This Thanksgiving I am so grateful that these babies are still healthy, growing, and inside of me. I'm also grateful for selling our apartment contract in two days, the baby shower my mom put on, and generous gifts from friends and family that have helped us get everything ready for the big arrival. It's been quite the 3 weeks since I last blogged, and it really is a miracle I can't hold them yet. Although that was a big bummer for me and for all the family I saw this weekend. :)
Breech Baby
At my 33 week Non-Stress Test we discovered that Baby A had flipped into the breech (but kind of transverse) position. I've mentioned before that these babies have been in really odd positions from the beginning, but I never thought it would actually cause problems. The problem this time with her flipping is that she is running out of space and the likelihood of her flipping back is really low. Three weeks later and she is still head up and I've finally accepted that she won't be moving. I noticed a change in their movement around 33 weeks - no more kicks and jabs, more like rolling and shifting. They are squished.
The sad thing about Baby A's position is that it means I'll be having a C-Section, which I was really hoping to avoid. With single babies doctors often attempt an External Cephalic Version, but it doesn't work well with twins and it is extra dangerous. I have even been trying different positions that are supposed to help position the baby right, but she just isn't going anywhere.
I know plenty of people who have had C-Sections and had a really good experience - I'm not afraid, it's just not what I wanted. Oh well, this is the part where I get over myself.
The story continues…Strike One (33 weeks)
So since then, we have been to Labor and Delivery three times. I told myself I wasn't going to be that mom who jumps the gun and runs to the hospital too quickly and gets sent home. Well, I don't regret going any of those times, but now I've been sent home three times! It's become a joke now, oh hey I'm back, just give me the usual. :)
The first time we went was two Sundays ago at midnight. I was having really sharp abdominal pain on and off during the week, and for some reason that night I had this excruciating episode of pain that didn't stop. Not only was I miserable, but I was freaked out about what it could mean - try googling abdominal pain in pregnancy (placental abruption??). We left for the hospital and the pain began subsiding. We parked and I threw up in the parking lot. Gross. We walk in and I was already feeling much better… We decided to still check out how the babies were doing.
At L&D they have you talk into a phone to explain yourself before they open the door. I said, well….I'm not in labor…but I'm in pain and I'm pregnant? Wasn't sure if they were going to let me in with that lame statement.
Long story short, the babies were just fine and the pain didn't come back - at least not like it was - and the doctor figures it was some intestinal cramping. Figures. There is no room in my body for intestines… Oh and I was only a fingertip dilated.
Just a side note: I was obviously kind of embarrassed. BUT everyone who worked with me said over and over again - I'm glad you came, please come again if anything isn't right, we want you to be okay, do not feel silly for coming. Maybe some may not need this message, but seriously, you NEVER know. And mother's instinct is real. So is father's instinct. I'm so glad the nurses and doctors respect that.
Strike Two (34 1/2 weeks)
After recovering from staying up super late on a Sunday night, we decided to go back to our favorite place five days later. This time I was having contractions 5-10 minutes apart all afternoon, evening, and night. Some were pretty strong, some weren't. I did everything I normally do to stop them - laying down, taking a bath, drinking tons, emptying my bladder…. and nothing changed. I kept waiting because I wanted to be sure and I probably wouldn’t have gone in if I wasn't preterm because it wasn't obviously progressing, though it wasn't stopping.
I finally woke Aaron who was sleeping so peacefully (didn't want to wake him up!) and we went back to our favorite place. It's a good thing we're under 10 minutes away.
Side note: In L&D, they actually put you in a room where you could potentially deliver your baby and you gown up and everything. They have a hospital bracelet made and ready, but they don't put it on until you're officially admitted. You lay in the bed and they put two (or three) monitors on your belly just like a non-stress test (NST), one for each baby's heart and one for contractions.
I was only 1 cm dilated and after an hour, I hadn't changed at all. BUT, I felt extremely validated to see that little line on the screen rise and fall regularly with each contraction. The doctor determined that my body was doing the work of laboring, but my Baby A was not doing any work on her end because her head was far from pushing on my cervix. Without teamwork, labor wasn't going anywhere.
I asked a lot of questions and had some surprising answers… First of all, I was told that at this point if I was progressing, they weren't going to do anything to stop labor. Part of the reason for this was the fact that we knew the babies are big and doing great. I don't really understand though, unless its just because they don't normally have success stopping it. Second, they kept asking if the contractions were painful, and I kept saying no. Some of them were (are - they are still happening) very strong and intense - I'm totally distracted, can't walk or talk - but never painful. The nurse explained after I asked that the pain associated with contractions is partly from the stretching of the cervix. Obviously that isn't happening to me.
