Week 30 - not feeling "B"

For the past 5 days I just haven't been feeling Baby B like I usually have.  I did a couple of days of kick counts and it was always A=55 and B=9.  Anything under 10, they want you to call them.  I called last Friday and they calmed me down on the phone.  Today, I knew I would stress myself out until I knew things were okay.  I called the doctor and they scheduled me for an ultrasound late this morning.  All is good.  It turns out that B is halfway on A's side.  I thought they were supposed to stay on their own sides!  I have a lovely dark line down my belly that clearly shows whose side is whose!  So, B's legs are on A's side and they've both been kicking up under my ribs - ugh!  Their weights are:  A = 4 lb 8 oz and B = 4 lb 9 oz.  I've been getting headaches and last week my blood pressure was in the pre-hypertension range.  Today's blood pressure is excellent:  115/85.  I'm scheduled to go in for a regular visit next week.  Sooo relieved that they're both looking good and all those kicks are from both of them!

Week 29

We had a quick visit at the doctor's today, no ultrasound.  My weight is 176, up 2 pounds from 2 weeks ago.  My middle measurement is 44.5 inches.....slowly growing.  I'm super uncomfortable all the time now.  I'm scared to actually write that because I know it's only going to get way worse and what words will I use to describe it if I already used "super uncomfortable"?!!  Both babies heartbeats are very good in the 150's.  This past week, baby A has been getting very, very active.  He kind of scares me as I think he's trying to rip his way out the front of me.  I get some very strong kicks and movements.  Baby B is definitely moving, but not so agressively.  My belly button is now officially an "outie" - yuck!  Everything I read says it will go back in eventually. Sleeping is not super restful because I have to make at least 4-6 trips to the bathroom.  I have a hard time rolling over and I spend about an hour a night completely awake.  Restless leg syndrome starts every night around 7p and lasts until I take my unisom at 9p to go to sleep.  Ugh.  At this point I have just over 8 weeks to go.  That's a long, long time!!!!  I would be okay if they decided to come a little early.  Dave wants them to stay in for the next 4 months and get extra big and strong.  Easy for him to say.  The baby room is done and the cribs are put together.  Two car seats are waiting in the barn for the big day.  I still need to order the double stroller.  Dave's sister let us borrow a ton of things and is saving us lots of money!  We think Evan had Fifth Disease so the doctor had me do a blood test to see if I'm carrying it too.  I don't know what the plan is if I am.  The next doctor appointment and ultrasound is in 2 weeks.

Week 27

We had another growth ultrasound this morning.  Baby A weighs in at 3.2 lbs. and baby B is 3.1 lbs.  They are about 2 weeks ahead of where they should be on growth....which is great.  They measured my cervix one last time and it is 1.9 cm.  It still hasn't changed much.  From here on out, they won't be able to measure it.  Instead, I'll just have to watch for contractions as a signal that it's getting shorter.  Baby A is now head-down and baby B is breech, and almost positioned sideways.  They are really moving lately!  Sometimes I feel like I'm being attacked.  One will start and that always wakes up the other, so they will both be moving around.  So, things look great with the babies.  My weight is 174 lbs, up 3 lbs from 2 weeks ago.  My middle measurement is still 43 inches around.  I took off of work just in time.  I'm exhausted doing even the simplest thing, like taking a shower.  My heart if working overtime.....it's like I'm running a marathon!  I spend the days doing little chores around the house for about 20 minutes and then laying down for about 1-2 hours.  The next appointment is in 2 weeks and is just a doctor visit.  Then 2 weeks after that we'll have another growth ultrasound.  Ten and a half weeks left to go!!  :)

Week 25

Uncomfortable!  That's what I should have titled this entry because I'm uncomfortable 100% of the time now.  We went to the doctor for our weekly ultrasound.  Everything looks good with the babies.  Baby A is 2.3 lbs. and Baby B is 2.2 lbs.  Their mama weighs in at 171 lbs now and is 43 inches around the middle.  Dave was trying to tell me that that is what he weighs.  He's skinny, but not THAT skinny.  I made him get on the scale at the doctor's office and he is 180.  Soon, very soon, I will outweight him.  Anyway, back to the babies.  They are in the 90th %ile for size/weight.  Big boys!

