I can't quite get my head around the fact that in 2 short days I'll be a mother -- to two babies, no less!
It's such a weird feeling. A mixture of excitement and fear and the unknown that is indescribable. I have no doubt that I'll be a good mother and that I'll be able to handle it all, but I'm still awed by the enormity of change that will take place in my life.
Jamey and I keep talking about it as the "biggest day of our lives." And it certainly will be!
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pregnancy. Show all posts
Monday, December 29, 2008
Friday, December 26, 2008
Week 36
We hit week 36 today! That's a really great milestone for twins. So we're down to 5 days and counting til the scheduled c-section!!!
This morning we had our last ultrasound. All good news. Babies measured just shy of 6 pounds each and they "passed" all their tests (in terms of practice breathing and umbilical cord function, etc).
This morning we had our last ultrasound. All good news. Babies measured just shy of 6 pounds each and they "passed" all their tests (in terms of practice breathing and umbilical cord function, etc).
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Status quo
I'm holding my own and the babies aren't showing any signs yet that they're going to show up in the immediate future. Hopefully that means we can celebrate Christmas with my family without going to the hospital!
My belly has gotten enormous, though, just in the last week or so. The doctor measured it yesterday at 48 centimeters (from sternum to pelvic bone). To put that in context, a women with a single baby usually measures about the same as whatever week her pregnancy is in. So 40 centimeters would be full term. Yikes. The good part is that my belly just sticks straight out -- it's all babies, nothing extra!
Merry Christmas to everybody! Hope you have a great holiday with your families and friends.
My belly has gotten enormous, though, just in the last week or so. The doctor measured it yesterday at 48 centimeters (from sternum to pelvic bone). To put that in context, a women with a single baby usually measures about the same as whatever week her pregnancy is in. So 40 centimeters would be full term. Yikes. The good part is that my belly just sticks straight out -- it's all babies, nothing extra!
Merry Christmas to everybody! Hope you have a great holiday with your families and friends.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Letter to Santa
The Pioneer Press asked me (and a few other staffers) to write letters to Santa this year. They were published in today's paper. Mine, of course, has to do with the twins.
You can read it online here or pick up a copy of today's paper (Section E).
Babies are still staying put and we're hopeful to make it to Dec. 31st. Each day is getting harder for me, though. I feel like my belly has expanded several inches just in the last couple of days! UGH.
You can read it online here or pick up a copy of today's paper (Section E).
Babies are still staying put and we're hopeful to make it to Dec. 31st. Each day is getting harder for me, though. I feel like my belly has expanded several inches just in the last couple of days! UGH.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Practice at the hospital
I got to have a bit of "practice" at the hospital this week. Tuesday, at about 6 pm, I started bleeding. This was a bit alarming because the week before the doctors thought that I had a condition called "vasa previa" -- meaning that blood vessels from Baby A's placenta were covering my cervix. With this condition, bleeding is extremely dangerous for the baby.
Jamey wasn't home, so I called him and he started driving back here from the rental property. But it had been snowing all day and traffic was snarled. He didn't think he could get back here fast enough. So he called one of our neighbors and she and her daughter came over and called an ambulance to come get me.
So I got to ride in an ambulance! We didn't hit nearly as much traffic as they had expected and got there in the usual amount of time.
The bleeding actually stopped fairly quickly and never got very bad. But they put me on the baby monitors right away to make sure the babes were okay. And they were fabulous, as usual. They were moving around like crazy (a good sign that they are well oxygenated and healthy) and their heartbeats were right where they should be. I was having my usual amount of contractions.
The doctor, though, couldn't determine if it was vasa previa that caused the bleeding or something else. He said they needed a Level 2 ultrasound machine and the only one available to them was locked up in a perinatal office that had already closed for the day. So I would have to wait until Wednesday. He also wanted to continue monitoring me and the babies to make sure the bleeding didn't start again. If anything went wrong, we would be having a c-section that night!
So off we went to the birth unit to spend the night. Since we seemed to be doing just fine, Jamey went home around midnight, but neither one of us slept very well.
