How Far Along: 19w5d
Milestones: Your baby is the size of a mango. He is about 6 inches long and weighs about 8.5 ounces.
Total Weight Gain: 12.2 lbs
Maternity Clothes: I am in all maternity pants and some maternity shirts (mainly for work). I still fit into my sweatshirts but I have had to start wearing Kara's t-shirts. I'm sure she loves that I am stretching out all her shirts.
Sleep: It has actually been much better this week. I think I have the pillow set-up all arranged to my liking now. And that helps a ton. I am sleeping with two pillows under my head. One pillow under my belly. The pregnancy wedge pillow between my knees and a regular pillow between my lower legs and ankles. And then I have a pillow behind my back. It is quite the set-up but it seems to work for me. The only problem ... Kara has no room in bed!
Best Moment of the Week: I think I am feeling the babies kick. (I'm about 75% certain.) I will feel several "jabs" in a row at random moments of time. And the jabs vary side to side so I can actually tell if the kicking is coming from Baby A and Baby B. There is no better feeling. I always try to talk to the boys when I feel them moving around. It makes me feel closer to them. I can't wait for Kara to be able to feel kicks from the outside of my belly.
Sex: Boys! (without a doubt)
Food Cravings: Not so much. I am back to being able to eat the foods I loved pre-pregnancy. This means ice cream has made a return appearance in our freezer. Otherwise I'm not really craving a whole lot. I do like to eat though!
Food Aversions: No
Symptoms: Oh ... Braxton Hicks contractions how I love you. Not really. The braxton hicks contractions were in full force this weekend. I was getting braxton hicks contractions every 5 or 10 minutes if I was up on my feet. If I was sitting down, the braxton hicks contractions would reduce to about 3 or 4 an hour. If I was laying down in bed, I could get the braxton hicks contractions to reduce to only 1 or 2 an hour. But as soon as I stood back up they would come rather consistently. I tried not to panic. But really I failed miserably. I debated back and forth about sending a message to the on-call OB but I decided against it because I could get them to almost stop when I was in bed. Plus they were not painful. Just annoying. I decided to call the OB yesterday just to let her know about the events over the weekend. She had told me to give her a call if I was experiencing more than 5 braxton hicks contractions an hour. I also had some very minor spotting yesterday morning so I knew it was time to give the OB a call. The OB asked that I come in for an appointment yesterday afternoon. The OB did a couple of different things. They initially checked my urine because I guess a UTI can cause a large number of braxton hicks contractions. My urine came back all clear. My blood pressure was actually great (for me) at 116/68. I met with the OB who indicated that she believes braxton hicks contractions are going to be a normal for me until these babies are born. The OB reiterated that because I am so petite I am going to feel aches and pains more than the normal person. I am only 19 weeks pregnant (though the boys are measuring between 20 weeks and 21 weeks) and the babies are already running out of room. The OB wanted to make certain that I knew that this wasn't going to be easy. I know. However, because I am having so many braxton hicks contractions the OB wanted to establish what my "normal" would be for this pregnancy. The OB listened to the heartbeats with the fetal doppler. Both of the boys were moving around a ton but she managed to locate both heartbeats. You could hear the boys swishing around. It was neat. The OB also checked my cervix to make certain there was no active bleeding. There was not. But let me just tell you ... not fun. I then went over to get another u/s to measure the length of my cervix. The OB indicated that my cervix was measuring at 3.4 cm at the MFM appointment last week (it was measuring 4.0 cm at 14 weeks). The OB indicated this was totally normal. Yesterday my cervix length was measuring between 3.0 cm and 3.2 cm. The OB said that this was just fine as the length can vary moment to moment and it can also vary depending upon the u/s machine. So taking everything into consideration I have been told not to worry (yeah. right.). The OB told me to give her a call if I am experiencing more than 6 or 7 braxton hicks an hour that do not reduce in number when I lay down. Otherwise, I just need to take it as easy as possible and we will continue to monitor the situation. I have my next OB appointment next week and the OB indicated that she wanted me to keep that appointment. Not a problem. I need to mention again how much I like this OB office. The entire staff is wonderful and I feel so comfortable around my OB. I am learning to trust her which is very important during a pregnancy. Especially a higher risk pregnancy. She said to me yesterday, "Mary. I am invested in this pregnancy. I promise. I am treating it exactly as I would treat it if it was me pregnant with twins." This provided me with great reassurance.
Upcoming Events: We have an OB appointment on February 7th and a MFM appointment on February 21st.
Please continue to send all the positive vibes you can muster in our direction. I am growing more and more attached to these boys each day and that scares me so much. We need to go about 8 more weeks before I will feel as if I can breath just a bit.
Please keep growing little ones (and stay in my belly).
Mary
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
my fight with Mike Tyson
We had our level II u/s yesterday.
We arrived to the appointment about 15 minutes early and we were quickly given our pager with the instructions, "You know the drill." so Kara and I went out into the hallway to wait our turn. I was super nervous. So was Kara (I even got her to admit to it!). We did our best to carry on a conversation. Thankfully the pager went off only a few minutes later. I was crossing my fingers that we would get the same u/s tech as our NT scan at 12 weeks so let's just say I was thrilled to walk through the double-doors and see Janet waiting for us!
We got ushered back to the exam room and the u/s tech asked if I needed to pee before we started the exam, "Yes! Yes! Yes!." Unfortunately the bathroom was occupied so I had to wait ... and wait ... and wait ... until the u/s tech decided I had waited long enough and ushered me to another bathroom down the hall. I gave my customary urine sample and then headed back to the exam room.
