Made it to 35 Weeks!!!

Sunday was the 35 week mark. It's crazy I keep plugging along. Waiting for something to happen. lol One of my small group girls said to "just start pushing"...she's funny.....I told her I don't think that would be a good idea. Nick came back from the first service at church on Sunday to pick me up to go to the second service. It was really nice to worship and see everyone. It's just not the same watching the sermons on TV and the Internet. It was cute, my small group girls were all excited to see me and they got to feel the babies kicking. They love that. I love to watch their expressions and watch them jump when they feel them. There is just something about teenage girls that make me laugh. Their view on the world, their lack of filter, I love it. One girl thought she saw a foot.....it was my belly button. lol She's also the one who I had to explain where our belly buttons came from. It's funny.....I know they learn stuff in school but with my pregnancy they've been so excited about everything and very curious. Hopefully I've been effective in slowing them the reality of pregnancy without making them never want to have kids. lol I've been able to maintain contact with them better than anyone through texting and myspace. Communication with their generation is so much different. Easier I think. Nick thinks I'm ridiculous for not calling them but they open up through texting and the Internet and then when you talk to them in person they don't put up the front. It works as an icebreaker of sorts. 

These babies have been crazy with being up in my ribs...they are so sore from it. I'm getting a little swelling back in my right ankle.....nothing major but I guess I should watch my salt. Still having lots of contractions which I'm really tired of, they are exhausting. I really can't do much but sit which gets on my nerves. 

My friend from church broke the news to me that my belly button would never be the same. So sad....I grew to love my innie that went to an outie and now is so stretched it's almost non existent. I've now got a weird ripping mark and it's all red and sore. I've sorta been mourning my belly button through it's stages as it becomes more and more alien. 

Notice in the picture that Nick got me a shirt with "horizontal stripes". lol I know from watching "what not to wear" that that's a no no with this belly. I really appreciated him getting me a few shirts to wear though. I could wear his but seriously.....when you feel miserable and huge you at least wanna feel pretty. I've never been a "guys clothes, baggy" kinda girl.

Pretty flowers from my sister. Nick said he's gonna tell people not to not send them to me since I think they are from him and then he gets in trouble. lol

Docs Appt & Non-Stress Test, April 25, 34 weeks

The non-stress test went really well. The babies were moving a lot. I had eaten some fruit chews on the way there to try and perk them up. So that was good.

I weighed in and I gained what I lost back and now weigh 126-1/2 lbs. I'm hoping that weight went on the babies so they can be ready to go. It certainly seems like it. I've been in a lot of pain the last few days and it's getting harder and harder. I told the doctor about the ripping feeling in my belly button and she said the only thing I can really do is put ice on it to numb it. whooweee. I know it's terrible to not be very positive right now but physically I'm worn and mentally I'm tired of it. My ribs front and back are very painful. The babies are pushing up higher and higher. I have no energy and even riding in the car to the docs appts is becoming more and more painful. I can't get comfortable sitting anymore, laying on my side is still the best until my hip starts to hurt and my legs go numb. It's getting harder and harder to get up out of bed. My contractions are gradually getting stronger and my stomach muscles don't work to help me up when I'm having a bigger one. I asked the doc when to know when to come in and she said at this point when they become painful and I should know when it's time. So we shall see. Nick and I told her we were ready to have the babies out and she asked if we wanted a tour of the NICU. It's so frustrating. I go to the high risk doctor and she says that it's great that I've made it this far and if I can get them to 36 weeks or even 35 that she would almost guarantee that they wouldn't spend time in the NICU, that they should be able to come home unless there are other issues with their health. The high risk doc measures the babies and even though she didn't get a measurement on the girl last time she says they are doing great and they are in the "normal range". I go to the regular doc and the first thing she says is the babies are on the small side. How big does she expect 2 babies to get inside my body? If they are 5lbs on the next ultrasound, I'm gonna be thrilled. If we get them to 5lbs, that is way more than I expected. One of my book breaks down where the weight comes from. That would be 10lbs worth of baby, 3lbs worth of uterus, 2lbs per placenta (4lbs), 2lbs amniotic fluid for each (4lbs), 2lbs worth of breast tissue, 8lbs worth of fluid volume, mother's body stores 8lbs. That's 40lbs! Now I've only gained 126-1/2 and I can tell ya my body isn't storing much, I'm not swelling and my body isn't bigger other than my belly. This 100lb body is still carrying a lot of weight. I feel like a bug with a HUGE belly and little extremities. 

