in over the lunch break for a baby shower. There are 4 of us who have had babies this year or who are pregnant. The shower was for all 4 of us (5 babies). It is really sweet of the people at my school to arrange these showers for pregnant staff members. Our school has been doing a great job of making sure that we all keep our teaching jobs in the future by upping the population. I think in the last 5 years I have given at least 12 shower gifts at school. It was nice that it was finally my turn. I received lots of gifts, from the staff as a whole and from individual people. Lots of blankets, burp cloths, toys, a few onesies and sleepers in each size, a couple of books, facecloths, wipes, baby powder and oil, some clothes, a pair of shoes, photo albums, gift cards,etc. It was especially nice to see everyone at school. And I really liked the yummy cake....
You're in the home stretch — two trimesters down, one more to go. Your baby is growing steadily as he prepares for delivery day. He will gain weight rapidly over the next weeks and, as the size of your belly increases, you may feel more breathless and tired. Your baby's acting more like a newborn now, too. He opens and closes his eyes, sleeps and wakes at regular intervals, and may suck a finger or thumb. He may also be hiccupping a lot this week, which explains that odd rhythmic sensation you've probably been feeling.
I didn't have any Drs appointments or ultrasounds this week (it feels strange) so don't have any updates there. All in all I am feeling okay most of the time. I still occasionally get weird heartbeats (faster or louder than normal), but just try to igore them as all the Drs I have asked about it assure me it is normal in a twin pregnancy. The belly is feeling huge (I am sure if I make it another 10 weeks I will look back at that comment and laugh). Occasionally I feel the babies move into weird positions and it can be quite uncomfortable. I think they are changing position quite often because I feel kicks in all sorts of different areas. I am sure they will soon get too big and start running out of room to flip around so much.
There was an inservice day at school yesterday, so I went in over the lunch break for a baby shower. There are 4 of us who have had babies this year or who are pregnant. The shower was for all 4 of us (5 babies). It is really sweet of the people at my school to arrange these showers for pregnant staff members. Our school has been doing a great job of making sure that we all keep our teaching jobs in the future by upping the population. I think in the last 5 years I have given at least 12 shower gifts at school. It was nice that it was finally my turn. I received lots of gifts, from the staff as a whole and from individual people. Lots of blankets, burp cloths, toys, a few onesies and sleepers in each size, a couple of books, facecloths, wipes, baby powder and oil, some clothes, a pair of shoes, photo albums, gift cards,etc. It was especially nice to see everyone at school. And I really liked the yummy cake....
Thursday, May 7, 2009
A suprise in the mail
When I miscarried my first pregnancy I joined an online message board where I met a group of great women going through the same thing. Since that time, we have continued to write to each other and offer support with TTC, pregnancy, further losses, relationships, families, divorces, births, newborns, child care and day to day life. They are a wonderful woman and I feel very fortunate to have made their friendships. I am also amazed some days how close I feel to some of these people who I have yet to meet in person.
Today in the mail I received a box from Colorado. It contained a Jolly Jumper and a bag full of onesies. It was sent from one of the women from my board. I was happy to get these well needed items, but was also so touched that someone who only knows me on the computer cared enough to send them to me.
Thanks Josephine!
Today in the mail I received a box from Colorado. It contained a Jolly Jumper and a bag full of onesies. It was sent from one of the women from my board. I was happy to get these well needed items, but was also so touched that someone who only knows me on the computer cared enough to send them to me.
Thanks Josephine!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Me being grouchy...
Warning: This is going to be a grouchy post.
Before you read this I want everyone to know how incredibly grateful I am to be in the situation I am now in. I wouldn’t change this for the world. I am so happy to have these two babies growing inside me and would go into complete isolation and hang upside down for months to get them here if this is what it would take. Also I know that some of my friends and family who read this are still trying to get pregnant and hearing someone bitch about being pregnant would be the last thing I would have wanted to read about for the last few years. But I am feeling grouchy…
Bedrest. 2 little words squeezed together that both sound so good. Bed. We all love our beds right. The place where we curl up at the end of a long day. The place where we get to hang out for a few extra special hours on weekends. The place where we feel better when we are sick. Rest. Sounds good too. Rest comes after work. It comes after exercise. We all look forward to it, none of us normally get enough of it. But when you put the 2 of them together it really sucks!
I know that people spend months and months (even years) on bedrest in hospitals, in old age homes or perhaps even in their own houses. I know that bedrest for some people means they are unable to move, to pee by themselves, to change position on their own. I don’t pretend to compare myself to them. But I do have to say I have gotten a new understanding for people who have to spend their lives like that, dependant on others.
I have been on bedrest for almost 2 months now. In that time, I have left the house 6 times, each time for a trip for a checkup or an ultrasound. I am driven to the appointment, sit in the waiting room from 5min. to 2 hours, see my Dr, get poked and proded, and then am driven home. Sound exciting? Well it has been the highlight of my last 2 months.
