Getting CLOSER!! / Lil Man's 1st Shiner

Getting CLOSER!!

Sunday and Monday night I was up most of the nights having contractions.  They bounced back and forth from being consistent to sporadic, light to moderate(ish).  Thankfully, I was able to get a good night's sleep last night!!  

(Side note: I went walking around Walmart yesterday.  Unfortunately, no dramatic water-breaking experience.  haha)  

Today I'm 35weeks 1 day.  I had an appointment this morning with an MD instead of a midwife.  She answered my list of questions and then checked my progress.  

This past Friday I was 50% effaced and dilated 1-2cm.  

Today (Wednesday) I am 95% effaced and dilated 4cm.  

EEEK!  I still would feel better having these babies closer to 36 weeks, but I guess they will come when they are ready.  Who knows?  I could technically still be pregnant in a week.  Note:  You may not want to be around me if that is the case!

Hubby has been running around like crazy trying to get as much done with the garden and the two rooms he's been remodeling in the basement.  Any free second, he's working on one of the two projects w/ lil man.  

Lil Man's 1st Shiner

Speaking of lil man.... He got his first shiner/goose egg today at Mother's Day Out.  :(  He fell head first into the toilet.  The stool flipped out from underneath his feet.  He is rolling his eyes at me for taking this picture!!  

**** I still need to post pics from the shower and my 35wk pic. Procrastination at it's finest.  :)  ****

30 Second Update :)

30 Second Update :)

I saw my midwife again today.  I'm 34.5wks.  She said I'm 50% effaced and 1-2cm dilated.  Yay! I'll TAKE it!  Especially considering last time they checked me I had zero progression.  :)  

She still thinks I will go by the end of the month. (I'll be 36wks on April 30th)

Although I am incredibly uncomfortable and cannot WAIT to see these babies, my prayer is that they will not come until their lungs are completely developed. Now, once their lungs are all good-- there's NO NEED to dawdle!!! 

34 weeks preggo with twins

12lbs of Babies?! / My Lil Protector

12lbs of Babies?!

I had my 34 week ultrasound done this morning to check the growth of the twins.  

--LAST month's weights....

   *Thing 1- 3lb 15oz
   *Thing 2- 3lb 9oz

   Both were above average. 


--But TODAY's weights....


   *Thing 1- 6lb 3oz
   *Thing 2- 5lb 10oz

That's almost 12lbs of babies that I'm carrying around in me!  Plus 2 sacs of fluid.  No wonder I feel like a whale! 

Average weight for babies at 34wks is 5lbs according to several books/websites.    

Margin of error is still around 1/2lb plus or minus.  

Can't wait for my babies to wear their Juice Plus onesies from Tammy! (My dear friend and my husband's wellness coordinator.)  What happens when you double up on your J.P. during your pregnancy?  You deliver toddlers. haha EEK!!   

Go to www.asheborojuiceplus.com to see what I'm talking about!
(It's the link the hubby gives to his patients during nutritional consultations.)

My Lil Protector

Conversation from yesterday between me and my lil man.  

Me:  "Owwww!!!"

Sam:  "What wrong?"

Me:  "The babies are kicking me."

Sam: "Babies hurt you?!!  ... **scowls, shakes his finger at my belly** ... BABIES!! Stop dat! Go sleep!"

♥ that sweet boy!!!  

(Going to see my midwife again on Friday!)  

Budweiser Blessing / 33 wks appt / "Done" but not done / Weirdest Symptom / Pics

Budweiser Blessing

If you were at Walmart yesterday and saw a pregnant lady lounged out on the Budweiser display... no worries. It was just me.  I needed a break and it served me well!  A lovely blessing in the alcohol corner.  A lil old lady did come to check on me.  Sam was slightly embarrassed of his mother's behavior.  Won't be the last time.  ("Mommy... what doing? You belly hurt?  You tired? Get up.")  ;)   

33 Weeks Appointment

Last night, I was very thankful that I was going to be seeing my midwife today.  I overdid it yesterday.  The whole "nesting" thing is hitting me, but when I get up and run around the house cleaning/organizing I pay for it shortly afterwards.   From about 7:30 last night until this morning, I had pains on either side and my belly was SUPER tight.  Plus, I'm now up to potty breaks every hour and a half throughout the night.  Although slightly irritating, I'm reminded that right now I can still go back to bed.  Not going to be the case soon!  