My cervix is the shortest it's been so far.  Approximately 1.5 cm.  While it's very much in the danger zone, it hasn't changed too drastically.  They questioned me about having contractions and want me to call them immediately if I should think I'm having any.  To my knowledge, I'm not having any yet.  I've been so extremely tired at work that I asked them about that.  They told me they would take me out at any point.  I asked them to give me the rest of this week and that I'd be ready after that.  So, I'm scrambling at work to get things ready for a substitute.  I plan on taking a parental leave until next May.  While I love my job and love going to work, I think I'm going to need this break to focus on these baby boys and getting some sort of schedule back into my life.  They will be just over a year old when I go back to school.  I got 2 spots for daycare all set up and am thankful for that!  It's the same person who watched Evan for the first 5 years of his life and I think she's fabulous.

I'm having a somewhat severe pain in the front of my stomach, which the doctor thinks is a pulled muscle.  Ouch!  Other than that, we're back to seeing the doctor every 2 weeks now.  They won't have to measure my cervix anymore because a) they really can't get a good read on it this far along in the pregnancy and b)  it doesn't matter now that the babies are viable.  My next personal goal is to get to 28 weeks, which means much less health issues should they be born too early.

week 24

Cervical check today:  measures 1.85 mm which is basically close to what it's been measuring the last 4 weeks.....still in the danger zone, but not changing drastically.  That is the best news we could hope for.  A quick scan of the babies show A is still breech and B was somewhat sideways (probably trying to get away from his brother kicking him in the head!).  By the end of the scan, B was head down again.  They are both very active!! Heading back next Monday for another scan and visit with the doctor.  Now that I'm past week 24, they may start reducing the amount of times we have to go in for ultrasounds.

Week 23 & viable!!

I went in for an ultrasound and doctor visit again today.  The babies look great!  Baby A had his hand in his mouth while she tried to get a profile picture.  Baby A is still breech and Baby B is still head-down, getting kicked in the head by his brother!  Their head circumference was about 22.5 cm and diameter about 6.26cm.  Their weights are approximately:  Baby A = 1 lb. 12 oz. and Baby B = 1 lb. 9 oz.   Right in the middle of the ultrasound I started feeling incredibly hot.  Sweat started pouring off my face and I started feeling nausea.  I didn't know what was going on, but I was worried.  When I couldn't take it anymore, I finally told the technician.  She had me sit up and I started feeling like I was blacking out.  I felt better about 5 minutes after I sat up.  The nurse told me that that is common when you lay on your back.  The weight of the babies is on your vena cava (?) artery and cuts off your blood/oxygen supply.  Yikes!

My cervical measurement was between 1.9 cm and 2.4 cm.  Still way in the danger zone.  The babies are days away from being 24 weeks along, so they are viable if there were to be born early.  I feel a bit less stress having made it to this point, but I certainly don't want them born this early!!  The doctor is going to start me on a vaginal progesterone.  It has been proven to help stop premature births in singleton pregnancies.  There is no data on twin pregnancies, but it won't hurt.  I will get my cervix measured again next week and the week after.  They will make decisions about putting me on modified bedrest based on the measurements.  If my cervix gets worse, they will start steriod shots to speed up the babies' lung development in case they are born prematurely.

I now weigh 169 pounds.  My middle belly measurement is 41 inches.  Two friends of mine who have had twin boy pregnancies reached measurements of 54 and 56 inches.  Holy moly!  I'm scared of that!!  I turned in my letter to the school to start my maternity leave on May 23rd, the day before my scheduled c-section. Of course, I'll probably be out way before then, but that just takes a doctor note and I'll be able to use my sick days.

Yay for viability!! :)

Week 22

We went back to the doctor today for another cervical check.  It still measures 2.1 cm and looks like it is funneling less.  Baby A is breech and Baby B is head down this week.  They are both kicking each other in the head!  I've been uncomfortable most of this week.  Working all day is hard.  I feel so whiney but this pregnancy has been really hard!  When I was pregnant with Evan, not much changed in my life.  I was active and pain-free up until the end.  Even when I was in labor, I didn't know!  Age is making me whimpy this time.  It's also hard being constantly nervous about going into pre-mature labor.  Every ache and pain makes me think things are going badly.   I keep making small goals for myself.....get to 22 weeks (done!) and now I want to get to 24 weeks when they could actually be viable and the hospital would actually try to keep them alive if they were to be born.  Taking things one week at a time.  I go back to the doctor next Monday for a growth check ultrasound and another cervical ultrasound.