Tuesday, November 10, 2009
One big, happy family!
Tonight everyone will be home from the hospital!!! Sam came home last night and we will be bringing Logan home tonight! It's weird to have two home right now, so I am sure I will be a bit overwhelmed (emotionally and physically) tonight when all three are here with us. We have waited so long for this and are so grateful that they have been so strong from the day they were born. Thank God that we have so much help from our families-I don't know how we would get through all this without them! I will try to update more soon and fill you all in on their little personalities and the fun we have with them!! I know some of you have access to pictures on my Facebook page, but I believe some of our family and close friends have not seen any pictures yet. If you fall into one of those categories, you can e-mail me and I will send a link so you can see some pictures. bd2178@comcast.net
Monday, November 9, 2009
Waiting
Lauren has been home for over a week now and we are starting to fall into a routine, which will soon be thrown out the window. We were told to plan on bringing Logan home over the weekend, but he is still at the hospital. When they are switched over to demand feedings without their feeding tubes they are weighed daily to make sure they are continuing to gain weight. Unfortunately, Logan lost weight Friday night, so he now has to show two days of weight gain again before being released. We are hoping that we will be able to bring him home early this week. They were moved into the step down room where there is less monitoring and is mainly filled with babies that need time to grow.
Sam had had more episodes of apnea than our other two, so they have him hooked up to additional monitors that record every breath and heartbeat for 3 days. The doctors review the data to see when he has these episodes, how long they last, etc. They do not usually count the spells they have when they are eating; mainly just the ones that occur while they are sleeping or while they are alone. He had two apnea episodes Saturday morning while sleeping that were only a couple minutes apart. His heart rate dropped down into the 70-80 range, but he did bring it back up on his own. When it happened again only a few minutes later, the nurse decided to go wake him. He will probably "fail" this test and buy himself more time in the NICU. We are hoping that a few days or a week more to mature will help him grow out of these spells. It's really scary to think that this could happen when he comes home, so we are willing to wait until he is done with these before taking him home.
Brad was finally able to visit the boys in the hospital today! It had been three weeks since he had been there, so they have changed a lot in that time. I notice changes after just missing a day of visiting, so I can't imagine what it would be like to see them after weeks. I know he missed seeing them, so I am glad we were able to go today.
Lauren is doing well at home. She has quickly learned that it is much better to sleep while being held rather than on her own! She sometimes seems to have trouble digesting her meals, so we usually hold her until she falls asleep before putting her down. She is a noisy little girl-grunting, squeeking, etc., and I keep telling her she can't do those noises after eating when she is older! She is eating better now than when we first brought her home though, so I shouldn't complain about the noises!
The babies will be one month old this week, but really only 36 weeks gestation. I can't believe it has already been this long! It's hard because the boys are still in the NICU, so it doesn't feel completely real yet. That will change as they come home! Thank goodness for the help from our families because I don't think I would be able to function at this point, let alone when all 3 are home! Brad and I actually both slept in our room last night for the first time in about 3 weeks. Oh how I missed that bed! Sleeping on the couch just isn't the same! My mom came over and took the night feedings so we could get some sleep. Hopefully we will be able to do that a bit more often!
Our girl is grunting so I'd better go see what's going on!
Sam had had more episodes of apnea than our other two, so they have him hooked up to additional monitors that record every breath and heartbeat for 3 days. The doctors review the data to see when he has these episodes, how long they last, etc. They do not usually count the spells they have when they are eating; mainly just the ones that occur while they are sleeping or while they are alone. He had two apnea episodes Saturday morning while sleeping that were only a couple minutes apart. His heart rate dropped down into the 70-80 range, but he did bring it back up on his own. When it happened again only a few minutes later, the nurse decided to go wake him. He will probably "fail" this test and buy himself more time in the NICU. We are hoping that a few days or a week more to mature will help him grow out of these spells. It's really scary to think that this could happen when he comes home, so we are willing to wait until he is done with these before taking him home.
Brad was finally able to visit the boys in the hospital today! It had been three weeks since he had been there, so they have changed a lot in that time. I notice changes after just missing a day of visiting, so I can't imagine what it would be like to see them after weeks. I know he missed seeing them, so I am glad we were able to go today.
Lauren is doing well at home. She has quickly learned that it is much better to sleep while being held rather than on her own! She sometimes seems to have trouble digesting her meals, so we usually hold her until she falls asleep before putting her down. She is a noisy little girl-grunting, squeeking, etc., and I keep telling her she can't do those noises after eating when she is older! She is eating better now than when we first brought her home though, so I shouldn't complain about the noises!
The babies will be one month old this week, but really only 36 weeks gestation. I can't believe it has already been this long! It's hard because the boys are still in the NICU, so it doesn't feel completely real yet. That will change as they come home! Thank goodness for the help from our families because I don't think I would be able to function at this point, let alone when all 3 are home! Brad and I actually both slept in our room last night for the first time in about 3 weeks. Oh how I missed that bed! Sleeping on the couch just isn't the same! My mom came over and took the night feedings so we could get some sleep. Hopefully we will be able to do that a bit more often!
Our girl is grunting so I'd better go see what's going on!
Sunday, November 1, 2009
One of three at home
Our little girl is at home with us! She came home a few days ago and we are adjusting to life with one infant. I think we are going to be pretty busy once all three are home! I was terrified and excited to bring her home, as well as sad to leave our boys at the hospital. They were able to move both boys together though since she left a vacancy in our pod at the NICU. She is not eating as much as she did at the hospital, so I am worried that she is going to lose weight when we go to the doctor this week. She was up to 4 pounds 7 ounces at discharge. Not a bad weight gain for 2.5 weeks! She hates her vitamins, even when we try to mix them with breast milk. She sleeps best when being held, which does not work well for us getting any sleep! Luckily, my mother and mother in law have been able to help out during the night shift since Brad is not allowed within a range of a few feet still. We are hoping he will be able to be more involved this week since he is feeling better and is fever free.
Our boys are considered growers and feeders at this point, so hopefully they'll be home within a few weeks. Both boys have been breathing too fast for bottle feedings sometimes, so the resident who looks after our kids ordered chest x-rays for them. It turns out they had fluid in their lungs, so they are on a 3 day course of medication to help drain it out. We are hoping that helps them regulate their breathing so they can take more feeds by mouth instead of their tubes. I visited them today and both boys are in open cribs now regulating their own body temperatures!
I can't wait for them to all be home and let our crazy new life begin. It is going to be a lot of work, but it'll all be worth it!
Our boys are considered growers and feeders at this point, so hopefully they'll be home within a few weeks. Both boys have been breathing too fast for bottle feedings sometimes, so the resident who looks after our kids ordered chest x-rays for them. It turns out they had fluid in their lungs, so they are on a 3 day course of medication to help drain it out. We are hoping that helps them regulate their breathing so they can take more feeds by mouth instead of their tubes. I visited them today and both boys are in open cribs now regulating their own body temperatures!
I can't wait for them to all be home and let our crazy new life begin. It is going to be a lot of work, but it'll all be worth it!
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Update
Apparently we can never have enough drama in our lives. Brad is sick, with what I suspect is the flu-quite possibly the H1N1 virus. He has not been able to see the babies in a week now. He was working all week and not able to go at night, then Friday came down with this. I am staying with my parents, hoping that I don't also get sick. I had gone to the hospital on Thursday, and held and fed babies. I am terrified that I somehow had germs on me then and brought them with me. Then I went to the hospital yesterday so grandparents could see the babies, but I didn't hold or touch any babies-which was quite difficult. When we got home, I had a low grade fever (99.8) for about 45 minutes. It went away on it's own and I haven't had any other symptoms. I am still completely freaked out and so scared that something will happen to our precious little ones. I called the NICU last night and let the nurses know what was going on, since I did touch the blankets that cover their isolettes. As of this morning, they were all doing well. I am praying that continues.
It has been awhile since I have updated this, so I apologize. Now that I am staying away from the hospital for a few days to ensure that I am not sick I figured I should post some info.
Lauren is doing well with her feedings. She is getting 45 ml every four hours now, and she is taking some of those ml by bottle. Some days she flat out refuses to eat from the bottle, mainly because she wore herself out the day/night before! She has a small PDA that we are hoping will close on it's own in the next month. It's supposed to close up when babies are born, but it is pretty common for preemies to have this heart issue. If it doesn't close up on it's own, they will try medication first, then microsurgery if that doesn't work. Although it's common and isn't affecting her heart functioning right now, it's still a bit scary.
Samuel is also doing well. The resident called this morning and told us she heard a heart murmur with him too, so he will be getting his echo tomorrow. She said it sounds just like Lauren's, so we are expecting it to also be a PDA. He is up to 40 ml a feeding, which has increased rapidly during the past week. He was the last one off of the IV, but he is quickly catching up to his siblings on feedings! He took 20 ml by bottle today, but again is not very consistent with the feedings yet.
Logan is also doing really well and is at the same feeding level as Sam. He takes about the same amount by bottle too. During his echo last week they found that one of the valves in his heart is a bit smaller than the others, but they expect it to grow and catch up as he grows. I am not sure what they will do if it doesn't, but we'll cross that bridge when/if we get there.
Overall, they are doing very well and I am so glad we made it to 32 weeks. I am sure they would have had many more problems if they had been born earlier. I can't wait until they come home and we can really have some fun! Obviously, I will have to disinfect the entire house first! We were in the process of putting things away when Brad got sick, so the house is still looking pretty chaotic right now. I wish I could post some pictures on here, but am too paranoid. I think they are pretty darn cute and love how they already have personalities. I will try to keep updating this blog when I can, hopefully I will be too busy visiting the babies and not get sick!
It has been awhile since I have updated this, so I apologize. Now that I am staying away from the hospital for a few days to ensure that I am not sick I figured I should post some info.
Lauren is doing well with her feedings. She is getting 45 ml every four hours now, and she is taking some of those ml by bottle. Some days she flat out refuses to eat from the bottle, mainly because she wore herself out the day/night before! She has a small PDA that we are hoping will close on it's own in the next month. It's supposed to close up when babies are born, but it is pretty common for preemies to have this heart issue. If it doesn't close up on it's own, they will try medication first, then microsurgery if that doesn't work. Although it's common and isn't affecting her heart functioning right now, it's still a bit scary.
Samuel is also doing well. The resident called this morning and told us she heard a heart murmur with him too, so he will be getting his echo tomorrow. She said it sounds just like Lauren's, so we are expecting it to also be a PDA. He is up to 40 ml a feeding, which has increased rapidly during the past week. He was the last one off of the IV, but he is quickly catching up to his siblings on feedings! He took 20 ml by bottle today, but again is not very consistent with the feedings yet.
Logan is also doing really well and is at the same feeding level as Sam. He takes about the same amount by bottle too. During his echo last week they found that one of the valves in his heart is a bit smaller than the others, but they expect it to grow and catch up as he grows. I am not sure what they will do if it doesn't, but we'll cross that bridge when/if we get there.
Overall, they are doing very well and I am so glad we made it to 32 weeks. I am sure they would have had many more problems if they had been born earlier. I can't wait until they come home and we can really have some fun! Obviously, I will have to disinfect the entire house first! We were in the process of putting things away when Brad got sick, so the house is still looking pretty chaotic right now. I wish I could post some pictures on here, but am too paranoid. I think they are pretty darn cute and love how they already have personalities. I will try to keep updating this blog when I can, hopefully I will be too busy visiting the babies and not get sick!
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Babies!
After my frustration and venting the other day, my body decided it was done with being pregnant. I was having stronger, more painful contractions so we decided to go into the hospital even though my own doctor said that it didn't sound like true labor. Well, the contractions were 1-2 minutes apart when they hooked me up. The babies started out fine, but as my contractions continued they started to get a little bit stressed out. By this time it was past midnight-we made it to 32 weeks and 1 day! Luckily I had not eaten anything since 3 p.m. the day before because my doctor was on his way to the hospital to deliver the babies!
The nurse had said if they make the decision to deliver, things would go quickly-she was not kidding! They shaved my lower belly, gave Brad scrubs to wear, and we were off. The epidural did not hurt at all, but I hated the feeling of not being able to move. They started the surgery around 3 a.m. and Baby A was born at 3:07, B and C at 3:08. I am not sure who cried, but I was able to hear some of them. Their first APGAR scores were 7, 8, and 8 and their five minute scores were all 9. Not too bad! Our girl weighed 3 lb 9.5 oz., Baby B was 3 lb 8 oz., and Baby C was 3 lb 7 oz. Their lengths were between 16 and 16.5 inches. I was happy that they all weighed more than 3.5 lbs.
While the doctors were finishing up on me, I started to feel extremely sick, so they gave me some drugs for that too. I am a little fuzzy on the details of what was going on with me because I was trying to listen for the babies and what was going on with them. At some point, I started bleeding more than they would've liked. Brad said that there was a lot of blood on the floor and he had his feet up on the stool because he didn't want to get it on his feet. I remember them closing me up and having my stomach pushed on, but that's about it. I don't remember going to the recovery room or being in the hallway, etc.
My blood pressure was initially good after the surgery, but my pulse was in the 120's because of the blood I had lost. They gave me fluids and medicine to help my uterus contract, but I was still pretty groggy and out of it. One of the doctors/residents came in and helped us decide to go with the blood transfusion. I received 2 pints of blood to help stablize everything. While all this was going on, Brad was able to go see the babies and bring our parents down to see them. I was so glad everyone was able to see them and that the babies had people down there who love them so much. It was hard to not be able to go down there myself though, but I knew that it wasn't an option for me to see them yet. They were all doing pretty well at that point, so I was able to relax a little bit.
I was allowed to have Morphine every 2 hours for pain. They normally give patients a different drug and ibuprofen, but because of the bleeding I couldn't have that special cocktail. I slept a lot that first day-just couldn't keep my eyes open! I have now been upgraded to a different drug that works pretty well, although it'll be really nice when I don't have to take anything at all! I am feeling much better now 3 days out from surgery. I have been up and around since Thursday afternoon and I have taken advantage of that! My blood pressure is still iffy and they are keeping a watch on that, but hopefully it'll even out on it's own soon. I spent a little too much time on my feet in the NICU yesterday and had some high BP symptoms when we came back to my room.
As of last night, the babies are doing great! Our girl is off of everything! No breathing assistance (which she hasn't had since right after birth), and they turned off her IV yesterday because she is taking bottles so well. Her nurse yesterday said she was still hungry and interested in eating after her normal amount, so she let her keep going. She ended up eating 50cc's that time! Later she would have to eat 32 or more to stay off the IV. We were down there when she started the feeding and she had eaten 25 before we had to leave. My mom and I noticed a little, tiny fat roll on her arm yesterday! My little overachiever!
Baby B is doing pretty well too, more of what is expected of a 32 weeker. They took him off CPAP in the morning; it was great to finally see his face! He is back on the nasal canula, like his brother, and is doing pretty well. He had some residuals from his feeds, so they have not risen the amount he is receiving which is 5. He was moving constantly each time I saw him yesterday, which is pretty much what he did inside of me!
Baby C has maintained his status too. He is on his canula still, but at room level oxygen. He had been taking feedings well, but started to throw them up a lot. They started to decrease that, but then he had a massive diaper blow-out and we are hoping that was keeping everything backed up. They went back to what they had been feeding him, (10cc), and he was doing well with those as of last night.
I believe I am going to be released tomorrow. I am so excited to go home and sleep in my own bed, but am so sad to have to leave the babies behind. I wish we didn't live so darn far away from the hospital! I will try to visit everyday, but I know there will be somedays that I won't make it down here. The phone number to the NICU is going to save my sanity on those days! The NICU policy is that only parents and grandparents can visit during flu season, which I understand completely. The other part of the policy is that the grandparents can only visit when they are with one of the parents. I had hoped that if there were times I wasn't able to make it down here, that my parents or Brad's parents would be able to come and keep them company. I guess I will be in the car a lot more that I had planned on! Hopefully the bouncing doesn't hurt too much!
I have decided that I am not posting any pictures on here, so I am sorry to those of you who have followed the blog these past few months/weeks. There are just too many creepos out there! I am posting on Facebook, so you can check there if you are one of my "friends." I know our families have shared this blog with their friends to keep everyone in the loop, so hopefully they will share some pictures with those of you who fit into that category.
Time to decide what to have for breakfast! I will continue to update this blog with info on the babies. Sunday is their next weigh-in, so it'll be interesting to see who has started to gain weight back. They suspect our daughter will end up under bili lights soon, which is pretty common and not too serious. And on Monday they will all have brain scans done to make sure they don't have any bleeds going on.
Thanks for all your love and support!
