I haven't gotten a lot of pregnancy announcements since I've been pregnant. And, those I have gotten have been from random acquaintances and not friends. But, yesterday my DH told me one that stung.
Friends of ours who have two kids and were "done" are expecting a third. When the husband of the pair told my DH about this last night my DH subtly asked him if it was planned or not (guys can get away with that with other guys). His friend's answer? "I had a vasectomy in January -- we must have gotten pregnant at the end of December before the surgery when we were traveling."
My response? BLAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!
It seems like everyone I know falls into one of two camps: can't get pregnant no matter what you do without a team of experts or "well, we don't need birth control just this once -- I'm sure it will be fine" then two weeks later a positive pee stick. There appears to be no in between.
Those of us in camp one want to strangle those in camp two.
First of all, these are all intelligent, educated people. Most of whom are scientists, engineers or statisticians. Do they not "get" the concept of how pregnancy happens? I mean, I know some women have crazy, wonky cycles or may not be as in tune with their ovulatory cycles as some of us are. But, seriously, use some damned common sense.
Unprotected sex can equal pregnancy. Don't bitch about it if you get pregnant after you do it.
(Not that this couple was actually bitching about it, but I've known plenty that do. And they need to be bopped upside the head. Hard.)
Of course, for many of us, unprotected sex can equal anything but pregnancy of course. Depression, feelings of failure, blame, anxiety, etc. But, pregnancy? Yeah, not so likely.
My DH said to me "well, I could see it happening to us -- some day down the line we might say 'oh, I'm sure it won't happen this time.'" And, yeah, we'd probably be right given our past. But, our IF problems are still somewhat unexplained but thought to be egg quality and potentially homicidal sperm -- so at any given month we could hit the lucky egg/sperm combo. I said to him "if that happened? I'd be thrilled." I mean, seriously, free baby!!
But, really, the rest of these folks need to pick up a 6th grade sex education textbook and learn where babies come from.
Friday, March 30, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
Quick appointment update
Hi all. Well, on the very, very positive side, going off the meds successfully alleviated the fluid problems -- both boys are back up to normal levels. Woohoo!
On the minus side, apparently the med was actually doing a good job at its intended target -- keeping my cervix long. After a week off of it, it's immediately gone back down to 2.5 cm and funneling. My fFN last week was still negative, though, and the MFM said he'd get concerned if the cervix drops below 2 cm. He said I wasn't at high risk of labor right now (which is very good). He didn't put me back on the med because the risk of fluid issues wasn't worth it and I'd have to go off of it next week anyway as he won't keep me on it past 28 weeks.
So, my goal is to stay hydrated, stay off my feet and relax as much as possible. I feel like we're living life in one week increments of "what can I get done this week in case next week I'm on bed rest?"
If I can just make it through the next four weeks of classes, I'd be so grateful. If I have to go down, I go down and the department will figure it out. But, I'm trying as hard as possible to do absolutely nothing else but teach (while sitting) so that it's more likely that I'll make it through the semester.
Ooh, and I managed to get a few new shirts and a pair of pants/capris yesterday for 50% off. Two were maternity shirts but the rest were actually regular shirts -- have you noticed how tent-like the new season's shirts are? Works well when you're pregnant. When you're not? Looks like you are, anyway. Kind of ridiculous. But, hey, I'll take it!!
In summary, fluid up, cervix down, giant tent-like shirts purchased. There you go.
On the minus side, apparently the med was actually doing a good job at its intended target -- keeping my cervix long. After a week off of it, it's immediately gone back down to 2.5 cm and funneling. My fFN last week was still negative, though, and the MFM said he'd get concerned if the cervix drops below 2 cm. He said I wasn't at high risk of labor right now (which is very good). He didn't put me back on the med because the risk of fluid issues wasn't worth it and I'd have to go off of it next week anyway as he won't keep me on it past 28 weeks.
So, my goal is to stay hydrated, stay off my feet and relax as much as possible. I feel like we're living life in one week increments of "what can I get done this week in case next week I'm on bed rest?"
If I can just make it through the next four weeks of classes, I'd be so grateful. If I have to go down, I go down and the department will figure it out. But, I'm trying as hard as possible to do absolutely nothing else but teach (while sitting) so that it's more likely that I'll make it through the semester.
Ooh, and I managed to get a few new shirts and a pair of pants/capris yesterday for 50% off. Two were maternity shirts but the rest were actually regular shirts -- have you noticed how tent-like the new season's shirts are? Works well when you're pregnant. When you're not? Looks like you are, anyway. Kind of ridiculous. But, hey, I'll take it!!
