Sunny Day Photo Shoot (Thanks Cathy)

Some more of the photos from this afternoon are on my Facebook as well. Hope you enjoy them.

10 month update

Anna and Alex turned 10 months yesterday. Time is flying. 2 months from now they will be 1 year old. This month has been filled with changes.

Anna is getting really good at standing now. She pulls up or pushes up on pretty much anything. She occasionally lets go for a minute and stands with "no hands". She also walks along the furniture with one hand holding on. She crawls up on hands and knees now, instead of pulling herself along on her belly. She is fast! She only has 2 teeth still, the two bottom ones. And boy are they sharp! She bit me the other day and I still have a tiny bruise. She continues to say Mama and Dada and has added cat to her repertoire. She loves our cats and gets so excited when she can touch them. She is eating well, although still doesn't like textured food. She likes mush or solids, not things in between, they make her gag. She eats a ton of puffs and Cherrios on her own now and is getting better at eating other chunks of food too like cheese or banana or chicken. Anna recently learned to clap, which is so cute. She is so proud of herself!

Alex made HUGE leaps this month and learned to stand. He pulls up to kneeling and to standing on all the furniture now. He still tends to get stuck once he is standing and yells to be rescued. He tends to spread his legs wide apart and to almost do the splits. We are working with him on learning to sit down on his bum from standing. So far he isn't really getting it. He hasn't tried walking yet, but I am sure that will come soon. As for teeth he is WAY ahead of his little sister. Tooth #6 just broke through. He also has a full head of hair whereas Anna only has a little fuzz so far. Such a cute blond little boy. He is learning to eat chunkier food really well and loves chewing on cheese pieces. He loves his puffs and Cherrios as well.

The past 2 weeks our whole family has had a horrible cold. Being sick yourself with sick twins is really hard. I had forgotten what sleepless nights felt like. Sleep deprivation is no fun and makes it much harder to recover yourself. We have gotten through it though and everyone seems to be feeling (and sleeping) better again.

I am excited as next weekend I actually get to celebrate Mother's Day as a Mom with kids that I get to snuggle. I have felt like a Mom since my first pregnancy (isn't a Mom someone who loves their child?) and last year, on bed rest, I certainly felt like a Mother but it isn't the same until you have someone to actually Mother.

8 month Drs appointment

Anna and Alex had their 8 month appointment yesterday. All is well. Alex is over 16 pounds now and Anna is over 17, this puts them over the 10th percentile line on the growth chart for the first time. My peanuts are less peanuty now! They are also just below the 25th percentile line as far as height goes. The Dr poked and proded them all over and did a few exercises to test for muscle strenth etc. He commented that Anna had "phenomenal tone".

Mangos were a big hit today with both of them. We now have another tasty fruit to add into their regular menu. Avocados weren't a hit the first time we tried them, a month or so ago. I revisited them today and Anna had changed her mind. I mixed them with a little rice cereal and she thought they were great. She ate 1/4 of an avocado right down. Alex... still not a fan. It is really the only thing so far he really dislikes. I put some in his mouth, he gums it around and a few seconds later it is all on his chin. I scooped that up, stuck it back in to his little, open, ever hopeful, mouth, and repeat of the same story. After a few minutes of this he got less hopeful, stopped opening his mouth and looked at me with horror as the spoon of green goo approached him. That is when I decided to give up and he had a nice meal of applesauce instead.

2/3 of the way to 1 (otherwise known as 8 months)

8 months ago today, my teeny peanuts came into the world. What a hard and wonderful 8 months it has been. I love these two little characters with all my heart and find it hard to remember what life was like before I became their Mommy.

Both of them have been growing and changing so much recently. Anna is a few weeks ahead of Alex (which makes sense since he was behind at the start), She is sitting up now (unsupported but I still usually put cushions behind her as she occasionally falls over), rolling all over the place, and crawling by pulling herself along with her arms. Alex sits up, but usually falls over after a few minutes, rolls all over and tries to reach for things and wiggle forward, but isn't crawling yet. He is getting stronger though. They both "chat" all the time. 'w' and 'R' sounds are their favorites today. That and loud high pitched shreeks or squeals. They are soooo funny. They are eating all sorts of grains, fruits, veggies and meats now. We will soon start on some yogourt, and maybe cheese in a few weeks. Their favorite is still green beans...crazy kids! They are figuring out how to pinch things to grasp them now and we are starting to give them some chunks of food to try and will increase the chunkier stuff they can feed themselves and will cut back on the blended purees. We make some of their food ourselves and buy some ready made as well.

