Reactions to Twin News

We had video rolling as I received the news in April, 2010 that we were having twins. Here is the video:

That night we invited the grandparents over to share the news with them:

Birth Story!

Well I have been absent from blogger for a couple of weeks, but I have a good excuse! Our twin sons were born August 17th at 1:38am and 1:40am.

I had been having contractions during my pregnancy from about 23 weeks on, so I didn't think Too much of it when a few of my contractions were slightly more painful & crampy. They began to feel like this about 2 weeks before I delivered, but I didn't mention it to my doctor. My main concern when going to my 36 week appointment (on August 16th) was discussing not getting my membranes stripped (see my previous post).

At my appointment, my OB checked my cervix and asked, "how far along do you think you are?" I told her I didn't know. She let me know I was already 4cm dilated. This meant I was already in labor and "didn'tknow it." (So no need to strip my membranes). She wanted to send me down to L & D right then. I was hesitant, because I didn't feel like my contractions were regular yet. However, my doctor talked me into it.. by saying I shouldn't be laboring long at home with twins. If I came in 8cm dilated in the middle of the night, they would have to hurry to set everything up, etc.. and it wouldn't be as safe for the second twin (who would come out by breech extraction).

So.. I shakily told her I would go to L & D. Completely in shock.. I thought I had another week or two left (even though I had made it to 36.6 weeks with twins). My mom had come with me to my appointment, so I let her know what was going on, and we both called our husbands. Then we walked across the street to the hospital. (It was a very anti climactic trip to the hospital I must say.. for actually being in labor).

I got checked in to L & D, IV started, blood drawn & hooked up to fetal & contraction monitors. The contractions were coming every 5 minutes exactly, and I was only feeling about 1/3 of them! This was around 3pm. About 5pm, my OB broke my water & hooked baby A up to an internal monitor. I was still around 4cm then, and still not in pain. Several hours later I was 4-5cm and started on a small dose of Pitocin. I kept expecting my contractions to get painful, since my water was broken & pitocin started.. but they still felt like my contractions from the last few weeks. (Only slightly more painful than the contractions I had been having for months!) Several more hours passed.. by this time both sets of parents had arrived, along with my younger brother and a couple of our friends. I still wasn't feeling much pain at all, but I knew I needed to get the epidural because of the breech extraction (and the possibility of an emergency c-section for twin B). I really didn't want to get the epidural without feeling a few really good contractions though. I felt like that would be cheating the whole process! (Plus the epidural scared me)

I did end up feeling about 5 really good contractions before I got the epidural. Getting the epidural was probably the worst part of the labor. I lost count of how many times they tried to get the needle in, but it was at least 4 or 5. At one point, I told her to stop trying.. I needed a break. My husband was so wonderful during this part, he let me squeeze his hand really hard, and he didn't tell me how horrible the needle looked, haha. My labor nurse was also really good. Once the epidural was in though, it acted really fast. I can only describe it as if my legs suddently felt "warm and fuzzy". I didn't feel any more contractions after this. About 3 hours after the epidural, I had gone from 5cm to 8-9cm. (I napped during this time.. so I kind of did cheat my way through the labor). My nurse told me to let her know if I felt an urge to push & she would check me again. Well... I was really worried I wouldn't feel the urge since I had an epidural. I kept saying.. I think I may feel Something. She eventually checked me again at around 12:50am, and I was fully dilated. She called the doctor, the anesthetist, the NICU team (they had told me they would be outside the OR as a courtesy), and a few other people while they prepared the OR for the delivery of the twins! I don't know why, but it still didn't feel real to me!

The doctor arrived around 1:20am or so, and I was wheeled to the OR & moved to the OR bed. (Alan was with me in his surgical hat, shoes, and outfit). There were tons of people in the room, but I was mainly just focused on my doctor, the labor nurse, and Alan.

