Baby Care Class & 28 week tests

I debated on whether to go to the Baby Care class since I'd been feeling so bad but I felt like I was good enough and I'm glad I went because it brought my spirits up. I'm not sure if I had the stomach flu or if I was throwing up and sick from nasal drainage. I've never thrown up that much drainage before and once I start throwing up I can't seem to stop until I get all my food up. I went to the doctor today and she told me another medicine to try that's safe when pregnant. I REALLY miss my allergy meds and I realize how much they help me now when I can take full dosages.

The Baby Care class was awesome. The woman teaching it was older woman who was hilarious and she has been a nursery nurse for many years. At the start of the class, the girl beside me started having contractions 2 mins apart so the teacher kindly told her to GO to the hospital. She's not due until April 21st and has already had her contractions stopped several times. Some of the things we learned were the same as the other class. We learned about SIDS again and ways to prevent it. I know before these classes I tended to agree with the opinion that they make a bigger deal out of things now-a-days than they did for our generation and yet somehow we survived. But now that I've met two of the people who work with babies full time at York Hospital and I've changed my mind. The CPR teacher who works in the NICU, as well as this long time nurse made me realize how far things have come. I knew this before but when you think about your own babies being born at a vulnerable state, it makes even more sense. Babies at only 24 weeks are survivable outside the womb now and survival rates of premature babies are WAY up from when we were born. It's amazing what they can do now. Cases of SIDS are way down as well. So whether we're hyper sensitive about baby care now-a-days or not, the facts are LESS babies are dying, more are surviving and these people know what they are talking about. It was interesting to hear the older lady talk about going through the transitions over the years...from laying babies on their bellies to their backs. I know that if our babies are in the NICU we will get LOTS of training on how to care for them before they can come home. She showed us how to give babies a bath, passed around the circumcision tools, watched a video, changed a diaper and swaddled a stuffed animal. I talked to the lady afterwards about cloth diapers and I always get the crazy look when I ask like I'm nuts. But I asked her her opinion. She said they will more likely get diaper rash and she suggests using disposable over night and when you may not be able to change them right away. She said the disposable pull the moisture away from them and it gels so it's not irritating their skin. She also said there is the argument that the water, energy and soap used can equal the cost of the diapers. I'm not sure about that theory but we'll see. She said she doesn't miss cloth at all because the disposable is so much easier and faster. She said the diaper genies may work to hold the cloth until you're ready to do wash but since right now we're planning on using both kinds, I'm not sure how that would work. I will wait and see how things go.

I spent all day at the docs and at the hospital but I wanted to get everything taken care of at once. I had blood drawn for anemia, diabetes and got my RH Negative shot. They forgot to have me drink the stuff for the diabetes test so I asked about it and got it done before I left. The RH Negative shot I'll get at least 2 more times, before and after birth and if there would be any bleeding in the meantime. I keep reminding Nick about it so he remembers if I don't because they seem to forget. It's rare and with seeing different docs all the time it can easily be overlooked.

I go to the docs on the 14th to meet a new doctor and hopefully they will have results of all the tests. Next ultrasound is the 19th!

Baby CPR & The Stomach Flu?

Monday we had a baby CPR class which was really good. i took adult CPR at my work before and it's very much the same only you use 2 fingers on a tiny chest. We practiced and they gave us lots of info. They talked to us about having to retrain our parents with some of the newer research. They talked to us about SIDs and even though they don't know the exact causes why some babies don't arouse themselves to breath, there are ways to reduce the risk. Premies can stop breathing on their own in general so it's especially important for them. Ways to reduce the risk are: 1. Infants must sleep on their backs 2. Don't over-clothe your baby 3. Keep baby from getting sick by making people wash their hands before holding them and keeping everything they come in contact with clean. 4. Baby's crib should have a firm mattress with no quilts, pillows, bumpers or toys. (now that I already have 2 bumpers) When swaddling make sure they are swaddled under the arm pits so the blanket can't get to their face. She said the same thing about sleep positioners, to make sure the cushions are under the arm pits. 5. Don't expose babies to tobacco smoke and 6. Breast feed when possible for their immune systems. We had 2 teachers for the class and the one works in the NICU so it was nice to get the "premie" info from her. When we told her we were having twins she said then most likely she would be seeing us in the future. She was really nice and helpful.