In summary, fluid up, cervix down, giant tent-like shirts purchased. There you go.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
27 weeks -- update time
Oh, I just give up. Right now this is what I do -- I post pregnancy updates. I actually did write an incredibly petty post earlier this week about my mother telling me that it was easy for her to help my cousin write my shower invitation because "all we had to do was change the number of babies from 3 to 2 from your other cousin's invite" but I've deleted it because it was very petty. Because, seriously, I'm very appreciative of what they're doing for me and I've rolled my eyes enough at hearing non-stop about the triplets and feeling "not special" and it's just time to move on.
(You can tell I've moved on, haven't you? It's obvious.)
Anyway... I figure it's time to do an "official" one of these again.
----------------
How far along?: 27 weeks! Is this the third trimester? Does it start next week? Depends on the book... (Why can't people agree on this?!) Anyway, one way or the other, we're either in or about to be in the third trimester. And, that's pretty damned amazing.
Weight?: 31-34 pounds or so. Which isn't good specifically because I have gained no weight in the past three or four weeks. I had a random weight spike at 23 weeks right after they put me on the meds to control the contractions but then I dropped 4 pounds and have been stuck ever since. I knew that the weight gain would slow down at some point, but apparently it's the weight gained before 28 weeks with twins that correlates to higher birth weights. So, I'm a little frustrated at myself over the past month. I'm eating as much as I can (and calorie-wise and protein-wise I should be gaining) and have even turned to drinking Ensure (ICK). (Sorry, I don't really want to bitch about not gaining weight...)
Maternity Clothes?: I was so excited the other day to realize I could still wear a non-maternity blousy tunic shirt I had. I'm getting pretty bored of the repetitiveness of my maternity clothes. And, since we've essentially skipped winter and moved onto Spring here (how on earth does our lawn need to be mowed in March?) I'm running out of options. I will probably have to buy some more soon. I did wear a pair of capris I'd originally bought during pregnancy #1. That was a little unnerving somehow. I felt like I was tempting fate (because the last time I wore them was the day I started bleeding before I miscarried).
What's the belly look like?: Still no stretch marks. My belly button is all flat with the top and bottom sticking out like lips. You can see my navel laparascopy scar, now; which is kind of bizarre and fascinating. A new pic on the Ticks page. It looks like I haven't really grown much (or have shrunk) but, truly I have -- up another inch around from last week and I am measuring around 37 or 38 weeks, I think. I think many people I know are profoundly disappointed I'm not more giant-sized. The nurses at the allergist were tripping over each other to "see the belly!!" when I came in yesterday. And, they seemed sad that it wasn't bigger. People say things like "wow, you look great...especially for twins" which seems to mean "wow, I was expecting you to be gargantuan." You just can't please people, really. So, I give up and embrace my small-ish belly!
Sleep?: Fitful but OK.
Best Moment of the Week?: Lots of random "I didn't know you were pregnant!" conversations this week from people I only see occasionally. I must be starting to look obvious enough that people are willing to take the risk to ask. I'm not sure if this is really the best moment of the week, but it's been a little entertaining to watch the trepidation as they wonder if they should ask. Added things to the registry. That was pretty awesome. Right now we're debating on two regular cribs or two mini-cribs. The babies' room is pretty small but I'm a little hesitant about the mini-cribs. They're not tiny (38 inches -- the width of a twin bed rather than 54 inches), but they'll be outgrown sooner. And there's questions of finding the right-sized mattress/sheets that are well fitting and safe. Anybody used a mini-crib before?
Movement?: Definitely. And, better than last week so I'm thinking (hoping) that my fluid levels are back up (we'll find out this afternoon). Best movement was when I was sort of propped up on my side with the corner of my iPad resting on my belly and it suddenly started jumping up and down. Apparently, someone did not like the iPad!!
Symptoms?: Continued acid-reflux. Sometimes when I eat it feels like the food has to pass by a boulder in my esophagus before it makes it to my stomach. Blood pressure creeping up -- we'll see what it looks like today. Contractions and lots of them. Standing is not my friend. We went to the store for about 15 minutes and I contracted every two minutes. That was my only outing other than work (where I sit all the time with my feet up) in the past week but it seems like it was way too much. So, I'm going to stop doing that. I didn't think the med was doing much (because I was still having some contractions even with it before). But, apparently, they could have been much more frequent and much more intense. If my fluid levels are back up, I think the MFM will put me back on it for one more week (must be stopped at 28 weeks, though).
Food Cravings?: I wish I could find something I actually wanted to eat. I tend to get really bored with repetition (hence the maternity wear dilemma), so things I scarfed down two weeks ago, I want nothing to do with today. It's making my DH nuts because he focuses on something I liked before and buys more of that in the hopes that I'll want to eat it -- and I can't stand it anymore! (Can I just say our grocery bill has been insane? I think we're prepping for what it will be like to have two 15 year old boys eating us out of house and home!!)