I love my house. All the main rooms are on one level and I can easily shuffle down the hallway from the couch to the bedroom and back again making stops at the bathroom on the way by. The kitchen is right there and I can grab food when I want it. I can grab food when I want it, if I have remembered to ask my hubby to pick up said food want, the day before. If we are out of something, well there is no popping to the store to pick it up. I love my house, but when you spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in one area you start to notice its flaws. The stain on the carpet, the paint scratch on the wall, the blind that always opens crooked, the box that needs to be put away, the mess the cat made knocking things over. Most of these things wouldn’t bother me in a normal situation, and if they did, I would fix them. Now I just stare at them willing them to go away. Sometimes it works… More often than not it is because my aggravation level reaches a point where I mention it to someone and it is finally taken care of. I found a partial solution to this. I hired a house keeper. The problem has been that for the last 2 weeks she hasn’t come. The first time was my fault, as I cancelled when I had an ultrasound booked for the same time slot. Then last week she had an emergency come up and cancelled. So now it is close to 3 weeks since my house has been cleaned properly. The problem with a house cleaner though is that as lovely and cat hair, dust and tub ring free my house is after she leaves, the box is still sitting there, the paint scratch is still there, the blind is still crooked. She cleans things, moves them to clean under them, and puts them back where they were. This is great, if everything is where I wanted it in the first place.
Five years ago my hubby and I moved out of the city to a place close enough to commute for work, but rural enough to have my horses. Since then we have made a group of local friends. We go to local house parties. Once a month we get together with a group of them at one person or another’s house. We make plans and do stuff with them. Many of our family members live in the same province but are all an hour or 2 or 3 away. Many of our friends still live in the city, and we tend to do things with them in the city, usually after work. Many of my best friends from High School and University have left the province and live a distance away, but come back to visit, or I travel to see them. Why am I writing about this? Well usually I feel like I have an active enough social life. I love spending time at home with just my hubby and I, but when I want to see other people I make plans. I stop in to visit them, I arrange to meet for a coffee, I invite them to my house for a meal or a party or I go to their house. I just kind of took being able to see other people, to have company when I wanted it, as a given. Now I find I am lonely.
I have a few friends and relatives who have been amazing, and I thank them for that. People who have brought the groceries for meals and cooked for me, friends who have stopped by with a special treat for breakfast when they have the morning off of work, people who have brought me reading material, DVD’s and little treats. Friends who have brought their babies to visit and, even though I can’t pick them up and toss them around, I can watch them learning to crawl. Friends who have stopped in to help me out with something they knew I couldn’t do myself. As well as friends and relatives who have taken the time to call and chat or who have sent an e-mail or an MSN message on a regular basis. These people make my life much easier.
Even though I do have people in my life who come and visit, I spend many many hours by myself. Fortunately I like my own company, and have things I like to do when I am alone. I do get tired of being alone though. I am sure I could make an effort to invite more people to visit me, but it is hard to extend an invitation to someone when you don’t have something to offer. “Please come and visit me and watch me lie on the couch…” not nearly as interesting an invite as “Lets meet up at such and such a place for a hike” or “If you drive all the way out to see me from the city, I will cook you an awesome lunch”. I also feel like I don’t have as much to offer conversation wise. My world is very limited right now. I can talk all day about babies, and ultrasounds and pregnancy, but that is about the only thing going on in my life at the moment. I love hearing about “the outside world” though.
I only have another couple of months of bedrest until the babies are ready to come out. I am sure at that time I will look at the words “bed” and “rest” a little more fondly again.
Before you read this I want everyone to know how incredibly grateful I am to be in the situation I am now in. I wouldn’t change this for the world. I am so happy to have these two babies growing inside me and would go into complete isolation and hang upside down for months to get them here if this is what it would take. Also I know that some of my friends and family who read this are still trying to get pregnant and hearing someone bitch about being pregnant would be the last thing I would have wanted to read about for the last few years. But I am feeling grouchy…
Bedrest. 2 little words squeezed together that both sound so good. Bed. We all love our beds right. The place where we curl up at the end of a long day. The place where we get to hang out for a few extra special hours on weekends. The place where we feel better when we are sick. Rest. Sounds good too. Rest comes after work. It comes after exercise. We all look forward to it, none of us normally get enough of it. But when you put the 2 of them together it really sucks!
I know that people spend months and months (even years) on bedrest in hospitals, in old age homes or perhaps even in their own houses. I know that bedrest for some people means they are unable to move, to pee by themselves, to change position on their own. I don’t pretend to compare myself to them. But I do have to say I have gotten a new understanding for people who have to spend their lives like that, dependant on others.
I have been on bedrest for almost 2 months now. In that time, I have left the house 6 times, each time for a trip for a checkup or an ultrasound. I am driven to the appointment, sit in the waiting room from 5min. to 2 hours, see my Dr, get poked and proded, and then am driven home. Sound exciting? Well it has been the highlight of my last 2 months.