We got info on car seats too. Any car seats older than 6 years shouldn't be used. No after market products should be used such as head rests, harness covers, padding or liners. Never use a seat that's been in a crash. (they even said not to used any used seats but ours we know where it came from) Have base installed by a car seat safety tech. They gave us info on that. The rear center position is safest but with two babies that's a little difficult. Do not use suction cup sun shades only static ones if any. (now that we have them lol) Use only soft toys made of cloth in the car. Dress babies in normal clothes with no bulky clothing and then once they are strapped in cover them with a blanket. She reminded us of how our purse falls off our shoulder when we have a bulky coat on...the same thing happens with their shoulder straps. They want the straps snug against their shoulder. Oh and the car seat shouldn't mover more than an inch. Are we gonna remember all this???

They take the practice dummies and peel their faces off and clorox them. I'm glad too because that night I started feeling sick in my stomach and then at 1:30 began vomiting. Nick and I used the same baby dummy during class, so I hope he doesn't get it. I didn't realize how miserable it would be to have the stomach flu at 27 weeks pregnant with twins. When I throw up the contractions start and the babies aren't happy about it either. They kick and carry on afterward. It was the strangest thing because I could get mild foods like toast down but not liquids. Soon as I'd drink more than a sip, I'd start gagging. I was concerned about getting enough liquids to keep me from having contractions. Ice pops pretty much were the solution. Nick kept telling me to call the doctor and they said as long as I can keep ice pops down and not have more then 4 contractions in an hour I'd be okay. I have had more than 4 but they have always stopped shortly after so I've let it go. Being sick this time and the added aches and throwing up has made me wanna stay home until all these viruses stop going around. I'm so exhausted, dizzy and weak. I'm ready to get over it already, so I can eat and drink again regularly.

Last night it was funny, Nick made me a soft boiled egg and toast to try and I was in bed with the bowl on my belly and the babies started kicking so much that they knocked the glass bowl off my belly. I caught it but it made me realize how strong they are getting. They react to you now too. If I feel a foot I can move it around and I usually get a few kicks back when I press on them. The girls head was sticking out from under my ribs yesterday and that was an odd feeling. It also looks weird to see my stomach morphing into different shapes as they move. lol

Docs Appt Feb 29 2008, Swelling, Massage

Ali & I (27 weeks)

Now I'm going to the doctor every 2 weeks which makes me feel better. :) They checked the babies heartbeats and as usual the girls was a little faster. They measured me and I measure 29 centimeters which she said is in the normal range. Women with single babies usually measure the amount of centimeters equal to the number of weeks pregnant. Twins of course measure more. I had 6 contractions in the car on the way to the docs appt so they wanted to make sure they weren't doing anything. They hooked me up to a fetal monitor for a half an hour and of course the contractions stopped. lol I was to push a button every time they kicked which was constantly between the two of them. We could hear their heart beats and them swishing all over the place in there. Blood pressure was good still as well. And I gained another pound and a half.........now at 118.

I've been swelling in my ankles now. Usually when I'm on them I pay later. For some reason this am my right ankle really aches and is swelled. I woke up that way and it hasn't gone down much yet. My right wrist is throbbing too but it's not swollen, I think it's just carpal tunnel acting up.