I had no idea what I was doing when it came to pushing, my my doctor & nurse were really good about instructing me on what to do. I couldn't feel my contractions, so I told them to let me know when to push. I had no trouble actually pushing though once I got the technique down. I pushed through about 5 contractions, and pushed out our little Adam! It was a strange sensation giving birth to a baby.. and I still yelled as he came out even though I had the epidural. My first thought when he came out was that he was too tiny to be 6 lbs. (He ended up being just 5lbs 0ozs.) Alan cut the umbilical cord, and that sent blood spraying around the OR.. sone even landed on my eyelid, so I have blood on my face in some of the OR pictures... haha.

Matthew's birth was a little less straight forward. He was breech and my doctor reached in & grabbed his feet & pulled him out. I started to push, but my doctor told me not to do anything.. to just relax (that's why I needed the epidural). According to Alan, she pulled, turned, pulled, and turned the baby until everything was out but his head. Then she called in the NICU team, while the head was still inside. That scared me because I wasn't sure if something was seriously wrong with getting the baby out. She used piper forceps to get the head out, and kind of flipped the baby out onto my stomach. He was born 2 minutes after Adam, but it was the longest 2 minutes of my life! The baby was blue, so the NICU team gave him some blow by oxygen & he was fine.

Next I delivered the huge placenta, which felt like delivering another baby! I watched as the babies were cleaned up & given to Alan. After the doctor was finished with me, they handed me the babies, and we took a few pictures before being wheeled back to the labor room. The grandparents were there to take pictures as we went back to our room. :)

(The babies are hungry now.. so I will continue with the rest of the hospital story in a different post)

35 Week Appt

So this week apparantly I am only 1cm dilated again! My doctor said the way everything is positioned I feel like 3cm at first, but really I'm only 1. My cervix is still really soft & the babies are low. I'm measuring 39 weeks.

So... my doctor wants to strip my membranes next week (I will be 36.6 weeks). This won't necessarily make me go into labor, but it will ripen my cervix even more.. and make it more likely I will start active labor. I really don't see what the big rush is though. I actually asked her if we could wait one more week before doing this, but she wants to do it next week. I wouldn't have such a problem with it if I thought my due date was accurate.. but I really think my babies are 4 days less far along... which would put me at 36.2 weeks at my next appointment. That seems way too early (even with twins) to start intervening if nothing is wrong! My goal was to make it to at least 37 weeks (according to my dates). So I'm not sure if I will push the issue at my next appointment or just let her do it & hope labor doesn't start for several more days afterwards!

I think that's all the big doctor news for this week. I did create a belly mold this week which is pretty neat. (Thanks to Sherry!) I'm not sure where it will go, but I think it will be neat having that momento from my twin pregnancy!)

Bowling Video

Bowling at 35 Weeks! It's strange to see my belly from the angle everyone else does... I don't think of myself as this big :P

34 Weeks!

I really wanted some good husband/wife shots showing off my big belly. I think we got some good ones. Thank you to my brother Daniel for the photos!

Today I had my 34 week Dr. visit & ultrasound. At the ultraound we found out Baby A now weighs 5 pounds 8 ounces and Baby B weighs 4 pounds 7 ounces. They are big boys! They now have a 19% size discordance, but my OB wasn't too concerned. She said it was to be expected that the discordance would grow, but she is happy that they are both growing. They are both in the same position as the last ultrasound (Baby A head down, Baby B transverse with his head in my right ribs), so maybe they have run out of room to flip around. As long as Baby A stays head down I will be happy!

My doctor hopes for me to make it to 37 or 38 weeks, but she said "35 or 36 would be ok too". I really want to make it to at least 37 weeks. I think I can do it. That's only about 2.5 more weeks :) And I am off work, so I won't have to deal with the 12 hour shifts making me go into labor.
(I had a very stressful day at work last week.. where I didn't get home until 9:30pm, and I got to work at 6:45am). I love my job, but I don't think God designed me to be able carry twins and still work those hours! So I am stopping for my own wellbeing (and my babies' wellbeing).

I actually took care of twins last week that my doctor had delivered (not the stressful day). They were delivered at 34 weeks, and were doing well. But they had temperature and feeding issues. I just want my babies to skip all of that and just come straight home with me!