Both of the babies are reaching the seperation anxiety stage. Anna is okay with most people as long as she has a while to get used to them, before they pick her up. She doesn't like to be left alone though and screams when I leave the room. If I am gone too long (to pee, or change her brother) she is often in tears by the time I make it back to her. As soon as she sees me again she is happy though and back to playing and laughing very quickly. Alex doesn't get as upset by being out of my sight, but he has developed a real fear of other people. He only wants to be held by Mommy or Daddy. When picked up by someone else he goes very still and stares at them, his lower lip sticks out and starts to quiver and his eyes start to water , and if left for another few seconds he starts to scream like someone is pinching him really hard. It is so dramatic a reaction, it is kind of funny. I hope he gets braver soon.

I have heard stories of the connection that twins often have, so far I have seen no signs of it from my two. Perhaps it is because they were seperated from each other from the start in the NICU, so never formed a connection during those first 3 weeks? Once we had them home, we tried to co-sleep them in the same bassinette. It did not work at all and the result was 4 very tired people the next day, as they woke each other up all night long. For the next few months after that it was as if the other did not exist. The ignored each other and even when we forced them to interact by putting them side by side, there was no cuddling or cooing to each other that other parents of twins have reported. Lately they have stopped ignoring each other. They watch each other and make noises to each other. When playing they will roll towards each other. It isn't to cuddle up though, no, it is to steal each other's toys or to wrestle with their twin. They are rough with each other; they scratch, bite, punch, kick and roll on each other. I feel like a referee when they get together, making sure no eyes are gouged and no ears are ripped off. Occasionally one will give the other a big slurpy open mouthed kiss or I will catch them smiling at each other as they hold hands, but those moments of sweetness are fleeting and rare. Usually I am having to scoop one up to protect them from the kicking feet or flailing claws of the other.

I love being a SAHM, but sometimes it is a thankless job. With teaching (and 30 13 yr olds isn't an easy job at all) I always got lots of positive feedback. From a students saying "I get it now" to students actually thanking me, to parents telling me how much they appreciate what I am doing, to administration giving me good reviews. I realised a lot of my identity and self esteem came from being a really good teacher. Now, I don't have that. I get down sometimes and have a hard time pulling myself out of my funks. Some days I think I am the happiest I have ever been in my life, and on other days all I want to do is cry.

With the twins I feel sometimes like I am barely keeping my head above water. I keep them fed, in clean diapers, entertained, safe and loved. Sometimes accomplishing that in a day is all I can do. I don't feel like I am a very good SAHM sometimes. I feel like I am falling short. Often my bathroom doesn't get cleaned, supper is hardly ever on the table when Ian gets home from work. When I pictured being a SAHM I thought I would have a perfectly clean house, lovely meals every night and contented happy children to greet my husband at the door. Often that is not what he walks into when he gets home. I know how hard I work every day (often times way harder than I did as a teacher) and still feel like I am falling short of my husband's expectations and (even worse) my own. I feel sometimes like my worth as a human is being judged by how (not) clean my floor is and how many cookies I (don't) bake. Really not things that I have ever considered to be markers of a persons merit before, but things that I am being measured by now. Does this make me regret staying home with the kids (at least for now), not in the least. I can't imagine missing so much of their growing up. I can't imagine trusting someone else to spend 8 hours a day with my kids. I feel blessed that I have a husband with the skills needed to have a great paying job, which allows me to choose to stay home with the kids for longer than my maternity pay year. But as much as I love being here for my babies, it is a hard (and often thankless) job for sure.