We did the internal u/s first to measure the length of my cervix. This exam room was nice though because I actually got to lay on a real hospital bed and get a real sheet to use to cover-up. Three cheers for no paper sheet. The only problem ... we did the internal u/s first so then I got to lay naked under a sheet for 60 minutes. Fun! The u/s tech stuck in old wandy and you could immediately see Baby A's head hanging out near my cervix. I quickly internalized, "Don't you dare come any closer." before the u/s tech indicated that the length of my cervix looked good. I could see the measurement on the screen and it appeared to be 3.5 cm. I think this is decent. I will be certain to confer with my OB at my next appointment. The u/s tech indicated that the length of my cervix will continue to be checked at each u/s appointment and the measurement from today will serve as a baseline. I have turned to Google (I know. Bad.) and it appears the average cervix length at this stage of the game is between 3cm and 5cm. I think OBs only get nervous if you drop below 2.5cm. So I seem to be just about average.
We then moved onto the abdominal u/s for the anatomy scan. The entire u/s lasted about 60 minutes. The u/s tech got measurements of almost every part of the body (all the bones, the brain, the heart, the abdomen, the kidneys, the bladder, the diaphragm, the eyes, the hands, the feet, the umbilical cord, the placenta). However, Baby A was not being super cooperative and as a result the u/s tech was not able to get great visual on his heart. She said they will just take a closer look at the heart at my subsequent visits. The good news ... We still have two little boys (clear as day)! Both boys looked good overall. Our only concern comes with Baby B. Baby B has some Choroid Plexus Cysts on his brain. I was told by the MFM to not google "Choroid Plexus Cyst" so I have not done it. However, my pregnancy books gave some information about them (he never banned books). It appears these cysts appear in 1 out of every 100 babies. The cysts can be a marker for Trisomy 18. However, the genetic screenings I had done in the 1st trimester indicated that my risk for Trisomy 18 was extremely, extremely low (about 1 in greater than 10,000). Plus the cysts were the only marker found on the u/s yesterday. Therefore, the MFM believes these cysts will just disappear on their own. We will monitor Baby B at each subsequent u/s and hope that the cysts have disappeared by the third trimester. Otherwise both babies looked wonderful and were moving all around.
I started to get super uncomfortable near the end of the u/s exam. I was laying on my back for the entire u/s and I started to notice I was getting super uncomfortable. The muscles in my stomach were screaming at me. I then started to notice that I could literally feel my pulse speeding up. Soon my fingers became numb and I knew we were about to have a problem if the scan continued much longer. Thankfully just as I was getting ready to throw in the towel the u/s tech was all done. I quickly sat-up and tried to regain my bearings. I drank some water and took some deep breaths as the u/s tech was finishing all of her notes. It took a few minutes but I finally started to feel better. The u/s tech quickly told me, "Don't worry. You will never have another u/s that lasts that long." Thank goodness. As much as I love seeing our little ones I tend to max out at about 15 minutes!
I got dressed after the u/s was finished and then headed over to get my blood pressure and weight checked out. I was still feeling some effects from the u/s so I was not surprised when my initial blood pressure check was 139/82. The nurse had me sit for a few minutes before it was checked again. I tried to take some deep breaths and the second blood pressure came back at 120/72. Perfect (for me). My weight also appeared to be just fine.
I went back to the exam room and Kara and I waited to meet with the MFM. The MFM arrived to discuss the results of the u/s. He too indicated that the length of my cervix was just fine. We talked briefly about the results of Baby B's u/s (see above) and then discussed the results of my somewhat abnormal AFP b/w. Because the level II u/s did not show any indication of either baby having neural tube defects the MFM was not concerned about the elevated AFP results. Both of the babies are still measuring about a week ahead in size. The MFM believes that I ovulated before the IUI (which he believes is the reason it worked this time) and therefore my due date might be slightly off. He actually said that if both babies are still measuring a week ahead at the next u/s he might officially change my due date. The MFM indicated that big babies are always preferred over little babies. But because both babies are measuring a bit large the results of my AFP could be inaccurate. The MFM indicated that the b/w could be taken again to recheck the levels but both Kara and I believe that is unnecessary. Had there been additional markers on the level II u/s then Kara and I would have probably proceeded with additional testing. I also mentioned the significant number of braxton hicks contractions that I have been experiencing with these little ones. The MFM immediately told me not to worry that the braxton hicks contractions were completely normal. The contractions are not impacting my cervix. So I will continue to monitor the contractions and follow-up with my OB if I experience more than 5 or 6 contractions an hour.
We have scheduled our next appointment with the MFM for February 21st. We will get another u/s at this appointment to check on both of the little ones.
Can I just mention how incredibly sore I was after the u/s? Hence the title of my post. I felt as if every muscle in my abdomen had been pulled in the wrong direction. Needless to say I hobbled around like an old woman the remainder of the day. I do feel a bit better this morning.
I also learned something else at the u/s yesterday ... I think I have been feeling kicks from the babies! Both babies are head down (a very good thing) and as the u/s tech was taking the measurements I realized the babies legs are all the way up near my ribs. This is where I have been feeling occasional jabs. I just always assumed it was "gas" because I did not think both babies were up that high. Well ... I think my boys have been kicking me in the ribs! They both have anterior placentas so it will be some time before I feel regular movement but it was nice to think that maybe I actually have been feeling them for a couple of weeks.