Wednesday they couldn't get me in for an ultrasound until nearly 2 pm. So I just had to lay around all morning (they did let me take a shower at least!).
The ultrasound showed no signs of vasa previa. But I seem to have some of my own blood vessels right near the cervix and apparently one of them ruptured when I was going to the bathroom! This isn't as much of a problem as vasa previa, especially since I'm having a c-section.
So we're back to the usual routine -- bedrest and hoping we can make it to Dec 31st. The doctors say the babies would be okay if born now, but they would be much, much better if we can get another couple weeks.
Jamey wasn't home, so I called him and he started driving back here from the rental property. But it had been snowing all day and traffic was snarled. He didn't think he could get back here fast enough. So he called one of our neighbors and she and her daughter came over and called an ambulance to come get me.
So I got to ride in an ambulance! We didn't hit nearly as much traffic as they had expected and got there in the usual amount of time.
The bleeding actually stopped fairly quickly and never got very bad. But they put me on the baby monitors right away to make sure the babes were okay. And they were fabulous, as usual. They were moving around like crazy (a good sign that they are well oxygenated and healthy) and their heartbeats were right where they should be. I was having my usual amount of contractions.
The doctor, though, couldn't determine if it was vasa previa that caused the bleeding or something else. He said they needed a Level 2 ultrasound machine and the only one available to them was locked up in a perinatal office that had already closed for the day. So I would have to wait until Wednesday. He also wanted to continue monitoring me and the babies to make sure the bleeding didn't start again. If anything went wrong, we would be having a c-section that night!
So off we went to the birth unit to spend the night. Since we seemed to be doing just fine, Jamey went home around midnight, but neither one of us slept very well.
Wednesday they couldn't get me in for an ultrasound until nearly 2 pm. So I just had to lay around all morning (they did let me take a shower at least!).
The ultrasound showed no signs of vasa previa. But I seem to have some of my own blood vessels right near the cervix and apparently one of them ruptured when I was going to the bathroom! This isn't as much of a problem as vasa previa, especially since I'm having a c-section.
So we're back to the usual routine -- bedrest and hoping we can make it to Dec 31st. The doctors say the babies would be okay if born now, but they would be much, much better if we can get another couple weeks.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Week 34
We ended up at the hospital AGAIN last night. My contractions started coming too frequently and the medication I'm on wasn't doing the trick.
As the nurse was settling me into the maternal assessment center at Abbott, she said she wanted us to be prepared for the possibility that the doctor might want to proceed with a c-section that night!
We were a bit stunned. Reality came crashing in.
Having passed the 34-week mark, we've moved into the zone when twins are typically born and they would be okay if they were born now. So it's common for doctors to stop measures (such as the meds I'm on) to prevent labor.
However, it turned out that the doctor on duty was my regular OB, Dr. Kreider. We were pleased to see her. She thought it would be better to give me a shot of terbutaline (which is stronger than the stuff they have me on at home) and see if that slowed things.
It did. So she sent us home.
But before we left, we scheduled the c-section. That made it even more real! So the scheduled date is 7:30 am on Dec. 31st. Yep -- New Year's Eve. The plan is to try to make it that far.
Of course, an emergency c-section might happen anytime between now and then if the babies show signs of distress, or if I develop complications (such as high blood pressure) or if I go into full blown labor that they can't stop.
In the meantime, I get to continue sitting at home bored out of my mind. Jamey is working furiously to finish at least one of the units on the duplex rental property that we bought a few months ago. He's behind schedule and has found more problems than he anticipated over there. We had hoped to get at least one unit rented before the babies came, but that's looking highly unlikely right now. UGH.
We had an ultrasound on Thursday that showed the babies are still doing extremely well. The little girl looks like she's got really chubby cheeks! That's a really good sign cause it means they are putting on fat -- one of the last things that develops. They have been moving a lot and the doctor is really pleased with how they seem to be faring. That's reassuring!