Baby Non-Stress Test, April 22nd

The baby's non-stress test went well. They only had to get "buzzed" once. My sister took me so she got to experience hearing their heartbeats. It was kinda funny, her eyes got big when the boys got really loud and fast. It's amazing how much it can change. I only had 2 contractions the 1/2 hour I was hooked up. I had taken my medicine before I left the house and that seemed to work. I also ate some watermelon and nutter butters to try and get them moving. As soon as they hook them up lately they do nothing. They got moving toward the end of the 1/2 hour. 

Last night and today I'm having a lot of rib pain front and back and once again I feel like my belly button is ripping from the inside. Everything is so tight now, I can't seem to get relief from it no matter what I do. Deep breaths really hurt. There is just no room in there. I have another non-stress test and a docs appt on Friday...and then the ultrasound on the 30th. :) The doc made the comment "if I make it that long" and here I am still chugging along so far.

Lots of Contractions

I've been having lots of contractions today! Every time I stand and also when I sit. Sometimes every 5 mins. My belly seems to have suddenly got really heavy. The babies must be getting bigger. I'm not gaining weight but it's not for lack of eating. I've been quite spoiled with Nicks parents brining Olive Garden, Isaacs and chicken corn soup. My Mom and Dad got us lots of Schwan food, bunch of groceries, pizza and subs and beef stew.......mmm. Had some church friends also give me some meals. I've been pretty spoiled food wise. :) It's nice to have the grocery snacks to munch on too! 

Nick just told someone on the phone I have 2-3 weeks to go......I'm gonna smack him silly. Does he know something I don't? I'm feeling like any day. 2 weeks at the most! lol If I go 3 weeks longer he's in trouble. lol

I measured my waist for kicks and it measures 39 inches. I measured the waist of my pre-prego jeans and they measure 29 inches. It sure feels like I have more than 10 inches on me. lol Crazy! And WHAT were people guessing at my shower when I was 29 weeks???? A lot more than I am now! lol

34 Weeks!

Made it to 34 weeks. Still having a lot of contractions but not any different. Last night I had them every 10 mins for an hour and then they spaced apart. This morning I had them every 10 mins again. This morning all 4 feet were poking out of my belly, I was moving them around to try to get them to positions that they didn't hurt but I'll tell ya there just isn't the room to easily push them back in anymore without there being pain some where else. They are starting to feel like little baby feet and their heels are definitely boney! 

Another Hospital Visit

Yesterday I went for the babies stress test and they sent me to Labor Hall to be evaluated because I was having a lot of contractions. (what's new?) The babies activity and heart rates looked good on the test but she did have to "buzz" them a few times to get them motivated. They have a little buzzer that they use against my belly and they don't like it.  They were moving a lot in the car and then as soon as they hooked up those monitors they went into chill mode.

So we went to Labor Hall and went through the registration process. I'm not sure why we didn't have to do that before unless the doctor that I called took care of it. They hooked me up to the monitors and gave me an early dose of medicine for contractions. The contractions slowed down and spaced further apart eventually and they sent me home. The babies were really active in there. It is interesting how varied their heart rates are. When I have a contraction the babies heart rates go up to the high 170's. They said that after 32 weeks their nervous systems are developed enough to react. So if I have a contraction, their heart rates should go up, the same as if they move. That's what they look for. If the babies didn't react there could be something wrong. 

I had the same doc as I had last time when I was in the hospital. He seemed a little better this time but he doesn't make eye contact and isn't very personable. He checked my cervix and it's starting to change. Dilation was almost 1 centimeter (just starting to open). Effacement = 50% (1/2 the full size) Station of presenting baby was -1. He said these were normal for twins at 33 weeks. 

He said we've made it out of the danger zone at almost 34 weeks. (Sunday) He said they would like to see me go another 2 weeks to get to 36 and they wouldn't let me go past 38. What happened to 34? I knew that was gonna happen. At 36 weeks they are very likely to avoid the NICU. That would be pretty awesome. I saw a baby born on TV by csection at 34 weeks and it's amazing, I expected it to look much smaller. It was 4lbs 11oz. The boy we know is around 4lbs 7oz so it was pretty comparable. It's still kinda surreal even with feet popping out every where that there are TWO little babies in my belly. Nick was figuring from the last ultrasound measurements that their little thighs are 2-1/2 inches now. I can't wait to see them. :)

TERMS

Dilation is the width that the cervix is open. Dilation can begin before labor actually starts, or in early labor, and is measured in centimeters. For most deliveries, the cervix needs to dilate from zero (not dilated at all) to 10 centimeters (fully dilated) before pushing can begin and the baby delivered. This range is based on the fact that a full-term baby's head is about 10 centimeters across.