I am almost 3 cm dilated and 70% effaced. If I keep dilating 1.5 cm's per week, this labor could be pretty easy ;) Unfortunately I don't think it works like that, haha. I hope this slows down though, because I still have to make it that 2.5 weeks!

After my appointment, my mom took me to motherhood maternity & I got some nursing bras and a nursing gown. Yay! So now I actually have stuff to pack in the hospital bag :)

This weekend we got the pack n plays set up in our room, so the babies have a place to sleep now (besides the nursery of course). Having the little beds so close to me all the time is really making me impatient to meet my babies though! They seem so empty now.

Pics of the completed nursery may be posted this week...

33 Week Doctor Appt

• 33.6 Weeks
• Still measuring 36 weeks. (I think my uterus is higher on the left side than on the left.. so when they measure down the middle it's not completely accurate. Just my thoughts :p)
• I am 1.5cm dilated!! I know you can stay at 1-2 cm for weeks (which I'm hoping is the case), but this dilatiion really makes it seem like the birth is coming up fast. Also the babies are very low.
• When a doctor tells you they are going to "gently" check your cervix, "gently" is a very subjecive term.
• I half jokingly asked my doctor if this could mean I would be 6cm by tonight. She said no, but that it would be nice if I were 6cm at my next appointment! (Which is a week from today.) I was thinking, "Wait! I thought our goal was at least 36 weeks??" What I said was, "I'd like to go a little further than that." She said, "we'll see." Thanks for the vote of confidence ;) She said her last patient that was as small as me with twins had them at 34 weeks, and (after I asked) she said it seemed like her smaller patients did deliver earlier. So really these babies could come anytime, even as early as next week! (I still think they will hang in there though)
• My blood pressure is still good.
• My next ultrasound is Monday. Can't wait to see if they are still growing well in there! (And if Mr. "A" is still head down)
• Weight gain: 42 pounds.

Other ThoughtS:

• It is definitely getting harder to move around. It's usually painful when I go from sitting to standing due to the pelvic pressure. It's also painful when I flip from my right to left side at night, or when I get up to use the restroom at night.
• These boys are wearing me out! I am tired all the time! Whenever I feel energy, I take advantage of it to clean the house & make sure we are ready for babies. Yesterday I organized our closet so I wouldn't have to worry about it later. I also set up a changing table in our bedroom, and made room for their pack 'n plays in our room. Then I packed the diaper bag.. not sure why I thought that was necessary. Then I was completely worn out. Today my two big activities were cleaning the kitchen and going to the doctor. And I am worn out again.
• We still need to find a pediatrician. I should probably get working on that.
• This should be my last week of work!! (If all goes well). I requested PTO for the first two weeks of August. I'm pretty sure it has been approved, but I'm not 100% certain. I'm really not sure I can physically keep working after this week if it doesn't get approved :(
• My belly gets into all sorts of strange shapes when the babies move.. it is so funny for Alan & me to watch.
• I am really excited to meet my boys & bring them home with me!

32 Week Sono/Appt

First a few pictures to show my size:
I got two maraschino cherries, one for each baby. This was at a 50's murder mystery dinner party last Saturday night.

Alan and I in character :) I'm a former homecoming queen and he is a jock/quarterback.

I this this picture is hilarious because it looks like I'm trying to turn to face Alan, but my stomach got stuck :)

So now that you know how big I am this week, here are the stats from my ultrasound last Friday & my OB appt today.

32 Weeks

Measuring 36 Weeks (not sure why it's less than last week, but my doctor wasn't concerned)

Weight:

Baby A weighs: 4 pounds 8 ounces

Baby B weighs: 3 pounds 13 ounces

That is a 14% size discordance. They get concerned when the size difference is more than 25%, so I am having another ultrasound in 2 weeks to follow up on their growth. (She was originally going to have me wait 3 weeks for my next sono.) Hopefully they will both grow well between now and then!

My weight: Well that's just depressing. I've gained about 40 pounds already :(

Position:

Baby A is head down and below Baby B. He is pushing Baby B's feet away from his face, just like he was doing in my last sono. They are fighting already!! If he stays in this head down position, I can have a vaginal delivery. (My OB's rate of vag vs c-section for twins is 80% vaginal. That's really good!)