Gender?: Two boys!!
What I Miss?: A variety of pants and shirts to wear? :)
What I'm Looking Forward To: Being firmly in the 3rd trimester! The semester slowly creeping towards being "over." Just one more month of classes after this week. First shower (Skype family shower) two weeks from this coming Sunday.
Weekly Wisdom: Eat until you can't eat anymore. Then eat some more.
Milestones: Third trimester! :)
How's Daddy?: Great. Highly enjoying showing off his new minivan (which he calls the whale). He came back from the grocery store Monday and said "wow, it sure is easy to get bags in and out of that thing." Excited to look into potential help once the boys are here -- he was getting excited looking through care.com. It's been really sweet to watch.
Emotions: Highs and lows. I'm trying to stay positive that we'll have a good report today from the MFM about my cervix and the fluid levels. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, though. Starting to really be able to picture the babies here. That's been wonderful. Suddenly realizing that "holy crap I'm going to be responsible for two babies! I'm not ready!" That's been a little scary. Work still sucks.
Overall, I'm still feeling pretty great and loving being pregnant. It's stressful sometimes, but I really love it. My belly makes me happy and I'm loving beginning to daydream about the boys.
(You can tell I've moved on, haven't you? It's obvious.)
Anyway... I figure it's time to do an "official" one of these again.
----------------
How far along?: 27 weeks! Is this the third trimester? Does it start next week? Depends on the book... (Why can't people agree on this?!) Anyway, one way or the other, we're either in or about to be in the third trimester. And, that's pretty damned amazing.
Weight?: 31-34 pounds or so. Which isn't good specifically because I have gained no weight in the past three or four weeks. I had a random weight spike at 23 weeks right after they put me on the meds to control the contractions but then I dropped 4 pounds and have been stuck ever since. I knew that the weight gain would slow down at some point, but apparently it's the weight gained before 28 weeks with twins that correlates to higher birth weights. So, I'm a little frustrated at myself over the past month. I'm eating as much as I can (and calorie-wise and protein-wise I should be gaining) and have even turned to drinking Ensure (ICK). (Sorry, I don't really want to bitch about not gaining weight...)
Maternity Clothes?: I was so excited the other day to realize I could still wear a non-maternity blousy tunic shirt I had. I'm getting pretty bored of the repetitiveness of my maternity clothes. And, since we've essentially skipped winter and moved onto Spring here (how on earth does our lawn need to be mowed in March?) I'm running out of options. I will probably have to buy some more soon. I did wear a pair of capris I'd originally bought during pregnancy #1. That was a little unnerving somehow. I felt like I was tempting fate (because the last time I wore them was the day I started bleeding before I miscarried).
What's the belly look like?: Still no stretch marks. My belly button is all flat with the top and bottom sticking out like lips. You can see my navel laparascopy scar, now; which is kind of bizarre and fascinating. A new pic on the Ticks page. It looks like I haven't really grown much (or have shrunk) but, truly I have -- up another inch around from last week and I am measuring around 37 or 38 weeks, I think. I think many people I know are profoundly disappointed I'm not more giant-sized. The nurses at the allergist were tripping over each other to "see the belly!!" when I came in yesterday. And, they seemed sad that it wasn't bigger. People say things like "wow, you look great...especially for twins" which seems to mean "wow, I was expecting you to be gargantuan." You just can't please people, really. So, I give up and embrace my small-ish belly!
Sleep?: Fitful but OK.
Best Moment of the Week?: Lots of random "I didn't know you were pregnant!" conversations this week from people I only see occasionally. I must be starting to look obvious enough that people are willing to take the risk to ask. I'm not sure if this is really the best moment of the week, but it's been a little entertaining to watch the trepidation as they wonder if they should ask. Added things to the registry. That was pretty awesome. Right now we're debating on two regular cribs or two mini-cribs. The babies' room is pretty small but I'm a little hesitant about the mini-cribs. They're not tiny (38 inches -- the width of a twin bed rather than 54 inches), but they'll be outgrown sooner. And there's questions of finding the right-sized mattress/sheets that are well fitting and safe. Anybody used a mini-crib before?
Movement?: Definitely. And, better than last week so I'm thinking (hoping) that my fluid levels are back up (we'll find out this afternoon). Best movement was when I was sort of propped up on my side with the corner of my iPad resting on my belly and it suddenly started jumping up and down. Apparently, someone did not like the iPad!!