I recently read a blog written by a Mom of triplets, it was funny in a sad kind of way. As much as she loved her babies, she was really finding it a rough road. And while I don't have triplets, I do have twins and a lot of what she talked about really rang true for me too. I love both my babies, and if I had to choose, well, I couldn't. Sometimes I wish I only had one baby at a time though. Multiples are hard. I watch parents with one baby and feel a sense of envy sometimes. When they pass the baby off to their partner, it is for a break, not because the other baby needs attending to. The one baby gets all the attention and love of both parents and never has to wait. Plus they only have to do things once, there is no feeling of being on a production line: Bottle for baby A, Bottle for baby B, put Baby A in high chair, strap in, put on bib,feed solids, wash face and hands. Put Baby B in high chair, strap in, put on bib, feed Baby B solids, wash face and hands. Change Baby A's diaper. Change Baby B's diaper. Tuck in Baby A, give soother, tuck in Baby B, give soother. Baby A sleeps. Baby B poops in diaper. Change Baby B, rock for a while, tuck in , give soother. Baby B sleeps, Baby A wakes up. Play with Baby A. Put Baby A in jumper, try to go pee. Baby A screams because they are alone, pick up and console Baby A. Read Baby A a story. Baby B wakes up. Change Baby B. Change Baby A. Play on floor with Baby A and Baby B. Baby A scratches Baby B, console Baby B. Read Baby A and Baby B a story. Bottle for Baby A, Bottle for Baby B.... And I still need to pee....

Occasionally I get lucky, like I am right now, and both babies sleep at the same time. This happens every few days and lets me have a few minutes to myself. It is 10 min, 20 min, maybe even 2 hours of Heaven. Sometimes I am even brave enough to run and take a quick shower... But if I do something like nap, check Facebook, blog, or watch TV on the PVR there is always a small part of my brain saying "bathroom needs cleaning, laundry you folded yesterday needs to be put away..." I think the thing I miss the most about teaching is lunch hour. For that hour (unless I choose to give extra help or volunteer to do something) I am free of responsabilities and can sit around having conversations with other adults. And boy do I miss adult conversation sometimes...

I started this post by saying it has been a wonderful and a hard 8 months. Perhaps the best 8 months of my life so far, perhaps also the hardest. I guess that is the life of a Mom to multiples. I am sure the ups and downs will continue and hopefully I will remember all the wonderful moments I got to spend with my kids, and will forget all the times I tripped over the laundry baskets or drank cold tea because I was too busy to get to it while it was hot.

5 month update a little late

The babies had their 5 month Drs appointment last week. All was well. They didn't need any shots this time, so that always makes the appointments more plesant. They had again gained 1 pound each over the month and are up to 12 lbs (Alex) and 13 lbs (Anna). They are still little peanuts. I worry that they aren't growing quickly enough, but the Dr isn't concerned, so I guess I shouldn't be either.

We discussed things with the Dr and were given permission to stop steralizing bottles, to use powdered formula instead of the concentrate and to start introducing a little rice cereal. What a time saver being able to just wash and put bottles away, no need to boil any more. Also the powdered formula , while also being cheaper, is much more convenient and quick to use. The boiled water is already at room temperature, so it is just a matter of pouring a bottle, adding the powder and giving the bottle a shake and PRESTO, good to go.

I am still pumping a few times a day, so they also get some of that. I have decided to stop pumping gradually over the next few weeks and to pack away the pump in the New Year. Pumping isn't plesant and I am proud to have made myself do it for 6 months. I will not be sad to see the last of the nipple squeezing horned monster though. I will forever be disapointed I didn't get to experience the beauty of real breast feeding with these two, and that my memories of it are of being proded and poked by a series of lactation consultants and nurses in the NICU, and of my babies screaming in frustration.

If I ever do this baby making thing again I know to start on the Domperidone, Fenugreek and Blessed Thistle right away to get my milk supply going (Once I was on these and pumping 8 times a day I had more than enough to feed one baby, just not two) and to yell at any nurse who comes near my baby with a soother or a bottle. I never gave them permission in the NICU to start them on bottles (they both started off being tube fed), but somehow it happened anyway. One nurse said we weren't going to bottle feed them as I wanted to breastfeed, the shift changed, and while I was napping they were given bottles. I will always wonder if they hadn't gotten used to the speed of the bottles if I would have managed to breast feed them. The debate rages on about nipple confusion....

Playtime!

Anna and Alex love to play now. They are such fun. They grab toys and chew on them, or stare at them. They love kicking it up on their playmat. Both have rolled over both ways now, from tummy to back, and from back to tummy. They love bouncing on our knees and being tickled. They both have great laughs.

Not a natural birthing, breast feeding, co sleeping, cloth diapering Mama..