* Total weight gain: 34lbs (almost to my 40lb minimum mark!)

* Belly still measuring full term, but now growing out the sides.

* Didn't check to see if I was dilated this time. Will next week. (I've heard that checking too often and too soon can make you dilate... ??)

* Midwife guessed that I would probably deliver by 36wks.  

"Done", but not done

If you've ever been pregnant, you understand the feeling of "I'm so DONE."  I've had that feeling for a couple weeks now.  However, at the same time I do NOT want these babies coming at 33wks and 3 days.  They need at least another couple weeks to bake.  

Until then, I'll just be feeling "blessed".  ;)  ... Ok, ok... I've had a LOT of people ask me, "How are you feeling really? Besides being blessed?"  In short, from lunchtime on, my back kills me when I'm sitting/laying down and my belly hurts when I'm standing up.  It's extremely uncomfortable, but just comes with the territory of growing 2 humans!  If I talk to you and get out of breath while sitting in a chair, please forgive me.  You'd never know that not long ago I ran a half marathon w/ my friend Val while chatting it up most of the way.  Haha  This too shall pass, and leave me with two sweet blessings.    

Weirdest Symptom

Weirdest symptom so far?  HOT feet and hands!!  I'm talking, the palms of my hands and the bottom of my feet get so hot I can barely stand it.  It usually happens at night.  I know that it's b/c of the increased amount of blood in my body.  (My book says that with twin pregnancies, the momma's blood is almost double her normal amount!)  Well NO wonder!

The other night, I was sitting on the couch w/ the hubs... when the HEAT WAVE hit me.  Without thinking I stuck both feet in his face and said "AHH!! Blow on them!!!"  ... He may have given me a look that said his wife had lost her mind.. BUT, he did go get me a tub of cold water for me to soak my steaming feet in.  :)  It. Was. Wonderful.

Pics

32wks pregnant w/ twins

33 wks pregnant w/ twins

Stuck in a chair @ Lifeway while lil man watches Veggie Tales

** SHOWER PICS WILL BE IN NEXT WEEK'S BLOG **

"Oh NOOO you DIDN'T!" / Who's counting? / Recent Questions / Pics

"Oh NOOO you DIDN'T!"  

My momma taught me never to make fun of someone who is overweight.  It's just not nice, right?  Ok... what about a woman who is growing TWO humans inside of her?  When is it EVER appropriate to call anyone, especially a hormonal pregnant woman, names?  NEVER.  

The last couple weeks, I have been called "Hey Fatso" and "Hey there Chubby" ... ironically by two overweight old men!  What is their problem?  Do they think b/c they are fat they have the right to call other people fat?  My husband's jaw about hit the floor. It was all I could do not to flip them off or tell them all the things that were running through my mind.  

Anyone reading this-- NO. I will not think it is funny if you randomly see me out and about and call me names.  You'll get punched in the face.  :D  Ok, I'm done.  

Who's Counting?

Tomorrow, I will be 32 weeks with Thing 1 and Thing 2.  35-36 weeks is average gestation for twin mommies.  The babies should also be strong enough to not have to stay in the NICU.  I've talked to several mothers of twins lately who said they went to full term.  Holy moly.  I can't think of that right now.  Baby steps.  Aiming for another 3 weeks to meet the 35 week mark.  After that, we'll see.  

Weight gain so far:  31.5lbs. 
Total recommended weight gain for me:  40-60lbs.

"0".  As of today, I'm not dilated.  :)

I saw one of the midwives today. (Side note: This one has a 2.5year old and is also 30wks pregnant with boy/girl twins! Loved talking to her b/c she "gets it.")  
Anyway, my belly is still measuring 41-42 weeks pregnant.  But, they don't measure from side to side... just top to bottom.  I have been growing out the sides.    