Baby B is transverse, laying above Baby A. (And kicking him, lol)

Work Status:

So I ask every week if I can get a note to get me out of work. Still didn't get a note today, lol. Stil no medical reason. I am trying to get canceled about once a week though. When I told me OB that, she said that was good practice :) I just get soo tired.

Delivery Info:

Today I asked what my chances were of getting my doctor at delivery. She said she tries really hard to deliver her own twins, and that she has delivered all of her own twins except one set in the last 10 years. Those twins apparantly "fell out" since they were the mom's 4th and 5th children.

Hmm, I think that is all of the new information. I will be 33 weeks tomorrow. I can't believe it! These babies will be here before we know it.

31 Week Doctor Appointment

• 31.6 weeks
• Measuring 37 weeks
• My cervix is shortening, but not dilating. My OB said that is normal.
• I will be delivering in the OR with an epidural. This is for the safety of the second twin, in case a c section is needed or if she needs to do a beech extraction. In case of a breech extraction, it is safer if I am not fighting the doctor.
• There's still no medical reason to quit work, so I guess I will work through one more week. I already requested to be canceled tomorrow and our census is pretty low, so my chances are good. That means I'd only have one shift this week :)

Weekly Twin Belly Pics

My twin pregnancy belly from the positive sign 'til now. 31 week picture taken yesterday. (Music will be added when I have more energy)

Some thoughts on my pregnancy today:

• I am so thankful for all of my friends and family. The nursery is pretty well stocked with diapers, wipes, clothes, blankets, toys, books, decorations and other baby items. The majority of this has been gifts. We are very appreciative :) I can't wait to begin using everything :)
• I have gotten a lot of comments about my belly "dropping". I think everyone is right, because I used to have almost constant rib pain, and I haven't felt any pain for about a week or so. I just hope my body doesn't think it's time to deliver!
• I have also gotten a lot of comments that it looks like I am about to tip over. It's true that I am not very evenly proportioned at the moment.
• I'm still working part time. I had a pretty good week this last week, although I still get pretty tired. Thankfully the charge nurses are trying to give me the easier assignments, which I am very thankful for!
• Today Alan & I went grocery shopping, and I am more worn out now than after my last couple of 12 hour shifts. I don't know what the deal is with that. I feel like I can barely walk because of the tiredness & the pressure I feel when I walk :(
• Tomorrow I have a Doctor's appointment, and I want to discuss two things with her: When I should take off work, and more of what to expect at delivery
• I've already gained 35 pounds. And my waistline is huge. That figure will remain confidential at the moment ;)
• I still love watching and feeling my babies move :)

Am I Really That Big?

A few funny pictures. 30 weeks pregnant at my parents' house. My sister-in-law was having fun taking a mini photoshoot.

Working while Preggo

Before I got pregnant, my plan was to work full time until I delivered. (That would be 3 twelve hour shifts a week). That's on your feet!! I am so glad I didn't do this. Earlier this year I requested to be put on the list for part time... (for after I delivered) and I was offered the position right away. So I have been part time (2 twelve hour shifts/week) since around February of this year. Which has been awesome for being pregnant! I have been able to pick up some extra shifts & do some required education stuff without overdoing it.

However.

Now I am 30 weeks pregnant with twins. I am humongous. I have probably 7-8 pounds of baby in there already. (Not to mention the two separate swimming pools I am providing them.) My feet hurt when I stand too long. I have pelvic pressure when I stand too fast or too long. And my contractions increase when I stand too long. Not to mention I get tired soo easily now it is pathetic!!

Last Wednesday at work, I actually requested an easier assignment than they had assigned. I
got the easier assignment, during which I was able to sit quite a bit. However, that day was also the deadline for some audits that I do for the unit, and the last day to do this required central line education seminar. So even though all my body wanted to do was go home and sleep from about 4pm on, I was on my feet taking care of my babies, completing the audits, and then I had to stand on my feet at the education thing (after my shift was over). I got home around 8:15pm.