However, the ultrasound also showed blood vessels near my cervix -- something they call "vasa previa". Apparently this is a huge problem if you're going to deliver vaginally. The blood vessels are from the placenta (in this case, for Baby A) and apparently they often rupture when your water breaks, usually resulting in death for the baby due to blood loss! It's usually not diagnosed until after delivery.
My doctor isn't terribly concerned about it since we're doing a c-section anyway (babies are still laying sideways). I just hope I don't go into full blown labor before then. We're going to talk with the doctor more about this at our regular appointment on Tuesday. I just don't want to take any chances that something bad might happen.
That's about it for now. I'm crazy bored and will welcome any visitors, any time. Bring on the distractions!
As the nurse was settling me into the maternal assessment center at Abbott, she said she wanted us to be prepared for the possibility that the doctor might want to proceed with a c-section that night!
We were a bit stunned. Reality came crashing in.
Having passed the 34-week mark, we've moved into the zone when twins are typically born and they would be okay if they were born now. So it's common for doctors to stop measures (such as the meds I'm on) to prevent labor.
However, it turned out that the doctor on duty was my regular OB, Dr. Kreider. We were pleased to see her. She thought it would be better to give me a shot of terbutaline (which is stronger than the stuff they have me on at home) and see if that slowed things.
It did. So she sent us home.
But before we left, we scheduled the c-section. That made it even more real! So the scheduled date is 7:30 am on Dec. 31st. Yep -- New Year's Eve. The plan is to try to make it that far.
Of course, an emergency c-section might happen anytime between now and then if the babies show signs of distress, or if I develop complications (such as high blood pressure) or if I go into full blown labor that they can't stop.
In the meantime, I get to continue sitting at home bored out of my mind. Jamey is working furiously to finish at least one of the units on the duplex rental property that we bought a few months ago. He's behind schedule and has found more problems than he anticipated over there. We had hoped to get at least one unit rented before the babies came, but that's looking highly unlikely right now. UGH.
We had an ultrasound on Thursday that showed the babies are still doing extremely well. The little girl looks like she's got really chubby cheeks! That's a really good sign cause it means they are putting on fat -- one of the last things that develops. They have been moving a lot and the doctor is really pleased with how they seem to be faring. That's reassuring!
However, the ultrasound also showed blood vessels near my cervix -- something they call "vasa previa". Apparently this is a huge problem if you're going to deliver vaginally. The blood vessels are from the placenta (in this case, for Baby A) and apparently they often rupture when your water breaks, usually resulting in death for the baby due to blood loss! It's usually not diagnosed until after delivery.
My doctor isn't terribly concerned about it since we're doing a c-section anyway (babies are still laying sideways). I just hope I don't go into full blown labor before then. We're going to talk with the doctor more about this at our regular appointment on Tuesday. I just don't want to take any chances that something bad might happen.
That's about it for now. I'm crazy bored and will welcome any visitors, any time. Bring on the distractions!
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Maternity photos
A few weeks ago we had our wedding photographer, Michelle DuPuis, come and take maternity photos. Here are just a few of the pics....
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Let the boredom begin...
I'm officially on bedrest. My doctor decided on Tuesday that working and spending too much time up and about is now putting me at too great a risk of pre-term labor. By laying low, we hope to keep the babies in there for another 3-4 weeks. So basically, we want to get past Christmas, if not longer.
I don't have to lay in bed all day, but I won't be doing housework or grocery shopping or anything like that. So, lots of movies and books and stuff like that. I do have a few things to do to get ready for the babies (my nesting!) so I'll use my limited energy for that.
I'll be eager for any visitors or distractions anyone wants to provide! As most of you know, I don't sit still for long. So this is going to be a challenge.
I don't have to lay in bed all day, but I won't be doing housework or grocery shopping or anything like that. So, lots of movies and books and stuff like that. I do have a few things to do to get ready for the babies (my nesting!) so I'll use my limited energy for that.
I'll be eager for any visitors or distractions anyone wants to provide! As most of you know, I don't sit still for long. So this is going to be a challenge.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Week 32
We've made it to the magic mark of week 32. This is the point at which twins would be okay if they were to be born now. There might be medical issues and a couple weeks in the hospital, but it wouldn't be anything life-threatening. So now the goal is to keep them in the oven for as much time as we can.