The nurse had said if they make the decision to deliver, things would go quickly-she was not kidding! They shaved my lower belly, gave Brad scrubs to wear, and we were off. The epidural did not hurt at all, but I hated the feeling of not being able to move. They started the surgery around 3 a.m. and Baby A was born at 3:07, B and C at 3:08. I am not sure who cried, but I was able to hear some of them. Their first APGAR scores were 7, 8, and 8 and their five minute scores were all 9. Not too bad! Our girl weighed 3 lb 9.5 oz., Baby B was 3 lb 8 oz., and Baby C was 3 lb 7 oz. Their lengths were between 16 and 16.5 inches. I was happy that they all weighed more than 3.5 lbs.
While the doctors were finishing up on me, I started to feel extremely sick, so they gave me some drugs for that too. I am a little fuzzy on the details of what was going on with me because I was trying to listen for the babies and what was going on with them. At some point, I started bleeding more than they would've liked. Brad said that there was a lot of blood on the floor and he had his feet up on the stool because he didn't want to get it on his feet. I remember them closing me up and having my stomach pushed on, but that's about it. I don't remember going to the recovery room or being in the hallway, etc.
My blood pressure was initially good after the surgery, but my pulse was in the 120's because of the blood I had lost. They gave me fluids and medicine to help my uterus contract, but I was still pretty groggy and out of it. One of the doctors/residents came in and helped us decide to go with the blood transfusion. I received 2 pints of blood to help stablize everything. While all this was going on, Brad was able to go see the babies and bring our parents down to see them. I was so glad everyone was able to see them and that the babies had people down there who love them so much. It was hard to not be able to go down there myself though, but I knew that it wasn't an option for me to see them yet. They were all doing pretty well at that point, so I was able to relax a little bit.
I was allowed to have Morphine every 2 hours for pain. They normally give patients a different drug and ibuprofen, but because of the bleeding I couldn't have that special cocktail. I slept a lot that first day-just couldn't keep my eyes open! I have now been upgraded to a different drug that works pretty well, although it'll be really nice when I don't have to take anything at all! I am feeling much better now 3 days out from surgery. I have been up and around since Thursday afternoon and I have taken advantage of that! My blood pressure is still iffy and they are keeping a watch on that, but hopefully it'll even out on it's own soon. I spent a little too much time on my feet in the NICU yesterday and had some high BP symptoms when we came back to my room.
As of last night, the babies are doing great! Our girl is off of everything! No breathing assistance (which she hasn't had since right after birth), and they turned off her IV yesterday because she is taking bottles so well. Her nurse yesterday said she was still hungry and interested in eating after her normal amount, so she let her keep going. She ended up eating 50cc's that time! Later she would have to eat 32 or more to stay off the IV. We were down there when she started the feeding and she had eaten 25 before we had to leave. My mom and I noticed a little, tiny fat roll on her arm yesterday! My little overachiever!
Baby B is doing pretty well too, more of what is expected of a 32 weeker. They took him off CPAP in the morning; it was great to finally see his face! He is back on the nasal canula, like his brother, and is doing pretty well. He had some residuals from his feeds, so they have not risen the amount he is receiving which is 5. He was moving constantly each time I saw him yesterday, which is pretty much what he did inside of me!
Baby C has maintained his status too. He is on his canula still, but at room level oxygen. He had been taking feedings well, but started to throw them up a lot. They started to decrease that, but then he had a massive diaper blow-out and we are hoping that was keeping everything backed up. They went back to what they had been feeding him, (10cc), and he was doing well with those as of last night.
I believe I am going to be released tomorrow. I am so excited to go home and sleep in my own bed, but am so sad to have to leave the babies behind. I wish we didn't live so darn far away from the hospital! I will try to visit everyday, but I know there will be somedays that I won't make it down here. The phone number to the NICU is going to save my sanity on those days! The NICU policy is that only parents and grandparents can visit during flu season, which I understand completely. The other part of the policy is that the grandparents can only visit when they are with one of the parents. I had hoped that if there were times I wasn't able to make it down here, that my parents or Brad's parents would be able to come and keep them company. I guess I will be in the car a lot more that I had planned on! Hopefully the bouncing doesn't hurt too much!
I have decided that I am not posting any pictures on here, so I am sorry to those of you who have followed the blog these past few months/weeks. There are just too many creepos out there! I am posting on Facebook, so you can check there if you are one of my "friends." I know our families have shared this blog with their friends to keep everyone in the loop, so hopefully they will share some pictures with those of you who fit into that category.
Time to decide what to have for breakfast! I will continue to update this blog with info on the babies. Sunday is their next weigh-in, so it'll be interesting to see who has started to gain weight back. They suspect our daughter will end up under bili lights soon, which is pretty common and not too serious. And on Monday they will all have brain scans done to make sure they don't have any bleeds going on.
Thanks for all your love and support!
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Drama
So I have been known to be an emotional girl, but this is getting ridiculous! Once I start crying, I can't stop! I have said it before, but I think this is my payback for not having morning sickness!
The reason for my crying this time started with my last monitoring session for contractions this morning. I felt one-the machine showed 9. Now, that's a big difference! This was the whole reason for me being put on the monitor in the first place. So, the nurse had be give myself a demand dose of the Terb. and was going to have me re-monitor later. I reminded her that today I am supposed to be taken off of everything. She wanted me to still do the demand dose and was going to call my doctor. During that 30 minutes, I managed to get out a good amount of tears. She called back and said he still wants me to stop everything. Is he nuts??? Did I not just prove the need for the home monitoring? How in the world am I supposed to know that I need to go to the hospital, which is an hour and a half away, if I don't realize I am having contractions? Does he think I like risky situations? I do not mind being taken off the medication and am fine with delivering if I go into labor rather than stopping it. I would really feel more comfortable being on the home monitor until that time though. The monitor is what sent me to the hospital almost 3 weeks ago when I didn't realize I was having contractions every 5 minutes. So now they tell me to just plan on going in when I get more "uncomfortable." I just don't want to wait too long and risk the health of the babies or myself. I may try to convince him of my need for monitoring at tomorrow's appointment-if we make it that long. I will say that I like not having any tubes/cords to deal with for this short time, but once I go to the hospital that will be over!
Sorry, but I had to vent my frustrations somewhere-maybe I can stop crying now! :)
The reason for my crying this time started with my last monitoring session for contractions this morning. I felt one-the machine showed 9. Now, that's a big difference! This was the whole reason for me being put on the monitor in the first place. So, the nurse had be give myself a demand dose of the Terb. and was going to have me re-monitor later. I reminded her that today I am supposed to be taken off of everything. She wanted me to still do the demand dose and was going to call my doctor. During that 30 minutes, I managed to get out a good amount of tears. She called back and said he still wants me to stop everything. Is he nuts??? Did I not just prove the need for the home monitoring? How in the world am I supposed to know that I need to go to the hospital, which is an hour and a half away, if I don't realize I am having contractions? Does he think I like risky situations? I do not mind being taken off the medication and am fine with delivering if I go into labor rather than stopping it. I would really feel more comfortable being on the home monitor until that time though. The monitor is what sent me to the hospital almost 3 weeks ago when I didn't realize I was having contractions every 5 minutes. So now they tell me to just plan on going in when I get more "uncomfortable." I just don't want to wait too long and risk the health of the babies or myself. I may try to convince him of my need for monitoring at tomorrow's appointment-if we make it that long. I will say that I like not having any tubes/cords to deal with for this short time, but once I go to the hospital that will be over!
Sorry, but I had to vent my frustrations somewhere-maybe I can stop crying now! :)
Monday, October 12, 2009
And the waiting continues...at home
I was ready to be checked into the hospital today; I had my bag packed of everything I would need until the babies came. We left the bag in the car for the appointment, but I told my mom to be ready to go back out and get it. Well, it stayed in the car until we got back home.
The babies all passed their BPP's today with flying colors! The ultrasound tech was amazed at how much our boys were moving during the ultrasound. I have told people that I don't think they ever sleep anymore because I am constantly being kicked on the left and middle of my belly-their hangout area! Our girl was a bit more reserved and we had to go back to watch her move once she woke up from all the commotion.
My blood pressure was higher again and the protein in my urine from the 24 hour collection was elevated (in the 700's when 300 is the cutoff for normal). My liver and kidneys are still functioning normally though, so we just need to keep an eye on it for now. I will continue to check my blood pressure at home for now.
He did not check my cervix, which I did not appreciate. It's not often that women would like to have cervical exams, but it always makes me feel better knowing where we are at with that. With us living a long drive away from the hospital, I am worried about fast cervical changes. He is taking me off the Terb pump tomorrow, as well as the home uterine monitor-I am terrified! He doesn't seem to think either thing really did anything for us, but now I have no safety net! I am not always consistently identifying contractions, so I am worried that I won't really know when we need to go to the hospital. He is also sending out an e-mail to his partners telling them that if I come into the hospital in labor, we are not going to try to stop anything at this point-we will deliver. Yikes, this is all starting to become a bit more real. I am sure if I wasn't having pre-eclampsia symptoms/issues, it would be a different story. But as of tomorrow I will be 32 weeks along, which is only 3 weeks from my scheduled c-section date. I know everyday they stay in at this point is better, but I don't know how much longer my body can hold out. I have still had consistent contractions, even with the medication. My blood pressure is high and my hands and face are starting to become swollen. I am getting to be huge! I am pretty uncomfortable at this point and looking forward to being able to do things for myself again. I would love to make it another week so we can have one more growth scan, but honestly, I don't know if we'll make it through the weekend. I obviously want to get to tomorrow for 32 weeks, and then Wednesday we have another appointment. I just can't believe we will meet these little ones soon. We have waited so long for this and been through so much to get here; it doesn't seem like we will actually meet them. I am hoping that they are healthy and big, and that they won't have to spend too much time in the NICU. I am starting to let go of the guilt of not making it to 35 weeks-my body can only take so much I suppose.
I will try to update on here as things happen, but hopefully I won't be posting anything tonight! :) Thanks again for all the good thoughts and prayers for us. I am so happy we have so many supportive friends and family members rooting for us!
The babies all passed their BPP's today with flying colors! The ultrasound tech was amazed at how much our boys were moving during the ultrasound. I have told people that I don't think they ever sleep anymore because I am constantly being kicked on the left and middle of my belly-their hangout area! Our girl was a bit more reserved and we had to go back to watch her move once she woke up from all the commotion.
My blood pressure was higher again and the protein in my urine from the 24 hour collection was elevated (in the 700's when 300 is the cutoff for normal). My liver and kidneys are still functioning normally though, so we just need to keep an eye on it for now. I will continue to check my blood pressure at home for now.
He did not check my cervix, which I did not appreciate. It's not often that women would like to have cervical exams, but it always makes me feel better knowing where we are at with that. With us living a long drive away from the hospital, I am worried about fast cervical changes. He is taking me off the Terb pump tomorrow, as well as the home uterine monitor-I am terrified! He doesn't seem to think either thing really did anything for us, but now I have no safety net! I am not always consistently identifying contractions, so I am worried that I won't really know when we need to go to the hospital. He is also sending out an e-mail to his partners telling them that if I come into the hospital in labor, we are not going to try to stop anything at this point-we will deliver. Yikes, this is all starting to become a bit more real. I am sure if I wasn't having pre-eclampsia symptoms/issues, it would be a different story. But as of tomorrow I will be 32 weeks along, which is only 3 weeks from my scheduled c-section date. I know everyday they stay in at this point is better, but I don't know how much longer my body can hold out. I have still had consistent contractions, even with the medication. My blood pressure is high and my hands and face are starting to become swollen. I am getting to be huge! I am pretty uncomfortable at this point and looking forward to being able to do things for myself again. I would love to make it another week so we can have one more growth scan, but honestly, I don't know if we'll make it through the weekend. I obviously want to get to tomorrow for 32 weeks, and then Wednesday we have another appointment. I just can't believe we will meet these little ones soon. We have waited so long for this and been through so much to get here; it doesn't seem like we will actually meet them. I am hoping that they are healthy and big, and that they won't have to spend too much time in the NICU. I am starting to let go of the guilt of not making it to 35 weeks-my body can only take so much I suppose.
I will try to update on here as things happen, but hopefully I won't be posting anything tonight! :) Thanks again for all the good thoughts and prayers for us. I am so happy we have so many supportive friends and family members rooting for us!
Friday, October 9, 2009
Pretty Soon!
It looks like the babies will be making their debut into the world sometime soon! At our appointment yesterday they all did pretty well on the BPP's, except our little girl decided to show her stubborn side again, (I wonder who she gets that from??). She did practice breathing, but not for the full 30 seconds needed to make it count. So, while the babies are wonderful again, not so much for me!
My blood pressure has my doctor a bit concerned. He was scheduling the c-section date for November 4, and said, "Oh, yeah you're not not going to make it to then," while looking at my chart. My blood pressure has slowly been rising and at this visit I had a +1 level of protein in my urine. He said that may be normal for me or it may be really elevated. So now I get to collect my urine for 24 hours!! Lucky me! And lucky Brad gets to take it to the lab on Saturday, but at least he doesn't have to take it all the way to our hospital. This way they will have the results at our appointment on Monday. I think I'd better have my bag completely packed and ready to go.
Dr. K did not check my cervix since we are so close to 32 weeks and they wouldn't do too much at this point anyway. He also said that he would be taking me off the Terb. pump during week 32 too. He joked that it doesn't really work anyway! I would beg to differ at this point, but maybe it's the whole placebo effect for me! So it appears that if the blood pressure doesn't get me, it'll be pre-term labor!
At this point I am just praying that we make it 5 more days in order to reach 32 weeks. I have always told our families that 32 weeks was my ultimate goal; anything beyond that would be a bonus. I guess I was pretty close to that! It still does not seem real to me-that we will be a family of five in the near future. Although I am constantly feeling these babies move all around inside me, I can't imagine what it is going to be like when they are out in the world. I am worried about how big they will be and how many complications they will have from being born so early. Then there are times that I think about how wonderful it'll be when everyone is home and we can really begin our lives together. And I also think about how I'll be able to actually do things for myself again-go to the store, clean my house, organize all the baby stuff, etc. I am so grateful that we made it this far, but I feel guilty that I couldn't/won't make it to 35 weeks. I know it is due to things beyond my control, but I can't help to think that if I hadn't gone up the stairs one extra time or refrained from doing those loads of laundry, maybe I could have made it to November. All I can do now is do everything I can to make it to 32 weeks, which is basically nothing! The cool, rainy weather has helped me follow the stricter bed rest-I love fall.
We will keep everyone updated, but hopefully you won't hear anything until after Tuesday next week! Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers!
My blood pressure has my doctor a bit concerned. He was scheduling the c-section date for November 4, and said, "Oh, yeah you're not not going to make it to then," while looking at my chart. My blood pressure has slowly been rising and at this visit I had a +1 level of protein in my urine. He said that may be normal for me or it may be really elevated. So now I get to collect my urine for 24 hours!! Lucky me! And lucky Brad gets to take it to the lab on Saturday, but at least he doesn't have to take it all the way to our hospital. This way they will have the results at our appointment on Monday. I think I'd better have my bag completely packed and ready to go.
Dr. K did not check my cervix since we are so close to 32 weeks and they wouldn't do too much at this point anyway. He also said that he would be taking me off the Terb. pump during week 32 too. He joked that it doesn't really work anyway! I would beg to differ at this point, but maybe it's the whole placebo effect for me! So it appears that if the blood pressure doesn't get me, it'll be pre-term labor!
At this point I am just praying that we make it 5 more days in order to reach 32 weeks. I have always told our families that 32 weeks was my ultimate goal; anything beyond that would be a bonus. I guess I was pretty close to that! It still does not seem real to me-that we will be a family of five in the near future. Although I am constantly feeling these babies move all around inside me, I can't imagine what it is going to be like when they are out in the world. I am worried about how big they will be and how many complications they will have from being born so early. Then there are times that I think about how wonderful it'll be when everyone is home and we can really begin our lives together. And I also think about how I'll be able to actually do things for myself again-go to the store, clean my house, organize all the baby stuff, etc. I am so grateful that we made it this far, but I feel guilty that I couldn't/won't make it to 35 weeks. I know it is due to things beyond my control, but I can't help to think that if I hadn't gone up the stairs one extra time or refrained from doing those loads of laundry, maybe I could have made it to November. All I can do now is do everything I can to make it to 32 weeks, which is basically nothing! The cool, rainy weather has helped me follow the stricter bed rest-I love fall.
We will keep everyone updated, but hopefully you won't hear anything until after Tuesday next week! Thanks for your good thoughts and prayers!
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
31 Weeks
Tuesday marked 31 weeks of our pregnancy! I am hoping that we make it to 32-I keep telling the babies that it is so close, just stay in there for one more week!