(Don't judge how rough and tired I look!)  

31 weeks pregnant w/ twins... holding a "globe".

Recent Questions

*Q:  Are you going to use disposable diapers or cloth?  

  A:  Both.  The first few weeks, I will probably be healing from one area or another.  I doubt I'll be shimmying up and down the basement stairs to wash a bunch of cloth diapers.  However, I have purchased some cloth diapers and registered for some more so that I can at least do it part time once I'm back to doing laundry.  

Here's the set that we just ordered.  They are SUPER soft!  I've gotten a lot of positive feedback from people who have used these or similar ones on their babies.  

gogreendiapers.com

*Q:  I didn't watch the video you posted on Delayed Cord Clamping. Can you give me a quick summary of it?  

  A:  Sure.  

The first 8 minutes talk about ...
1)  The importance of the amount of oxygen during his/her first minutes of life.

2)  The importance /problems / possible solutions for babies with iron deficiency anemia.  

The last 10 minutes talk about ...         
* When a baby is born, up to 1/3 of his of her blood is still in the cord and placenta.  If you allow at least 90 sec before cutting the cord, MUCH of the blood will go back into the baby.  The cord which was big and pulsing, will now be smaller and flatter.  This helps with both of the problems listed above.  

* If you have time to watch this 18min video, I highly recommend it!  If not, I would at least start at the 8:20 mark.  It's very informative and sums up what I've been reading and discussing with my husband and midwives.  

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Cw53X98EvLQ#!

Q:  Are you going to use a doula?  

A:  Possibly.  We are still discussing that option.  More on this topic later...


Q:  How are you feeling?  

A:  Blessed. ;)  ... (See previous post.) 

Pics

We recently had our maternity pictures done by Ginny Stout at www.imagesbyginny.com .  She does a GREAT job!  Here are a few of the sneak peaks... 

30 Week Ultrasound / I'm Blessed / Pictures

30 Week Ultrasound

Today I went for my monthly ultrasound at the hospital to check on Thing 1 and Thing 2's growth.  Here's the stats...

*Last month, Thing 1 weighed 2lb 8oz.  Today he weighed 3lb 15oz!  

*Last month, Thing 2 weighed 2lb 2oz.  Today she weighed 3lb 9oz! 

... [I was a little concerned before the U/S because I had only gained maybe a pound and a half the last 4 weeks. (sinus mess, stress from losing Ben's grandpa and dad, etc)  But, evidently they are getting what they need.] ...

"Baby Center" says that the average baby at 30 weeks weighs almost 3lb.  

*Both babies are still head down.  Yay!  I coulda swore that Thing 1 flipped the other day, but he's being cooperative.  Hoping that they both stay head down so I have a greater chance of a VBAC.  Although, I am fully aware that I could deliver 1 baby and then have the 2nd baby flip around with all the newly acquired space.  If that happens, I could deliver 1 offspring vaginally and have the other delivered via C-section.  Ooooooo....sounds like fun.  

*Thing 1 was chewing/sucking on the cord.  Strange.  Ha.  He was also the thumb sucker earlier in the pregnancy.  

*I'm seeing the chiropractor now once a week. (Either the hubby or one of the doctors he works with)  It does wonders for a few days!  Then the giant gut gets the best of my spine / muscles.  

*Lil man still stares at my belly in amazement almost everyday and says ... "Mommy... it's SO BIG!"  Thank you child.  

*Hubby still stares at my belly in amazement almost everyday and says ... "Wow... it's SO BIG!"  Thank you hubs. ;)  

I'm Blessed 

I have people ask me all the time, "How are you feeling??"  Hmmm.  Not sure how I'm always supposed to answer that question.  Typically, I say "fine."  Unless you are one of the few lucky people I talk to a bunch, I don't like to complain about pregnancy symptoms.  It gets under my skin when I hear people go on and on about their aches and pains.    