That's clearly getting harder.
This past week, I've really taken a turn for the worse. I've been to the hospital three times this past week. On Monday, my ultrasound showed some concerns with my cervix. Then I started having contractions too frequently (every 4 to 7 minutes). So they gave me a drug that stops the contractions, did a fibronectin test (this determines whether you might go into labor in the next two weeks) and gave me a two-dose set of shots of steroids that help the babies' lungs develop just in case they come early. The fibronectin was negative and exams showed my cervix completely closed -- so it doesn't look like they're coming immediately. But the contractions are a concern, particularly if they were to go unchecked.
The drug they gave me kept the contractions at bay from Monday afternoon til Friday. Then they were back. So off I went to the hospital again. This time they gave me pills that I have to take every 6 hours. Those seem to be working so far.
I'm also finding that being on my feet or walking any distance is getting too difficult. My belly starts to tighten and those contractions are more likely to occur if I'm up and about. So, although I'm not officially on bedrest, I've basically given myself orders to restrict my activities.
Today, Jamey and I made a trip to Target. To make it easier on me, I rode around in one of those motorized carts. It was a bit embarassing, but it sure made it easier for me to get around that huge store!
We've got an appointment with our regular doctor on Tuesday morning and I'm expecting she will give me orders for either limited activity or bedrest. This may include either only working from home or limiting my work hours, as well. I'm thinking complete bedrest is a long shot. It seems I'm okay for SOME activity, but clearly not as much as before.
So Jamey is now on laundry and groceries duty, and any major housecleaning. He's not too thrilled about that, but I just point to my enormous belly and tell him to suck it up since I'm the one doing all the suffering!
We're hoping the babies stay in there for at least another month. I'm starting to believe that they'll be born right between Christmas and New Year's. It's going to be an interesting Christmas at our house this year!
Sunday, November 23, 2008
Mural is finished!
The nursery mural got finished on Friday and today my cousin and his wife brought over a crib they are lending us -- so now we've got two.
While they were over, their daughters played on the rocking horses that my Dad made.
I also wanted to post a picture of these blankets that I made. One side of each blanket is made of crib sheets that my mother had for my brother and I but never used. When a good friend of mine got pregnant 12+ years ago, she gave the unopened packages to her. My friend never used them either and gave them back to me when I got married. They wouldn't do well as crib sheets because they don't have enough elastic, but I thought they would be fabulous blankets. So I put flannel on the back side, some batting to make them warm and blanket binding around the edges.
While they were over, their daughters played on the rocking horses that my Dad made.
I also wanted to post a picture of these blankets that I made. One side of each blanket is made of crib sheets that my mother had for my brother and I but never used. When a good friend of mine got pregnant 12+ years ago, she gave the unopened packages to her. My friend never used them either and gave them back to me when I got married. They wouldn't do well as crib sheets because they don't have enough elastic, but I thought they would be fabulous blankets. So I put flannel on the back side, some batting to make them warm and blanket binding around the edges.
Last shower for the babies
My sorority sisters threw me a baby shower yesterday and we had such a fun time! Here are some pics....
Friday, November 14, 2008
Week 29
We had a doctor's appointment today and she said we're doing "extremely well." The babies are slightly larger than usual, so we're on track to have some good sized twins (which would be in the neighborhood of 6, maybe 7, pounds). No signs of pre-term labor or any other problems. The only other thing she told us was that it looks fairly certain that we'll have to have a c-section. Both babies are lying sideways and it's unlikely that they would move into head-down positions this late in the game.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Mural, so far
It's slow progress on the mural in the nursery. Here's where it's at right now. She's got all the characters and trees and birds, etc, drawn out. Sometime in the next week she's coming back to start painting in the colors.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Growing babies!
We had an ultrasound today and had more excellent news. Babies are about 3 pounds each right now -- which is about the same that a singleton would be at 30 weeks (we're just hitting 29 weeks). So that is really impressive for twins! And it's also good news that they are almost exactly the same size.