Okay. My fingers are going to fall off.
Please keep growing little ones (and stay in my belly).
Mary
We arrived to the appointment about 15 minutes early and we were quickly given our pager with the instructions, "You know the drill." so Kara and I went out into the hallway to wait our turn. I was super nervous. So was Kara (I even got her to admit to it!). We did our best to carry on a conversation. Thankfully the pager went off only a few minutes later. I was crossing my fingers that we would get the same u/s tech as our NT scan at 12 weeks so let's just say I was thrilled to walk through the double-doors and see Janet waiting for us!
We got ushered back to the exam room and the u/s tech asked if I needed to pee before we started the exam, "Yes! Yes! Yes!." Unfortunately the bathroom was occupied so I had to wait ... and wait ... and wait ... until the u/s tech decided I had waited long enough and ushered me to another bathroom down the hall. I gave my customary urine sample and then headed back to the exam room.
We did the internal u/s first to measure the length of my cervix. This exam room was nice though because I actually got to lay on a real hospital bed and get a real sheet to use to cover-up. Three cheers for no paper sheet. The only problem ... we did the internal u/s first so then I got to lay naked under a sheet for 60 minutes. Fun! The u/s tech stuck in old wandy and you could immediately see Baby A's head hanging out near my cervix. I quickly internalized, "Don't you dare come any closer." before the u/s tech indicated that the length of my cervix looked good. I could see the measurement on the screen and it appeared to be 3.5 cm. I think this is decent. I will be certain to confer with my OB at my next appointment. The u/s tech indicated that the length of my cervix will continue to be checked at each u/s appointment and the measurement from today will serve as a baseline. I have turned to Google (I know. Bad.) and it appears the average cervix length at this stage of the game is between 3cm and 5cm. I think OBs only get nervous if you drop below 2.5cm. So I seem to be just about average.
We then moved onto the abdominal u/s for the anatomy scan. The entire u/s lasted about 60 minutes. The u/s tech got measurements of almost every part of the body (all the bones, the brain, the heart, the abdomen, the kidneys, the bladder, the diaphragm, the eyes, the hands, the feet, the umbilical cord, the placenta). However, Baby A was not being super cooperative and as a result the u/s tech was not able to get great visual on his heart. She said they will just take a closer look at the heart at my subsequent visits. The good news ... We still have two little boys (clear as day)! Both boys looked good overall. Our only concern comes with Baby B. Baby B has some Choroid Plexus Cysts on his brain. I was told by the MFM to not google "Choroid Plexus Cyst" so I have not done it. However, my pregnancy books gave some information about them (he never banned books). It appears these cysts appear in 1 out of every 100 babies. The cysts can be a marker for Trisomy 18. However, the genetic screenings I had done in the 1st trimester indicated that my risk for Trisomy 18 was extremely, extremely low (about 1 in greater than 10,000). Plus the cysts were the only marker found on the u/s yesterday. Therefore, the MFM believes these cysts will just disappear on their own. We will monitor Baby B at each subsequent u/s and hope that the cysts have disappeared by the third trimester. Otherwise both babies looked wonderful and were moving all around.
I started to get super uncomfortable near the end of the u/s exam. I was laying on my back for the entire u/s and I started to notice I was getting super uncomfortable. The muscles in my stomach were screaming at me. I then started to notice that I could literally feel my pulse speeding up. Soon my fingers became numb and I knew we were about to have a problem if the scan continued much longer. Thankfully just as I was getting ready to throw in the towel the u/s tech was all done. I quickly sat-up and tried to regain my bearings. I drank some water and took some deep breaths as the u/s tech was finishing all of her notes. It took a few minutes but I finally started to feel better. The u/s tech quickly told me, "Don't worry. You will never have another u/s that lasts that long." Thank goodness. As much as I love seeing our little ones I tend to max out at about 15 minutes!
I got dressed after the u/s was finished and then headed over to get my blood pressure and weight checked out. I was still feeling some effects from the u/s so I was not surprised when my initial blood pressure check was 139/82. The nurse had me sit for a few minutes before it was checked again. I tried to take some deep breaths and the second blood pressure came back at 120/72. Perfect (for me). My weight also appeared to be just fine.
I went back to the exam room and Kara and I waited to meet with the MFM. The MFM arrived to discuss the results of the u/s. He too indicated that the length of my cervix was just fine. We talked briefly about the results of Baby B's u/s (see above) and then discussed the results of my somewhat abnormal AFP b/w. Because the level II u/s did not show any indication of either baby having neural tube defects the MFM was not concerned about the elevated AFP results. Both of the babies are still measuring about a week ahead in size. The MFM believes that I ovulated before the IUI (which he believes is the reason it worked this time) and therefore my due date might be slightly off. He actually said that if both babies are still measuring a week ahead at the next u/s he might officially change my due date. The MFM indicated that big babies are always preferred over little babies. But because both babies are measuring a bit large the results of my AFP could be inaccurate. The MFM indicated that the b/w could be taken again to recheck the levels but both Kara and I believe that is unnecessary. Had there been additional markers on the level II u/s then Kara and I would have probably proceeded with additional testing. I also mentioned the significant number of braxton hicks contractions that I have been experiencing with these little ones. The MFM immediately told me not to worry that the braxton hicks contractions were completely normal. The contractions are not impacting my cervix. So I will continue to monitor the contractions and follow-up with my OB if I experience more than 5 or 6 contractions an hour.