Well, they sent us home again - duh - this time telling me that yes you were supposed to come in with those kind of contractions, but now we know nothing's happening. Come in if anything changes. Since then, nothing has changed. I stopped timing the contractions and I try to ignore them so I can't say if they've slowed or not. Again, they aren't painful, but my body just has another reason to be very tired and worn out.
Strike Three (35 weeks)
This time we were sent to the hospital from my weekly NST because Baby A wasn't doing too hot on the heart rate monitor. The NST nurse didn't think she would see me again, and the doctor at the hospital didn't think we would be going home. After being monitored for 40 minutes, both babies were struggling. The doctor came and said, at this point we know we can take care of those babies outside, so if they are struggling inside then we won't hesitate to take them out. Then he said we needed to monitor a little longer, but his gut told him we wouldn't be going home.
Well, our girls rallied hard and showed up that doctor's gut feeling! They proceeded to do wonderfully for the next 2 hours and they sent us home (again to everyone's surprise). I have to say, I've become so non-chalant about being in the hospital, I don't actually believe we'll ever have to stay, but when the doctor said that I did freak out a bit. Is this actually HAPPENING???? Aaron was stressed out and worried, but like I said, our girls have their own agenda.
Honestly, it is completely our babies' choice to stay put where they are, my body is trying to get rid of them! So we'll see how this turns out. Do we have a set of extremely determined, head strong girls on our hands? Well, I suppose I would deserve that kind of child…
I really thought they would have come already, partly because I was told SO MANY times they would come early. I was expecting that. BUT, now that I am so close to making it to term (37 weeks) I am getting really hopeful our babies won't have to spend any time in the NICU. Also, I'm planning on breastfeeding, and I know from experience that preemies and NICU time makes nursing so much harder. Also, it's around 36 weeks that babies are much better at coordinating the suck-swallow-breathe pattern required for eating. The other great thing is every day is another day Aaron can be a student without worrying about taking care of babies. :)
At my 33 week Non-Stress Test we discovered that Baby A had flipped into the breech (but kind of transverse) position. I've mentioned before that these babies have been in really odd positions from the beginning, but I never thought it would actually cause problems. The problem this time with her flipping is that she is running out of space and the likelihood of her flipping back is really low. Three weeks later and she is still head up and I've finally accepted that she won't be moving. I noticed a change in their movement around 33 weeks - no more kicks and jabs, more like rolling and shifting. They are squished.
The sad thing about Baby A's position is that it means I'll be having a C-Section, which I was really hoping to avoid. With single babies doctors often attempt an External Cephalic Version, but it doesn't work well with twins and it is extra dangerous. I have even been trying different positions that are supposed to help position the baby right, but she just isn't going anywhere.
I know plenty of people who have had C-Sections and had a really good experience - I'm not afraid, it's just not what I wanted. Oh well, this is the part where I get over myself.
The story continues…Strike One (33 weeks)
So since then, we have been to Labor and Delivery three times. I told myself I wasn't going to be that mom who jumps the gun and runs to the hospital too quickly and gets sent home. Well, I don't regret going any of those times, but now I've been sent home three times! It's become a joke now, oh hey I'm back, just give me the usual. :)
The first time we went was two Sundays ago at midnight. I was having really sharp abdominal pain on and off during the week, and for some reason that night I had this excruciating episode of pain that didn't stop. Not only was I miserable, but I was freaked out about what it could mean - try googling abdominal pain in pregnancy (placental abruption??). We left for the hospital and the pain began subsiding. We parked and I threw up in the parking lot. Gross. We walk in and I was already feeling much better… We decided to still check out how the babies were doing.
At L&D they have you talk into a phone to explain yourself before they open the door. I said, well….I'm not in labor…but I'm in pain and I'm pregnant? Wasn't sure if they were going to let me in with that lame statement.
Long story short, the babies were just fine and the pain didn't come back - at least not like it was - and the doctor figures it was some intestinal cramping. Figures. There is no room in my body for intestines… Oh and I was only a fingertip dilated.
Just a side note: I was obviously kind of embarrassed. BUT everyone who worked with me said over and over again - I'm glad you came, please come again if anything isn't right, we want you to be okay, do not feel silly for coming. Maybe some may not need this message, but seriously, you NEVER know. And mother's instinct is real. So is father's instinct. I'm so glad the nurses and doctors respect that.