Mom is also doing well. Cervix is holding steady right where it should (a big concern once you get past 28 weeks) and the placenta that was blocking the exit has moved out of the way. All good news!
Unfortunately we didn't get any good pics once again. Don't know if we keep getting a bad sonographer or a bad machine or just that the babies aren't photogenic! UGH.
Mom is also doing well. Cervix is holding steady right where it should (a big concern once you get past 28 weeks) and the placenta that was blocking the exit has moved out of the way. All good news!
Unfortunately we didn't get any good pics once again. Don't know if we keep getting a bad sonographer or a bad machine or just that the babies aren't photogenic! UGH.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Week 27
Wow, look at that belly! It's quite a bit bigger than the last picture I posted, which I think was way back in week 18! We've been a bit negligent in taking belly pics.
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Pooh mural
Our one splurge in the babies' nursery is going to be a wall mural of the picture above (it's shown here in two pics cause it's scanned from two pages of a book).
This is from a classic Pooh book that belonged to me as a child (can't believe I still have it!). It's going to be painted just above the tops of the cribs along two walls of the nursery. The characters will be about 14 inches high, each. The trees will be in the corner between the two walls.
We found an artist through our multiples birth and parenting class. Turns out the mom of one of the other multiple moms does a lot of this kind of work. The artist -- Cheryl - came over a couple weeks ago and showed me pictures of some of her previous work and gave me an estimate. She starts work on it this coming Wednesday!
This is really the only splurge we're going to have in the nursery. The cribs and changing table are used and we're getting my mom's old wooden rocking chair (yes, she rocked me and my brother in it!).
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Shower season
My round of baby showers has begun!
The first was last weekend at my aunt Ann's house in Stillwater. Along with my other aunt, Ann, and my friend, Dani, she threw a very classy brunch shower!
I got so many really fabulous gifts and it was such fun. The guests were a diverse collection of friends and family from all aspects of my life. I love those kinds of parties where the attendees don't know everyone else already.
My next shower is Saturday -- one for my colleagues at work. Then the following weekend my neighbors are throwing a small shower (probably just 5 people or so). And finally my sorority sisters join in the fun next month.
Last night Jamey and I attended a breastfeeding class. One of the other couples had been in our multiples class last month. They are 33 weeks along and the doctors think she's going to give birth in the next two or three weeks! She was huge and obviously uncomfortable!
I'm at 26 weeks, so it was a bit heartstopping to hear her say it was coming so soon for her. But in reality, I'm looking at only about 10-12 more weeks, MAXIMUM. That's not a whole lot of time considering how fast the days and weeks go by.
The first was last weekend at my aunt Ann's house in Stillwater. Along with my other aunt, Ann, and my friend, Dani, she threw a very classy brunch shower!
I got so many really fabulous gifts and it was such fun. The guests were a diverse collection of friends and family from all aspects of my life. I love those kinds of parties where the attendees don't know everyone else already.
My next shower is Saturday -- one for my colleagues at work. Then the following weekend my neighbors are throwing a small shower (probably just 5 people or so). And finally my sorority sisters join in the fun next month.
Last night Jamey and I attended a breastfeeding class. One of the other couples had been in our multiples class last month. They are 33 weeks along and the doctors think she's going to give birth in the next two or three weeks! She was huge and obviously uncomfortable!
I'm at 26 weeks, so it was a bit heartstopping to hear her say it was coming so soon for her. But in reality, I'm looking at only about 10-12 more weeks, MAXIMUM. That's not a whole lot of time considering how fast the days and weeks go by.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
My little band
I've been feeling the babies kick more and more every day. Last night they treated me to somewhat of a concert....one baby kicked, then the other -- kind of in time with each other, a couple times in a row. It was like having my own little band! I'm sure in a couple months those "little" kicks will be a bit more painful, but for now they are just plain fun.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Week 22
We had an ultrasound yesterday and found that both babies are still doing great. They had good measurements and heartbeats and they were moving all over the place! And yes, it's still a boy and girl!