We had another appointment on Monday for BPP because they didn't all pass last week. Baby A and B were stubborn and didn't feel like showing us their practice breathing. Also, my doctor wants to keep an eye on my blood pressure, which has increased since being on the Terb. pump. I ate some sugary cereal and a Fruit Roll-up right before going in, hoping that would help the babies move around more! Well, it worked because all three were moving around and "breathing" within 30 minutes! Baby C was holding out this time on the breathing, but as soon as the ultrasound tech asked him to breathe, he did! I told her she could come babysit anytime since he listened so well to her!
Gained a few more pounds (I'm really packing it on now!), blood pressure was a little elevated, and cervix is still the same. It was a different doctor that I hadn't met yet, but he said he doesn't think it is 50% effaced and it still has a lot of length to it. So, even though I am dialated to 1, hopefully the fact that I have a lot of length left will help us eek out a few more days. This doctor seemed confident that I will make it to 32 weeks and beyond, but then joked that he probably just jinxed me and I'll end up in the hospital again. Thanks! He may be right though. I had only been having minimal contractions last week, but this week they have started picking up again. I am hoping that they relax again, but would feel better if they could up my dose. I am pretty sure that is out of the question with my blood pressure though. He didn't seem too concerned with my blood pressure and said that I only have a trace amount of protein in my urine, so they aren't worried about pre-eclampsia right now.
The doctor I saw on Monday said that if I went back into the hospital for pre-term labor, he doesn't know how much they would do to stop it. At this gestational age, depending on the situation, they may just decide to deliver the babies. Scary! I want so badly to make it to at least 32 weeks, I don't want to think about having them out yet! I was a bit more active than I should have been over the weekend with folding clothes and helping to organize the closet-yes, I had to label shelves and drawers. I have scolded myself and have been doing real bed rest up in our bedroom for the past 2 days. All the other things can wait until after we have the babies. Brad has gotten a lot of things done, so that makes me feel a bit better. My mom has been my "room service" person, bringing me breakfast and lunch. Over the weekend I opened up all the bedding and blankets, so she has been doing a loads of laundry to help us out too. I just can't wait until I can get up and do all these things myself, but hopefully it won't be too soon!
We have another appointment tomorrow morning for BPP and to check me out, so hopefully everything is still stable. I have been bringing a packed bag to my appointments though, just in case. I have to get a doctor's note so I can get a regular flu shot-they say they want pregnant women to get the shot, but won't give you one without a note! So, hopefully everything will be uneventful tomorrow and the babies will show off again for us! I will try to be better about posting, but usually no news is good news in my world.
We had another appointment on Monday for BPP because they didn't all pass last week. Baby A and B were stubborn and didn't feel like showing us their practice breathing. Also, my doctor wants to keep an eye on my blood pressure, which has increased since being on the Terb. pump. I ate some sugary cereal and a Fruit Roll-up right before going in, hoping that would help the babies move around more! Well, it worked because all three were moving around and "breathing" within 30 minutes! Baby C was holding out this time on the breathing, but as soon as the ultrasound tech asked him to breathe, he did! I told her she could come babysit anytime since he listened so well to her!
Gained a few more pounds (I'm really packing it on now!), blood pressure was a little elevated, and cervix is still the same. It was a different doctor that I hadn't met yet, but he said he doesn't think it is 50% effaced and it still has a lot of length to it. So, even though I am dialated to 1, hopefully the fact that I have a lot of length left will help us eek out a few more days. This doctor seemed confident that I will make it to 32 weeks and beyond, but then joked that he probably just jinxed me and I'll end up in the hospital again. Thanks! He may be right though. I had only been having minimal contractions last week, but this week they have started picking up again. I am hoping that they relax again, but would feel better if they could up my dose. I am pretty sure that is out of the question with my blood pressure though. He didn't seem too concerned with my blood pressure and said that I only have a trace amount of protein in my urine, so they aren't worried about pre-eclampsia right now.
The doctor I saw on Monday said that if I went back into the hospital for pre-term labor, he doesn't know how much they would do to stop it. At this gestational age, depending on the situation, they may just decide to deliver the babies. Scary! I want so badly to make it to at least 32 weeks, I don't want to think about having them out yet! I was a bit more active than I should have been over the weekend with folding clothes and helping to organize the closet-yes, I had to label shelves and drawers. I have scolded myself and have been doing real bed rest up in our bedroom for the past 2 days. All the other things can wait until after we have the babies. Brad has gotten a lot of things done, so that makes me feel a bit better. My mom has been my "room service" person, bringing me breakfast and lunch. Over the weekend I opened up all the bedding and blankets, so she has been doing a loads of laundry to help us out too. I just can't wait until I can get up and do all these things myself, but hopefully it won't be too soon!
We have another appointment tomorrow morning for BPP and to check me out, so hopefully everything is still stable. I have been bringing a packed bag to my appointments though, just in case. I have to get a doctor's note so I can get a regular flu shot-they say they want pregnant women to get the shot, but won't give you one without a note! So, hopefully everything will be uneventful tomorrow and the babies will show off again for us! I will try to be better about posting, but usually no news is good news in my world.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Most recent appointment info
Wednesday we traveled back to the hospital for a scheduled appointment, but I did bring my packed bag in case Dr. K decided to check me back in for some reason. I was hoping that my cervix would still be stable since I had not had too many contractions since being released, except for that one session of 8. The Terb pump seems to be doing it's job, knock on wood. I am also dealing with the side effects better and some have diminished, except for the elevated blood pressure. I am afraid that is the thing that might do us in now, but hopefully it'll settle down too.
This appointment we had our first Biophysical Profiles for the babies since the previous week we were in the hospital. We did not do the Non-Stress Test portion of the BPP because they had done well on that everyday they were tested in the hospital. Of course, the babies were awake the whole 1.5 ride to the appointment and then decided they would nap during the ultrasound! Baby C was the most cooperative of the trio and showed off his "breathing" skills right away. He also passed the other portions, and received an 8 out of 8 on the BPP! His siblings did not show the practice breathing, although Baby B did hiccup for a bit. Unfortunately, we did not catch him doing that for a full 30 seconds, so it didn't count. I think our ultrasound tech jumped back and forth too much and may have missed the beginning of the hiccups! They did receive points for everything else, so they scored 6 out of 8. Technically a score of 6 or less would mean another BPP within 24 hours, but our doctor said that would be out of 10 points. He doesn't seem too concerned that they didn't get those other 2 points because they did so well on everything else, and they had done well during the NST in the hospital. He decided he wants to see us Monday though to repeat the test and to keep an eye on my blood pressure. I am fine with going twice a week-it will help my nervousness about being home.
I have now officially gained almost 50 pounds (going by pre-IVF weight), and I am really starting to feel it. It is much more difficult to get out of bed or the couch to use the bathroom. I am also more easily winded when I do move around. I think, and hope, that the babies are growing rapidly now based on how quickly my belly has been growing. I have very few clothes, shirts specifically, that still fit. Everything is too short, so my belly hangs out all the time! I have pretty much given up on actually caring about it though!
Dr. K decided that we should pick a c-section date, so he decided on November 4th. The look on my face caused him to ask, "What, you don't think you'll make it that far?" I am skeptical, to say the least. While I would love to keep them in until 35 weeks, I just don't see how my body can continue to hold out that long. I am grateful we did not have many complications up until last week, but I feel like the issues are starting to pile up and get in line for their turn on us. At this point, I am really looking at 32 weeks as my main goal and it is still 12 days away. I will be so excited if we get there, and each day after that will be a bonus in my mind. I am extra cautious about getting my hopes up of going longer than that, so we'll take it one day at a time. Even if we don't make it to 32 weeks, at least the steroid shots are in and the babies were estimated at weights between 3 and 3.4 pounds a week ago. If they are following the rule of .5 pound a week, we are close or past the crucial weight milestone-thanks Carrie for reminding me of that one!
Thanks so much to all of our family and friends that are supporting us right now-physically and emotionally. We could not get through this without all of your help and well wishes! These babies are blessed to have such wonderful people rooting for them as they get ready to enter this world.
This appointment we had our first Biophysical Profiles for the babies since the previous week we were in the hospital. We did not do the Non-Stress Test portion of the BPP because they had done well on that everyday they were tested in the hospital. Of course, the babies were awake the whole 1.5 ride to the appointment and then decided they would nap during the ultrasound! Baby C was the most cooperative of the trio and showed off his "breathing" skills right away. He also passed the other portions, and received an 8 out of 8 on the BPP! His siblings did not show the practice breathing, although Baby B did hiccup for a bit. Unfortunately, we did not catch him doing that for a full 30 seconds, so it didn't count. I think our ultrasound tech jumped back and forth too much and may have missed the beginning of the hiccups! They did receive points for everything else, so they scored 6 out of 8. Technically a score of 6 or less would mean another BPP within 24 hours, but our doctor said that would be out of 10 points. He doesn't seem too concerned that they didn't get those other 2 points because they did so well on everything else, and they had done well during the NST in the hospital. He decided he wants to see us Monday though to repeat the test and to keep an eye on my blood pressure. I am fine with going twice a week-it will help my nervousness about being home.
I have now officially gained almost 50 pounds (going by pre-IVF weight), and I am really starting to feel it. It is much more difficult to get out of bed or the couch to use the bathroom. I am also more easily winded when I do move around. I think, and hope, that the babies are growing rapidly now based on how quickly my belly has been growing. I have very few clothes, shirts specifically, that still fit. Everything is too short, so my belly hangs out all the time! I have pretty much given up on actually caring about it though!
Dr. K decided that we should pick a c-section date, so he decided on November 4th. The look on my face caused him to ask, "What, you don't think you'll make it that far?" I am skeptical, to say the least. While I would love to keep them in until 35 weeks, I just don't see how my body can continue to hold out that long. I am grateful we did not have many complications up until last week, but I feel like the issues are starting to pile up and get in line for their turn on us. At this point, I am really looking at 32 weeks as my main goal and it is still 12 days away. I will be so excited if we get there, and each day after that will be a bonus in my mind. I am extra cautious about getting my hopes up of going longer than that, so we'll take it one day at a time. Even if we don't make it to 32 weeks, at least the steroid shots are in and the babies were estimated at weights between 3 and 3.4 pounds a week ago. If they are following the rule of .5 pound a week, we are close or past the crucial weight milestone-thanks Carrie for reminding me of that one!
Thanks so much to all of our family and friends that are supporting us right now-physically and emotionally. We could not get through this without all of your help and well wishes! These babies are blessed to have such wonderful people rooting for them as they get ready to enter this world.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
For Now
I spent the day in my own bed today, and it was lovely. I was sent home yesterday evening, but was worried about announcing it to the world-didn't want to jinx it! The doctor on call for the practice we go to came into my room Monday morning and asked, "Are you ready to bust outta this joint?" I was shocked they were thinking about letting me go because I was still having runs of contractions that were 5-8 minutes apart. She decided to add in a demand dose on my Terb. pump since my heart rate has gone down a little bit. That way if I have more than 6 contractions in an hour, I can do that before we would have to go back to the hospital. The deciding factors would be the cervical check and the morning monitoring session of the babies and my contractions. She checked my cervix and found that it had not changed since I arrived at the hospital. I was relieved the hear that-I was worried about that!
As I waited for my nurses to come in and hook me up to machines, I was excited and nervous about the possibility of going home. I wanted to go home so badly, but I didn't want to risk the health of the babies of myself. I figured that they wouldn't be sending me home if it wasn't safe though, so I started to hope that the monitoring would go well. The babies did great during monitoring, which wasn't surprising since they had been great the whole time I was in the hospital. My contractions were also low, mainly just irritability (not surprising either with 3 babies in an overstretched uterus)! So it looked like I would be going home!
I have a Terbutaline (sp) pump that gives me a constant dose of the medication that is supposed to help minimize contractions. I was using the hospital's pump, but if I was going home I would have to get one through the same company that I have my home uterine monitor from. So I couldn't go home until a rep came and taught me how to use/change the pump and site. I also had to wait until Brad could leave work to come pick me up. I ordered what I hoped would be my last lunch at the hospital for a little while. The rep came and showed me how to change the medication vial in the machine, switch the site where the meds go in, etc. Not too tricky, especially since I was used to giving myself meds when we did IVF.
Brad came a little later and we were on our way! It was great to actually see the outside and not the brick wall outside my window. And then we went outside and it was cold-which I absolutely loved. I was so worried I was going to spend the beginning of fall inside the hospital! Brad had picked up frozen Gino's East pizzas for dinner-yum! I had to monitor again when we got home and I was terrified that I would have too many contractions and be sent right back, but luckily I only had 1!
It was great to sleep in my own bed-I actually slept for a couple hours at a time! I decided to camp out upstairs in our bedroom because I knew if I was downstairs I would be doing more than I was supposed to. So Brad helped bring up all my "bed rest supplies," for the day since he had to go to work. I monitored in the morning and had 8 contractions, (my limit is 5), so I had to give myself a higher dose of meds and drink 4 glasses of water. I was convinced I was going to have to go back into the hospital that day, so tried to mentally prepare myself for that. Luckily, the next monitoring session showed 0 contractions, just moderate irritability. Same thing for the evening session! Maybe this medicine is going to help me stay home a little longer than I thought!
We go this afternoon for our weekly appointment, so we'll get to see the babies again! My ultimate goal is still 32 weeks, but I am so happy and grateful that we made it to 30 weeks and had the steroid shots. I still can't believe we will meet these little ones soon. It took so much time to get to this point, it just doesn't seem real yet. It probably won't until we see their little faces and hopefully hear their cries. I will try to post a belly picture today-it has grown even more in the past week. Good for the babies, not so good for the stretch marks! :)
As I waited for my nurses to come in and hook me up to machines, I was excited and nervous about the possibility of going home. I wanted to go home so badly, but I didn't want to risk the health of the babies of myself. I figured that they wouldn't be sending me home if it wasn't safe though, so I started to hope that the monitoring would go well. The babies did great during monitoring, which wasn't surprising since they had been great the whole time I was in the hospital. My contractions were also low, mainly just irritability (not surprising either with 3 babies in an overstretched uterus)! So it looked like I would be going home!
I have a Terbutaline (sp) pump that gives me a constant dose of the medication that is supposed to help minimize contractions. I was using the hospital's pump, but if I was going home I would have to get one through the same company that I have my home uterine monitor from. So I couldn't go home until a rep came and taught me how to use/change the pump and site. I also had to wait until Brad could leave work to come pick me up. I ordered what I hoped would be my last lunch at the hospital for a little while. The rep came and showed me how to change the medication vial in the machine, switch the site where the meds go in, etc. Not too tricky, especially since I was used to giving myself meds when we did IVF.
Brad came a little later and we were on our way! It was great to actually see the outside and not the brick wall outside my window. And then we went outside and it was cold-which I absolutely loved. I was so worried I was going to spend the beginning of fall inside the hospital! Brad had picked up frozen Gino's East pizzas for dinner-yum! I had to monitor again when we got home and I was terrified that I would have too many contractions and be sent right back, but luckily I only had 1!
It was great to sleep in my own bed-I actually slept for a couple hours at a time! I decided to camp out upstairs in our bedroom because I knew if I was downstairs I would be doing more than I was supposed to. So Brad helped bring up all my "bed rest supplies," for the day since he had to go to work. I monitored in the morning and had 8 contractions, (my limit is 5), so I had to give myself a higher dose of meds and drink 4 glasses of water. I was convinced I was going to have to go back into the hospital that day, so tried to mentally prepare myself for that. Luckily, the next monitoring session showed 0 contractions, just moderate irritability. Same thing for the evening session! Maybe this medicine is going to help me stay home a little longer than I thought!
We go this afternoon for our weekly appointment, so we'll get to see the babies again! My ultimate goal is still 32 weeks, but I am so happy and grateful that we made it to 30 weeks and had the steroid shots. I still can't believe we will meet these little ones soon. It took so much time to get to this point, it just doesn't seem real yet. It probably won't until we see their little faces and hopefully hear their cries. I will try to post a belly picture today-it has grown even more in the past week. Good for the babies, not so good for the stretch marks! :)
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Still here
So I am still in a Labor and Delivery room so I can continue to be closely monitored. The babies have been doing great and have been a bit too active when we are trying to monitor them! I, however, am still having contractions. Last night they picked up to every 5-8 minutes even though I slept through them. They continued like that into the morning and they decided to up my dose of Terb. Great-more jittery and higher heart rate! I just hope it does what it is supposed to do! They wouldn't have me do the larger doses (bolus) because of where my heart rate is now-ranging from 100-130. I am not sure what will happen if this dose doesn't work-I am too scared to ask!
I was originally hoping to moved to a Perinatal room today, but maybe in the next few days. I was denied permission for a shower and was devastated. I get headaches when I don't get to shower regularly and I just wanted to feel human again, so I was not very happy when they said no. My nurse and another nurse took pity upon me and washed my hair for me with buckets while I was in bed. My headache went away! I was able to clean up in the bathroom and put on a new gown while she changed my sheets-I am going to have to write a letter to admin to let them know how wonderful she was!