When I was pregnant I had all sorts of expectations of how I wanted things to go. Firstly I wanted to experience natural childbirth. I wasn't 100% committed to doing it totally au natural, but was planning to try. Well 2 breech babies and the neccessity for an emergency c section stopped that plan. And to be fair, I am just happy my two babies got here safely. I think I was so afraid of the epidural and being cut open that natural birth seemed the better alternative.

Secondly, I was planning to breast feed. I figured since other women had breast fed twins before me, that I would be able to do it too. Well they say breast feeding takes skill and talent. The mother has to have the skill to do it properly. I worked with a lactation consultant for a couple of weeks in the hospital, and really feel I figured out what I was doing. I had the lactation consultant and a number of nurses say I was doing everything right. It also takes talent on the babies side. Well at 35 weeks babies don't have a suck reflex yet. It doesn't develop until 37 weeks. I knew this when they came at 35, but thought "hey mine will be different, they wll be the ones able to do it anyway". Well not everyone has the talent to make it on to "So you think you can dance" and not every baby has the talent to breast feed. I also thought that I would have no problems producing milk. Well I was wrong there too. Early delivery and a C section made my milk slow to come in, and I have never had a good supply. I spend over 2 hours a day pumping, and still am getting less than half the milk needed for my twins. I have almost enough most days for one baby (for now, that wont last as they are eating more) I am taking prescription domperidom as well as fenugreek and blessed thistle. Nothing has helped so far to increase my supply enough for two. I believe strongly that breast milk is much better for babies than formula, but I do wonder if those hours of the day I spend bonding with my Medela Pump in Style are really worth the added nutrition the babies get from breast milk. For now I will continue pumping. For how long? I don't know. For today, next week, another month, until they are 6 months???? who knows. I have made it 8 weeks so far...

I was sad in the NICU that my babies didn't get to co sleep. I had read studies about how twins loved to comfort one another and how sleeping together would allow them to sleep more soundly. We joined a co sleeping study, but got the side of the coin where the babies were kept apart. Once we had them both home we were excited that they would get to be together in the same bed. We had bought a Pack N Play with a full size bassinette and put them together in that beside our bed. Our first few nights were horrible... One baby would make a noise or move and then the 2nd baby would wake up. None of us got any sleep for the first few nights with both at home. Out of desperation we would take them to the living room so they could sleep in their bouncy chairs or attempt to have them sleep across the hall in their own cribs. After doing laundry one day I playfully placed one of the babies in the basket, they fit perfectly. Also the 2 laundry baskets, when placed in the Pack N Play, fit perfectly as well. The twins could see each other through the cracks, be next to each other and to my bed, but couldn't kick, punch and scratch each other. Perfect solution. They have now grown so much they are too big for their baskets, so we purchased a 2nd Pack N Play and they are both sleeping in them. Co sleeping didn't work for us as I had planned. They love to spend time together at "play time" and will sleep near each other, but if they are in touching distance they wake one another up every time.

While I was pregnant I started reading about cloth diapers. I had originally, when I found out I was having twins, thought that cloth diapers would be way too much work. After chatting to some cloth diapering Mamas and seeing some of the beautifully colored cloth diapers in stores I started to get excited. They are so much cuter than disposables, supposedly saved money, were good for the environment and would only take a "little" extra work. Well after the reality of having twins, I am not as committed to the idea. I have many days during the week where I never have both twins asleep at the same time. Our laundry room is in the basement. I have yet to be able to do laundry unless someone else is at home with me. Two babies make a lot of laundry on their own, without adding diapers to the mix. I sometimes find it hard to find a free minute to change the garbage bag in our diaper pail, let alone to rinse, wash, hang to dry, fold and put away diapers. I feel guilty about deciding to not use cloth diapers, but the reality of the situation is that I am not Super Mom, and I can only do what I have the time and energy in a day to do. The most important thing is that I am there for my babies when they need me.

So I am not a natural birthing, breast feeding, co sleeping, cloth diapering Mama after all. I have beautiful kids who are healthy and growing well. I love them and love spending time with them. And some days, in their eyes, I am sure I look like Super Mom.