Symptoms?: Continued acid-reflux. Sometimes when I eat it feels like the food has to pass by a boulder in my esophagus before it makes it to my stomach. Blood pressure creeping up -- we'll see what it looks like today. Contractions and lots of them. Standing is not my friend. We went to the store for about 15 minutes and I contracted every two minutes. That was my only outing other than work (where I sit all the time with my feet up) in the past week but it seems like it was way too much. So, I'm going to stop doing that. I didn't think the med was doing much (because I was still having some contractions even with it before). But, apparently, they could have been much more frequent and much more intense. If my fluid levels are back up, I think the MFM will put me back on it for one more week (must be stopped at 28 weeks, though).
Food Cravings?: I wish I could find something I actually wanted to eat. I tend to get really bored with repetition (hence the maternity wear dilemma), so things I scarfed down two weeks ago, I want nothing to do with today. It's making my DH nuts because he focuses on something I liked before and buys more of that in the hopes that I'll want to eat it -- and I can't stand it anymore! (Can I just say our grocery bill has been insane? I think we're prepping for what it will be like to have two 15 year old boys eating us out of house and home!!)
Gender?: Two boys!!
What I Miss?: A variety of pants and shirts to wear? :)
What I'm Looking Forward To: Being firmly in the 3rd trimester! The semester slowly creeping towards being "over." Just one more month of classes after this week. First shower (Skype family shower) two weeks from this coming Sunday.
Weekly Wisdom: Eat until you can't eat anymore. Then eat some more.
Milestones: Third trimester! :)
How's Daddy?: Great. Highly enjoying showing off his new minivan (which he calls the whale). He came back from the grocery store Monday and said "wow, it sure is easy to get bags in and out of that thing." Excited to look into potential help once the boys are here -- he was getting excited looking through care.com. It's been really sweet to watch.
Emotions: Highs and lows. I'm trying to stay positive that we'll have a good report today from the MFM about my cervix and the fluid levels. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous, though. Starting to really be able to picture the babies here. That's been wonderful. Suddenly realizing that "holy crap I'm going to be responsible for two babies! I'm not ready!" That's been a little scary. Work still sucks.
Overall, I'm still feeling pretty great and loving being pregnant. It's stressful sometimes, but I really love it. My belly makes me happy and I'm loving beginning to daydream about the boys.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
26 weeks...
...And, I swear at some point I'll have more to say again rather than just pregnancy updates. At the moment, though, my brain only seems to be able to function on an "I'm OK, babies are OK, work is crazy, let's go to bed" level.
Anyway...
So, things are good. I just got back from the MFM and the babies are doing fine and my cervix is doing great (back up to the mid to upper 3 cm range -- actually normal). But... the babies' fluid levels have gotten too low. The sonographer couldn't even measure a pocket of fluid for Baby A. His bladder was full, though, and so was his stomach. So, there's definitely fluid in there, it's just too low. And, they haven't been moving around as much as they were -- which I think also comes from the low fluid (I think...) Since low fluid is a side effect of the NSAID I'm on to reduce contractions and lengthen my cervix, I'm now back off of it. So, now I am supposed to basically be on my butt on the sofa whenever I'm not teaching -- which was mostly what I was doing, anyway. (Except when I'm in the bathroom since I'm drinking insane amounts of water trying to get the fluid levels back up.)
So, hopefully my cervix will stay where it is, now, even without the meds. And, the MFM believes the fluid levels should get back to normal quickly. He also says "I have other tricks up my sleeve," so, I believe things will be OK. We did another fFN test, but we won't have the results until tomorrow.
I'm totally fine with going off the med because it makes me totally loopy --- hence some of the lack of blogging or commenting, lately. Between 1.5 to 2 hours after I take it, I suddenly start feeling totally spacey and like my hands are detached and moving through water... That feeling lasts for about an hour or two. Since I was taking it three times a day, two of those events would happen while I was at work. Which was kind of entertaining... but difficult to deal with. Teaching while high is...uh...interesting. The MFM said "that's not supposed to be a side effect of the med but I've had many different women say they experienced the same thing, so, yeah, apparently it is!"
So, here I lie on the sofa. Waiting for my brain to come back... (And counting the number of times I wrote "totally" in the last paragraph and now thinking this med makes me a Valley Girl.)
Ooh, the other big news of the week -- we bought a minivan!! Woohoo!!! After losing three different possibilities that went within 24 hours of posting before we could get to the dealer (one we missed in a one hour period between talking to the dealer on the phone and my father-in-law going to see it), we finally lucked into one while up in Iowa for our nephew's 4th birthday this weekend. It's a silver '05 Odyssey with decent miles and in great shape. We're absolutely loving it so far. We debated a lot about getting a newer one but we just couldn't justify the expense. After spending so much over the past few years in medical expenses, I just wanted to buy something we could afford outright but was still pretty nice. So, an older, but "fancier" Honda was the way to go.