So I have no idea if or when I will change rooms. I could also remain here for the remainder of my pregnancy, which may not be that long if they can't control the contractions. I miss my bed, house, our dog, and, of course, my husband (not in that order). I know this is all for a good reason and it's relatively a short time, but I still feel like it is going to take forever! 4 days until 30 weeks and 18 days to 32 weeks! Thinking we'll be lucky to make it to 32 weeks now, but I feel like 30 is within our reach. We had our second steroid shot last night, so hopefully that'll help if they come earlier.
Thanks for all your support!
I was originally hoping to moved to a Perinatal room today, but maybe in the next few days. I was denied permission for a shower and was devastated. I get headaches when I don't get to shower regularly and I just wanted to feel human again, so I was not very happy when they said no. My nurse and another nurse took pity upon me and washed my hair for me with buckets while I was in bed. My headache went away! I was able to clean up in the bathroom and put on a new gown while she changed my sheets-I am going to have to write a letter to admin to let them know how wonderful she was!
So I have no idea if or when I will change rooms. I could also remain here for the remainder of my pregnancy, which may not be that long if they can't control the contractions. I miss my bed, house, our dog, and, of course, my husband (not in that order). I know this is all for a good reason and it's relatively a short time, but I still feel like it is going to take forever! 4 days until 30 weeks and 18 days to 32 weeks! Thinking we'll be lucky to make it to 32 weeks now, but I feel like 30 is within our reach. We had our second steroid shot last night, so hopefully that'll help if they come earlier.
Thanks for all your support!
Thursday, September 24, 2009
How Quickly Things Change
I am in the hospital right now listening to three heartbeats and a constant beeping from the pulse thing on my finger. I have been here since last night because I was having contractions. With my uterine monitoring, my threshold is 4. Well, I hit that late afternoon, remonitored and ended up with 5. The company called the doctor on call and they said that I didn't have to go in unless I felt them getting stronger or other symptoms. I ate some cereal, but was still having the constant tightening. I felt horrible because I already rely on Brad to do so much for me and around the house; I knew all he wanted to do was lay on the couch and relax. Being the wonderful husband that he is, he left the decision up to me and did not try to talk me into staying home. I figured we would quick go, my cervix would be fine, and we would be sent on our way like the last 2 times. No such luck.
We were escorted up to a Labor and Delivery room, next to a woman in labor.They hooked me up to the uterine monitor for contractions, the three monitors for the babies' heartbeats, an IV for fluids, and the fun little finger pulse checker. All this after I changed into the ever-so-sexy hospital gown, which does not quite fit my pregnant belly or behind anymore! I was contracting about every 3-4 minutes at that time, so we waited for the fluids to go in to see if that helped. It only helped in a very minor way. A resident came in and said that they would do an ultrasound and then check my cervix because the doctor was in surgery. Ultrasound was good-fluid, movement, heartbeats. She pulled this enormous light out of the ceiling, which was cool and scary at the same time-it looked like it was made in the seventies. She first did the fFn test, which come to think of it, I haven't heard any results from. Hmm. Gotta love that speculum! When she first manually checked myy cervix, she said it was still up high and closed. Then, a heard her say, "Wait, you are about 1 and 50%." She must have seen the look on my face because then she tried to console me and say that woman come in at 30 weeks and are like that too. Still did not make me happy. So, they talked to the doctor on call from the practice we go to. The decided to first try Indocin to stop the contractions, which were still occuring every 3-4 minutes. So I took the pills and prayed. They worked, for about 4 hours.
In the morning, my contractions were now occurring every 1-2 minutes! Not good! I had not eaten anything since before we left for the hospital, just in case I needed a c-section. They gave me another dose of Indocin. So, a hungry, contracting, hormonal girl does not handle stress well, in case you couldn't have guessed that on your own! I had the doctor come in with 2 nurses, and a resident, all of whom I broke out into tears in front of! Junior high behavior, here I come! I just couldn't stop crying! One of the ultrasound techs from our office came down to do our growth scan and also witnessed my blabbering. They tried to console me, but I wouldn't stop! The doctor said, "Think of your happy place, " and I said, (while sobbing), "Outer Banks, NC." They all said good and ran out the door as fast as possible. Except my nurse and us tech since they had things to do with me. The doctor decided we were going to try Terbutaline next, so the nurse shot me up with a booster dose. Thought my heart was going to bounce through my chest and land on the floor! One of the lovely side effects. If this worked, they would plan on setting me up with the pump though, which has a much smaller, steady dose of medicine. Ultrasound was set and ready to scan me-in my own hospital room.
She was also consoling me (or took pity on me), and was able to help me calm down long enough to look at the screen to see the babies we are doing all this for. So, at 29w2days, Baby A weighs approximately 3 lbs. 4oz!!! I was hoping for 2.5 lbs, so I was greatly relieved by that number. Baby B is about 3 lbs and Baby C is a little less than that, but all within the normal range for their gestational age! She printed out a ton of pictures for us, (pity does wonders), and said that they looked great-moving well, full stomachs showing that they are swallowing fluid well. Yea, some good news!
I was still pretty shaky from the medicine, so just laid in my bed and watched tv until Brad came. He had taken the day off to go to our appointment, so he came back out after only a couple hours sleep-something he does not normally deal well with! He brought the rest of my things that I didn't bring with-like the computer I am updating with! In the meantime, still not allowed to eat yet and was getting very hungry! Something amazing was happening though-the contractions were starting to spread out to every 3-4 minutes, then every 5-6, etc. The doctor checked my cervix one more time before letting me order room service-it was still the same at 1 and 50%. I was so happy all those crazy contractions didn't make it worse! So they ordered the Terbutalane pump and we waited. Brad came in just as the nurse was putting it in my leg. I ate a late breakfast and we hung out. I mainly watched tv and he played on the computer for a while. The contractions continued to go down and I don't think they are showing up on the monitor right now. I know that can change rapidly though, but I am glad this medicine is working for now.
So, the word on the street is they will re-evaluate things in the morning and if I stay like this they will move me down to perinatal section where there is less strict monitoring. If that goes well, I may be able to go home this weekend! While that prospect terrifies me because my cervix changed so quickly, I desperately miss my bed, bathroom, and couch. I would still be on the pump at home and if my contractions increased again, I would be sent back here again. We requested to talk with a NICU doctor and have my anesthesiology consult while we were here. They came in and the NICU doc was pretty doom and gloom, which I had anticipated. He went through all the problems that babies at our gestational age (29w2d) would encounter. I asked if 30 weeks is our mini goal and each week and day after that is a bonus, and he agreed. So, I will feel better again on Tuesday when we hit 30 weeks, and even better when we hit 32 weeks (I hope)! The anesthesiologist came in and you could tell he had already looked up Myotonic Dystrophy! We talked about how we would obviously be doing the epidural if the c-section was planned and to avoid general anesthesia at all costs. He explained some of the other things they typically do, which will benefit me too-pain drugs injected into the spinal fluid after the c-section for 18-24 hours of pain relief! He said they would monitor my heart and breathing closely, but hopes that since I am not too symptomatic that I should be okay.
So, I decided to update this blog early tonight when things are still going well-hopefully I don't jinx anything! I will miss the shower tomorrow at Brad's work and we have to rearrange our refinance meeting for the house so the guy will come here, but as long as those babies stay inside where it is safe, it will all be worth it! They have been handling the contractions really well, at least that's what the doctors and nurses have been saying all day. I just hope they will wait a little bit longer to enter this world. I am not ready to lose my precious time with them-even if they do kick me in the lungs and intenstines. I want them to get to a safer zone so we can enjoy them at home sooner rather than spend their first few months in the NICU. I am past being scared of how we will take care of them-we will love them, everything else will fall into place. Now we just have to get another name for Baby C! Congrats to our friends (B and K-don't want to put their names in here), and I must say that I love your taste in names!
So if anyone out there in the real world gets bored, first pray for the babies and us, then send me a comment on here or facebook, or on e-mail. I have nothing but time for you all-and that'll be it for about 3 years! :)
Sorry again for typos-I am typing with an IV in one hand and the pulse thingy on my other hand-go easy on me!
We were escorted up to a Labor and Delivery room, next to a woman in labor.They hooked me up to the uterine monitor for contractions, the three monitors for the babies' heartbeats, an IV for fluids, and the fun little finger pulse checker. All this after I changed into the ever-so-sexy hospital gown, which does not quite fit my pregnant belly or behind anymore! I was contracting about every 3-4 minutes at that time, so we waited for the fluids to go in to see if that helped. It only helped in a very minor way. A resident came in and said that they would do an ultrasound and then check my cervix because the doctor was in surgery. Ultrasound was good-fluid, movement, heartbeats. She pulled this enormous light out of the ceiling, which was cool and scary at the same time-it looked like it was made in the seventies. She first did the fFn test, which come to think of it, I haven't heard any results from. Hmm. Gotta love that speculum! When she first manually checked myy cervix, she said it was still up high and closed. Then, a heard her say, "Wait, you are about 1 and 50%." She must have seen the look on my face because then she tried to console me and say that woman come in at 30 weeks and are like that too. Still did not make me happy. So, they talked to the doctor on call from the practice we go to. The decided to first try Indocin to stop the contractions, which were still occuring every 3-4 minutes. So I took the pills and prayed. They worked, for about 4 hours.
In the morning, my contractions were now occurring every 1-2 minutes! Not good! I had not eaten anything since before we left for the hospital, just in case I needed a c-section. They gave me another dose of Indocin. So, a hungry, contracting, hormonal girl does not handle stress well, in case you couldn't have guessed that on your own! I had the doctor come in with 2 nurses, and a resident, all of whom I broke out into tears in front of! Junior high behavior, here I come! I just couldn't stop crying! One of the ultrasound techs from our office came down to do our growth scan and also witnessed my blabbering. They tried to console me, but I wouldn't stop! The doctor said, "Think of your happy place, " and I said, (while sobbing), "Outer Banks, NC." They all said good and ran out the door as fast as possible. Except my nurse and us tech since they had things to do with me. The doctor decided we were going to try Terbutaline next, so the nurse shot me up with a booster dose. Thought my heart was going to bounce through my chest and land on the floor! One of the lovely side effects. If this worked, they would plan on setting me up with the pump though, which has a much smaller, steady dose of medicine. Ultrasound was set and ready to scan me-in my own hospital room.
She was also consoling me (or took pity on me), and was able to help me calm down long enough to look at the screen to see the babies we are doing all this for. So, at 29w2days, Baby A weighs approximately 3 lbs. 4oz!!! I was hoping for 2.5 lbs, so I was greatly relieved by that number. Baby B is about 3 lbs and Baby C is a little less than that, but all within the normal range for their gestational age! She printed out a ton of pictures for us, (pity does wonders), and said that they looked great-moving well, full stomachs showing that they are swallowing fluid well. Yea, some good news!
I was still pretty shaky from the medicine, so just laid in my bed and watched tv until Brad came. He had taken the day off to go to our appointment, so he came back out after only a couple hours sleep-something he does not normally deal well with! He brought the rest of my things that I didn't bring with-like the computer I am updating with! In the meantime, still not allowed to eat yet and was getting very hungry! Something amazing was happening though-the contractions were starting to spread out to every 3-4 minutes, then every 5-6, etc. The doctor checked my cervix one more time before letting me order room service-it was still the same at 1 and 50%. I was so happy all those crazy contractions didn't make it worse! So they ordered the Terbutalane pump and we waited. Brad came in just as the nurse was putting it in my leg. I ate a late breakfast and we hung out. I mainly watched tv and he played on the computer for a while. The contractions continued to go down and I don't think they are showing up on the monitor right now. I know that can change rapidly though, but I am glad this medicine is working for now.
So, the word on the street is they will re-evaluate things in the morning and if I stay like this they will move me down to perinatal section where there is less strict monitoring. If that goes well, I may be able to go home this weekend! While that prospect terrifies me because my cervix changed so quickly, I desperately miss my bed, bathroom, and couch. I would still be on the pump at home and if my contractions increased again, I would be sent back here again. We requested to talk with a NICU doctor and have my anesthesiology consult while we were here. They came in and the NICU doc was pretty doom and gloom, which I had anticipated. He went through all the problems that babies at our gestational age (29w2d) would encounter. I asked if 30 weeks is our mini goal and each week and day after that is a bonus, and he agreed. So, I will feel better again on Tuesday when we hit 30 weeks, and even better when we hit 32 weeks (I hope)! The anesthesiologist came in and you could tell he had already looked up Myotonic Dystrophy! We talked about how we would obviously be doing the epidural if the c-section was planned and to avoid general anesthesia at all costs. He explained some of the other things they typically do, which will benefit me too-pain drugs injected into the spinal fluid after the c-section for 18-24 hours of pain relief! He said they would monitor my heart and breathing closely, but hopes that since I am not too symptomatic that I should be okay.
So, I decided to update this blog early tonight when things are still going well-hopefully I don't jinx anything! I will miss the shower tomorrow at Brad's work and we have to rearrange our refinance meeting for the house so the guy will come here, but as long as those babies stay inside where it is safe, it will all be worth it! They have been handling the contractions really well, at least that's what the doctors and nurses have been saying all day. I just hope they will wait a little bit longer to enter this world. I am not ready to lose my precious time with them-even if they do kick me in the lungs and intenstines. I want them to get to a safer zone so we can enjoy them at home sooner rather than spend their first few months in the NICU. I am past being scared of how we will take care of them-we will love them, everything else will fall into place. Now we just have to get another name for Baby C! Congrats to our friends (B and K-don't want to put their names in here), and I must say that I love your taste in names!
So if anyone out there in the real world gets bored, first pray for the babies and us, then send me a comment on here or facebook, or on e-mail. I have nothing but time for you all-and that'll be it for about 3 years! :)
Sorry again for typos-I am typing with an IV in one hand and the pulse thingy on my other hand-go easy on me!
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
29 Weeks!
Time is really starting to go by quickly now, and hopefully it continues that way for the sake of the babies! I have to admit that I am now starting to have mini-panic attacks when I think of how things are going to be in a few weeks. I did not allow myself to think ahead of how life would be because I was afraid something would go wrong. While that plan got me through the early times, it has not been helpful with dealing with the future! I wonder how we are going to do everything and take care of 3 little babies all at once. Obviously, we will have the help of our families and friends, but ultimately the job of parenting is left up to us.
In my heart, I know that everything will be fine and we'll get through it. But, my mind is swirling thinking about the logistics of it all. I can't wait to see their little faces, but I want them to stay inside of me to keep them safe. I want them to stay in until 35 weeks and then bring them home soon after delivery, but that also terrifies me because we are not anywhere near being ready for them at home. I can't wait until bedrest is over and I can run out to the store when we need something, but I know I will never be able to lay on the couch and watch t.v. again! So many things to think about and get done before they join us out here, but I feel so unprepared. And those who know me, know that I hate being unprepared and I have to have a plan for everything. I think that may be one of the most difficult things that I have been dealing with-not being able to completely plan out everything that is going to happen-when they come, how they will be, etc. I have just been taking everything one step and one week at a time, so to actually think ahead more than that makes my heart beat a little faster. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited to finally be in this place after our struggles. I am just afraid and nervous, about so many things! I assume everyone goes through this before becoming parents. I just wish I hadn't put off thinking about it this whole time!!
But yea for 29 weeks!! I am excited and nervous for our appointment this Thursday-growth scan and biophysical profiles. We will see how they have grown-hopefully a lot since week 25. For the BPP, part will be on ultrasound and part should be a non-stress test, although they didn't mention that when I scheduled these appointments. They will see how many movements they make, practice breathing, etc. I hope they are all overachievers! It's another late afternoon appointment and since it'll be a long one, I may not post until Friday. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for big babies!! :)
In my heart, I know that everything will be fine and we'll get through it. But, my mind is swirling thinking about the logistics of it all. I can't wait to see their little faces, but I want them to stay inside of me to keep them safe. I want them to stay in until 35 weeks and then bring them home soon after delivery, but that also terrifies me because we are not anywhere near being ready for them at home. I can't wait until bedrest is over and I can run out to the store when we need something, but I know I will never be able to lay on the couch and watch t.v. again! So many things to think about and get done before they join us out here, but I feel so unprepared. And those who know me, know that I hate being unprepared and I have to have a plan for everything. I think that may be one of the most difficult things that I have been dealing with-not being able to completely plan out everything that is going to happen-when they come, how they will be, etc. I have just been taking everything one step and one week at a time, so to actually think ahead more than that makes my heart beat a little faster. Don't get me wrong, I am so excited to finally be in this place after our struggles. I am just afraid and nervous, about so many things! I assume everyone goes through this before becoming parents. I just wish I hadn't put off thinking about it this whole time!!