It seemed like that last bit of standing on my feet was really not good for me. I started to almost feel crampy (which I knew was not good), and I was having a lot of contractions. It was actually uncomfortable contractions (usually they are painless). I knew I just needed to go home & lay down.. so that's what I did. It really took me about 3 hours of laying down before I felt better. (Of course if I hadn't started to feel better, I would've called the hospital). Alan took care of me and brought me food during this time. :) I could get used to being pampered :) That experience was very scary for me though. I thought my water was going to break, because of all the pressure I was feeling, and it really made me think I should start me leave from work. Alan really thinks I should start my leave too.

Taking leave from work when you are only 30 weeks pregnant though is not easy. Especially if you want to come back to your job. You can only take 12 weeks off with your job guaranteed. And I'm not sure if I can even start taking off without a doctor's note. Soo.. I may just wait until I see my doctor again & see if she will give me a note. That's only two more shifts at work. I can do that right? I was scheduled to work today, but I requested to be cancelled. Thankfully they cancelled me, because I ended up sleeping in until almost 12:00. (Would've had to get up at 5:00am for work). That's seven extra hours of rest that I was obviously needing! In fact, I probably would have slept longer, but Alan called me at about 11:40 and asked about lunch. I told him I would make something simple since I needed to get up anyway, and I needed to eat. :P

So I am kind of back and forth right now. I enjoy my job & I like my coworkers, I just don't think I can physically work much longer. I really hope my doctor agrees with me and gives me some kind of note. Oh, I also wish there were different laws for multiples pregnancies. Like extra time off. Because if I take extra time off to take it easy before they are born, that's less time I have with my two babies after they are born. (Even though I'm only planning on going back 1 day a week). Sigh... America needs to get on these laws. Because even though I want to go back 1 day a week after I have the babies (the grandparents would take care of them, and I would get some time away)... I would really like at least 3 months at home with them before I do that. Which I probably won't get if I start my leave early. So complicated :-/

28 Week Ultrasound & OB Appointment

Alan and I. 28 Weeks. An unposed shot, but the best sideview I have at 28 weeks.

Here are the stats from today's appointment:

Baby A weighs: 3 pounds!!

Baby B weights: 2 pounds 12 ounches!

They are huge. The average weight of a 28 weeker is 2 pounds 4 ounces. Mine are about the size of 30 weekers.

The amniotic fluid level for the twins is the best level my ultrasound tech had seen in a while, she told me. She says for twins she's been seeing 9 and 10 (which is the lower end of normal). My twins had levels of 14 and 18. Yikes! No wonder I look like I'm 40 weeks pregnant.

The twins are no longer positioned in the nice perfect head down position they were at 24 weeks. Both babies are diagnal/transverse. Baby A's head is tilted down (on the left side of my body) with his body toward the right side of my rib cage. Baby B is kind of on top of him, but he is tilted head up. He is flexed so that his head and his feet are both close to my rib cage. (On my right side). No wonder I have been so confused about who is kicking when. Also, I've been feeling a lot more movement on my right side than on my left. No wonder, since all of the feet are on my right side!

My weight gain: 31 pounds

Fundal Height: 34 cm

Still no change to my cervix :)

My doctor said everything looks great, and I should go to at least 36 weeks. She wants to see me back in a week though, because "it's twins". I don't mind, since my appointments are when I'm reassured everything is ok :)

Impromptu trip to the doctor & Baby Shower Pool Party!

So I have been having braxton hicks contractions for weeks now. At first I didn't know what they were, but after researching and asking around, I knew that tightness had to be a small contraction. (It's hard for me to translate a familiar term like a braxton hicks contraction to what I am actually experiencing -- this is my first time to actually feel any of this for myself!)

Last week I started getting concerned because these contractions seemed to be coming more frequently than I thought was normal. I decided to time them for an hour. I got 6 in an hour! (They weren't every 10 minutes.. it was more irregularly spaced.. 5 minutes, then 15, etc). I waited a few hours and then counted again, and I got 5 in an hour. I decided not to do anything right then, since I had no other symptoms and they weren't regular or getting more frequent.