We have scheduled our next appointment with the MFM for February 21st. We will get another u/s at this appointment to check on both of the little ones.
Can I just mention how incredibly sore I was after the u/s? Hence the title of my post. I felt as if every muscle in my abdomen had been pulled in the wrong direction. Needless to say I hobbled around like an old woman the remainder of the day. I do feel a bit better this morning.
I also learned something else at the u/s yesterday ... I think I have been feeling kicks from the babies! Both babies are head down (a very good thing) and as the u/s tech was taking the measurements I realized the babies legs are all the way up near my ribs. This is where I have been feeling occasional jabs. I just always assumed it was "gas" because I did not think both babies were up that high. Well ... I think my boys have been kicking me in the ribs! They both have anterior placentas so it will be some time before I feel regular movement but it was nice to think that maybe I actually have been feeling them for a couple of weeks.
Okay. My fingers are going to fall off.
Please keep growing little ones (and stay in my belly).
Mary
Sunday, January 22, 2012
18w3d
How Far Along: 18w3d
Milestones: Your baby is the size of a sweet potato. His is about 5.6 inches long and weighs about 6.7 ounces.
Total Weight Gain: Growth Spurt! I am up a total of 9.8 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: I am in all maternity pants now (with the exception of my sweatpants). I can fit into both non-maternity shirts and maternity shirts. I am starting to eye Kara's side of the closet ... !!!
The belly shot from this week ...
Sleep: Urgh. This is still my biggest issue. I am now back to five regular pillows. I have tossed aside the pregnancy pillow I bought. I tend to wake-up several times during the night because my hips hurt. I also tend to get more braxton hicks contractions at night so those wake me up too. I then have a really hard time falling back to sleep.
Best Moment of the Week: I got my first non-family belly rub from a coworker. That took me by surprise. But I do look pregnant now. A lot of my coworkers are very excited about this pregnancy and it really does make me feel good. This is especially true because I am so worried about carrying these little ones for nine months. I have one coworker who asks me every morning, "How are the boys today?" and it makes my heart smile each and every time. I am not use to being the center of attention so it has been difficult for me to get use to constant questions about my pregnancy. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. The more positive vibes being sent our way the better.
This probably does not fall under the "best moment of the week" category but it should be documented because this is my pregnancy blog. I had b/w done at my last OB appointment to measure the level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in my blood. The amount of AFP in the blood of a pregnant woman can help determine the likelihood of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anecephaly. The test can also be used to determine the likelihood of other chromosomal problems. Because I am pregnant with twins the level of AFP in my blood will automatically be a bit higher. I have been told though that the results are evaluated on a different scale as a result of the multiple pregnancy. I received a call from my OB this week (of course it can never be good when the OB calls you directly) and she indicated that the results of my AFP b/w were "Not good. Not good at all." (this is where my heart dropped a bit). I immediately asked for the "numbers" but the OB did not want to give them to me. There is a chance the test results could be inaccurate and the OB does not want me to worry unnecessarily at this point. The OB contacted the MFM who indicated that because both babies were measuring a week ahead at our 13 week u/s appointment that the results could be inaccurate because my due date is being used as opposed to the gestational age of the babies based on size. There will be more AFP in my blood if the babies are measuring bigger. The OB indicated the results are not bad if my due date is shortened by a week. The OB wants the level II u/s to be completed to get accurate measurements. Because I already had a level II u/s scheduled for this coming week we decided to wait until that appointment. The MFM will then redraw my blood to test the AFP again. The whole thing has stressed me out. However, I know that should I not have elected to have this test done we would not think anything was wrong at the moment. So that is the mindset I am trying to operate under on a daily basis. The level II u/s will also give us a better idea of any "markers" that can be attributed to a chromosomal problem.
Sex: We think two boys. We should get confirmation at our level II u/s this week.
Food Cravings: I am still craving red meat. I have also rediscovered my love for ice cream which I lost early in this pregnancy. Otherwise I don't have too many cravings. I am starting to realize that I cannot eat a large meal in one sitting. I do much better with smaller meals throughout the day. I still love my orange juice in the morning.
Food Aversions: Nope.
Symptoms: I actually had a fairly decent week. I still get the occasional headache but for the most part the prescription medication seems to be helping a bit. The braxton hicks contractions seemed to subside for about a week but yesterday they returned with a vengeance. I had the braxton hicks contractions on and off the entire day. However, I never had more than two an hour so I tried not to worry too much (yeah right). The seem to be better today. I am still going to bring it up with the MFM at this week's appointment. I am terrified of pre-term labor. I will also get another cervical length u/s at the appointment this week so that will help us determine if these contractions are impacting my cervix at all.
Upcoming Events: We have our MFM appointment on January 24th. Please send any positive vibes you can spare in our direction. I am extremely nervous about this appointment. It is an important one.
Please keep growing little ones (and stay in my belly)!!
Mary
Milestones: Your baby is the size of a sweet potato. His is about 5.6 inches long and weighs about 6.7 ounces.
Total Weight Gain: Growth Spurt! I am up a total of 9.8 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: I am in all maternity pants now (with the exception of my sweatpants). I can fit into both non-maternity shirts and maternity shirts. I am starting to eye Kara's side of the closet ... !!!
The belly shot from this week ...