The van is a big deal. I've been dreaming about one for years. In fact, one of my very first blog posts was about how much I wanted a minivan. (You have to get past the ranting part first...) The van makes me feel like we are moving forward. The van is me saying "I am going to have babies. It is going to happen." I mean, I know I'm 26 weeks pregnant with two babies. I know that. And, even if they came now they'd have a very good chance of surviving. (Please don't come for another 10-12 weeks, boys.) But, still sometimes I don't think it's really "clicked," yet. Signing the check and taking the keys was a big statement to myself. It let me believe. It is letting me get moving forward on everything else.
Slowly but surely. And, apparently from the sofa. But, we'll get there.
Anyway...
So, things are good. I just got back from the MFM and the babies are doing fine and my cervix is doing great (back up to the mid to upper 3 cm range -- actually normal). But... the babies' fluid levels have gotten too low. The sonographer couldn't even measure a pocket of fluid for Baby A. His bladder was full, though, and so was his stomach. So, there's definitely fluid in there, it's just too low. And, they haven't been moving around as much as they were -- which I think also comes from the low fluid (I think...) Since low fluid is a side effect of the NSAID I'm on to reduce contractions and lengthen my cervix, I'm now back off of it. So, now I am supposed to basically be on my butt on the sofa whenever I'm not teaching -- which was mostly what I was doing, anyway. (Except when I'm in the bathroom since I'm drinking insane amounts of water trying to get the fluid levels back up.)
So, hopefully my cervix will stay where it is, now, even without the meds. And, the MFM believes the fluid levels should get back to normal quickly. He also says "I have other tricks up my sleeve," so, I believe things will be OK. We did another fFN test, but we won't have the results until tomorrow.
I'm totally fine with going off the med because it makes me totally loopy --- hence some of the lack of blogging or commenting, lately. Between 1.5 to 2 hours after I take it, I suddenly start feeling totally spacey and like my hands are detached and moving through water... That feeling lasts for about an hour or two. Since I was taking it three times a day, two of those events would happen while I was at work. Which was kind of entertaining... but difficult to deal with. Teaching while high is...uh...interesting. The MFM said "that's not supposed to be a side effect of the med but I've had many different women say they experienced the same thing, so, yeah, apparently it is!"
So, here I lie on the sofa. Waiting for my brain to come back... (And counting the number of times I wrote "totally" in the last paragraph and now thinking this med makes me a Valley Girl.)
Ooh, the other big news of the week -- we bought a minivan!! Woohoo!!! After losing three different possibilities that went within 24 hours of posting before we could get to the dealer (one we missed in a one hour period between talking to the dealer on the phone and my father-in-law going to see it), we finally lucked into one while up in Iowa for our nephew's 4th birthday this weekend. It's a silver '05 Odyssey with decent miles and in great shape. We're absolutely loving it so far. We debated a lot about getting a newer one but we just couldn't justify the expense. After spending so much over the past few years in medical expenses, I just wanted to buy something we could afford outright but was still pretty nice. So, an older, but "fancier" Honda was the way to go.
The van is a big deal. I've been dreaming about one for years. In fact, one of my very first blog posts was about how much I wanted a minivan. (You have to get past the ranting part first...) The van makes me feel like we are moving forward. The van is me saying "I am going to have babies. It is going to happen." I mean, I know I'm 26 weeks pregnant with two babies. I know that. And, even if they came now they'd have a very good chance of surviving. (Please don't come for another 10-12 weeks, boys.) But, still sometimes I don't think it's really "clicked," yet. Signing the check and taking the keys was a big statement to myself. It let me believe. It is letting me get moving forward on everything else.
Slowly but surely. And, apparently from the sofa. But, we'll get there.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
25 weeks and some randomness
Hi all! I hope wherever you are you're getting some of this great weather that we're getting. We're a good 20 degrees above normal and our nighttime lows are well above our normal daytime highs. Add some sunshine to that and I'm a happy girl. This has been the weirdest winter. We only had "shovelable" (it's a word) snow once and it was gone by the next day. Crazy.
Anywho. Today marks 25 weeks! Yay! :) I thought I'd recognize it with some random thoughts that have been going through my head.
Sorry. Kinda gross, I know. Happy Tuesday!
Anywho. Today marks 25 weeks! Yay! :) I thought I'd recognize it with some random thoughts that have been going through my head.