The next day at work, I continued to have them (as I've been having them for weeks), and discuseed it with a fellow nurse who had recently given birth to twins. She thought it was concerning... and that was enough to get me on the phone with my doctor. I explained my symptoms to the nurse, and told her I was at work which is right across the street from my doctor's office. She told me to go ahead and come in to be checked. (This is one reason I wanted to deliver at my hospital... I am right there if anything happens!)

I walked over to get checked (to make sure I wasn't dilating or effacing). And the verdict is... 5cm dilated! Ok just kidding ;) I wasn't dilated or effaced at all.. which really made me feel a lot better. I did come back and tell my podmate I was 5cm dilated, and she did believe me for a second.

My doctor laughed at me though, because I tried to wrap the modesty drape thing they give you around my hips & I ended up tearing it because it was too small. She said it's only the people who were skinny that try to wrap it. She told me I'm not skinny anymore! Way to rub it in doc ;) I honestly thought the drape looked plenty big enough to wrap, so I guess I am in denial about how large I really am.

I still have the braxton hicks contractions every day (and night), but I'm not worrying about them as much as I was, since I know after all those weeks of having them, they aren't causing me to dilate or efface at all.

On a separate note.. on Sunday my work friends through me a baby shower pool party which was a lot of fun! It was hosted at on the nurse's beautiful houses. It really made me think all baby showers should be pool parties (in the summer) becuase the water feels so good.. makes you weightless... which is a wonderful way to feel when pregnant :) I think there was a good turnout, and I got some nice stuff for the babies, which I can't wait to use :) I also got a group gift card, which we used to help buy the cribs. So exciting! I actually just finished setting up the cribs this morning!! Everything is coming along :) Here are a few pics of the nursery:

26 Week OB Appt - Fri 6/4...and other thoughts

So last Friday I didn't get to peek at my babies, but I did take the lovely glucose tolerance test & the fFn test (given routinely to moms of twins by my OB to check for premature labor). I might add that the fFn test requires an internal swab, and my OB came into the office visibly uncomfortable and declaring she had to pee but she "wanted to see me first." I told her I promised her I would wait! But she went ahead and did my entire exam & test & answered my questions (which I insisted on asking her.. hey I gave her a chance to pee before she started ;) )

Neither test was too bad. I had heard horrible things about the drink they give you for the glucose test, but really it just tasted like orange soda minus the fiizz. The fFn test wasn't bad either, slightly uncomfortable but way better than a pap smear. Oh, my OB also routinely gives betamethasone to her twins at 26 weeks, but I asked to have that postponed unless there was anything she saw on exam that had concerned her.. since it is most effective the first week or two after it's given. So we are postponing until 30 weeks. :)

Next appointment I am getting another ultrasound, woohoo!
--

On an unrelated note... here are a few of my thoughts on pregnancy:

• I love, love, love feeling and watching my babies move. It is the best thing about being pregnant. Today they have been especially active. One of them has to be practicing somersaults in there.
• I never thought this would bother me, but I now dread when strangers ask me when I'm due. I can see in their expression that they expect me to say "Oh, in about 2 weeks." When I tell them early September, their eyes (without fail) widen and they say something like, "wow, you're going to get huge" or "really? It looks like you've already dropped." Now, I really don't mind when I get comments like this from people I know. However, when strangers ask, I feel obligated to then say I'm having twins so maybe their eyes will relax just a teeny bit. Then I always end up hearing a story of a twin in their family. Really I am just trying to get some groceries people!
• I have noticed myself getting a little more moody lately.
• Sleeping is requiring more and more creativity. Two nights last week I actually slept in the recliner in the living room, because I couldn't get comfortable any other way. I have lots of pillows, and it seems I have to adjust their positions every night.. maybe because I am growing daily?
• Besides sleep, my main 2 discomforts of pregnancy have been: 1) foot pain/swelling, especailly after a 12 hour shift and 2) lower rib cage tenderness (like I am already running out of room for the little guys!)
• Alan and I started our childbirth classes yesterday, and I think I am unnaturally excited about them :)