Sleep: Urgh. This is still my biggest issue. I am now back to five regular pillows. I have tossed aside the pregnancy pillow I bought. I tend to wake-up several times during the night because my hips hurt. I also tend to get more braxton hicks contractions at night so those wake me up too. I then have a really hard time falling back to sleep.
Best Moment of the Week: I got my first non-family belly rub from a coworker. That took me by surprise. But I do look pregnant now. A lot of my coworkers are very excited about this pregnancy and it really does make me feel good. This is especially true because I am so worried about carrying these little ones for nine months. I have one coworker who asks me every morning, "How are the boys today?" and it makes my heart smile each and every time. I am not use to being the center of attention so it has been difficult for me to get use to constant questions about my pregnancy. But I wouldn't trade it for the world. The more positive vibes being sent our way the better.
This probably does not fall under the "best moment of the week" category but it should be documented because this is my pregnancy blog. I had b/w done at my last OB appointment to measure the level of alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) in my blood. The amount of AFP in the blood of a pregnant woman can help determine the likelihood of neural tube defects such as spina bifida and anecephaly. The test can also be used to determine the likelihood of other chromosomal problems. Because I am pregnant with twins the level of AFP in my blood will automatically be a bit higher. I have been told though that the results are evaluated on a different scale as a result of the multiple pregnancy. I received a call from my OB this week (of course it can never be good when the OB calls you directly) and she indicated that the results of my AFP b/w were "Not good. Not good at all." (this is where my heart dropped a bit). I immediately asked for the "numbers" but the OB did not want to give them to me. There is a chance the test results could be inaccurate and the OB does not want me to worry unnecessarily at this point. The OB contacted the MFM who indicated that because both babies were measuring a week ahead at our 13 week u/s appointment that the results could be inaccurate because my due date is being used as opposed to the gestational age of the babies based on size. There will be more AFP in my blood if the babies are measuring bigger. The OB indicated the results are not bad if my due date is shortened by a week. The OB wants the level II u/s to be completed to get accurate measurements. Because I already had a level II u/s scheduled for this coming week we decided to wait until that appointment. The MFM will then redraw my blood to test the AFP again. The whole thing has stressed me out. However, I know that should I not have elected to have this test done we would not think anything was wrong at the moment. So that is the mindset I am trying to operate under on a daily basis. The level II u/s will also give us a better idea of any "markers" that can be attributed to a chromosomal problem.
Sex: We think two boys. We should get confirmation at our level II u/s this week.
Food Cravings: I am still craving red meat. I have also rediscovered my love for ice cream which I lost early in this pregnancy. Otherwise I don't have too many cravings. I am starting to realize that I cannot eat a large meal in one sitting. I do much better with smaller meals throughout the day. I still love my orange juice in the morning.
Food Aversions: Nope.
Symptoms: I actually had a fairly decent week. I still get the occasional headache but for the most part the prescription medication seems to be helping a bit. The braxton hicks contractions seemed to subside for about a week but yesterday they returned with a vengeance. I had the braxton hicks contractions on and off the entire day. However, I never had more than two an hour so I tried not to worry too much (yeah right). The seem to be better today. I am still going to bring it up with the MFM at this week's appointment. I am terrified of pre-term labor. I will also get another cervical length u/s at the appointment this week so that will help us determine if these contractions are impacting my cervix at all.
Upcoming Events: We have our MFM appointment on January 24th. Please send any positive vibes you can spare in our direction. I am extremely nervous about this appointment. It is an important one.
Please keep growing little ones (and stay in my belly)!!
Mary
Saturday, January 14, 2012
17w2d
How Far Along: 17w2d
Milestones: The baby continues to beef up. He is now about 5.1 inches long and weighs about 5.9 ounces. His rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone. And he is growing some meat on those bones by putting on some fat. He is growing stronger and a thicker umbilical cord too.
Total Weight Gain: I am up a total of 7.6 lbs. So I gained exactly one pound this week. That seems to be on track.
Maternity Clothes: Yep! Yep! Yep! I pulled out the maternity jeans. They are so comfortable. I had a hard time finding jeans that fit me. Kara and I went to Destination Maternity last week and they actually sell maternity jeans in petite. And they fit perfect! We will probably be back to the store more than one time before this pregnancy is over. I am still in all non-maternity shirts but things are getting tight.
Here is the belly shot for this week ...
Sleep: It is okay. I am doing better about sleeping on my side. But I tend to wake-up at least every couple of hours due to hip pain. I bought a pregnancy wedge pillow (only $10 an alternative to a full pregnancy that runs about $60). I slept with it for the first time last night and it was actually really comfortable. So I am now up to five pillows in bed. I sleep with two pillows under my head (this is a change), the wedge pillow under my belly, a pillow between my legs and then a pillow behind my back (this keeps me from flipping over on my back).
Best Moment of the Week: We had an OB appointment this week. It was fairly straightforward. We did the normal urinalysis, weight check and blood pressure measurement. My blood pressure was 132/70. It is a bit high. However, it was about the same as my appointment two weeks ago. It might be my new pregnancy normal blood pressure. We then met with the OB. I inquired about the braxton hicks contractions and the OB indicated that they are totally normal. Most woman typically feel braxton hicks contractions beginning late in the 2nd trimester. However, because I am measuring bigger with the twins I will feel the braxton hicks contractions sooner. I am also on the petite size. There is really no belly fat between my skin and my uterus so I will feel my uterus hardening more than a woman with a bit of extra padding. It all made sense. The OB said to call the office if I experience more than five contractions an hour. We then got to hear the heartbeats via fetal doppler. It was actually really neat. It was the first time we had actually heard the heartbeats. Baby A had a heart rate of 153 bpm and Baby B had a heart rate of 127 bpm. The OB indicated both heart rates were normal. It was cute because Baby B actually kicked while the OB was looking for the heartbeat and you could hear it on the microphone. The OB asked, "Did you feel that?" ... but sadly I have yet to feel any movement. That was the appointment in a nutshell. We go back to the OB in four weeks.