- To answer a question posed last week -- MFM is a maternal-fetal medicine specialist or a perinatologist -- basically he specializes in high risk pregnancies. My MFM used to also do deliveries but now he has two OBs who work with him who do the deliveries. (As my husband puts it "he doesn't get you pregnant or deliver the baby but he's there for the ride.") It's actually nice that he doesn't do deliveries because he's never "on call" or harried or running into an appointment late or exhausted from a late night delivery. I love my MFM. He's the calmest, most reassuring doctor I've ever met. And, his office is this amazing zen-like place with Enya playing in the background, water features and mellow lighting. There's an NST (non-stress test) suite that we go to for contraction monitoring with big comfy leather recliners and sunny windows. How non-stressful can you get? :) The whole thing is part of a Women's Wellness Clinic and has a massage therapy spa, nutritionists, classes, etc. I really wish it was closer by because I would definitely choose this place as my normal doctor's office if I could.
- And for another question -- how do they know which is Baby A and which is Baby B? At the beginning, it was a little iffy (in my mind at least), but they always label them so that A is the one who is closest to the cervix -- i.e. if born vaginally, the first to get out. Early on, it seemed like they guessed at that part a bit and chose to call the one on the right A and the one on the left B. But, they may have already been looking at who was closest to the cervix because Baby A (whose head we can see whacking up against my cervix whenever we do cervical length measurements) is still the one on the right as well. Now it's definitely obvious -- A is always sitting with his head deep down in my pelvis in a tiny little ball and B is spread out and taking up all the room. The sonographer is amazing because she'll switch back and forth between them and say "here's Baby B's leg, here's Baby A's stomach" and I can't even figure out which one she's looking at.
- Speaking of ultrasounds, growth and cervix scan yesterday went great. My friend H came with me because my DH couldn't go at the last minute. She was so excited to see the scans. My cervix is still below normal but just in the "slightly off" range around 30-34 mm. I had several bigger contractions while on the monitor but the MFM isn't worried about them since the cervix measurement and last week's fFN were good. The babies are measuring exactly at the 50th percentile for weight and within 2 % of each other. They're nearly 1.5 pounds each! This truly amazes me because they're considerably bigger than one of my cousin's triplets and nearly as big as the other two when they were born at 27 weeks. Makes me feel very good about how they're doing.
- My mom's visit was great. She was beyond excited to get to go with me to see the babies on Friday. She cooked and helped clean which was wonderful because I haven't been able to do anything about the bathroom for weeks and it was getting really gross. It was great to see her and have her around. We talked a lot and hung out.
- We're making some progress on the babies' room. Not as much as I'd like, but at least we're getting somewhere. The books are off the shelves and sorted into other places in the house and my knitting stuff has been relocated. There's still a long way to go, though. I started having panic attacks standing in the room. (There's another post I'm working on in that.)
- So sad that spring break is over. Sigh. Seriously hoping that being back to work doesn't undo all the good cervical growth I've had over the last two weeks. Trying to stay off my feet as much as possible.
Sorry. Kinda gross, I know. Happy Tuesday!
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Good so far!
A quick update -- my cervix went from 25-27 mm last week to 28-34 mm this week! Woohoo! Both babies' fluid levels still look good (a concern from the meds). I still had several contractions while they monitored, but most were very subtle with only one bigger one. They also did the fFN test for the first time. If this protein is present in cervical secretions at this stage in pregnancy, it indicates pre-term labor might begin at some point (although somewhat unreliably). But, if it isn't present, it says that you are unlikely to go into labor in the next two weeks. (When negative it is more reliable than when positive...which is weird.) Anyway, the fFN test was negative, so that's a very good thing.
So, we're doing well! Hopefully the "good rest" I've been getting this week will carry on to next week when I'm back to work.
Lots of scans and appointments coming up -- I have my regular monthly OB appointment on Friday. My mother doesn't know, yet, but she's coming with me and will get to see the grandbabies. (I didn't want to tell her in case it had to be rescheduled and she'd be disappointed.) Then a growth scan/cervix check on Monday back with the MFM. Then we're back to regular weekly cervix scans starting the following Wednesday.
Lots of scans and appointments coming up -- I have my regular monthly OB appointment on Friday. My mother doesn't know, yet, but she's coming with me and will get to see the grandbabies. (I didn't want to tell her in case it had to be rescheduled and she'd be disappointed.) Then a growth scan/cervix check on Monday back with the MFM. Then we're back to regular weekly cervix scans starting the following Wednesday.
Feeling much better about how things are going. Still stressed about work stuff, but feeling much better about how the pregnancy is going. Thanks for all of your encouragement!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
24 weeks!
Hi all!