I love my house. All the main rooms are on one level and I can easily shuffle down the hallway from the couch to the bedroom and back again making stops at the bathroom on the way by. The kitchen is right there and I can grab food when I want it. I can grab food when I want it, if I have remembered to ask my hubby to pick up said food want, the day before. If we are out of something, well there is no popping to the store to pick it up. I love my house, but when you spend 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in one area you start to notice its flaws. The stain on the carpet, the paint scratch on the wall, the blind that always opens crooked, the box that needs to be put away, the mess the cat made knocking things over. Most of these things wouldn’t bother me in a normal situation, and if they did, I would fix them. Now I just stare at them willing them to go away. Sometimes it works… More often than not it is because my aggravation level reaches a point where I mention it to someone and it is finally taken care of. I found a partial solution to this. I hired a house keeper. The problem has been that for the last 2 weeks she hasn’t come. The first time was my fault, as I cancelled when I had an ultrasound booked for the same time slot. Then last week she had an emergency come up and cancelled. So now it is close to 3 weeks since my house has been cleaned properly. The problem with a house cleaner though is that as lovely and cat hair, dust and tub ring free my house is after she leaves, the box is still sitting there, the paint scratch is still there, the blind is still crooked. She cleans things, moves them to clean under them, and puts them back where they were. This is great, if everything is where I wanted it in the first place.
Five years ago my hubby and I moved out of the city to a place close enough to commute for work, but rural enough to have my horses. Since then we have made a group of local friends. We go to local house parties. Once a month we get together with a group of them at one person or another’s house. We make plans and do stuff with them. Many of our family members live in the same province but are all an hour or 2 or 3 away. Many of our friends still live in the city, and we tend to do things with them in the city, usually after work. Many of my best friends from High School and University have left the province and live a distance away, but come back to visit, or I travel to see them. Why am I writing about this? Well usually I feel like I have an active enough social life. I love spending time at home with just my hubby and I, but when I want to see other people I make plans. I stop in to visit them, I arrange to meet for a coffee, I invite them to my house for a meal or a party or I go to their house. I just kind of took being able to see other people, to have company when I wanted it, as a given. Now I find I am lonely.
I have a few friends and relatives who have been amazing, and I thank them for that. People who have brought the groceries for meals and cooked for me, friends who have stopped by with a special treat for breakfast when they have the morning off of work, people who have brought me reading material, DVD’s and little treats. Friends who have brought their babies to visit and, even though I can’t pick them up and toss them around, I can watch them learning to crawl. Friends who have stopped in to help me out with something they knew I couldn’t do myself. As well as friends and relatives who have taken the time to call and chat or who have sent an e-mail or an MSN message on a regular basis. These people make my life much easier.
Even though I do have people in my life who come and visit, I spend many many hours by myself. Fortunately I like my own company, and have things I like to do when I am alone. I do get tired of being alone though. I am sure I could make an effort to invite more people to visit me, but it is hard to extend an invitation to someone when you don’t have something to offer. “Please come and visit me and watch me lie on the couch…” not nearly as interesting an invite as “Lets meet up at such and such a place for a hike” or “If you drive all the way out to see me from the city, I will cook you an awesome lunch”. I also feel like I don’t have as much to offer conversation wise. My world is very limited right now. I can talk all day about babies, and ultrasounds and pregnancy, but that is about the only thing going on in my life at the moment. I love hearing about “the outside world” though.
I only have another couple of months of bedrest until the babies are ready to come out. I am sure at that time I will look at the words “bed” and “rest” a little more fondly again.
Thanks
Thanks to all of you who commented on my Baby Stuff post. It is very useful to hear what other people have found useful/not useful.
Keep the comments coming...
Keep the comments coming...
Friday, May 1, 2009
26 week ultrasound
I just got home from my ultrasound. It went great. The babies are both doing really well. Baby A (the boy) weighs 1lb15 ounces and baby B (the girl) weighs 2 lbs even. Baby A is at the 50th % and Baby B is at the 54th% for size. Which is excellent for twins. The organs, fluids etc. still all look good. They have changed positions (yet again) Baby A is breech on my left side, baby B is transverse (sideways) going across the top. I got a cute picture of the top of both of their heads together on my left side. At least they are no longer kicking each other in the head.
As for my cervix... Once again, no change. The stitch is still in place and it is measuring the same. There has basically been no change in 7 weeks since the surgery, which is awesome. I go back in 2 weeks (28 weeks) for another ultrasound to check my cervix and we will most likely do the steroid shots at that time. I'll go back in a month (30 weeks) for another full ultrasound with anatomy scan and measurements.
So it looks like I am back at home for at least the next 2 weeks still on bedrest. I am really happy not to be in the hospital.
As for my cervix... Once again, no change. The stitch is still in place and it is measuring the same. There has basically been no change in 7 weeks since the surgery, which is awesome. I go back in 2 weeks (28 weeks) for another ultrasound to check my cervix and we will most likely do the steroid shots at that time. I'll go back in a month (30 weeks) for another full ultrasound with anatomy scan and measurements.
So it looks like I am back at home for at least the next 2 weeks still on bedrest. I am really happy not to be in the hospital.
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