Strike Two (34 1/2 weeks)
After recovering from staying up super late on a Sunday night, we decided to go back to our favorite place five days later. This time I was having contractions 5-10 minutes apart all afternoon, evening, and night. Some were pretty strong, some weren't. I did everything I normally do to stop them - laying down, taking a bath, drinking tons, emptying my bladder…. and nothing changed. I kept waiting because I wanted to be sure and I probably wouldn’t have gone in if I wasn't preterm because it wasn't obviously progressing, though it wasn't stopping.
I finally woke Aaron who was sleeping so peacefully (didn't want to wake him up!) and we went back to our favorite place. It's a good thing we're under 10 minutes away.
Side note: In L&D, they actually put you in a room where you could potentially deliver your baby and you gown up and everything. They have a hospital bracelet made and ready, but they don't put it on until you're officially admitted. You lay in the bed and they put two (or three) monitors on your belly just like a non-stress test (NST), one for each baby's heart and one for contractions.
I was only 1 cm dilated and after an hour, I hadn't changed at all. BUT, I felt extremely validated to see that little line on the screen rise and fall regularly with each contraction. The doctor determined that my body was doing the work of laboring, but my Baby A was not doing any work on her end because her head was far from pushing on my cervix. Without teamwork, labor wasn't going anywhere.
I asked a lot of questions and had some surprising answers… First of all, I was told that at this point if I was progressing, they weren't going to do anything to stop labor. Part of the reason for this was the fact that we knew the babies are big and doing great. I don't really understand though, unless its just because they don't normally have success stopping it. Second, they kept asking if the contractions were painful, and I kept saying no. Some of them were (are - they are still happening) very strong and intense - I'm totally distracted, can't walk or talk - but never painful. The nurse explained after I asked that the pain associated with contractions is partly from the stretching of the cervix. Obviously that isn't happening to me.
Well, they sent us home again - duh - this time telling me that yes you were supposed to come in with those kind of contractions, but now we know nothing's happening. Come in if anything changes. Since then, nothing has changed. I stopped timing the contractions and I try to ignore them so I can't say if they've slowed or not. Again, they aren't painful, but my body just has another reason to be very tired and worn out.
Strike Three (35 weeks)
This time we were sent to the hospital from my weekly NST because Baby A wasn't doing too hot on the heart rate monitor. The NST nurse didn't think she would see me again, and the doctor at the hospital didn't think we would be going home. After being monitored for 40 minutes, both babies were struggling. The doctor came and said, at this point we know we can take care of those babies outside, so if they are struggling inside then we won't hesitate to take them out. Then he said we needed to monitor a little longer, but his gut told him we wouldn't be going home.
Well, our girls rallied hard and showed up that doctor's gut feeling! They proceeded to do wonderfully for the next 2 hours and they sent us home (again to everyone's surprise). I have to say, I've become so non-chalant about being in the hospital, I don't actually believe we'll ever have to stay, but when the doctor said that I did freak out a bit. Is this actually HAPPENING???? Aaron was stressed out and worried, but like I said, our girls have their own agenda.
Honestly, it is completely our babies' choice to stay put where they are, my body is trying to get rid of them! So we'll see how this turns out. Do we have a set of extremely determined, head strong girls on our hands? Well, I suppose I would deserve that kind of child…
I really thought they would have come already, partly because I was told SO MANY times they would come early. I was expecting that. BUT, now that I am so close to making it to term (37 weeks) I am getting really hopeful our babies won't have to spend any time in the NICU. Also, I'm planning on breastfeeding, and I know from experience that preemies and NICU time makes nursing so much harder. Also, it's around 36 weeks that babies are much better at coordinating the suck-swallow-breathe pattern required for eating. The other great thing is every day is another day Aaron can be a student without worrying about taking care of babies. :)
The Belly Update
I had no idea my skin could stretch this much. I've provided a slideshow with all the belly pics since the beginning - I was so little back then!
I had no idea my skin could stretch this much. I've provided a slideshow with all the belly pics since the beginning - I was so little back then!
Travel Through Time
We have been all over the country in the last 8 months - from Utah to New Jersey and back in three different apartments and lots of hotels.
We have been all over the country in the last 8 months - from Utah to New Jersey and back in three different apartments and lots of hotels.