First off -- I think I finally managed to turn off the damn captcha for comments. They've been making me NUTS ever since Blogger changed to the idiotic squiggly two-word process. Ugh. You can't seem to turn it off from the new interface, though, and I couldn't get my interface to change back to the old one to do it. So, phew. Finally.
Thanks for all your comments. I'm trying to take it as easy as possible. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my next scan. I feel like I'm just in a holding pattern waiting to find out if things have gotten better or where we stand. Hoping for better.
Anywho -- here's an "official" update.
----------
How far along?: 24 weeks!! WOOHOO! At this point, the babies would have a 50/50 chance of survival if they came, it seems. Not that I want them to come this early (even vaguely) but it feels good to know we've hit that point.
Weight?: 30-something pounds. I'm not sure how much because, since I started on the meds last week, I've been retaining water. So, anywhere from 32 pounds to 36 pounds depending on the day. I've been feeling like a giant blob lately.
Maternity Clothes?: Yep. In addition, it seems that I will be the "open cardigan" girl this pregnancy. I've had to retire a few pairs of pants I got early on -- I CANNOT wear the mid-belly pants anymore. They just hurt. Only full panel pants or below the belly leggings work (and I'm not thrilled with the below the belly ones).
What's the belly look like?: Still got the reddish equator going on. No real stretch marks beyond that, though. My belly button is starting to invert -- by the end of the day, if I'm particularly bloated, the edges are sticking out. It's a weird feeling -- there is definitely skin sticking out that hasn't before. It feels "new."
Sleep?: Not too bad. On the plus side, I've been waking up to pee less often -- on the minus side I think it's because the med has me retaining water. I've had to take naps during the day, though, because I'm still quite drugged/tired.
Best Moment of the Week?: The fact that it's Spring Break!! Woohoo!!
Movement?: All sorts of movements. They have times of wild activity. It's really awesome. Enough to move a blanket the other day.
Symptoms?: Acid reflux hits with a vengeance every night. It oddly doesn't take the form of heartburn -- just burning in my esophagus and the ever popular burp/puke. Pleasant. Contractions aren't fun. I think they might be less than before -- but I've also not been working. I'm worried about what will happen when I go back next week.
Food Cravings?: Nothing really. In fact, if I could avoid eating right now I'd really like to. Nothing sounds appealing.
Gender?: Two boys!! Definitely confirmed.
What I Miss?: Being able to accomplish anything around the house. Everything's a mess and I really can't deal with it. Sometime it starts to make me nuts and I just do the dishes or straighten up a room or try to do laundry -- and I start to have regular contractions and get out of breath. It's hard to remind myself that I shouldn't be doing it.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Hoping that tomorrow goes well. My mother coming to visit Thursday and hopefully helping me deal with the babies' room.
Weekly Wisdom: When you're overdoing it and your body is telling you that -- lie the fuck down.
Milestones: 6 months!
How's Daddy?: Sweet as always. Obsessed with building a bookshelf. I'm hoping once he finishes it he'll be obsessed with helping me clean. It makes me nuts sometimes that things will just stay the way they are unless i do something about it -- and it's way too easy for me to overdo it right now.
Emotions: Very glad of the time off this week. Stressed because I'm not accomplishing what I need to. Angry for feeling stressed. Exhausted. Broke down in tears on Monday for no reason. Very nervous about our scan tomorrow -- hoping that the combo of the drugs and the rest have helped my cervix get back up into the normal range.
Overall, all is good. Hopefully good news tomorrow!!
First off -- I think I finally managed to turn off the damn captcha for comments. They've been making me NUTS ever since Blogger changed to the idiotic squiggly two-word process. Ugh. You can't seem to turn it off from the new interface, though, and I couldn't get my interface to change back to the old one to do it. So, phew. Finally.
Thanks for all your comments. I'm trying to take it as easy as possible. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is my next scan. I feel like I'm just in a holding pattern waiting to find out if things have gotten better or where we stand. Hoping for better.
Anywho -- here's an "official" update.
----------
How far along?: 24 weeks!! WOOHOO! At this point, the babies would have a 50/50 chance of survival if they came, it seems. Not that I want them to come this early (even vaguely) but it feels good to know we've hit that point.
Weight?: 30-something pounds. I'm not sure how much because, since I started on the meds last week, I've been retaining water. So, anywhere from 32 pounds to 36 pounds depending on the day. I've been feeling like a giant blob lately.
Maternity Clothes?: Yep. In addition, it seems that I will be the "open cardigan" girl this pregnancy. I've had to retire a few pairs of pants I got early on -- I CANNOT wear the mid-belly pants anymore. They just hurt. Only full panel pants or below the belly leggings work (and I'm not thrilled with the below the belly ones).