Also no signs of pre-term labor, yet, which is good. They will start getting more concerned about this after I get past 24 weeks -- and definitely after 28 weeks. With twins, this is the biggest problem.
The only negative news we had is that they confirmed I have "placenta previa." this just means that one of the placentas is sitting right above the cervix -- essentially blocking the opening. If it doesn't move (which it might) by 34 weeks, I would have no choice but to have a c-section. Considering about 60% of twin births are done by c-section (for various reasons), this isn't exactly unexpected news to us. But still, it's something the doctors will be watching and they will be a little concerned about. (there's also some risk of bleeding during pregnancy, but the ultrasound doctor didn't seem too concerned about it. we'll ask our regular doc next week)
Sorry no pictures this time. They only gave us a couple of them and they weren't very good. Apparently these measurement ultrasounds take a lot more time than the ones for a singleton and we essentially ran out of time for her to try to get them to "pose" for the camera. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Also no signs of pre-term labor, yet, which is good. They will start getting more concerned about this after I get past 24 weeks -- and definitely after 28 weeks. With twins, this is the biggest problem.
The only negative news we had is that they confirmed I have "placenta previa." this just means that one of the placentas is sitting right above the cervix -- essentially blocking the opening. If it doesn't move (which it might) by 34 weeks, I would have no choice but to have a c-section. Considering about 60% of twin births are done by c-section (for various reasons), this isn't exactly unexpected news to us. But still, it's something the doctors will be watching and they will be a little concerned about. (there's also some risk of bleeding during pregnancy, but the ultrasound doctor didn't seem too concerned about it. we'll ask our regular doc next week)
Sorry no pictures this time. They only gave us a couple of them and they weren't very good. Apparently these measurement ultrasounds take a lot more time than the ones for a singleton and we essentially ran out of time for her to try to get them to "pose" for the camera. Oh well. Maybe next time.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Baby shopping!
I went to the St. Paul Moms of Multiples garage sale today and got so many great things for the babies!
My big find was a Pack-n-Play that has two bassinets on the top -- something you can't find in stores (have to order online) and it costs $200 new. This one was $75 and in mint condition. Such a deal!
Then I got the bathtub I wanted, a Baby Bjorn and a sling (that both look brand new), a bunch of really cute sleepers and hats, a JJ Cole Bundle me ($5!!), a big package of Gerber soft-bite spoons, a couple parenting books, and a couple crib sheets that can be backups or ones we take to the cabin.
It was quite a haul -- all for the price that I would've paid for the Pack-n-Play if I had bought it new!
The other day somebody gave Jamey, for free, two walker/exersaucer kinds of things, plus a bag of small baby toys.
Then this afternoon a good friend of mine brought over a nice collection of girls clothes (all different sizes) and a big stash of maternity clothes. I think this is the 5th big stash of clothes I've gotten on loan, plus a handful of other items from two others. Tomorrow I'm getting even more from another friend. So I'm pretty well dressed these days. It's fun having a good variety of things to choose from.
My big find was a Pack-n-Play that has two bassinets on the top -- something you can't find in stores (have to order online) and it costs $200 new. This one was $75 and in mint condition. Such a deal!
Then I got the bathtub I wanted, a Baby Bjorn and a sling (that both look brand new), a bunch of really cute sleepers and hats, a JJ Cole Bundle me ($5!!), a big package of Gerber soft-bite spoons, a couple parenting books, and a couple crib sheets that can be backups or ones we take to the cabin.
It was quite a haul -- all for the price that I would've paid for the Pack-n-Play if I had bought it new!
The other day somebody gave Jamey, for free, two walker/exersaucer kinds of things, plus a bag of small baby toys.
Then this afternoon a good friend of mine brought over a nice collection of girls clothes (all different sizes) and a big stash of maternity clothes. I think this is the 5th big stash of clothes I've gotten on loan, plus a handful of other items from two others. Tomorrow I'm getting even more from another friend. So I'm pretty well dressed these days. It's fun having a good variety of things to choose from.
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