34 weeks with Twins

Made it another week!!!   I can't beleive I am 34 weeks pregnant with 2 babies.  I remember putting up my twin pregnancy ticker at only 6 weeks, I can't beleive how fast the time went.

34 weeks

I went to my OB on Monday.  I weighed in at 165.   I have officially gained the 40-45 pounds you are supposed to gain with twins.    My blood pressure was still great.   She decided to measure me, I only am measuring 2 weeks ahead at 36 weeks.  I know there are twin Moms who measure 6-8 weeks ahead so thats not bad all all.   She did say I really stick out...I just carry them far out there.  All babies.

At church on Sunday a lady asked me when my baby was due.  I told her they were twins and she said "It doesn't look like you are going to make it thru the service".     I had another lady tell me it looks like I was going to pop.  The comments make me laugh and I never take any offense.   After all....I should be big since I'm carrying 2 babies.   Its been an awsome experince.

I am getting uncomfortable now.   Around 32 weeks I started noticing more pain.   My stomach gets so heavy at the end of the day.   I need to be pulled off the couch.  Flipping in bed is not easy and hurts.   Just sitting on the couch I  need to take a pillow and stuff in under my stomach to support the weight.  Last Sunday my ankles and feet swelled....that was a big time first.   I have contractions every day.  At one point I timed them coming every 4 min and they lasted each a minute and then eventually went away.   Some of them are starting to feel more intense and strong....just not uncomfortable like they were.    I am ready to meet these girls.   I love being pregnant with them but I am ready for them to make their appearence.   I can't wait to see them.  Cassie says they will come next week....we shall see.

And if these girls decide they don't want to come on their own accord they are being kicked out on Monday June 25th.   That was exciting news...to officially have a date set aside for them to be born.   

Its all very surreal.  

Cassies Dance Recital

Peri Appointment - 33 weeks

Both girls passed their Biophysical again.  Breathing and cord flow all looked great.

Mandy weighs in at 4 lbs; 5 ounces  (40th percentile)
Emily weighs in at 3lbs; 4 ounces (below 10th percentile)

Emily is now below the 10th percentile which is what we were all expecting. Because of that I got the sterioid shot to help mature their lungs faster.  I go to the hospital tomorrow for second dose of it.  

Both girls were very active during the ultrasound and the tech got a few kicks at the ultrasound wand.  Emily is still breech while Mandy is head down.   Emily has her foot in Mandys face.  That can't be comfy.

When it came time for my internal ultrasound I had a room full of people to look at the vascular area we have been discussing for the past few weeks.  There were 2 ultrasound techs and my Peri.   Today things looked alot better to my Peri.  She said today she is much more confident that what we are seeing is maternal.  She is 99% certain.   She had a much better few of the blood flow and what it was doing.  One of the techs would squeeze my leg and release it to see what the blood flow did.  She said I can deliver these babies by c-section or vaginal and she is not worried.  Todays discussion made me feel so much better about this.   I asked if her if they had turned out to be fetal would it have been Vesa Previa and she said "yes".....yikes!!!    That would have not been good.   Then she said she may not have necessarily called it Vesa Previa because it wasn't laying directly over my cervix.   Anyhow....I was releived today to hear they are maternal. 

My OB thinks I will deliver next week or the following.   If I don't deliver by then my Peri said they will be kicked out between 36-37 weeks because of Emilys growth...normally if they were growing good they would wait till 38 weeks.  
Only 3 more weeks at the most!!!!!

33 Weeks with Twins

I had an OB appointment yesterday and went over all my questions with my doctor. I'm now at 163 pounds.   Once I have these girls and I get the "all clear" from my doctor I can't wait to get back into running!!  I have a lot of weight to loose!  My blood pressure was good at 120/70 and the nurse told me I've done a great job carrying twins.  

I discussed Emilys IUGR and the possiblity of steroid shots on Friday, we will see how that plays out with the Peri.  

She said that we are in the clear.  If the babies come their outcome is the same as if they were full term.  What a releif to hear that!!  She said every week I carry them from here on out is gravy.   

I have been having contractions every day and Saturday and Sunday I felt crampy for a very short while.  Because of that she checked me today, she couldn't even reach my cervix which is a sign that the contractions are not causing me to dialate just yet.   She will be checking me every week now.

If I were to go into labor before 35 weeks we would be transferred to a different hospital which has a Level 3 NICU, once I hit 35 weeks I can have them here at our local hospital. 

I also discussed the vascular area of my uterus.   She was not at all concerned with it.  She said the Peri must be pretty sure its maternal because if the Peri was really concerned about it she would be in contact with her and I would be admitted to the hospital. 

33 Weeks

We were at the beach this past weekend.   I was sitting by the lake and Matt walked up to the area we had our stuff at.  He said the ladies were talking about me up there.   They were saying how hard it is to be pregnant in summer and asked him when I was due.   He filled them in on twins and the one lady said, "I thought so"  That is the first comment I have ever received that it looked like I was carrying twins. 

Today I hurt.   I was fine all day but this afternoon started kicking my butt.  My back hurts.  My pelvic bones hurt.  Its hard for me to get up from a sitting position.   My whole balance is off.   When I go to the doctor now I can't sit up on my own.   I can't even roll over to my side.  The doctor takes my arms and pulls me up.  The last few weeks of this pregnancy are definitly different than a single pregnancy.

No more bikini for me

I still love being pregnant.   I am trying to soak in these last weeks of pregnancy.   I may never feel babies in my tummy again so I want to make the most of every day I have left carrying them.