What's the belly look like?: Still got the reddish equator going on. No real stretch marks beyond that, though. My belly button is starting to invert -- by the end of the day, if I'm particularly bloated, the edges are sticking out. It's a weird feeling -- there is definitely skin sticking out that hasn't before. It feels "new."
Sleep?: Not too bad. On the plus side, I've been waking up to pee less often -- on the minus side I think it's because the med has me retaining water. I've had to take naps during the day, though, because I'm still quite drugged/tired.
Best Moment of the Week?: The fact that it's Spring Break!! Woohoo!!
Movement?: All sorts of movements. They have times of wild activity. It's really awesome. Enough to move a blanket the other day.
Symptoms?: Acid reflux hits with a vengeance every night. It oddly doesn't take the form of heartburn -- just burning in my esophagus and the ever popular burp/puke. Pleasant. Contractions aren't fun. I think they might be less than before -- but I've also not been working. I'm worried about what will happen when I go back next week.
Food Cravings?: Nothing really. In fact, if I could avoid eating right now I'd really like to. Nothing sounds appealing.
Gender?: Two boys!! Definitely confirmed.
What I Miss?: Being able to accomplish anything around the house. Everything's a mess and I really can't deal with it. Sometime it starts to make me nuts and I just do the dishes or straighten up a room or try to do laundry -- and I start to have regular contractions and get out of breath. It's hard to remind myself that I shouldn't be doing it.
What I'm Looking Forward To: Hoping that tomorrow goes well. My mother coming to visit Thursday and hopefully helping me deal with the babies' room.
Weekly Wisdom: When you're overdoing it and your body is telling you that -- lie the fuck down.
Milestones: 6 months!
How's Daddy?: Sweet as always. Obsessed with building a bookshelf. I'm hoping once he finishes it he'll be obsessed with helping me clean. It makes me nuts sometimes that things will just stay the way they are unless i do something about it -- and it's way too easy for me to overdo it right now.
Emotions: Very glad of the time off this week. Stressed because I'm not accomplishing what I need to. Angry for feeling stressed. Exhausted. Broke down in tears on Monday for no reason. Very nervous about our scan tomorrow -- hoping that the combo of the drugs and the rest have helped my cervix get back up into the normal range.
Overall, all is good. Hopefully good news tomorrow!!
Saturday, March 3, 2012
My husband is adorable
I'm gonna go with some bullet points here:
- Not sure, yet, if the meds are stopping the contractions -- hopefully so. Thursday was a really rough day. The new med had me loopy and disconnected and feeling like I was high all day long. And, whenever I stood up I contracted again. I took a 1 1/2 hour nap on the floor of my office over lunch because I truly could no longer function. All I could think was "how on earth am I going to work on this med?" I felt like my brain was in some other world.
- Luckily, Friday was a lot better. I've never gotten used to side effects so quickly. Still feeling like there's a calm over me (but that's probably not a bad thing), and a little out of it, but not feeling like I just can't function anymore. I started teaching using the video overhead projector -- seems to be working pretty well. It definitely changes how I teach, though, because I feel like I'm not interacting with my students as much since I'm isolated behind the podium. Also, I am a very animated, active teacher -- I flail around a lot and bop around the room. I can't do that and stay seated so it's a little weird. It'll work, though, and I definitely felt less tired at the end of the day not standing up a few hours.
- It's Spring Break! Woohoo!! :)
- The med seems to have me retaining water and dehydrated all at the same time. I've gained three pounds in 2 days. My nose has stopped bleeding -- which you'd think would be good but now it's just swollen and stuffed up and I can't seem to do anything about it. Hmm. I am drinking lots and lots of water. I'll talk to the MFM if this weight gain keeps happening so quickly.
- I'm going to spend the first day or two of my break hanging out on the couch. I figure it will be good to relax a bit.
- Yesterday we had this giant freak blizzard that came out of nowhere. Huge wet flakes and whiteout conditions for about 2 hours. Then, the temperature spiked up and it all melted by the afternoon. Bizarre.
- When I came out of my office to go home yesterday afternoon, this is what I saw on my windshield:
- My husband made me a little tiny snowman! Complete with leaf arms! Isn't that adorable? I left him there for the drive home and he actually made it all the way (I only live a few blocks from work but can't walk in anymore). He was my little protective dude.
- That's all I've got. Thanks to all of you for your comments the past few days. I'm feeling good that we're going to stop this shortened cervix before it gets too bad. We're not at the "bad" stage, yet, just at the cautious stage. I'm really hoping we can stave off bed rest. We'll see how it goes.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)