But yea for 29 weeks!! I am excited and nervous for our appointment this Thursday-growth scan and biophysical profiles. We will see how they have grown-hopefully a lot since week 25. For the BPP, part will be on ultrasound and part should be a non-stress test, although they didn't mention that when I scheduled these appointments. They will see how many movements they make, practice breathing, etc. I hope they are all overachievers! It's another late afternoon appointment and since it'll be a long one, I may not post until Friday. Keep your fingers and toes crossed for big babies!! :)
Friday, September 18, 2009
And the Countdown Continues!!
I apologize to those of you who check this on Wednesdays and Thursdays looking for appointment info for not posting sooner. I was a bit tired after the day, so chose sleep over blogging! We had a good appointment, but there a lot of waiting for our ultrasound since 2 doctors were in the office yesterday. My mother-in-law drove me to the appointment and was able to see the babies with ultrasound for the first time. Then, our ride home took awhile since it was rush hour. We did stop and get some dinner on the way home though-yum!
Here's the weekly info-I did gain weight, but nobody needs to know how much I actually weigh! :) I am now measuring 44 cm, which would be equal to the number of weeks for normal pregnant women. My blood pressure is still good too. Cervix is still high and closed-yea! He doesn't measure it on ultrasound anymore, so I don't know if it has shortened, but I'll take a closed cervix anyday! The ultrasound was good too, although the babies are definitely starting to run out of stretching room now! They were all pretty calm and gave us some nice profile shots for the pictures. They all had a good amount of fluid and the membrane between the boys was moving nicely (which means that baby C has enough fluid and he isn't Saran Wrapped into is area). Dr. K came in and checked everything for himself, although he did make my MIL nervous because he was so quiet while looking at the babies. It is getting more difficult to tell who is who in there! He was starting with baby A and then moving up to find B and C. At one point the had all their heads together-like a football huddle. I fear they are already plotting against us! :) So, while Dr. K was following heads to find bodies, he was really quiet. While Brad and I know that is how our doctor is when he is looking at the ultrasound, my MIL did not and was worried that something was wrong. Luckily, he spoke up in a little bit and said that everything looks good. I asked Dr. K about getting my regular flu shot and he said if they aren't in at his office at my next appointment, I should just go somewhere local to get it sooner. I still didn't get a clear answer on the H1N1 shot-just that the CDC and other organizations are recommending it. I couldn't get him to say that he recommends it, only that usually 1 out of 5 of their patients refuse to get the regular flu shot. Brad would really prefer that I not get it and I am still thinking that it would probably be better to wait until after the babies are born. I am not in public areas, except when I go to the doctor and I am obsessive about hand washing and using hand sanitizer while I am there. We talked about how we are happy that we made it to 28 weeks and how complications go down dramatically now. He did say to not get cocky and be cautiously optomistic like we have been up to this point. I then asked about touring the NICU and he said that we may not need to worry about the NICU. I joked, "Now who's being cocky?!" While I would love to avoid the NICU, I would rather be prepared because I have the feeling we'll still be visiting our babies there for a little bit at least. I am going to have a consult with the anesthesiologist because of the risks of surgery with myotonic dystrophy, so we decided that we'll set up our tour for that same day.
Next week is our big appointment with another growth scan and biophysical profiles. I am excited and nervous to see how much they have grown-hopefully a lot! I will be 29 weeks on Tuesday and it feels like things are speeding up now, thankfully. I think this weekend we are going to be putting together another crib, (actually, Brad will be doing that), and taking some gifts out of their packages. I have to continue to work on thank you cards for my co-workers since Brad's co-workers are doing a shower for us next Friday. I am hoping to be allowed to go, but it will depend on how Thursday's appointment goes.
Thanks for everyone's support and assistance again-we really appreciate our families and friends for everything they are doing to help us through this! I can't wait until our hopefully healthy babies are here and then they can help with them too! :)
Here's the weekly info-I did gain weight, but nobody needs to know how much I actually weigh! :) I am now measuring 44 cm, which would be equal to the number of weeks for normal pregnant women. My blood pressure is still good too. Cervix is still high and closed-yea! He doesn't measure it on ultrasound anymore, so I don't know if it has shortened, but I'll take a closed cervix anyday! The ultrasound was good too, although the babies are definitely starting to run out of stretching room now! They were all pretty calm and gave us some nice profile shots for the pictures. They all had a good amount of fluid and the membrane between the boys was moving nicely (which means that baby C has enough fluid and he isn't Saran Wrapped into is area). Dr. K came in and checked everything for himself, although he did make my MIL nervous because he was so quiet while looking at the babies. It is getting more difficult to tell who is who in there! He was starting with baby A and then moving up to find B and C. At one point the had all their heads together-like a football huddle. I fear they are already plotting against us! :) So, while Dr. K was following heads to find bodies, he was really quiet. While Brad and I know that is how our doctor is when he is looking at the ultrasound, my MIL did not and was worried that something was wrong. Luckily, he spoke up in a little bit and said that everything looks good. I asked Dr. K about getting my regular flu shot and he said if they aren't in at his office at my next appointment, I should just go somewhere local to get it sooner. I still didn't get a clear answer on the H1N1 shot-just that the CDC and other organizations are recommending it. I couldn't get him to say that he recommends it, only that usually 1 out of 5 of their patients refuse to get the regular flu shot. Brad would really prefer that I not get it and I am still thinking that it would probably be better to wait until after the babies are born. I am not in public areas, except when I go to the doctor and I am obsessive about hand washing and using hand sanitizer while I am there. We talked about how we are happy that we made it to 28 weeks and how complications go down dramatically now. He did say to not get cocky and be cautiously optomistic like we have been up to this point. I then asked about touring the NICU and he said that we may not need to worry about the NICU. I joked, "Now who's being cocky?!" While I would love to avoid the NICU, I would rather be prepared because I have the feeling we'll still be visiting our babies there for a little bit at least. I am going to have a consult with the anesthesiologist because of the risks of surgery with myotonic dystrophy, so we decided that we'll set up our tour for that same day.
Next week is our big appointment with another growth scan and biophysical profiles. I am excited and nervous to see how much they have grown-hopefully a lot! I will be 29 weeks on Tuesday and it feels like things are speeding up now, thankfully. I think this weekend we are going to be putting together another crib, (actually, Brad will be doing that), and taking some gifts out of their packages. I have to continue to work on thank you cards for my co-workers since Brad's co-workers are doing a shower for us next Friday. I am hoping to be allowed to go, but it will depend on how Thursday's appointment goes.
Thanks for everyone's support and assistance again-we really appreciate our families and friends for everything they are doing to help us through this! I can't wait until our hopefully healthy babies are here and then they can help with them too! :)
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
28 weeks and a long vent-you've been warned!
We made it!!! 28 weeks and counting; let's hope for a few more weeks now! I have been counting down to this day for so long, it feels odd that it has actually arrived. I am relieved, but know that we aren't out of the woods yet. I have still been feeling pretty good lately, although it is getting more difficult to move around. It is especially tricky to get off the couch and roll over or get out of bed during the night. I usually end up having a contraction after moving, so I am trying to move without using my abdominal muscles (which is pretty tough-try it)! Since taking more Prilosec my acid reflux has calmed down a bit, thank goodness! After a night time episode my throat is sore though. Hopefully I won't have any permanent damage from it!
While I am so happy that we are at 28 weeks, I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I had hoped. As most of you know, I am on bed rest and not able to work. Currently I am receiving a paycheck, but I don't have too many paid days off. So, I am stressing out about certain issues concerning extra paid time off that my workplace has and how to qualify for that benefit. Along with that, I am worrying about how we are going to pay our bills when my paid time runs out. We made the mistake of calling one of our credit card companies to see if we could lower our interest rate and told them our situation, including that we might have a difficult time paying that bill in a few months. Keep in mind we haven't used that card in over 6 months and have been paying more than the minimum on time for quite a long time (I was one of those stupid college kids who signed up for a credit card on campus and used it way too much for way too long). So, they said there was nothing they could do to help us except waive the $15 fee they charge to talk to someone about issues. Later in the day, I was trying to figure out a budget and signed on to check the interest rate of that card and noticed that they lowered out credit limit to within a few hundred dollars of what we owed. I called this morning and asked about the situation and the man basically told me that they did that because they considered us a risk-nevermind all the payments we make! I was not happy and after a few more comments back and forth I told him we wanted to close the account because I didn't want to do business with a company that treats their long time customers like this. By the way, they didn't waive that fee either! I am so glad the government gave them money. Apparently they forgot that not so long ago they needed help themselves-so much for helping out the customer. So, needless to say, I had a few contractions this morning!
Sorry for that long vent-gotta get it out somewhere. Unfortunately, it looks like I will be returning to work at least part time, but more likely full time this year. While I miss being at school and working with students and staff, I really felt like it would be better for our family if I stayed home this year. It just doesn't seem possible at this time, especially with the financial needs of three babies looming over our heads. These are the times that I get most frustrated about both of us having student loans from college, along with car payments and credit card bills. We were able to defer 2 out of our 3 student loan payments (still working on that last one), and that will save us over $400 a month-that'll buy some diapers! So going back to keep us financially afloat is fine, but I have to be extra cautious about germs (kindergarten students are not known for their good hand washing skills). We are also going to be putting a strain on our families to help care for these babies, so I feel guilty about that too.
All in all, I can't wait to meet these little additions to our family, and I know everything will be alright (in the words of Bob Marley). I just hate not being able to plan everything out and see visually that we'll get through this. I guess I'll just have to believe in my heart that it'll work out.
Next appointment is Thursday! I am going to do everything in my power to not stress out tomorrow or Thursday morning-I know the stress can't be good for them in there. And we are now reaching for the mini-goal of 30 and big goal of 32 weeks. It does seem to be going a little faster now! We should meet our babies within about 7 weeks now! All this will be so worth it when we have them in our arms. Thanks for letting me vent-I feel better now!
While I am so happy that we are at 28 weeks, I wasn't able to enjoy it as much as I had hoped. As most of you know, I am on bed rest and not able to work. Currently I am receiving a paycheck, but I don't have too many paid days off. So, I am stressing out about certain issues concerning extra paid time off that my workplace has and how to qualify for that benefit. Along with that, I am worrying about how we are going to pay our bills when my paid time runs out. We made the mistake of calling one of our credit card companies to see if we could lower our interest rate and told them our situation, including that we might have a difficult time paying that bill in a few months. Keep in mind we haven't used that card in over 6 months and have been paying more than the minimum on time for quite a long time (I was one of those stupid college kids who signed up for a credit card on campus and used it way too much for way too long). So, they said there was nothing they could do to help us except waive the $15 fee they charge to talk to someone about issues. Later in the day, I was trying to figure out a budget and signed on to check the interest rate of that card and noticed that they lowered out credit limit to within a few hundred dollars of what we owed. I called this morning and asked about the situation and the man basically told me that they did that because they considered us a risk-nevermind all the payments we make! I was not happy and after a few more comments back and forth I told him we wanted to close the account because I didn't want to do business with a company that treats their long time customers like this. By the way, they didn't waive that fee either! I am so glad the government gave them money. Apparently they forgot that not so long ago they needed help themselves-so much for helping out the customer. So, needless to say, I had a few contractions this morning!
Sorry for that long vent-gotta get it out somewhere. Unfortunately, it looks like I will be returning to work at least part time, but more likely full time this year. While I miss being at school and working with students and staff, I really felt like it would be better for our family if I stayed home this year. It just doesn't seem possible at this time, especially with the financial needs of three babies looming over our heads. These are the times that I get most frustrated about both of us having student loans from college, along with car payments and credit card bills. We were able to defer 2 out of our 3 student loan payments (still working on that last one), and that will save us over $400 a month-that'll buy some diapers! So going back to keep us financially afloat is fine, but I have to be extra cautious about germs (kindergarten students are not known for their good hand washing skills). We are also going to be putting a strain on our families to help care for these babies, so I feel guilty about that too.
All in all, I can't wait to meet these little additions to our family, and I know everything will be alright (in the words of Bob Marley). I just hate not being able to plan everything out and see visually that we'll get through this. I guess I'll just have to believe in my heart that it'll work out.
Next appointment is Thursday! I am going to do everything in my power to not stress out tomorrow or Thursday morning-I know the stress can't be good for them in there. And we are now reaching for the mini-goal of 30 and big goal of 32 weeks. It does seem to be going a little faster now! We should meet our babies within about 7 weeks now! All this will be so worth it when we have them in our arms. Thanks for letting me vent-I feel better now!
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Cross another one off the list!
We had another appointment this morning and it went pretty well again (knock on wood). I was a bit worried because Brad did not park on the level I always park on in the parking garage-hey, can you blame me for being paranoid and wanting to avoid jinxing anything?! I honestly don't know how he puts up with me and my craziness sometimes!
The ultrasound tech first check all the fluid levels for the babies, and of course, she measured our twins as having levels in the 7 range. While I knew that was not correct, I have given up trying to convince them that baby C should be lower because baby B's pocket goes on top of C's. Our doctor always checks the levels for himself, so I usually just wait for him to tell us everything is good. I used to be able to tell if the levels were in the normal ranges by looking at the screen during the scan, but it is more difficult to tell now that the babies are bigger.
The tech also did Dopplers on the umbilical cords to make sure the flow was good. I thought it was going to be quick, like usual, because the babies were pretty calm during the fluid checks. Apparently, they decided it was play time though-everytime she had a cord in the view on the screen, he/she would move. So, the tech became good at chasing them around! I thought they would have worn themselves out on the way to our appointment because they were moving so much-I think they have started teaching each other karate moves in there! Brad was able to see my belly move and see kicks when he would look over! The cord flow was normal for everyone-yea!
Good fluid levels, good cord flow, on to the exam room for more checks! Well, my belly is now measuring a whopping 43 cm, which equates to 43 weeks! Yes folks, I am going for a record. I didn't really gain much weight though, so it seems the babies are taking everything and making my belly grow! The boys were hanging out on the left side today, so I look a bit lopsided!
Dr. K came in to check my cervix and go over everything. We were joking around and he decided to wait to make fun of me until after checking my cervix-I appreciated his professionalism! :) Cervix is still closed, so the lovely contractions still haven't changed anything-whew, hopefully that'll continue! I asked about the flu shot and mentioned that would prefer to not have the swine flu shot, mainly because I think they are trying to push it through a bit too fast and not fully test the impact of it. He said that the major medical organizations are recommending both shots, but that usually 1 in 5 women don't get flu shots. He didn't really answer my question, so next week I will ask if they will give me the regular flu shot there or if I have to get it somewhere else. My wicked acid reflux is back in full force, and he gave me the go ahead to keep taking Prilosec instead of stopping after the 2 week dose. Hopefully it'll work because I am sometimes afraid to eat at night, even though I am hungry because I don't want to wake up choking on stomach acid!
We set up more appointments and are now scheduled through mid October-33 weeks! I really hope we can make it that long! I am really looking forward to 28 weeks right now and then 32 weeks after that. I am looking forward to cooler weather, seeing leaves falling onto the ground, and seeing all the birds migrate south. All of these things mean we will be in a safer zone, ready to meet our babies!! In the meantime, we will be dealing with Brad's insurance (why don't they ever cover anything???), setting up things in the nursery and items for the downstairs, and writing thank you notes. Thanks for all your support and well wishes-we need all the help we can get right now to keep us all going!!
By the way, still can't find that darn spell check button, so I apologize for typos!!
The ultrasound tech first check all the fluid levels for the babies, and of course, she measured our twins as having levels in the 7 range. While I knew that was not correct, I have given up trying to convince them that baby C should be lower because baby B's pocket goes on top of C's. Our doctor always checks the levels for himself, so I usually just wait for him to tell us everything is good. I used to be able to tell if the levels were in the normal ranges by looking at the screen during the scan, but it is more difficult to tell now that the babies are bigger.
The tech also did Dopplers on the umbilical cords to make sure the flow was good. I thought it was going to be quick, like usual, because the babies were pretty calm during the fluid checks. Apparently, they decided it was play time though-everytime she had a cord in the view on the screen, he/she would move. So, the tech became good at chasing them around! I thought they would have worn themselves out on the way to our appointment because they were moving so much-I think they have started teaching each other karate moves in there! Brad was able to see my belly move and see kicks when he would look over! The cord flow was normal for everyone-yea!
Good fluid levels, good cord flow, on to the exam room for more checks! Well, my belly is now measuring a whopping 43 cm, which equates to 43 weeks! Yes folks, I am going for a record. I didn't really gain much weight though, so it seems the babies are taking everything and making my belly grow! The boys were hanging out on the left side today, so I look a bit lopsided!