Due Date

Yesterday was the twins due date. They are 5 weeks birth age, 40 weeks gestational age, and 0 weeks adjusted age. They say with preemies to go by their adjusted age when looking at milestones

Things are mostly going fine with us. I think I am adjusting to feeling sleep deprived and don't notice it as much... The babies only go 2.5 to 3 hours between feedings (Anna would go longer, but Alex is still so little that he has to eat that often, and we want to keep them on the same feeding schedule.) It takes close to an hour to feed and then more time to get them back to sleep and then they usually wake me up a bit before they are ready to feed, so the sleep time between feedings is very limited. When I get 2 solid hours in a row now I consider myself lucky. I hope that in another monthor so I might be getting a few more hours in a row.

We had originally planned on them sharing a pack n play beside our bed. That really didn't work well. They would wiggle and flail around and wake each other up. We tried them one night in their cribs (about 10 feet away across the hall in their room) and I got NO sleep that night. I need them closer. So we are now using 2 laundry baskets in the pack n play beside the bed. They do MUCH better in them. It is funny. I also put a towel under the heads of the baskets which they seem to like. They did that with their cots in the NICU, and I think they got used to their heads being slightly elevated. Once they out grow their baskets I will try to move them into their cribs I think. IF I can handle having them across the hall and sleep myself. Anna sleeps better than Alex. He sometimes will not settle in the basket and I take him into bed with us for a while until he settles down. I didn't think I would want the babies in bed with me at all, but when holding him is the only way he will settle and I am tired it is so much easier and more comfortable than trying to sit up in a chair with him. I also worry when on a chair/couch holding him I might fall asleep and have him roll off. In bed I lay on my side and lay him in my elbow and brace my hand against Ian's back (so I wake up if he moves around - I never move when I sleep, but he sometimes flails) Alex loves it and will stare up at my face until he drifts off. It is a sweet time. Anna doesn't settle like that. She usually is only fretting when she has a reason (hungry, wet, poopy, cold, gassy) and once the issue is solved she sleeps just fine. She also kicks me in the boobs and punches my face, so it isn't as nice cuddling with her in the middle of the night.

I worry about head shape, but compared to many of the babies I saw in the NICU, I think my two are okay for shape. Anna's is pretty perfectly round but she has a high forehead (like I do). Alex's forehead is lower and more sloped, and his head seems to be pretty round, except for one lumpy area above one ear. He kind of has a horn... It is where he had his IV in for a long time, so he didn't lie on that area of his head. I try to get him to balance on his horn more often, so it gets squished down. Not sure it is really working.

They spend time in all sorts of positions. Both LOVE tummy time and they spend a lot of the day on a blanket on the floor. Both will sleep well on their tummies during the day (when I am awake to check them). They also have bouncy chairs which they seem to enjoy sometimes. So far (fingers crossed it continues) both babies love their car seats/driving and sleep really well in the truck. We have gone on a few "adventures" with the pair of them and it has gone well. Supper over at a friends house, going for icecream, Drs visits and yesterday we went grocery shopping for the first time with both of them. (My first time in a grocery store in 6 months...)

Formula feeding/bottles etc really sucks. I hate all the steralizing and boiling of everything. Any tips to make things quicker? We used the ready to use formula up until their due date (yesterday) and are now using the concentrate mixed with boiled water. I am still pumping as well so they are getting about 50% breastmilk. I still try to put them on the boobs as well, but it usually ends with them screaming and me feeling frustrated. Some days I just feel like giving up on the whole breast feeding idea. I have one breast that seems to work well, but the other is a slacker. If both worked equally well I would have enough milk for both of them. When Alex gets straight breast milk he eats so much better than when it is formula. He is still really tricky to get to feed well at times. Anna is a little piggy and will eat whatever.

Both of them are REALLY active. They can both pick their heads up when on their tummies and switch them from side to side. Occasionally they will have a face plant in the middle, which is kind of funny. Both have rolled over from belly to back. They will roll from back to side and back again as well. Anna also went "walk about" one day and managed to squirm off her blanket and about 2 feet over under the coffee table. I was amazed! I am scared that I will have early crawlers at this rate. There is still so much baby proofing to do... Yikes!

Two weeks old today! More photos...

Pictures

34 weeks pregnant

Your baby now weighs more than 4.7 pounds (Mine are both 4 pounds 10 ounces) / 2.2 kilograms and is 18 inches / over 45 centimetres from top to toe. She's filling out and getting rounder -- she'll need her fat layers later to regulate her body temperature.