Soooooo.... since carrying twins has proven to be much harder than I ever thought w/ lots of lovely symptoms/aches/pains...  My new official response to that question is "I'm blessed."  

I'm blessed to have back pain, aches, fatigue, an elephant that resides on my chest when I lay down, lack of bladder control & not being able to walk and talk w/o getting completely out of breath.  

Why?  Because I have been blessed to carry these lil babies!  Just like most things in life, there is a price to pay.  I will gladly carry these lil bladder 'n rib kickers for another 10 weeks if that is what my God wants.  There are far worse things in life than temporary aches and pains. 

Pictures

Here's me at 30 weeks with Thing 1 and Thing 2 ...

( The ultrasound pics were not very good this time.  The babies are getting really squished.  See the 26 week ultrasound post for much better pics. )

 Thing 1

As I said, not their best pics...

Thing 2

Not feeling so photogenic today... 

Sweet Big Brother

My lil man <3

29 Week Comparison / Delayed Cord Clamping / Stress

29 Week Comparison

Holy cow.  Literally.  I'm 29.5 weeks pregnant... and my belly measures 42 weeks!  When I went to my appointment last time, the midwife said I measured 36 weeks at 27.5 wks pregnant.  I didn't put it on my blog b/c I thought she must have surely measured me wrong.  Nope. 

Me @ 29 weeks with lil man...

29 weeks - 1st pregnancy

Me @ 29 weeks with Thing 1 and Thing 2 ...

29 weeks - Twins

Delayed Cord Clamping

One of the many things I've discussed with my midwife is the issue of wanting delayed cord clamping.  I never really thought about it until sometime after lil man was born when my husband opened my eyes to it. 

Luckily, the midwife I saw today is very pro-delayed cord clamping.  She reiterated several facts I already knew.  

(Disclaimer: I'm not a doctor, but this is the info that I've gathered via my research and my midwife.)

  

-Most doctors / nurses / midwives are taught to cut the baby's cord immediately. It's more of a medical convenience than a health issue.

-In the last 5 years or so, they have started researching and/or recognizing the benefits of having the cord clamped at least 1-3 minutes after birth.  

-WHY?? When the baby is born, a significant portion of its blood is still in the umbilical cord.  Right after birth, the cord is thick and pulsating.  (blood flowing through it from the placenta)  Typically a few minutes after birth, the cord has flattened and is no longer pulsating.  (blood has gone into the baby)  

     

*POSITIVE IMPLICATIONS:  There are many!  A few are less jaundice, less anemia, and less brain bleeding (due to vitamin K "deficiency", making the vitamin K shot less necessary).  

Stress

The last couple weeks have been a bit stressful.  

(Side note:  I've known my husband's family since I was in 5th grade.  I was friends w/ his sister and spent the night with her countless times growing up.  My family also spent many holidays with their family since we lived so far from mine.)  

The Saturday after my last appointment, my husband's grandfather passed away.  He had a couple heart attacks, open heart surgery, complications from medicine, then a stroke.  He went from running around in the yard chasing my lil man to going downhill very quickly in 2 months.  He was such a sweet man, but I'm so thankful that he knew Jesus and is no longer in pain.  

One week after my hubby's grandpa passed away, his dad had a massive heart attack and also passed.  He was my husband's best friend and needless to say, it's been really really tough.  I seriously could not have asked for a better father-in-law.  He is already dearly missed.  One of the hardest parts?  .... Explaining to a 2.5 year old why he can't see or call his papa.  Lil man called him just about every day.  He "knows" that Papa now lives w/ Poppy and Jesus in Heaven... but still thinks he will see him soon. ... Leaning on God's strength.

Poppy and lil man 

Papa and lil man

(Kinda ironic that both of these pics were taken inside in the same chair when both men LOVED being outside as much as possible.)

Lastly, my heart has been so heavy this week as I think of a sweet friend and her husband at my church whose first baby went to Heaven at only a few days old.  I cannot even imagine what they are going through, but I think about them and pray for them several times throughout the day.