Dr. K came in to check my cervix and go over everything. We were joking around and he decided to wait to make fun of me until after checking my cervix-I appreciated his professionalism! :) Cervix is still closed, so the lovely contractions still haven't changed anything-whew, hopefully that'll continue! I asked about the flu shot and mentioned that would prefer to not have the swine flu shot, mainly because I think they are trying to push it through a bit too fast and not fully test the impact of it. He said that the major medical organizations are recommending both shots, but that usually 1 in 5 women don't get flu shots. He didn't really answer my question, so next week I will ask if they will give me the regular flu shot there or if I have to get it somewhere else. My wicked acid reflux is back in full force, and he gave me the go ahead to keep taking Prilosec instead of stopping after the 2 week dose. Hopefully it'll work because I am sometimes afraid to eat at night, even though I am hungry because I don't want to wake up choking on stomach acid!
We set up more appointments and are now scheduled through mid October-33 weeks! I really hope we can make it that long! I am really looking forward to 28 weeks right now and then 32 weeks after that. I am looking forward to cooler weather, seeing leaves falling onto the ground, and seeing all the birds migrate south. All of these things mean we will be in a safer zone, ready to meet our babies!! In the meantime, we will be dealing with Brad's insurance (why don't they ever cover anything???), setting up things in the nursery and items for the downstairs, and writing thank you notes. Thanks for all your support and well wishes-we need all the help we can get right now to keep us all going!!
By the way, still can't find that darn spell check button, so I apologize for typos!!
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
27 Weeks!
Okay folks, we are getting closer to our next goal!! One week until 28 weeks when viability jumps up over 90%! I can't wait to hit that goal, and then hopefully keep on going! While I am getting more uncomfortable with each passing day, I just keep thinking about how important it is for these babies to stay in as long as possible. I also keep reminding myself that this will be the only time that I am pregnant, so I am trying to enjoy every little kick and punch from our babies. Soon I will be able to share these little ones with our families and friends, but I think I will miss these moments I have with them now.
Our appointment is on Thursday this week, and the next few are also on Thursdays for those of you who check in on this blog on appointment days. I am hoping for more of the same-closed cervix, good fluid levels, etc. Luckily, this past week it seems my contractions are dropping off a bit (knock on wood), so hopefully that will continue for a bit so I won't worry as much.
The wonderful girls I work with at school threw a shower for me last week which was wonderful. It was nice to get out of the house and actually talk to people! I was definitely tired after, but had fun while I was there. We received a bunch of diapers, clothes, and gift cards, along with some other things. I now have more thank you cards to write, which will occupy my time for a bit. I can only write a few at a time because my hands hurt and my writing gets messy (which drives me nuts)!
I will update on Thursday with details, so think good thoughts for us please!
Our appointment is on Thursday this week, and the next few are also on Thursdays for those of you who check in on this blog on appointment days. I am hoping for more of the same-closed cervix, good fluid levels, etc. Luckily, this past week it seems my contractions are dropping off a bit (knock on wood), so hopefully that will continue for a bit so I won't worry as much.
The wonderful girls I work with at school threw a shower for me last week which was wonderful. It was nice to get out of the house and actually talk to people! I was definitely tired after, but had fun while I was there. We received a bunch of diapers, clothes, and gift cards, along with some other things. I now have more thank you cards to write, which will occupy my time for a bit. I can only write a few at a time because my hands hurt and my writing gets messy (which drives me nuts)!
I will update on Thursday with details, so think good thoughts for us please!
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Another appointment down, one day closer to the goal!
I don't want to jinx anything, but we had another good appointment today. We first had a quick ultrasound to check fluid levels, which all seemed to be good. The tech first measured Baby C's level at 9.2-obviously she did not look for the membrane first! I said that Baby C is usually the one with the lowest level-around 4. She said, "Well, that's why we do more than one measurement, because the membrane is always moving." Good cover-I know the membrane is constantly moving, but not that much! So she found the membrane and measured it again in the 4 range. So, they all had decent fluid levels. She said that they all looked good and that I could get up. If there had been anything wrong, she would've gone and gotten Dr. K. Since everything was good ultrasound was over and to go wait for a nurse to call me. Okay.
Blood pressure is still good, "lost" 1/2 a pound (I blame it on the fact that I wore normal shoes last week and flip flops this week), and am measuring 41 weeks. I asked about my GD test and I passed! My level was 109 and they want it to be under 140 or you have to do the 3 hour test. Whew-I can keep eating my normal food! :)
Dr. K came in with his new associate who I assume is joining the whole practice. He seemed nice, but didn't say too much. He checked my cervix and it is still holding well. No more ultrasound measurements, which makes me nervous just because I like to know the actual numbers! Oh well, he has been doing this job for a while, so I suppose I should trust him! He said, "You know I want to check the fluid levels for myself, right?" I told him that I figured, but this tech never listens to me when I tell or ask her something. So, back to an ultrasound room! He told his associate that we were dealing with the toughest type of pregnancy-first triplets, then having a set of identicals in there (I would think that quads or higher would be tougher, but I suppose since those are more rare he left them out). He went on to show him the membranes-the thick one and the thin one separating the twins. He also pointed out the good bladders on both our boys; always a good sign!
I didn't get to ask my list of questions (I always have a list, my poor doctor!), since I was all gooped up on the table and my purse was across the room. We are keeping our next three appointments and he added Biophysical Profiles at our 29 week appointment on Sept. 24. So the next 2 will be fluid checks, cervical check, blood pressure, and weight. I am hoping we keep having these types of appointments-I like when they are uneventful!
We have less than 2 weeks now to the all important 28 weeks! I can't wait! I am so ready to be at that point, and then keep on going hopefully! I would like to get there without a hospital visit because of contractions, but I have a feeling it's coming soon. Last night I had 4 and then 3 (just under the wire), so we almost had to head out to be checked. I feel a little bit better knowing that my cervix is unchanged, but I should be worrying again by the weekend! I just have to make sure I am resting as much as possible. It helps that Brad's mom made a whole bunch of meals for him, so I don't feel bad not cooking for him! Thanks to my parents, Brad had gyros and homemade fries for dinner tonight. It's so nice that we have our families close by so they can help out!
Blood pressure is still good, "lost" 1/2 a pound (I blame it on the fact that I wore normal shoes last week and flip flops this week), and am measuring 41 weeks. I asked about my GD test and I passed! My level was 109 and they want it to be under 140 or you have to do the 3 hour test. Whew-I can keep eating my normal food! :)
Dr. K came in with his new associate who I assume is joining the whole practice. He seemed nice, but didn't say too much. He checked my cervix and it is still holding well. No more ultrasound measurements, which makes me nervous just because I like to know the actual numbers! Oh well, he has been doing this job for a while, so I suppose I should trust him! He said, "You know I want to check the fluid levels for myself, right?" I told him that I figured, but this tech never listens to me when I tell or ask her something. So, back to an ultrasound room! He told his associate that we were dealing with the toughest type of pregnancy-first triplets, then having a set of identicals in there (I would think that quads or higher would be tougher, but I suppose since those are more rare he left them out). He went on to show him the membranes-the thick one and the thin one separating the twins. He also pointed out the good bladders on both our boys; always a good sign!
I didn't get to ask my list of questions (I always have a list, my poor doctor!), since I was all gooped up on the table and my purse was across the room. We are keeping our next three appointments and he added Biophysical Profiles at our 29 week appointment on Sept. 24. So the next 2 will be fluid checks, cervical check, blood pressure, and weight. I am hoping we keep having these types of appointments-I like when they are uneventful!
We have less than 2 weeks now to the all important 28 weeks! I can't wait! I am so ready to be at that point, and then keep on going hopefully! I would like to get there without a hospital visit because of contractions, but I have a feeling it's coming soon. Last night I had 4 and then 3 (just under the wire), so we almost had to head out to be checked. I feel a little bit better knowing that my cervix is unchanged, but I should be worrying again by the weekend! I just have to make sure I am resting as much as possible. It helps that Brad's mom made a whole bunch of meals for him, so I don't feel bad not cooking for him! Thanks to my parents, Brad had gyros and homemade fries for dinner tonight. It's so nice that we have our families close by so they can help out!
Tuesday, September 1, 2009
Close, yet so far away
26 weeks today!!! Two weeks until the safer zone! I cannot wait for that day! The other day, Brad and I were talking about when we can start putting some of these things away (and *gasp* actually take things out of the packages they came in). I said anytime after September 15th would be fine, but in the back of my mind I was still a little worried. There are no guarantees in life, especially not with a triplet pregnancy. I just can't wait to start thinking about the future with these little ones and not be thinking what if. I think I will have to make myself a countdown chart today because we really are so close to where I want to be. 2 weeks to a little safer, 6 weeks until much safer, 9 weeks until the end! Really not so far, but it takes forever to get there! I really appreciate everything our families and friends have been doing for us while I am permenantly indenting the couch. They have been cleaning, cooking, and shopping for us, among other things. They have been great, but I am looking forward to the day I can do things for myself again. Sometimes I look around and think, "I can just clean that really fast, and then lay back down," but I am usually kicked by a little one right then! They are good at reminding me why I am doing all this-for them. This will come in handy for guilt trips when high school rolls around! :)
Tomorrow afternoon is our next appointment, yea! I have not heard about my GD test from last week, so hopefully that means I passed it. I am not sure what else they are doing-biophysical profile or non-stress test maybe. I am hoping he is going to measure my cervix too! Our little girl has been kicking down low the past couple days-it feels like she is trying to escape! They have been much more active the last few days, which is comforting. I would take constant kicking over quiet belly any day!
I have to turn in my computer on Thursday so my sub can use it while I am gone. My lifeline! My parents were thinking about buying a laptop in the future, so they are going to buy one now and let me use it until the babies come. They're awesome! We have a desktop, but it's in the basement-too many stairs! I know I won't really have much time to sit around and be on a laptop once the babies are here, so it'll work out nicely to borrow theirs for a couple months. They aren't sure when they will get it (it's out of stock), so I may not be able to update for a little while. I will definitely update tomorrow night though to fill everyone in on the appointment details. Fingers and toes crossed please!
Tomorrow afternoon is our next appointment, yea! I have not heard about my GD test from last week, so hopefully that means I passed it. I am not sure what else they are doing-biophysical profile or non-stress test maybe. I am hoping he is going to measure my cervix too! Our little girl has been kicking down low the past couple days-it feels like she is trying to escape! They have been much more active the last few days, which is comforting. I would take constant kicking over quiet belly any day!
I have to turn in my computer on Thursday so my sub can use it while I am gone. My lifeline! My parents were thinking about buying a laptop in the future, so they are going to buy one now and let me use it until the babies come. They're awesome! We have a desktop, but it's in the basement-too many stairs! I know I won't really have much time to sit around and be on a laptop once the babies are here, so it'll work out nicely to borrow theirs for a couple months. They aren't sure when they will get it (it's out of stock), so I may not be able to update for a little while. I will definitely update tomorrow night though to fill everyone in on the appointment details. Fingers and toes crossed please!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Good Job Babies-Keep It Up!!!
Today's appointment went pretty well, and it was a long one! I had to drink the super sweet orange drink for the gestational diabetes test as soon as I got there. It was so sweet it burned the back of my throat! I am hoping it comes back okay because I would really like to avoid the three hour test! Then a quick weight and blood pressure check. I gained a good amount of weight-yea! Not too many people are happy about gaining weight every week, but I know it's super important to pack it on now before I am unable to eat a lot. I did try to eat more this week and it was difficult, so I am sure as I grow it'll get worse. I did not ask about my fundal height, so I'll have to get that info next week. The nurse did say that she could see where they were all laying by looking at my belly-mostly on my left side. I guess that's why I haven't been feeling as much kicking in my upper right area!
We had to wait for a while before our ultrasound because earlier in the morning one of their machines was not working. Finally, they called us back. I always hold my breath when they scan over and check where all the babies are. I think it goes back to the beginning when you first start seeing the heartbeat-I am still looking for that heartbeat and movement. So our little girl is still hanging out on the bottom, but kind of tucked away in the bottom right corner now. Baby B is hanging out in the middle to left and Baby C is way over on my left side. I had to scoot over closer to the ultrasound tech when she did measurements for him because he was so far on that side. That explains all the kicking when I lay on my left side all day! Now for the details.
Baby A, our girl, weighs about 1 lb 15 oz. She was fairly cooperative during all the measurements, but was curled up a lot of the time. We saw her moving her eyeball around a few times and she opened her mouth-I see a trend here since she did that a couple times now!
Baby B, twin boy, is the one with all the fluid. The fluid level was actually under 8 again this week, and we are hoping it stays there! He weighs about 1 lb 11 oz. now. He was moving a lot, which is typical for him. He likes to stretch out in all his fluid. I hope he enjoys it while he can since they are losing space quickly in there! He is our boy with the 2 vessel cord, but he had adequate growth too. He had his arm up by his face a lot during this ultrasound, so hopefully next week he'll be a little less shy!
Baby C, other twin boy, usually has a lot less fluid than his brother. They measured it around 5 this time too, so again we are hoping it stays there and doesn't go down. He weighs about 1 lb 12 oz. It's really good that he is about the same size as his brother. He was facing away from us during the ultrasound, but she was able to get most of the measurements. He is the one I feel the most during the mornings right after I eat breakfast, but he was a bit calmer towards the end of the ultrasound.
I love being able to see them once a week, although it's not always in this amount of detail. I know I've said it before, but I would be a wreck if I didn't get to see them so much. It's just reassuring to know they are all okay in there! It helps calm my nerves a lot, at least until around Sunday! Next week I think we start the Biophysical Profiles or the Non-stress tests, so that'll be interesting.
Our doctor was really pleased with their growth and where we are at for 25 weeks. My cervix is still long and closed, but I think the measurement was a little under 3 (it was hard to see the screen for that one). He seemed happy with that though. Dr. K was actually pretty funny today, but he is usually goofier when Brad is with me at appointments-must be a guy thing! He mentioned that someone from the show, A Baby Story, called him looking for patients with multiples. He asked if we would be interested. Now, Brad and I are not usually the type that would enjoy sharing our lives with complete strangers on T.V., but we didn't say no-yet. We said that we would like some more details and find out if we get any compensation. Keep in mind I am not going to be getting paid for the entire time I am off from work! We'll see. We probably won't end up doing it, but it would be nice to have the footage of the birth since otherwise we won't see anything. Dr. K didn't seem like he really wanted to do it, but said he would if we wanted to.
So less than 3 weeks until our next goal of 28 weeks! I hope it goes by quickly!! After that, we will aim for 32 weeks. I found out today that our doctor is going to Las Vegas during my 30th week, so I am telling the babies that week is not a choice!! So, let's hope for quick and cooler days (I love Fall and can't wait until summer is over)! Thanks for reading and checking in on our lives-we appreciate all your support and prayers! One of these days I will venture down to the basement so I can post some pictures of the babies and of my ever-growing belly (stretch marks and all)!
By the way-I seemed to have lost my spellcheck button on this screen, so I apologize for any typos!
We had to wait for a while before our ultrasound because earlier in the morning one of their machines was not working. Finally, they called us back. I always hold my breath when they scan over and check where all the babies are. I think it goes back to the beginning when you first start seeing the heartbeat-I am still looking for that heartbeat and movement. So our little girl is still hanging out on the bottom, but kind of tucked away in the bottom right corner now. Baby B is hanging out in the middle to left and Baby C is way over on my left side. I had to scoot over closer to the ultrasound tech when she did measurements for him because he was so far on that side. That explains all the kicking when I lay on my left side all day! Now for the details.
Baby A, our girl, weighs about 1 lb 15 oz. She was fairly cooperative during all the measurements, but was curled up a lot of the time. We saw her moving her eyeball around a few times and she opened her mouth-I see a trend here since she did that a couple times now!
Baby B, twin boy, is the one with all the fluid. The fluid level was actually under 8 again this week, and we are hoping it stays there! He weighs about 1 lb 11 oz. now. He was moving a lot, which is typical for him. He likes to stretch out in all his fluid. I hope he enjoys it while he can since they are losing space quickly in there! He is our boy with the 2 vessel cord, but he had adequate growth too. He had his arm up by his face a lot during this ultrasound, so hopefully next week he'll be a little less shy!
Baby C, other twin boy, usually has a lot less fluid than his brother. They measured it around 5 this time too, so again we are hoping it stays there and doesn't go down. He weighs about 1 lb 12 oz. It's really good that he is about the same size as his brother. He was facing away from us during the ultrasound, but she was able to get most of the measurements. He is the one I feel the most during the mornings right after I eat breakfast, but he was a bit calmer towards the end of the ultrasound.
I love being able to see them once a week, although it's not always in this amount of detail. I know I've said it before, but I would be a wreck if I didn't get to see them so much. It's just reassuring to know they are all okay in there! It helps calm my nerves a lot, at least until around Sunday! Next week I think we start the Biophysical Profiles or the Non-stress tests, so that'll be interesting.