If you don't already talk to your baby, this is a good time to start -- at 35 weeks her hearing is fully developed. Don't feel ridiculous if you're already chatting in baby talk. Some evidence shows that newborns pay closer attention to high-pitched tones.

If you've been nervous about going into premature labour, you'll be happy to know that 99 per cent of babies born at week 35 can survive outside the womb -- and most have no major problems. Although your baby's central nervous system is still maturing, her lungs are nearly fully developed by now.

Many women start to notice a tingling sensation or numbness in the pelvic region or pain as they walk. This may be caused by the pelvic joints loosening, ready for labour. If you're terribly uncomfortable, mention it to your midwife or doctor.

34 week belly...no laughing please!

It kind of looks like the helm of a boat out there in front of me. I can no longer see the floor let alone my feet.

And back home again...

Just talked to the Dr. and I am heading home again this afternoon.

My BP is looking great again 136/78 was my last reading, and babies continue to be fine. So a few more days at home sounds like a good idea. If BP goes back up, back here I come... Hopefully it will stay down until they are ready to arrive at 36-37 weeks, but if not they will have had their steroid shots and be safe to arrive any time.

Back in the hospital...

Yesterday I got a couple of high blood pressure readings at home, plus I started having some contractions that actually hurt a little. I also was feeling the babies move less than they normally do. Sooo we packed our bags up again and headed back to the IWK.

After many hours in admitting, numerous blood pressure checks, monitors on the babies heartbeats, contraction monitors, ultrasounds, blood work and urine tests they decided to admit me again. By now it was 1 in the morning!

I am in room 718 in section 7a if anyone wants to call or come visit.

The babies will be 34 weeks on Saturday. Twins on average arrive around 34-35 weeks, so we are in a good place. A great place when you consider that they were pretty close to arriving at 19 weeks. They have stayed in and growing for longer than we could have even hoped for a few months ago.

Today I have had even more tests. My blood pressure was slightly lower today. I have to pee in a bucket for 24 hours so they can test my urine. For the first time last night I had some protein in my pee, which is a bad sign. Hopefully the 24 hour test won’t show anything too terrible. They did blood work which shows organ function last night and everything looked great, so the protein could be a one time thing. It is looking like I might be developing pre- eclampsia though, so I am glad to be in a place where I am being monitored so carefully.

I went for a BPP, Doppler and measurement ultrasound this morning. Babies are looking great! Babies both scored 8/8 on their BPP ( practice breathing, movement, muscle tone, fluids, etc.) Their Doppler readings were great, which shows the placentas are still functioning fine and they have both had a growth spurt in the last 2 weeks, putting on over a pound each (no wonder my belly feels like it is stretched tight like a drum). They both weighed in at 4 pounds 10 ounces!

I received the first of 2 steroid shots today (my butt stings a bit now), and will get the second tom. These help to mature the babies lungs and get them ready for the outside world.

It looks like within the next 2 weeks I will be having a C section. Both babies are still breech, and running out of room to turn.

IWK visit

Back at home for now. I had one scarily high blood pressure reading at the OB's office. After that they sent me to the hospital and I was admitted. When they checked my blood pressure after admitting me, it was in my normal range. They kept me for 24 hours and all my readings were fine, as well I had no proteins in my urine. They sent me out shopping yesterday afternoon to see if activity would spike my blood pressure. They took it when I got back, and it was still fine, so they sent me home. I am to monitor it at home, and if it spikes I will be admitted again right away. They said chances are it will eventually go up and at that point we will look at delivering the twins. It would be nice to delay delivery until 36 weeks, but that might not be possible. So chances are within the next 3 weeks I will be having these babies.

ultrasound pics

Our scanner doesn't work right now, so I haven't posted any ultrasound pics. I didn't get any new ones the last couple of weeks, but I have a few from before. I decided to try taking a picture of them with my cell phone, and although more blurry than the originals you can sort of see the babies. The first 2 are profile pics of their faces. The girl has the top of her head to the left and the boy has the top of his head to the right. The picture of the 2 circles is the top of their heads together.