Effacement is the shortening, or thinning, of the cervix. Like dilation, it begins before or during early labor. Before effacement takes place, the cervix is like a long bottleneck, usually about 4 centimeters in length. As effacement takes place, the cervix then shortens, or effaces, pulling up into the uterus and becoming part of the lower uterine wall. Effacement may be measured in percentages, from zero percent (not effaced at all) to 100 percent, which describes a paper-thin cervix.

Station refers to how high the baby's head, or other presenting part, is in the pelvis. This information is important because practitioners need to get a sense of how far the baby has descended into the birth canal. Station is determined by feeling where the baby rests in relation to the ischial spines, the parts of the pelvic girdle that protrude slightly in toward the birth canal and can be felt inside the vagina by an experienced examiner.

Station is measured from minus 5 to plus 5. Minus 5 station means the baby is floating above the pelvis. Zero station means the baby has dropped or engaged well into the pelvis and that his head rests right at the level of the ischial spines. And plus 5 means the baby's head not only has come down past the ischial spines, but also is visible at the opening of the vagina (also known as crowning). While the principle is still the same, some practitioners use a scale of minus 3 to plus 3 instead of 5.

Ultrasound 33 weeks, April 16, 2008

Girls profile

Girls face

Things are getting squished! The first thing we found out is that the girl has moved. She is now laying sideways with her head lower face up and feet up. Her body wraps around me kinda. It was hard to tell, the doc said she's not head down though. The boy is still in the same position head down, very low and face down. The boy was pretty calm today and they measured him easily. He is measuring 4lbs 7oz which they said is good and in the 30th percentile, he has good blood flow and a little bit of fluid left around him which they said is good. The girl however was measuring small at 4lbs. She was moving a lot and they had trouble measuring blood flow and they weren't able to get a reading on her. Her belly and thigh measured the same as the boys but her head measured small. It's the combination of the head, belly and thigh that they use to determine size. They think she is okay because her head is smooshed against the placenta. They think they weren't able to get a good measurement because of that. With the measurements they got 4lbs puts her in the 10th percentile where they start to become concerned. They scheduled another ultrasound in 2 weeks assuming I don't go into labor before then to check her again. I wish it was sooner then that but if she is having issues with blood flow they said that should show up in the stress tests which I'm having twice a week. I have another one this Friday. Karen did notice that the babies have some hair, both of them. :)

I love the high risk doctors. They are blunt and funny. I asked her about staying on this medicine and she said if I want she can have them take me off of it after 34 weeks. She said the medicine really doesn't do much to stop labor it just slows the contractions. She said if the medicine is making me feel miserable there is no reason to be on it past next week. I told her the last 2 days I've felt better, I've felt more alert and it is helping me sleep a little longer I think. Last night and the night before I was sleeping an hour at a time instead of a 1/2 hr. I just don't want to be on it if it continues to make me a zombie and dizzy. She said that it's not gonna stop labor when my cervix is ready. I asked her about vaginal delivery vs csection. I said the doc says that they will attempt vaginal delivery if both babies are head down. She laughed and said at this point they aren't both head down and in the years that she has been a consultant for the group, they have NEVER delivered twins vaginally. She said you picked the office that does csections the quickest. She said not to worry about that at all. I asked her about scheduling a csection and she said they won't schedule it until 38 weeks. She said if you go into labor and it's after 34 weeks, just ask for one. She said worst case scenerio, the operating rooms will be full and you'll have to endure some labor before they get you in. I asked her about losing weight and she said, who cares as long as the babies are fine. lol She said they will take what they need just to try and graze as much as possible but not to make myself sick trying to eat if I can't. She said it's great I'm not gaining all over and not retaining fluid. She said if they were born now they would have to spend a few weeks in the NICU but they would do great and if they get to 36 they should be good and in her opinion even 35. I told her it's just gonna be hard to know when to go to the hospital since I have a lot of contractions. She said being on the medicine might keep me from having to go to the hospital as much contraction wise but my cervix might be stubborn and might hold out til 38, ya never know. AHHHHHH. lol I don't even wanna think about that. 

The boy is having hiccups right now and I showed Nick, it's making my whole belly jump. Now I know all the "things" that have been sliding across the top of my belly are feet.......4 of them!!!  It hurts the worst when one pushes out right in the center, like where my sternum is. OUCH. I've noticed that my cat Linxx has been spending a lot of time in the nursery and I kick her out every time I see her laying in there. We noticed the other night that there was cat hair on the sheets in the crib!!! Why does she want in there? errrr.......so now we have to keep the door closed. :(