Our Last Hurrah

Yup, I flew at 25 weeks pregnant for our second anniversary trip!! We went to South Dakota to see Mt Rushmore (which is really neat to see in person). We also saw lots of beautiful scenery in the Black Hills (where Mt Rushmore is located), went to several local restaurants (including the Corn Exchange Bistro and the Firehouse Brewery), and we we went to the town of Deadwood. Also, we stayed in a hotel that had a nice pool & indoor waterpark, which was very nice for relaxing :)

I admit I was nervous to go on a plane trip this far into my pregnancy, but I kept hydrated and moving around on the plane and bus rides. And a lot of people were praying for the safety of our babies. Everything seems to have worked out ok :) And I loved, loved, loved spending 4 days away from home with Alan <3 He is the best!

Also a highlight of our trip: Alan got to see the babies move from the outside for the first time!!

Here are a few pictures:


In front of Mt. Rushmore! So amazing to see it in person.


Standing in front of the Crazy Horse memorial model. This is the goal for the mountain carving in the background; it is a memorial honoring the American Indians. So far they have the indian's face done (which you can see in the background) & they are starting to work on the horse's face. It will be impressive once it's finished.

In Deadwood, SD after a play that depicted the death of Wild Bill (on the left). Alan got roped in to playing the bartender for the play. Jack McCall (Wild Bill's assassin) is on the right.

On the set of Dances with Wolves. I haven't seen this movie, but Kevin Costner was standing right in front of this desk in one of the scenes.

The indoor waterpark at the hotel. Alan enjoyed the slides in the background (the body of the slides run outside the actual building). I had the pregnancy excuse, so I got out of that :)

Nicknames

Alan's nicknames for my baby belly:

Fat Roll (That was earlier in the pregnancy)
B.W. or "Beached Whale"
O.B. or "Obnoxious Belly"
W.W. or "Whale Woman"

Ok, it sounds bad.. but it's more of a joke between us. I think it's kind of cute ;)

Nicknames for the baby (these were before we found out the gender(s)):

Gummy Bear
Dugan

24 Week Doctor Appointment

Two heads, and they are facing each other! So cute.

3 different hands :)

3 days before the appointment at a friend's baby shower.

• My new due date is September 7th, so today I am already 24 weeks 1 day. We are viable!
• I had my second ultrasound today. The twins are both head down & facing each other. So adorable!! They are now calling the baby on the right Twin A because he is further down. Twin B's head is right at Twin A's chest. We got a picture of their hands overlapping, it is so cute. Both babies are between 1-1.5 pounds, and the tech said everything looked good. They both have their own sac, but as far as the ultrasound showed.. they only have one placenta. Which means they are most likely identical. :-o The reason they don't know for sure is because I didn't have an early ultrasound. At this point in my pregnancy the placentas could have fused even if they started out separate. Also the placenta is towards the back of my uterus... maybe that's why I can feel them kick so well already :)
• The tech said they are definitely both boys. I guess they are just that manly.
• We will be watching for a complication called Twin to Twin Transfusion, which is where the twins get nutrition unproportionally. So one grows slower or even stops growing. This is only seen in identical twins. I think everything will be fine though :)
• My cervical length is good.
• Weight gain: 19 pounds
• Fundal height: 26cm
• My OB said I was hiding the twins well :) And her advice was to keep growing just like I am. She said if I do, then I shouldn't feel too bad during this pregnancy.
• Right twin's HB: 141. Left twin's HB: 137. (I call them left & right twins now, because the twin that was A last time is now B.. so I'm all confused, lol)

Milestone!

So... the moment I have been waiting for since I got pregnant...

I saw one of the babies move from the outside this morning!

I was feeling a pretty forceful kick in the same location a few times in a row this monring, so I put my hand there. He kicked again and I saw my hand move. So I moved my hand.. and sure enough... I could see the little kicker (I think it was Twin A) moving my belly :)

22 Week Update

Weight Gain: 15 pounds

Baby Movement: I'm starting to feel them from the outside just about every day. And Alan has gotten to feel them several times as well! :) It still seems like twin A is a little more active than twin B.