Peri Appointment - 32 weeks

The Girls

Today was their first Biophysical Profile and they passed with flying colors.   The highest they could score was an 8 which is exactly what they both got.   Their fluid level was good, the flow in the cords was good and they were both practice breathing.

The Ultrasound tech did do a growth scan which actually shouldn't have been done, the peri said a week just isn't enough time to show a good picture of what is going on, she compared it to standing on a scale every day.   The growth scan showed Mandy at 4 lb and Emily at 2lb 13 ounces....so still behind.   The Peri said she is just throwing out those weights since it shouldn't have been done but she also said she is willing to bet Emily will be below the 10% next Friday.    If that is the case she may consider giving me the steroid shots to speed up the maturity in the babies lungs in case we have them early.    I told her Cassie was only 3rd-5th percentile when she was born and she said I just may not make big babies. 

So good news on the girls!

Uterus

I then asked about my "vascular" area that we have seen on ultrasound.   I asked if it was normal and she said yes.   The uterus becomes very vascular, the veins become very large with the huge increase in blood flow, its just you  normally don't see it because your not looking for it.   We were looking at it because of my placenta and she said when you do see it its quite impressive.   Ok...that was a relief.   I asked her if she had seen this before and she said yes...again relief.  

I guess after I left last Friday she had her partner look at the pictures to see what she thought.   They both feel its maternal but there is the question of it being fetal only because of the placenta previa I had.   She said if my placenta had started out at the top of my uterus and she saw these veins she would not think anything of it, she is looking at it because since I had placenta previa these veins COULD be part of the placenta that never moved up and out of the way with it.  Time will tell more clearly as we look at again.  

As time progresses if they prove to be maternal it doesn't matter how I deliver. 
If they are fetal I have to have a c-section.

32 Weeks Pregnant

We made it to our first HUGE milestone!!    At our 19 week ultrasound we had been told "If you get to 32 weeks we will be happy"   We did it!   I am SO excited to meet these girls, hold them, just stare at them.......I can't believe we are having 2 more daughters.    BUT I also want to have as less NICU time as we can, so I know the longer they stay in, grow and develop the better it will be for them.   My goal is to make it another 2 weeks.   If I could truly get to 37 weeks that would be awesome.   Each week at a time....especially since we could be told any week after my Peri appointments that I am not going home.

Stepped on the scale today and it showed.....160 pounds!    About a 40 pound weight gain.    My weight goal was to be 40-45 so I am there.   

Hello Stretch Marks

Today we also took Cassie to her very first Brewer Game. When Matt asked if I wanted to go I was a little hesitant at first.   32 weeks pregnant with Twins at a Brewer Game....not so sure about that.   But it was during the week at noon so I figured it wouldn't be to busy.   We were actually shocked at how busy it was but everything worked out really well.  

Matt told the parking attendants that I was "uber pregnant" so they got us front row parking.  We sat in club seats and not much walking was involved.

Lunch at TGI Fridays watching the game

Our view while eating lunch

It got kinda loud....

A nice view.....Ryan Braun

Watching the game from my lap

After lunch we bought Cassie her first Brewer T-shirt.   She thought that was the greatest thing ever and said "When she grows up she wants to be a Brewer"

We then headed to our seats.

Lovin it

View from our seats

Thanking her Daddy for taking her to the game

Not sure when I will be to a Brewer game after this!!

Stressful Appointment with Peri

I have a headache from thinking about it all!!

Mandy (Baby A) is doing great.   She weighs 3 lb;11 oz.  Heart Rate of 156 bpm.

Emily (Baby B) is good but not growing as well.  4 weeks ago she was in the 23rd percentile.  Today she was in the 12th percentile at 2 lb;10 oz.  The peri is concerned of course with the drop in percentile.  10th percentile is considered IUGR, Emily is not there but it looks like that's the way she is headed.   

What happens Now?
We go weekly to my Peri.  This was going to happen anyways because of the twin factor but now we are also keeping a close eye on Emily.   If she shows any more drops in percentile or any distress during nonstress tests my Peri said I will be admitted to the hosptial and/or delivered.    

Why is this happening?
IUGR is common in twins.   Emily's cord may not be functioning as well as Mandy's so at my weekly appointments we will be watching the flow in the cord as well as other things.   Cassie was small for her age to, when she was born I believe she was under the 5th percentile....I have to double check on this.  So, it could also be that I grow small babies.  We will see what next weeks appointment shows.

Other News
4 weeks ago the Peri said I had a very vascular section of my uterus.   She wanted to check it today again.   It is still very vascular and they are still sure its maternal and not fetal.   She told me it was very "Impressive".    She was just staring at the ultrasound screen, she said its behind the placenta so it makes it look weird.  She then looks at me and says "Melissa, your just weird".   So I have a uterus with very "impressive" and "weird" vascular veins.....I wasn't very comforted by this.   She is going to keep everyone aware of this, if I go into labor she said the nerve wracking thing is she doesn't know if they will bleed when I contract.  (Again...comforting when my peri uses the words nerve wracking.)   She said they shouldn't BUT she can't say for sure.  It sounds like if they were to bleed I would need a C-section.  FREAKS ME OUT....the bleeding part.

Hubby is putting me on some bed rest.   He is freaking out.   I am also going to start drinking 2 ensures a day to see if I can get some extra calories to Emily.   Also I HAVE to pack my hospital bag this weekend because at any week they could say "Your staying here"   

Here we were hoping for an uneventful pregnancy/birth after what we went thru with Cassie but it looks like we are getting some drama this time around also!