Sex: We still think BOYS!
Food Cravings: I don't really have any new cravings. I still managed to eat Subway this week! I am still just eating a lot. I tend to do better eating a lot of small meals. I am typically putting something in my mouth at least every hour. We did make beef tacos this week which I have not had since I was a kid. They were delicious. I am still loving my morning orange juice. The boys are going to come out addicted to orange juice.
Food Aversions: None
Symptoms: The braxton hicks contractions have been fewer in number this week. That relieves me a bit. I started to experience some RLP. This tends to occur if I turn over really fast at night. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the lower abdomen. I guess it is actually the round ligament (the muscle that holds the uterus up) just contracting due to sudden movement. I have also woke-up a couple of times this week especially nauseous. I think I might be getting too hot sleeping at night. I still have the headaches. They are not quite as frequent but they still exist. Today I have had a dozy of a headache and the prescription medication did not even touch it today. Not cool. I hope it will be gone in the morning.
Upcoming Events: We have an MFM appointment on January 24th and our next OB appointment is on February 7th.
Please keep growing little ones.
Mary
Milestones: The baby continues to beef up. He is now about 5.1 inches long and weighs about 5.9 ounces. His rubbery cartilage is now turning to bone. And he is growing some meat on those bones by putting on some fat. He is growing stronger and a thicker umbilical cord too.
Total Weight Gain: I am up a total of 7.6 lbs. So I gained exactly one pound this week. That seems to be on track.
Maternity Clothes: Yep! Yep! Yep! I pulled out the maternity jeans. They are so comfortable. I had a hard time finding jeans that fit me. Kara and I went to Destination Maternity last week and they actually sell maternity jeans in petite. And they fit perfect! We will probably be back to the store more than one time before this pregnancy is over. I am still in all non-maternity shirts but things are getting tight.
Here is the belly shot for this week ...
Sleep: It is okay. I am doing better about sleeping on my side. But I tend to wake-up at least every couple of hours due to hip pain. I bought a pregnancy wedge pillow (only $10 an alternative to a full pregnancy that runs about $60). I slept with it for the first time last night and it was actually really comfortable. So I am now up to five pillows in bed. I sleep with two pillows under my head (this is a change), the wedge pillow under my belly, a pillow between my legs and then a pillow behind my back (this keeps me from flipping over on my back).
Best Moment of the Week: We had an OB appointment this week. It was fairly straightforward. We did the normal urinalysis, weight check and blood pressure measurement. My blood pressure was 132/70. It is a bit high. However, it was about the same as my appointment two weeks ago. It might be my new pregnancy normal blood pressure. We then met with the OB. I inquired about the braxton hicks contractions and the OB indicated that they are totally normal. Most woman typically feel braxton hicks contractions beginning late in the 2nd trimester. However, because I am measuring bigger with the twins I will feel the braxton hicks contractions sooner. I am also on the petite size. There is really no belly fat between my skin and my uterus so I will feel my uterus hardening more than a woman with a bit of extra padding. It all made sense. The OB said to call the office if I experience more than five contractions an hour. We then got to hear the heartbeats via fetal doppler. It was actually really neat. It was the first time we had actually heard the heartbeats. Baby A had a heart rate of 153 bpm and Baby B had a heart rate of 127 bpm. The OB indicated both heart rates were normal. It was cute because Baby B actually kicked while the OB was looking for the heartbeat and you could hear it on the microphone. The OB asked, "Did you feel that?" ... but sadly I have yet to feel any movement. That was the appointment in a nutshell. We go back to the OB in four weeks.
Sex: We still think BOYS!
Food Cravings: I don't really have any new cravings. I still managed to eat Subway this week! I am still just eating a lot. I tend to do better eating a lot of small meals. I am typically putting something in my mouth at least every hour. We did make beef tacos this week which I have not had since I was a kid. They were delicious. I am still loving my morning orange juice. The boys are going to come out addicted to orange juice.
Food Aversions: None
Symptoms: The braxton hicks contractions have been fewer in number this week. That relieves me a bit. I started to experience some RLP. This tends to occur if I turn over really fast at night. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the lower abdomen. I guess it is actually the round ligament (the muscle that holds the uterus up) just contracting due to sudden movement. I have also woke-up a couple of times this week especially nauseous. I think I might be getting too hot sleeping at night. I still have the headaches. They are not quite as frequent but they still exist. Today I have had a dozy of a headache and the prescription medication did not even touch it today. Not cool. I hope it will be gone in the morning.
Upcoming Events: We have an MFM appointment on January 24th and our next OB appointment is on February 7th.
Please keep growing little ones.
Mary
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
a comedy of errors
The typical night of a woman 16 weeks pregnant with twins ...
11:00 pm - You wake-up with a braxton hicks contraction. Okay. Not a problem. Drink a bottle of water and go back to bed.