Our doctor was really pleased with their growth and where we are at for 25 weeks. My cervix is still long and closed, but I think the measurement was a little under 3 (it was hard to see the screen for that one). He seemed happy with that though. Dr. K was actually pretty funny today, but he is usually goofier when Brad is with me at appointments-must be a guy thing! He mentioned that someone from the show, A Baby Story, called him looking for patients with multiples. He asked if we would be interested. Now, Brad and I are not usually the type that would enjoy sharing our lives with complete strangers on T.V., but we didn't say no-yet. We said that we would like some more details and find out if we get any compensation. Keep in mind I am not going to be getting paid for the entire time I am off from work! We'll see. We probably won't end up doing it, but it would be nice to have the footage of the birth since otherwise we won't see anything. Dr. K didn't seem like he really wanted to do it, but said he would if we wanted to.
So less than 3 weeks until our next goal of 28 weeks! I hope it goes by quickly!! After that, we will aim for 32 weeks. I found out today that our doctor is going to Las Vegas during my 30th week, so I am telling the babies that week is not a choice!! So, let's hope for quick and cooler days (I love Fall and can't wait until summer is over)! Thanks for reading and checking in on our lives-we appreciate all your support and prayers! One of these days I will venture down to the basement so I can post some pictures of the babies and of my ever-growing belly (stretch marks and all)!
By the way-I seemed to have lost my spellcheck button on this screen, so I apologize for any typos!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
25 Weeks
Today is 25 weeks and one week closer to our goal!! Our ultimate goal is still 28 weeks-35 weeks. So, 3-10 weeks and we will be parents (hopefully 5 weeks or more). Sometimes it seems so close and other times it seems sooo far away! I can't wait until I can be a bit more excited instead of scared of them coming too soon.
My belly button hurts again!!! It hurt a lot a while back when I first started showing and then it felt better. The last 2 days I can't even brush up against it (which happens often since I seem to forget that I have a big belly now), without being in pain. I am hoping that means that I am just growing quickly and that the babies are going through a growth spurt! Wishful thinking, I know.
I will update again on Thursday or Friday, depending on how tired I am when we get back from our appointment. I get pretty worn out now on my weekly outing! Brad is going with me this week since it is our growth scan appointment. Fingers and toes crossed on Thursday please!!! :)
My belly button hurts again!!! It hurt a lot a while back when I first started showing and then it felt better. The last 2 days I can't even brush up against it (which happens often since I seem to forget that I have a big belly now), without being in pain. I am hoping that means that I am just growing quickly and that the babies are going through a growth spurt! Wishful thinking, I know.
I will update again on Thursday or Friday, depending on how tired I am when we get back from our appointment. I get pretty worn out now on my weekly outing! Brad is going with me this week since it is our growth scan appointment. Fingers and toes crossed on Thursday please!!! :)
Monday, August 24, 2009
Random Thoughts and Events
So tomorrow will be 25 weeks-3 weeks to go until the "safety zone." I have been spending most of my time on our couch, which I should be getting used to by now. I would have started back at school today for an Institute Day. I have to admit, I was a little bit sad this morning when I thought about school. It will still be there when I am ready to go back, but I enjoy the beginning of the school year-even though it is the busiest time! I guess that's part of what I am missing; being busy would make time go by faster. I would give anything for a time machine right now!
I finally passed up my contraction threshold of 4 this weekend. I had 4 Friday morning, then after re-monitoring it went down to 2. Saturday morning I had 5 and then 2. The scariest part is that I didn't feel most of them. On Thursday, the company that does the monitoring wanted to change my call backs to only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. That means I would save my data from the evenings until after I monitor the next morning. And for the weekend, I wouldn't send anything from Friday evening until Monday morning! At first I said fine, but then called them back later and said that I wasn't comfortable with that plan. I guess if I recognized every contraction I had, then it would be fine because I would be able to tell if they were increasing. But the fact that I usually only feel a couple during monitoring, it just didn't seem right to not send in my data. I think it was a good decision considering how many I had over the weekend! I am sure Brad and I will be making a trip to L & D sometime soon if I can't slow them down.
I was worried today because I didn't feel one of my little guys as much today. Not sure if he was sleeping every time I was paying attention, if his fluid level is higher again, or the other numerous possibilities. I had a Popsicle and put on on Sister Hazel, which made him kick me multiple times. I am still not sure if that means he likes it or hates it, but I am going to keep putting it on if I don't feel him! It is getting more difficult to tell who is moving now because they are longer. I am anxious to see where they are all hanging out at this week so I can hopefully figure it out better!
I have stayed off of Google for a few days now! I am trying to avoid search engines as much as possible to hopefully lower my stress level-maybe I'll resemble a normal person again someday soon. I like to have information (Information is power), but it gets too overwhelming and draining to read about what can go wrong. So, I am trying to stay positive, yet cautious still. While making Baby B dance/kick me to make the music stop, I found one of my top 3 favorite Sister Hazel songs. I listened to this song a lot on my way to my fertility appointments, so I figured it can't hurt to listen to it again to help get through this time. I was reading another blog (Carrie), and she had put some YouTube videos up of songs-so I kind of stole this idea from her. But the song choice is mine! I apparently can't figure out how to get the actual video to post, so if you want to listen you'll have to use the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHBaphWI0NY
Thursday is our next appointment and we'll get to see how much the babies have grown-hopefully they're huge!!!
I finally passed up my contraction threshold of 4 this weekend. I had 4 Friday morning, then after re-monitoring it went down to 2. Saturday morning I had 5 and then 2. The scariest part is that I didn't feel most of them. On Thursday, the company that does the monitoring wanted to change my call backs to only Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings. That means I would save my data from the evenings until after I monitor the next morning. And for the weekend, I wouldn't send anything from Friday evening until Monday morning! At first I said fine, but then called them back later and said that I wasn't comfortable with that plan. I guess if I recognized every contraction I had, then it would be fine because I would be able to tell if they were increasing. But the fact that I usually only feel a couple during monitoring, it just didn't seem right to not send in my data. I think it was a good decision considering how many I had over the weekend! I am sure Brad and I will be making a trip to L & D sometime soon if I can't slow them down.
I was worried today because I didn't feel one of my little guys as much today. Not sure if he was sleeping every time I was paying attention, if his fluid level is higher again, or the other numerous possibilities. I had a Popsicle and put on on Sister Hazel, which made him kick me multiple times. I am still not sure if that means he likes it or hates it, but I am going to keep putting it on if I don't feel him! It is getting more difficult to tell who is moving now because they are longer. I am anxious to see where they are all hanging out at this week so I can hopefully figure it out better!
I have stayed off of Google for a few days now! I am trying to avoid search engines as much as possible to hopefully lower my stress level-maybe I'll resemble a normal person again someday soon. I like to have information (Information is power), but it gets too overwhelming and draining to read about what can go wrong. So, I am trying to stay positive, yet cautious still. While making Baby B dance/kick me to make the music stop, I found one of my top 3 favorite Sister Hazel songs. I listened to this song a lot on my way to my fertility appointments, so I figured it can't hurt to listen to it again to help get through this time. I was reading another blog (Carrie), and she had put some YouTube videos up of songs-so I kind of stole this idea from her. But the song choice is mine! I apparently can't figure out how to get the actual video to post, so if you want to listen you'll have to use the link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHBaphWI0NY
Thursday is our next appointment and we'll get to see how much the babies have grown-hopefully they're huge!!!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Can't we speed this ride up somehow??
Today's appointment went pretty well, especially for being 24 weeks. My cervix is holding well around the same as it has been, which pleased my doctor. He was a bit worried about funneling, but it held pretty strong. Luckily, my contractions have stayed at 3 or less during my monitoring which I hope continues. He said that if I came into the hospital in labor, they would want me to have less than 4 an hour before they would send me home. I am hoping I won't have to be on medication or in for monitoring, but I assume it will happen eventually.
The babies all had good heartbeats and were stretching out a bit during the ultrasound. Baby A and B are both hanging out on the right side of me (which might explain the stretch marks I have on that side of my belly). Baby C is still over on the left. Baby A still has normal fluid levels; our little one that follows the rules and expectations-for now! The largest pocket for Baby B was in the 7 range, but close to 8. That means it did not get worse!! She measured Baby C in the 5-6 range, but I am pretty sure she did not measure from the membrane again. I tried to play stupid so she would measure again, but no such luck. When the doctor came in, I mentioned that it seemed like Baby B's fluid had gone down a bit. He said that it was really hard to measure the twins because of how thin the membrane is. I am still happy that it has not gotten any worse, even if the measurements aren't perfect.
I am still measuring 40 weeks and have actually lost a pound. So it looks like I will be eating as much as I can this week. I think part of my problem is that I am afraid to eat later in the evening because of heartburn and acid reflux. I guess I will just try to eat more during the day! My doctor didn't seem too worried about it at this point, but I will try to stuff as much in as I can.
I asked him what our ultimate goal is still and he is still going for 35 weeks. He said if we make it to that point, then he'll schedule a C-section. That seems so far away, but close at the same time! 11 weeks more weeks is all I have to do, but it isn't until the first week of November. Being on bed rest does not make the days go by any faster either! I just keep thinking about the cooler weather coming and how they'll be here soon. In a few months we will have babies in this world for everyone to enjoy, not just me feeling them everyday. It might be a little hard to give that up, but I can't wait for them to be here and be healthy. Brad is not so optimistic about me making it to 35 weeks because of the amount of complaining I have done the past week. I was having some ligament pain, which made it harder to move around. I am sure I will be doing a lot of complaining about being uncomfortable and worried for the remainder of this pregnancy. I think I did pretty darn good about not complaining too much up to this point though! I wish we could trade places for a day-then he would understand more of where I am coming from I think. He has really been great about doing things for me and around the house though-I couldn't ask for anyone better to go through this with!
I think Google should be illegal for pregnant women-who would like to sign my petition?? I was pulling up some information I had saved about Myotonic Dystrophy to give to my doctor and came across some scary info. Apparently, polyhydramnios is almost always present when the congenital form of DM is going on with pregnancy. Even though we did PGD, it has come out that identical twins do not always have identical DNA due to mutations and extra copies. So, I totally freaked myself out last night looking for information on statistics, but couldn't find much. I mentioned it to Dr. K today and he said it would be a very small chance of having one twin with the congenital form; that their DNA is usually the same or very similar. He believes that the fluid difference is due to the TTTS more than anything else. I am praying that he is right. We went through so much to have healthy babies; I would feel like we failed our babies if one ends up with the disease. He is moving a lot though, which would not fit the fetal symptoms of congential DM. So, for now I will try to put that out of my mind and pray for equal levels each week!
Next Thursday is our growth scan and my gestational diabetes test. I can't wait to see how big they really are at this point-it will make it a lot more real again when we talk weight estimates! I hope I pass the GD test because I don't know how I would restrict my foods and still be able to eat enough to gain weight!
Keep thinking good thoughts and thanks for all your support! We are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives.
The babies all had good heartbeats and were stretching out a bit during the ultrasound. Baby A and B are both hanging out on the right side of me (which might explain the stretch marks I have on that side of my belly). Baby C is still over on the left. Baby A still has normal fluid levels; our little one that follows the rules and expectations-for now! The largest pocket for Baby B was in the 7 range, but close to 8. That means it did not get worse!! She measured Baby C in the 5-6 range, but I am pretty sure she did not measure from the membrane again. I tried to play stupid so she would measure again, but no such luck. When the doctor came in, I mentioned that it seemed like Baby B's fluid had gone down a bit. He said that it was really hard to measure the twins because of how thin the membrane is. I am still happy that it has not gotten any worse, even if the measurements aren't perfect.
I am still measuring 40 weeks and have actually lost a pound. So it looks like I will be eating as much as I can this week. I think part of my problem is that I am afraid to eat later in the evening because of heartburn and acid reflux. I guess I will just try to eat more during the day! My doctor didn't seem too worried about it at this point, but I will try to stuff as much in as I can.
I asked him what our ultimate goal is still and he is still going for 35 weeks. He said if we make it to that point, then he'll schedule a C-section. That seems so far away, but close at the same time! 11 weeks more weeks is all I have to do, but it isn't until the first week of November. Being on bed rest does not make the days go by any faster either! I just keep thinking about the cooler weather coming and how they'll be here soon. In a few months we will have babies in this world for everyone to enjoy, not just me feeling them everyday. It might be a little hard to give that up, but I can't wait for them to be here and be healthy. Brad is not so optimistic about me making it to 35 weeks because of the amount of complaining I have done the past week. I was having some ligament pain, which made it harder to move around. I am sure I will be doing a lot of complaining about being uncomfortable and worried for the remainder of this pregnancy. I think I did pretty darn good about not complaining too much up to this point though! I wish we could trade places for a day-then he would understand more of where I am coming from I think. He has really been great about doing things for me and around the house though-I couldn't ask for anyone better to go through this with!
I think Google should be illegal for pregnant women-who would like to sign my petition?? I was pulling up some information I had saved about Myotonic Dystrophy to give to my doctor and came across some scary info. Apparently, polyhydramnios is almost always present when the congenital form of DM is going on with pregnancy. Even though we did PGD, it has come out that identical twins do not always have identical DNA due to mutations and extra copies. So, I totally freaked myself out last night looking for information on statistics, but couldn't find much. I mentioned it to Dr. K today and he said it would be a very small chance of having one twin with the congenital form; that their DNA is usually the same or very similar. He believes that the fluid difference is due to the TTTS more than anything else. I am praying that he is right. We went through so much to have healthy babies; I would feel like we failed our babies if one ends up with the disease. He is moving a lot though, which would not fit the fetal symptoms of congential DM. So, for now I will try to put that out of my mind and pray for equal levels each week!
Next Thursday is our growth scan and my gestational diabetes test. I can't wait to see how big they really are at this point-it will make it a lot more real again when we talk weight estimates! I hope I pass the GD test because I don't know how I would restrict my foods and still be able to eat enough to gain weight!
Keep thinking good thoughts and thanks for all your support! We are blessed to have such wonderful family and friends in our lives.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Milestone One
Today marks 24 weeks and possible viability for the babies if they came now. I hope this is the first of many milestones for the remainder of the pregnancy! Every week will make me feel better now, but I think I am going to designate the major milestones at 26, 28, 30, 32, and 34 weeks. If for some reason we make it to 34 weeks I will have a major celebration and treat each day as a milestone! It is crazy to think that the babies could be here within 4-10 weeks, (hopefully not any sooner than that). I am still scared and too cautious to get my hopes up, but we are getting closer to the "safe daydreaming" point. We still have things in boxes and with tags on, but I think I might be comfortable enough at 28 weeks to start opening and organizing things. We'll see!
I am still monitoring contractions twice a day and have not gone above the threshold of 4 yet. I have had 3 a few times, some of which I feel and some I don't. I am getting better about recognizing real contractions versus the "irritable uterus" tightening. They all still scare me though. I am not sure how strict my bed rest should be at this point, but I have been pretty good about just laying on the couch all day for the past week. I sit up to eat, get up to go to the bathroom, let the dog out, and shower. Whenever I am up or sitting though, I feel more contractions. Maybe this bed rest thing really works! My house is a mess and I would love to get things done around here, but I know these babies are more important than a clean house. Brad has been great about keeping up with things like the dishes, carries my laundry down for me, and is just all around helpful with what I need. I especially like when he is home and can help me get up from the couch. Last night he helped me and I was able to get from a laying position to standing without stopping-that hasn't happened for months!!
Those of you who know me well, know my love for the band Sister Hazel. They have a CD coming out today, which I didn't pre-order since I figured I would just run out and buy it-silly me! They had all the tracks on-line yesterday, so I was listening to it while on the computer. Well, I had all 3 babies kicking around in me. I am not sure if that means they liked it or hated it. I guess we'll see when they are here! Last night I played some Tool songs (Brad's favorite band), and they didn't move at all. I might have to experiment a little more with music and movement!
I have an appointment tomorrow for a fluid and cervical check-let's hope for regular fluid (or fluid levels that aren't worse) and a long, hard, closed cervix! Cross those fingers and toes people!
I am still monitoring contractions twice a day and have not gone above the threshold of 4 yet. I have had 3 a few times, some of which I feel and some I don't. I am getting better about recognizing real contractions versus the "irritable uterus" tightening. They all still scare me though. I am not sure how strict my bed rest should be at this point, but I have been pretty good about just laying on the couch all day for the past week. I sit up to eat, get up to go to the bathroom, let the dog out, and shower. Whenever I am up or sitting though, I feel more contractions. Maybe this bed rest thing really works! My house is a mess and I would love to get things done around here, but I know these babies are more important than a clean house. Brad has been great about keeping up with things like the dishes, carries my laundry down for me, and is just all around helpful with what I need. I especially like when he is home and can help me get up from the couch. Last night he helped me and I was able to get from a laying position to standing without stopping-that hasn't happened for months!!