We go to a baby CPR class tonight and then a Baby Care class Thursday night. We're almost done with all the classes. :)

I went to get a massage that mom treated me to since the doc recommended it. I won't go into detail about it. lol It really felt good for my sinuses. That night I had ligament pain so I'm not sure if it irritated it or not. After I had the massage I felt like I was going to pass out and the lady made me drink a bottle of water and relax before I left. I felt like that all night then. Even though they don't do deep tissue massage when you're pregnant it still released oxygen into my blood and made me off balance. She did give me some suggestions for sleeping. She said to elevate the bed, get breathing strips, and eat protein before bed. So I'm going to try those things since they are relatively simple and cheap. :)

Baby Shower & Nursery Progress

What can I say, Nick and I have a ton of people that love us. We had 80 at our baby shower. It was pleasantly overwhelming. I felt how I did at our wedding. Having so many people you care about from all different places in one room is a pretty awesome feeling. I really wish I could have had time to talk to everyone and introduce my parents to so many people who I talk about. They had me on a mission to open gifts and quickly. I was so exhausted! I was up with braxton hicks contractions all night then. I'm glad they planned the shower now because I'm not sure how I would have been able to handle it a month from now. And yes I did know ahead of time. There were actually three little birdies. lol My sister came down and helped me organize yesterday. There is still a lot to do but we got the nursery looking like a nursery. I'm getting excited now. I FINALLY got my tree done and it's seeming like things are happening now. People were very generous to us and the stuff it just so cute.

Lots of presents for baby boy and girl!

Jill, me, Nick & Jody

Full Nashville Fire Hall of friends & family



Girls I've had and have in small groups (3 are missing) They are very special to me. :)



Twin Balloons

Chocolate Favor



Diaper Cake that my sister made

The tree is finally done and no more Robin on a ladder!

One of the birdhouses on the tree, we have 2 more to hang yet.

Bunnies on door

Closet after Shower

Crib and New Shutters

Dresser top

Docs Appt Feb 15 2008

Thank goodness we had a really good docs appt. We had a Dr Johnson who was the sweetest man. He took time and answered our questions and asked me if I would be more comfortable being seen every 2 weeks. He also thought it was silly to have the ultrasounds and docs appts the same week. He didn't have the ultrasounds back to look at. I gained weight. I weighed 117. The girls heartbeat was really loud and faster this time at 150 something and the boy's was 140 something. He measured me but I forgot to ask what I measured. Nick and I really liked this doctor. He was so sweet. I wish I could keep going to him. He said he's old school. :) He said if I were working outside the home he'd tell me to stop. He said I need lots of breaks with my feet up and laughed when I told him about my swelling legs. He said that's going to get much worse. The nurse told me to cut back salt and drink as much as I can. It freaked me out when I saw a huge lump on my leg above my sock. I stopped wearing anything but anklets since then.

My body is certainly starting to tell me when enough is enough. It's not taking much at this point. The last two days I've been miserable with rib and back pain. I swear the lil boogers must of had a growth spurt and are pushing out my ribs. I've always had rib issues so I knew it was coming. I feel better today. The contractions are coming often now. I'm figuring out how to manage them. I have one every time I have the pressure of having to go to the bathroom. I have them after walking or standing. I try and drink water and rest until they let up. They aren't painful just uncomfortable. I've not been real worried about keeping track of them as far as having 4 in an hour since I'm having them so often and I know my cervix was fine on the ultrasound. Nick is getting more sympathetic. It's ridiculous because I can't pick anything up I drop while sitting. I have to stand and then crouch down. I've noticed a big difference in my breathing capacity and I've been getting heartburn every night all night now. I'm not sleeping much....it's becoming a pattern of........sleeping on left side, waking up from pain in my hips, rolling to back until back hurt enough to have to move...i have a big pillow to keep me from my right side...if i start to go too far right the ligament pain starts and then I have to move to a chair until it stops....then back on side.....then getting up to take tums......getting up to pee......sitting up in bed to try and stop the heartburn......then all of it over again and again. The idea of a recliner is seeming more like a good idea.