12:00 am - You wake-up because you now have to pee. Remember you did drink a bottle of water. Okay. Not a problem. Go to the bathroom. You are sitting in the bathroom when you feel something wet on your lap. Remember it is the middle of the night so you are peeing in the dark. The last thing you want to do is actually wake-up. You mumble under your breath a few times and get up to turn on the light. You realize you have blood on your lap. Huh? Where did that come from? You then realize your nose is bleeding ... everywhere. Grab some tissues and get you nose to stop bleeding. You are now fully awake so you climb back into bed and surf the internet for a bit. Of course you drink more water while doing this.
1:00 am - Fall back to sleep.
2:00 am - You wake-up because you have to pee. Remember you did drink a bottle of water. Not a problem. Go to the bathroom. Fall back to sleep.
4:00 am - WTF? You wake-up out of a dead sleep feeling as if your leg is going to fall off. Charlie Horse!?! You wither in pain waking your sleep partner up (who probably thinks you are in labor because of the noises coming out of your mouth). You beg you sleep partner to rub your leg. The pain slowly disappears and you get up to go the bathroom. Of course you have to stumble to the bathroom because your leg now feels like a brick. You pee. Climb back into bed and experience another braxton hicks contraction. Probably because of all the excitement. You drink another bottle of water and then realize you will not fall back to sleep before you alarm goes off at 5:00am.
5:00 am - You drag you butt to the shower. Remember you are limping because your leg still feels like a brick. You try not to fall asleep in the shower. You get out of the shower and your stomach feels a bit weird. You get excited because you think that maybe today will be the day that you poop. You jump on the toilet with excitement and wait and wait and wait ... nothing. Sh*t!!! Not today. Still constipated.
6:00 am - You go to work. Another night has passed. You survived.
Yep. This was my night last night!
Please keep growing little ones.
Mary
11:00 pm - You wake-up with a braxton hicks contraction. Okay. Not a problem. Drink a bottle of water and go back to bed.
12:00 am - You wake-up because you now have to pee. Remember you did drink a bottle of water. Okay. Not a problem. Go to the bathroom. You are sitting in the bathroom when you feel something wet on your lap. Remember it is the middle of the night so you are peeing in the dark. The last thing you want to do is actually wake-up. You mumble under your breath a few times and get up to turn on the light. You realize you have blood on your lap. Huh? Where did that come from? You then realize your nose is bleeding ... everywhere. Grab some tissues and get you nose to stop bleeding. You are now fully awake so you climb back into bed and surf the internet for a bit. Of course you drink more water while doing this.
1:00 am - Fall back to sleep.
2:00 am - You wake-up because you have to pee. Remember you did drink a bottle of water. Not a problem. Go to the bathroom. Fall back to sleep.
4:00 am - WTF? You wake-up out of a dead sleep feeling as if your leg is going to fall off. Charlie Horse!?! You wither in pain waking your sleep partner up (who probably thinks you are in labor because of the noises coming out of your mouth). You beg you sleep partner to rub your leg. The pain slowly disappears and you get up to go the bathroom. Of course you have to stumble to the bathroom because your leg now feels like a brick. You pee. Climb back into bed and experience another braxton hicks contraction. Probably because of all the excitement. You drink another bottle of water and then realize you will not fall back to sleep before you alarm goes off at 5:00am.
5:00 am - You drag you butt to the shower. Remember you are limping because your leg still feels like a brick. You try not to fall asleep in the shower. You get out of the shower and your stomach feels a bit weird. You get excited because you think that maybe today will be the day that you poop. You jump on the toilet with excitement and wait and wait and wait ... nothing. Sh*t!!! Not today. Still constipated.
6:00 am - You go to work. Another night has passed. You survived.
Yep. This was my night last night!
Please keep growing little ones.
Mary
Sunday, January 8, 2012
16w3d
How Far Along: 16w3d
Milestones: The baby is the size of an avocado. He is about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces. He is listening to your voice thanks to tiny bones forming in his ears. He is growing hair, lashes and eyebrows. He is forming taste buds.
Total Weight Gain: I am up a total of 6.6 lbs. I believe I should gain between one and two pounds a week in the 2nd trimester so I appear to be right on track.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. But things are getting tight ... really, really tight! I have to wear the hair band on all my pants and even with my sweatshirts on you can tell I am pregnant. Or just really fat!
Here is the belly shot for this week ...
Sleep: Not good. I now have to sleep on my side at night and I can only sleep for about an hour before I wake-up because my hips and back hurt. It is much easier for me to sleep on my left side. I have also been experiencing braxton hicks contractions at night. So those tend to wake me up too. I now have four pillows in bed (one under my head, one under my belly, one between my legs and one supporting my back). I really might have to invest in a pregnancy pillow but they are just so expensive. But it is going to be a long time until June.
Best Moment of the Week: We started to work on the nursery!! (I added a nursery page at the top of the blog.)
I cannot take any actual credit for the work that has been done on the nursery. Kara has done all the work. We got the nursery painted. The name of the paint is "light french gray". It is a blue / gray color. We got three paint samples on the wall before we could finally decide on a color. We did not want the walls to be too blue. This was actually the color that was going to go on the wall no matter the sex of each baby. I am really starting to like the color! It is looking better now that we are getting other colors in the room. The other color in the room will be orange.