Biophysical profile #1

I had a biophysical profile done on the babies this morning (basically just an ultrasound). Both babies scored 8/8 on the test. Yay! The looked at things like the heart, practice breathing, movement, fluid levels etc. I go back in a week for another BPP and in 2 weeks for a full measurement ultrasound and another BPP.

32 weeks pregnant

Another goal met! Our first goal after the surgery was to make it to 24 weeks (a chance of viability and survival) and then to 28 weeks (a good chance of survival). 32 weeks means that there is a great chance of survival and the risk of health related issues goes way down from here on out. If the babies were to come now they would have to stay in the NICU for a few months, but chances are they would be just fine. It is a good place to be.

Next goal? I guess to make it to July. July 1st I will be between 34-35 weeks which is the average gestational age for twins. 2 1/2 weeks to go... Although I always like to be above average, so hopefully we make it past that goal too!

Here is the twin update for week 32:

Your twins' arms, legs and bodies continue to fill out - and they are finally proportional in size to their heads. By 32 weeks, they weigh about 3.3 pounds/1.5 kilograms each and look more like newborns. (Mine are 3 1/2 pounds each) They measure about 16 inches/ 41 centimetres from crown to toe.

You may notice that your twins aren't moving around as much this month.(If anything mine are moving MORE) Don't worry; they're just running out of space in your uterus. As long as you can feel them squirming, you'll know they're fine. Believe it or not, they still have some growing to do. You can expect them to gain at least one and a half pounds/600 grams more before birth.

Your twins' organs are continuing to mature and they are passing large amounts of water through their bladders: good practice for the urinating they'll do after birth. Soon you can wonder what your twins are wishing for - brain scans have shown that fetuses have periods of dream sleep around month eight.

Some babies have a head full of hair already, others have only a few wisps. Thick hair at birth doesn't necessarily mean thick hair later on, but babies with fine hair after delivery usually have thinner hair in adulthood. (I was bald with white fluff for a long time)

Your twins should already be getting ready for delivery by turning upside-down - their heads should be pointing down. Your doctor or midwife will be paying careful attention to your twins' position in the coming weeks - as some do turn back round again. (Mine are both breech, which means a planned C section if they don't turn soon.)

Your twins' skulls are still quite pliable and not completely joined, in part so they can ease out of the relatively narrow birth canal. But their bones in the rest of their bodies are hardening. The fetuses' skin is also gradually becoming less red and wrinkled.

If you don't already talk to your twins, this is a good time to start - by 32 weeks their hearing is much more developed. Don't feel ridiculous if you're already chatting in baby talk. Some evidence shows that newborns pay closer attention to high-pitched tones.

Ultrasound update

I had another ultrasound today. It has been 2 weeks since the last one. Babies have both gained exactly 1/2 a pound in the 2 weeks. Baby A (Boy) Is 3 pounds 7 ounces and Baby B ( Girl) is 3 pounds 9 ounces. They are in the 17th and 24th percentiles I think over all. Little babies. Although it would be nice for them to be chubbier, they are both growing the same amount and their rate of growth is pretty steady.

The Dr ran a few new tests this week on the babies, mainly checking the blood flow in the heart (cool to see as it was done in different colors) and other internal organs. Everything looked good. The dopplers on the cords was good too, it is always nice to hear the galloping of their heartbeats.

The babies are still both breech with A on the left more towards the bottom and B sort of in the middle sideways into the right side. I asked if there is still time for them to turn, and the answer was still a yes. They still have their heads together (left and center) pushing up into my ribs making it hard to breathe at times. I didn't think they had changed position as I still get most of the big kicks in the lower 1/2 of my belly and more like pushes farther up.

Now that I am almost 32 weeks we will be going to weekly appointments at the IWK as well as my appointments with the OB. They aren't doing another ultrasound until almost 35 weeks, but I will be doing some sort of other test where they measure movements/blood flow etc. Should be interesting. ??

Although they had told me that they were done checking my cervix, the Dr decided to do one last check. No change. He told me that from now on there is naturally going to be some changes to that area as things are widdening etc.

Good news is that I am no longer on as strict bedrest. I am still to take it really easy, but house arrest has been lifted. To celebrate we stopped in at Nurtured and the Royal Diaperer on the way home for quick looks, and picked up subs at Subway. It was strange to be out in public again.

31 week belly

Here is a picture of the belly at 31 weeks.