I'm starting to realize that I've got to limit everything and focus on what it important to me in a day. I found out Sunday that it was too much. It may have been because we had a wedding on Saturday and I was exhausted and in pain after that. I sat most of the time but the standing in between was enough. Our church moved to two services and Nick signed up to teach 2-3 yr olds during the first service every sunday. I'm on the schedule to help him every other week. Getting up at 7 and spending that first service with just a couple little ones was hard for me. I mean they are little, you have to get down with them and they freak out when their parents leave. The getting up and down and holding...was too much. We helped with the 4-5 year olds before and that was different although at this point probably still exhausting. We went to the second service at 11 and I had constant contractions the whole time and couldn't stand during worship which was embarrassing to me. I told Nick I need an end seat for bathroom breaks from now on. Then we have youth group at night with the teens. Right now we only have one running vehicle so we've gotta figure it out. Nick's gotta get the caddy running to be able to drive to church separate. I hate to spend any money on it right now but something has to change because I can't do all this every week at this point. I told Nick and he knows that my heart is really with the teens Sunday nights and I'd rather save my energy up for that. I love the little ones too but my gifts don't lie there. Nick is awesome with them and has the energy for it, me not so much. I can have deep conversations with teenagers and text them all day long and never get sick of it. I'm going to give helping out with the little ones another shot and see how it goes, I just feel bad not being able to really serve them like I should.

Ultrasound 24 weeks

We had a really good ultrasound appt. Everything is right on track so far. Both babies this time weigh 1 lb 7 ozs. Still on track with what a single baby would be at 24 weeks. I think to myself.....they are going to get HOW much bigger??? I feel huge now. lol Their heartbeats were 148 beats/minute. I told Nick I swear the girl is getting bigger because my belly button seemed to have shifted to the right for a few days. lol It centered again. Was kinda funny though because she did catch up and they are the same now. It is really hard to get a good look at them now. There are arms and legs everywhere and it's hard to tell which baby they are attached to. They are also much closer now. Last time the boy was crossing over to the middle and sitting on her head. This time the girl was over the middle on his head. They are positioned the same as last month. The girl is head up and the boy is head down. They have always been opposite so far. Her feet are very low and there is no wonder I feel like she's going to kick out of me. lol They are busy little babies in there. Moving constantly. That's the other reason it's so hard to catch good pictures of them. Here are the main Yea God's of the day.......my cervix is still long, there is plenty of fluid in each sac, each placenta looks healthy, blood flow through the umbilical cords is good, the babies are the size they should be, and their hearts are beating beautifully with all 4 chambers.
Boys Hand

Boy XRated View

Boy Profile

Girl laying on Boy's head

Girl's head and belly

24 weeks

We got to talk to the high risk consultant there and ask questions. I'm going to try and write down what she told us before we forget. She told us more in a few minutes then anyone so far. She talked really fast but was very frank and honest with us. She said she went to the same docs we're going to for both of her babies. She said they deliver a lot of twins. She said that contractions with twins are normal at this stage. Basically my body thinks I'm 30 some weeks pregnant because of size and it's reacting. She said WE WILL end up going to the doctor/hospital because of contractions with twins and to expect it to happen. Your body will think it's time before it's time because of the size of your uterus. She said to go to the hospital if I have four or more contractions in an hour or if they become more painful, she said obviously go if there is blood or leakage. If I end up at the hospital and my contractions keep coming they will give me a medication to make them stop. I forget the name of it but she said it's a miserable med for the mom and makes you sick but most times it stops labor. Then I'd be sent home once they are under control. She said the big goal is to make it to 34 weeks. If I deliver before 34 weeks I'll have to be given steroids to help speed the development of the babies lungs as they try and hold off labor until it gets to them. That's 10 weeks! She made the comment that I'm still at the comfortable stage now. lol I thought that was funny.....I can't even imagine how this is going to progress. She said YOU WILL GET HUGE! We also talked to her about c-sections vs vaginal delivery. She said people in York for the most part are only trained to deliver vaginally if both are head down. They could both be that way and stay that way through delivery or the 2nd baby could turn causing me to have one vaginally and one by c-section. She said that's the worse case because you're body will be exhausted from the first birth and will have a much longer recovery for the surgery of the 2nd baby. She also said sometimes the first baby is born and the second one goes into distress and it's heart rate lowers causing them to have to do an emergency c-section. Then she said if I go into preterm labor, the c-section will be the best. Then there are the scheduled c-sections, basically if I end up so miserable they may schedule the c-section for the health of both me and the babies. In that case she said that 34 weeks is the key to hold out for. She said recovery and overall scheduled c-sections have the best outcome. There is less infection and you're well rested going into the surgery and there is less stress. Nick keeps saying I should insist on a scheduled c-section. In many ways it would be much easier. She said the babies can turn up until the end. They will have less room to move as the weeks pass but it depends on when my body decides it's had enough. She said in a single pregnancy usually at 34 weeks or so the baby usually assumes position for delivery and they might not make it to assuming the position. She said to pay attention to when I'm having contractions. Contractions can get worse from lack of water, not emptying your bladder enough, too much time on your feet and stress. She said to get used to sitting for as much as I can while I do things. She said I shouldn't be roaming the mall at this point or be on my feet for any length of time. She also said sometimes there is nothing you can do to stop it, your body may not be able to handle the weight anymore and it may not have been anything you did or didn't do. Nick asked about bed rest and she said absolutely not unless I go into preterm labor and it's the only way to keep them in before 34 weeks. She said that is old school thought and bed rest is actually very risky. You can get blood clots that are fatal. It's crucial you move around just make sure there is lots of sitting as well. Good thing is even at 24 weeks, the babies have a chance of survival outside the womb now. The longer they can stay in there the healthier they will be.