We made a trip to IKEA this weekend. I think we have picked out the cribs and the dresser / changing table. We will go back to IKEA in a month to actually pick-up the cribs and dresser / changing table. We also bought two chairs from IKEA that have already been brought home and assembled in the nursery. I love them!!! And guess what?? ... We got them for free! Yep. We did not realize until we got home that the cashier never rang-up the chairs. Huh?? So we got $100 of free stuff. We were going to just put a regular dresser in the nursery but decided after putting the chairs together that we are going to buy a small dresser that allows for a "changing table" to be placed on top. This is because we are a bit more limited on space than we originally thought. I will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of the nursery.
Sex: We still think BOYS!!
Food Cravings: I just like to eat! I have noticed that I am tending to crave foods from my childhood. Any idea what that means?? I am also craving red meat. And for someone who did not eat meat for so many years this has been really interesting. I think I am craving the meat for a reason so I am allowing myself to eat it. So ... I had a hamburger this week for the first time in FOREVER. It was really, really good. I also had a vanilla milkshake too!
Food Aversions: Nope
Symptoms: Where do I start?? I am just generally uncomfortable and I am only 16 weeks pregnant. I have been having braxton hicks contractions. I believe this is normal. I only get one or two a day and there are some days were I don't have any braxton hicks contractions. I mostly get them at night. I think I get dehydrated at night. They are so bizarre. My entire abdomen gets rock hard! It is creepy. It only lasts for about 30 seconds. They are not painful but they do wake me up. I will be sure to mention them to my OB this week because I get concerned about why I am feeling them so early in the pregnancy. I have a huge nightmare about going into labor early. I want to make certain these braxton hicks contractions are not doing anything to change my cervix. I had some belly button pain this week as my uterus made its way up past my belly button. It is neat to lay in bed each morning and feel my uterus. Each day it gets bigger and bigger. Where are my intestines going??? I also tend to get a lower backache if I am on my feet for any extended period of time. So like I said ... I am feeling things!!!!
Upcoming Events: We have an OB appointment on January 10th.
Please keep growing little ones and please stay in my belly for a very long time!
Mary
Milestones: The baby is the size of an avocado. He is about 4.6 inches long and weighs about 3.5 ounces. He is listening to your voice thanks to tiny bones forming in his ears. He is growing hair, lashes and eyebrows. He is forming taste buds.
Total Weight Gain: I am up a total of 6.6 lbs. I believe I should gain between one and two pounds a week in the 2nd trimester so I appear to be right on track.
Maternity Clothes: Nope. But things are getting tight ... really, really tight! I have to wear the hair band on all my pants and even with my sweatshirts on you can tell I am pregnant. Or just really fat!
Here is the belly shot for this week ...
Sleep: Not good. I now have to sleep on my side at night and I can only sleep for about an hour before I wake-up because my hips and back hurt. It is much easier for me to sleep on my left side. I have also been experiencing braxton hicks contractions at night. So those tend to wake me up too. I now have four pillows in bed (one under my head, one under my belly, one between my legs and one supporting my back). I really might have to invest in a pregnancy pillow but they are just so expensive. But it is going to be a long time until June.
Best Moment of the Week: We started to work on the nursery!! (I added a nursery page at the top of the blog.)
I cannot take any actual credit for the work that has been done on the nursery. Kara has done all the work. We got the nursery painted. The name of the paint is "light french gray". It is a blue / gray color. We got three paint samples on the wall before we could finally decide on a color. We did not want the walls to be too blue. This was actually the color that was going to go on the wall no matter the sex of each baby. I am really starting to like the color! It is looking better now that we are getting other colors in the room. The other color in the room will be orange.
We made a trip to IKEA this weekend. I think we have picked out the cribs and the dresser / changing table. We will go back to IKEA in a month to actually pick-up the cribs and dresser / changing table. We also bought two chairs from IKEA that have already been brought home and assembled in the nursery. I love them!!! And guess what?? ... We got them for free! Yep. We did not realize until we got home that the cashier never rang-up the chairs. Huh?? So we got $100 of free stuff. We were going to just put a regular dresser in the nursery but decided after putting the chairs together that we are going to buy a small dresser that allows for a "changing table" to be placed on top. This is because we are a bit more limited on space than we originally thought. I will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of the nursery.
Sex: We still think BOYS!!
Food Cravings: I just like to eat! I have noticed that I am tending to crave foods from my childhood. Any idea what that means?? I am also craving red meat. And for someone who did not eat meat for so many years this has been really interesting. I think I am craving the meat for a reason so I am allowing myself to eat it. So ... I had a hamburger this week for the first time in FOREVER. It was really, really good. I also had a vanilla milkshake too!
Food Aversions: Nope
Symptoms: Where do I start?? I am just generally uncomfortable and I am only 16 weeks pregnant. I have been having braxton hicks contractions. I believe this is normal. I only get one or two a day and there are some days were I don't have any braxton hicks contractions. I mostly get them at night. I think I get dehydrated at night. They are so bizarre. My entire abdomen gets rock hard! It is creepy. It only lasts for about 30 seconds. They are not painful but they do wake me up. I will be sure to mention them to my OB this week because I get concerned about why I am feeling them so early in the pregnancy. I have a huge nightmare about going into labor early. I want to make certain these braxton hicks contractions are not doing anything to change my cervix. I had some belly button pain this week as my uterus made its way up past my belly button. It is neat to lay in bed each morning and feel my uterus. Each day it gets bigger and bigger. Where are my intestines going??? I also tend to get a lower backache if I am on my feet for any extended period of time. So like I said ... I am feeling things!!!!
Upcoming Events: We have an OB appointment on January 10th.
Please keep growing little ones and please stay in my belly for a very long time!
Mary
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