Energy Level: I worked two days in a row last week, and it almost killed me. (I also didn't get good sleep at all before either of those shifts.) I had to rest for the next two days. Our census at work has been high for the last week and a half, so I've been getting calls almost every day to work extra. Usually I don't have a problem working a little extra, but I think it's more important right now that I don't push myself if I don't have to. So I haven't been answering the phone :) Plus until I hit about 30 weeks I am going to be really paranoid about premature labor. I don't want any 24-29 weekers.

Also... Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers!

Doctor Visit - 21 Weeks

It's only been two weeks and a day since I was seen my a midwife & had the ultrasound, but I haven't talked to any professionals (besides nurse friends and neonatologists at work) since I found out I was having twins (because my ultrasound was after my midwife appointment). I was getting tired of not having a practitioner and not knowing what the plan was going to be for the rest of my pregnancy! So today I felt like I finally got to discuss the twin situation with my new doctor. I actually went with a different doctor than I originally intended, because the other doctor couldn't see me for another 3 weeks, and I thought that was too long. Maybe I am just impatient.

So... here's the update :)

The medical assistant was able to hear both heartbeats right away. They were both strong, although I didn't get the exact bpm. The medical assistant is actually the mom of 6 year old identical twin boys! So I told her... "I guess it is possible" ;) Weight gain so far: 13 pounds.

The doctor did a full physical exam on me because I am a new patient. My fundal height is 25cm. (For a singleton delivery, the fundal height approximately matches the gestational age in cm's.. give or take a few cm's... so I think 25 cm is good for twins). And she didn't mention anything else so I guess everything else is fine :)

I am going to be seen every two weeks from now until 32 weeks. Then, I will be seen weekly. And I will be having monthly ultrasounds to check the growth of the babies. So lots of monitoring! My next ultrasound is two weeks from now. They said they are sending me to the best ultrasound tech at the clinic, because they want to get really good shots, and see if they can tell one more time if they babies are in separate placentas. (This would be the best situation as far as the level of risk). They are definitely in their own sacs within the placenta though.. so that is good. Also at 26 weeks I am getting two steroid shots, 24 hours apart, to help develop the babies' lungs in case they are delivered early. Since twins are more likely to be delivered.

Also my doctor talked to me a little about the actual delivery. (Which is exactly what I wanted to discuss!) And let me just say... my goal has always been a natural, epidural-free birth.. but that was before the twins & before I heard about my birthing options with twins. Now I'm thinking the epidural sounds preettty good, but we'll see what happens.

So, the doctor said she has never had to deliver twins with a combination of vaginal & c-section. This was music to my ears, because the recovery for that sounds pretty intense. She said if there is no medical necessity/emergency and twin A is vertex (head down), she usually tries a vag delivery. Then twin B usually is floating around in a strange position, so usually a little manipualation is needed (as in the practioner grabs the feet), and twin B is usually delivered breech. This is safe since the cervix has already dilated and delivered one baby. I asked if both babies are ever delivered vertex.. and she said it does happen if twin B rotates into that position after the first birth, but it's much more common for the second to be breech. So it sounds like I will only get a C-section if I really need it.. which is good.. but the whole manipulating the baby while he's still inside scares me a little! She said all the doctors in the practice have the same philosophy too, just in case I am delivered by an on-call doctor.

Also, she said she's only had a couple of twins that had to stay for any length of time in the NICU, but she said it was very common for one or both twins to either transition in the NICU or stay for 3 or 4 days. She said most of her twins are born between 36-39 weeks. She doesn't like them to go much further due to growth problems. If my babies do have to go to the NICU... at least I will know the staff taking care of them :)

Soo... I think that is about my entire doctor update. Kudos to you if you got through it all! :)

**On a personal note... I am exhausted today. Working the last 2 days in a row (12 hour shifts, mainly on my feet) without a lot of sleep before either shift has not been good for this mommy. I had to drag myself just to get up and take a shower today at 11:00am so I could make it to my doctor appt. Now that is sad!**