Saturday I had three contractions right in a row and it was right after a ligament episode. I was kinda a mess. I thought the ligament pain was done and we needed to get to a youth meeting so I jumped in the shower and the pain started again and then the contractions all in the shower. Nick was taking a nap so he didn't hear me. I couldn't put weight on my right leg and I think I just panicked causing the contractions. Then I get out and had a nosebleed in BOTH sides of my nose. I was thinking seriously.....STOP. lol

I've been having the sciatic nerve pain, lower back pain and pain in my right side. Mom said she'd pay for me to have a pregnancy massage and now I'm at the point where I want to try one. I have that scheduled for the 25th. We'll see how that goes. The lady told me it relaxes the mother and in turn relaxes the babies and can prevent preterm labor. I don't know if she was feeding me a line but the doctor did recommend it as being very helpful.

First Contraction

I had my first contraction yesterday morning. It was really strange. I was still in bed and all the sudden my whole belly got tight and hard. It didn't hurt at all which was even stranger. I just laid on my left side until it passed. It lasted about 30 secs or so. I called the docs to ask when I should be concerned and they said if I have 4 in an hour or start having them every 15 mins to call them.

We had our first labor class last night. I was really hoping there would be another couple expecting twins but there wasn't. There are a lot of people in the class and all but 2 are expecting boys. I felt rather ridiculous trying to do the stretching. I can't breath when I bend because it pushing my uterus into my lungs. I didn't realize how much flexibility I've lost either. Nick really wants to get a birthing ball. lol It actually was the most comfortable option for squatting. What a ridiculous scene that was. Pregnant women and their "coach" squatting in different positions. Almost all the women in the class are due April 20th. lol hmmm.....was happened 9 months before? There were a few due in March and the rest were other days in April. We had to go around and introduce ourselves, tell our occupations, due date, sex of the baby, names if we have them picked out, and our biggest concern including birth through when the babies are 18. lol I get all nervous with that stuff. Nick says he does too but you can't tell with him. I get all shaky and red and forget the questions. I was amazed that there was only one couple that didn't know the sex of their baby. Everyone finds out now. I honestly don't know how you'd not know if it's a boy and you have an ultrasound later on. It's pretty obvious!!!

I've gained around 15lbs now which is normal weight gain for a single pregnancy now. I doubt I'm going to gain the 50lbs they talked to me about unless some serious gaining starts happening. I'm anxious to see if the babies are still on track. As long as the babies are on track I don't think they will be concerned. So far they have been taking what they need from me.