Those of you who know me well, know my love for the band Sister Hazel. They have a CD coming out today, which I didn't pre-order since I figured I would just run out and buy it-silly me! They had all the tracks on-line yesterday, so I was listening to it while on the computer. Well, I had all 3 babies kicking around in me. I am not sure if that means they liked it or hated it. I guess we'll see when they are here! Last night I played some Tool songs (Brad's favorite band), and they didn't move at all. I might have to experiment a little more with music and movement!
I have an appointment tomorrow for a fluid and cervical check-let's hope for regular fluid (or fluid levels that aren't worse) and a long, hard, closed cervix! Cross those fingers and toes people!
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Still in Limbo
Today was another appointment for fluid and cervical checks. Baby A was in normal fluid at 5.5. Baby B was still in a large amount; the largest pocket was a little over 9. He was quite acrobatic in that large amount and was doing a headstand during the beginning of the ultrasound! Baby C was still in less fluid, but the tech was able to find a pocket around 5. I am a little leery when they are measuring baby C now just because of what happened before with the measurements being off. He was upside down this time, so hopefully it was a more accurate measurement. Dr. K was able to see a normal sized bladder, which is a good sign for now. Again, we will keep checking every week to see if it progresses. I am so glad that it didn't get worse over this week, and I'm going to keep drinking the high protein shakes and rest as much as I can.
My cervix is about the same as before-first measurement was about 3.3 and the second was 2.9. He didn't say anything about it being shorter, so I am not going to worry about it for now. He did say that he will do cervical checks at our next 2 appointments, but not after that since we'll be monitoring then. That makes me nervous and I may beg him to check at each appointment anyway. Who would really want cervical checks? Just me, for peace of mind I suppose!
I have been given the green light to try Prilosec for the heartburn/acid reflux. What really scares me is that I am measuring 40 weeks now and the nurse said I still have a few inches up top to go! I won't be able to eat anything then!!! Knowing what I know now, I think having 1 baby at a time would have been a lot easier, but probably a bit more boring. Brad and I don't tend to take the simple route, but I guess in the long run it'll be easier to be pregnant just one time. Still mortified when I think of where these babies are going to go in a few weeks and how my body will look!
As for the contraction monitoring, my limit for contractions for now is 4 in an hour. Once that happens, they'll have me monitor again for another hour. If I am still contracting, I will then have to go in to be checked out at the hospital. If the last couple days are any indication, I think that'll happen fairly soon. But at least I am not having to run to the hospital every day right now!
We set up four more appointments, so I have the next 6 appointments set up. I will be 29 weeks then!! Crazy to think that it really isn't that far away, even though the days are dragging by. Dr. K said the next 5 weeks are really crucial in order to get to the all important 28 weeks. I just hope everything keeps cooperating! I will continue to take it one day and week at a time. Hopefully it'll fly by and they'll be here when it's cold out! I can't wait for both things-cold weather and babies at a safe time.
My cervix is about the same as before-first measurement was about 3.3 and the second was 2.9. He didn't say anything about it being shorter, so I am not going to worry about it for now. He did say that he will do cervical checks at our next 2 appointments, but not after that since we'll be monitoring then. That makes me nervous and I may beg him to check at each appointment anyway. Who would really want cervical checks? Just me, for peace of mind I suppose!
I have been given the green light to try Prilosec for the heartburn/acid reflux. What really scares me is that I am measuring 40 weeks now and the nurse said I still have a few inches up top to go! I won't be able to eat anything then!!! Knowing what I know now, I think having 1 baby at a time would have been a lot easier, but probably a bit more boring. Brad and I don't tend to take the simple route, but I guess in the long run it'll be easier to be pregnant just one time. Still mortified when I think of where these babies are going to go in a few weeks and how my body will look!
As for the contraction monitoring, my limit for contractions for now is 4 in an hour. Once that happens, they'll have me monitor again for another hour. If I am still contracting, I will then have to go in to be checked out at the hospital. If the last couple days are any indication, I think that'll happen fairly soon. But at least I am not having to run to the hospital every day right now!
We set up four more appointments, so I have the next 6 appointments set up. I will be 29 weeks then!! Crazy to think that it really isn't that far away, even though the days are dragging by. Dr. K said the next 5 weeks are really crucial in order to get to the all important 28 weeks. I just hope everything keeps cooperating! I will continue to take it one day and week at a time. Hopefully it'll fly by and they'll be here when it's cold out! I can't wait for both things-cold weather and babies at a safe time.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Mini Update
I figured I would post a quick update before tomorrow's appointment in order to prevent a super long post again! I am 23 weeks today-so close to viability! 24 weeks is the bare minimum for a chance of viability, so only one more week. I feel like a little kid waiting for Christmas-so close, but it feels so far away still! I will allow myself to relax just a bit and maybe start to get more excited. My thoughts have been focused on what could go wrong that I don't think I have let myself really enjoy this yet. I can't wait until we are at an even safer point and I can start daydreaming about what they'll look like and how our lives are going to change for the better (and crazier).
So while waiting for viability, I have been resting on the couch as much as possible. Last Thursday the uterine home contraction monitor nurse came out to teach me how to use the machine. It's really easy and I am so glad my insurance companies are covering it. It is helping me learn when I am having real contractions-even though I don't always identify them. We will see what my doctor says about it tomorrow. I monitor for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Usually, one of the sessions I will just have "irritability" or 1-2 contractions and then the other session not have anything going on. The most I have had in an hour has been 3. The company always calls after they receive the info from the transmitter, so it's nice to know what is really going on in the ever-growing belly!
I believe I have now felt all the babies move at this point. It is sometimes hard to tell who it is in certain areas because they are so close to each other. It is nice to feel things though-a little reassurance in between appointments. Brad has also been able to feel both of the boys, although he was a bit surprised that the kicks weren't stronger. It was a nice reality check though to actually feel them instead of just seeing them on an ultrasound screen.
I am worried about tomorrow's appointment, of course. I am so scared that the TTTS will have progressed further and require treatment. I am glad there are things they can try to save them from the complications, but I was really hoping we wouldn't have to use them. So, I have been chugging the high protein drinks and resting more in hopes of helping the fluid levels to even out. I would be very relieved tomorrow if baby C was still in the normal fluid range and baby B either stays the same or drops his fluid level. If the levels are worse, we will deal with it like we have with everything else that has happened in our lives. I just want them to be okay. I am hoping our little girl will continue her trend and be completely fine tomorrow too! We'll see!
Hopefully I haven't grown an obnoxious amount in the past week-I am going to be up past the 40 week mark pretty soon! We should start taking bets on how big I will get before I deliver!
Finally, a bit about work. I received my back to school letters and schedule in the mail yesterday. It is going to be very weird to not go back in two weeks with everyone else. I feel like I am going to miss out on a lot of things, but there are a few things I won't miss. We don't have air conditioning in our classrooms, so I definitely won't miss sweating through the first few weeks of school! I will keep in touch with my co-workers, so I am sure they will fill me in on the good stories and not so good stories. It just won't be the same.
So, there's my pregnant life up through today. Please think good thoughts tomorrow morning for us!
So while waiting for viability, I have been resting on the couch as much as possible. Last Thursday the uterine home contraction monitor nurse came out to teach me how to use the machine. It's really easy and I am so glad my insurance companies are covering it. It is helping me learn when I am having real contractions-even though I don't always identify them. We will see what my doctor says about it tomorrow. I monitor for an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. Usually, one of the sessions I will just have "irritability" or 1-2 contractions and then the other session not have anything going on. The most I have had in an hour has been 3. The company always calls after they receive the info from the transmitter, so it's nice to know what is really going on in the ever-growing belly!
I believe I have now felt all the babies move at this point. It is sometimes hard to tell who it is in certain areas because they are so close to each other. It is nice to feel things though-a little reassurance in between appointments. Brad has also been able to feel both of the boys, although he was a bit surprised that the kicks weren't stronger. It was a nice reality check though to actually feel them instead of just seeing them on an ultrasound screen.
I am worried about tomorrow's appointment, of course. I am so scared that the TTTS will have progressed further and require treatment. I am glad there are things they can try to save them from the complications, but I was really hoping we wouldn't have to use them. So, I have been chugging the high protein drinks and resting more in hopes of helping the fluid levels to even out. I would be very relieved tomorrow if baby C was still in the normal fluid range and baby B either stays the same or drops his fluid level. If the levels are worse, we will deal with it like we have with everything else that has happened in our lives. I just want them to be okay. I am hoping our little girl will continue her trend and be completely fine tomorrow too! We'll see!
Hopefully I haven't grown an obnoxious amount in the past week-I am going to be up past the 40 week mark pretty soon! We should start taking bets on how big I will get before I deliver!
Finally, a bit about work. I received my back to school letters and schedule in the mail yesterday. It is going to be very weird to not go back in two weeks with everyone else. I feel like I am going to miss out on a lot of things, but there are a few things I won't miss. We don't have air conditioning in our classrooms, so I definitely won't miss sweating through the first few weeks of school! I will keep in touch with my co-workers, so I am sure they will fill me in on the good stories and not so good stories. It just won't be the same.
So, there's my pregnant life up through today. Please think good thoughts tomorrow morning for us!
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Not again...
Today was another appointment for a cervical and fluid check. Well, my cervix is still cooperating nicely! It's closed and still around 3.5, so let's hope it stays there!
The fluid levels are a different story. Baby A, our girl, has a perfect amount of fluid around 6.5. Baby B has even more than he did last week-it's now about 9.5. Unfortunately still above the normal level range of 3-8. The first time the ultrasound tech measured baby C, she said his level was around 7. I asked her if she was sure and she said that she would double check and measure it again. She was able to see the membrane better this time and the measurement was now around 3.5. I actually think that seems more accurate for what it was last week too, so I am going to have to stay on top of them and make sure they measure from the membrane to the bottom. Dr. K came in and checked my cervix and then checked the fluids too. It is quite obvious that baby B has more space and fluid than baby C, but they were growing at the same rate and baby C has enough fluid to move around-he is usually really active during our ultrasounds. So now we are going to continue our close watch of the fluid levels and our twin boys. I am hoping that since we have monitoring them for TTTS for a little over a month now, and not too much has changed or at least it's been slow changes, that we can get to a safe point with the TTTS staying mild. Usually the TTTS would have gotten significantly worse within this time if it was going to end up in a more serious stage, but we do not always follow the normal trends-obviously!
Everything else was good-blood pressure, weight, measuring 39 weeks now. I did mention our Saturday night visit to L & D, including the fact that the monitor didn't pick up any contractions. Dr. K said that he was going to try to get some home uterine monitoring for me and that if I do have contractions/cramping that it could quickly change my good cervical length. I would feel a lot better having the monitoring so I know when I need to worry. Since I am not familiar with what contractions really feel like, I am worried that I am going to miss something serious. The company already called me today to get some more information and is going to contact my insurance companies. She said that the insurance companies that I have work with this company, so coverage shouldn't be a problem. Let's hope it's actually going to be this easy!
So we are continuing to watch the babies closely to see if they develop more serious signs of TTTS and watch me for contractions. Please keep all your fingers and toes crossed! Less than 2 weeks before the possible viable 24 weeks and 6 weeks until the all important 28 weeks! Each day is a milestone at this point-I can't wait until I can take a deep breath and relax, at least a little bit!
The fluid levels are a different story. Baby A, our girl, has a perfect amount of fluid around 6.5. Baby B has even more than he did last week-it's now about 9.5. Unfortunately still above the normal level range of 3-8. The first time the ultrasound tech measured baby C, she said his level was around 7. I asked her if she was sure and she said that she would double check and measure it again. She was able to see the membrane better this time and the measurement was now around 3.5. I actually think that seems more accurate for what it was last week too, so I am going to have to stay on top of them and make sure they measure from the membrane to the bottom. Dr. K came in and checked my cervix and then checked the fluids too. It is quite obvious that baby B has more space and fluid than baby C, but they were growing at the same rate and baby C has enough fluid to move around-he is usually really active during our ultrasounds. So now we are going to continue our close watch of the fluid levels and our twin boys. I am hoping that since we have monitoring them for TTTS for a little over a month now, and not too much has changed or at least it's been slow changes, that we can get to a safe point with the TTTS staying mild. Usually the TTTS would have gotten significantly worse within this time if it was going to end up in a more serious stage, but we do not always follow the normal trends-obviously!
Everything else was good-blood pressure, weight, measuring 39 weeks now. I did mention our Saturday night visit to L & D, including the fact that the monitor didn't pick up any contractions. Dr. K said that he was going to try to get some home uterine monitoring for me and that if I do have contractions/cramping that it could quickly change my good cervical length. I would feel a lot better having the monitoring so I know when I need to worry. Since I am not familiar with what contractions really feel like, I am worried that I am going to miss something serious. The company already called me today to get some more information and is going to contact my insurance companies. She said that the insurance companies that I have work with this company, so coverage shouldn't be a problem. Let's hope it's actually going to be this easy!
So we are continuing to watch the babies closely to see if they develop more serious signs of TTTS and watch me for contractions. Please keep all your fingers and toes crossed! Less than 2 weeks before the possible viable 24 weeks and 6 weeks until the all important 28 weeks! Each day is a milestone at this point-I can't wait until I can take a deep breath and relax, at least a little bit!
Monday, August 3, 2009
Shower Fun!
Sunday was our one baby shower that we are having. My mom and Brad's mom put a lot of effort into it-and it showed! We had around 60 guests attend and we couldn't be more grateful. It was wonderful to see some old friends and family that we don't see very often, although I wish we had had more time to talk and catch up. We ate and then started opening the massive piles of gifts. I cannot get over how generous people were. My job for this week is to write out all the thank you cards and find places for all the gifts! I am still not comfortable taking off tags on anything yet; it's still a little too early for that. Although, tomorrow is 22 weeks, so we are getting closer!
Brad started painting the future nursery today. I had finally decided on the green that I thought would work the best, but we ended up picking a different one at Home Depot because their scanner/color matcher thing was broken. I peeked in the room today and it looks weird since I am used to it being plain white! It needs another coat and then I think it'll look even better once he takes off the painter's tape. I don't think he'd be willing to paint it again, so I am sure I will love the color! :)
We had a fun little trip Saturday night to L & D because I was having tightening all day that wouldn't let up. I was getting more worried as the day and night went on, so finally we decided we should go. I didn't want to go and have it be nothing or have it be something and have to stay in the hospital. But once I thought about it more, I would rather look like a paranoid fool (which I am getting used to), than ignore it and have something serious wrong and lose the babies. Luckily, I was fine. They put the contraction monitor on me, and I didn't have any tightening for about 30 minutes-of course! When I did feel one, we noted the time and told the nurse next time she came in-it didn't show up on the monitor at all. The resident came in and checked my cervix-still long and closed. So, at least whatever I was feeling was not impacting my cervix or strong enough to show up on the monitor. She also did a quick ultrasound on the babies to check them. Babies A and B were super active, but baby C was sleeping through the kicks his brother was giving him. His heart was going strong, but it took a little while before he finally moved-way to freak me out little boy! So, after 4 hours of driving and hospital time, we crawled into bed feeling relieved, but knowing Sunday was going to be rough with little sleep!
Our next appointment is Wednesday for a quickie cervix and fluid check-keep fingers and toes crossed for even levels and a closed cervix!
Brad started painting the future nursery today. I had finally decided on the green that I thought would work the best, but we ended up picking a different one at Home Depot because their scanner/color matcher thing was broken. I peeked in the room today and it looks weird since I am used to it being plain white! It needs another coat and then I think it'll look even better once he takes off the painter's tape. I don't think he'd be willing to paint it again, so I am sure I will love the color! :)
We had a fun little trip Saturday night to L & D because I was having tightening all day that wouldn't let up. I was getting more worried as the day and night went on, so finally we decided we should go. I didn't want to go and have it be nothing or have it be something and have to stay in the hospital. But once I thought about it more, I would rather look like a paranoid fool (which I am getting used to), than ignore it and have something serious wrong and lose the babies. Luckily, I was fine. They put the contraction monitor on me, and I didn't have any tightening for about 30 minutes-of course! When I did feel one, we noted the time and told the nurse next time she came in-it didn't show up on the monitor at all. The resident came in and checked my cervix-still long and closed. So, at least whatever I was feeling was not impacting my cervix or strong enough to show up on the monitor. She also did a quick ultrasound on the babies to check them. Babies A and B were super active, but baby C was sleeping through the kicks his brother was giving him. His heart was going strong, but it took a little while before he finally moved-way to freak me out little boy! So, after 4 hours of driving and hospital time, we crawled into bed feeling relieved, but knowing Sunday was going to be rough with little sleep!
Our next appointment is Wednesday for a quickie cervix and fluid check-keep fingers and toes crossed for even levels and a closed cervix!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)