3rd Trimester Friends (and almost 3rd!)

[Paige]

HI Ladies!

Hope everyone is doing well. My bump appears to be massive...maybe I'll start calling it a mountain. I can't believe I'm down to approx. 6 weeks until delivery.

How is everyone doing? If you're going to get stretch marks...would they have shown up by now? Could they still come? Knock on wood, Im ok so far, but checking obsessively every day! There is always the pulsed laser and the derm. if it gets too bad I guess.

Has anyone picked out names yet? We have a short list of about 10, let's just hope DH and I can agree on one of them!

I'm now going to the ob every 2 weeks, and I must say, I like it. Is that weird or what? I just feel better seeing her a little more often. The hospital I'm delivering at just redid the entire post delivery wing with all private rooms, they all have granite counters, wireless internet, huge bathrooms.......I am thrilled. Now I won't have to deal with a roommate that didn't use drugs, had her baby naturally, and pushed 2 xs (this happened when I had my daughter 5 yrs ago)! I wanted to push the curtain aside and do mean things to her , but I couldn't even roll over, let alone get out of bed!

Hope everyone is hanging in there.

Paige

[alicia]

Paige,

Funny, people keep coming up and asking me if I'm about to deliver. When I tell them I'm due May 7, they look horrified! I'm doing okay, just uncomfortable at times.

Our working names are Felix Conrad and Emmett Franklin. We have a longer list, but those ones seem to stick more than any of the others. I'm so proud of you that you have 10 on your list! I worry that they may not look like an Emmett and a Felix.

I also go to the OB every 2 weeks. Sadly, Stanford, which is a great hospital only has 2 private rooms. But I'm sure nobody will want to share a room with twins, so maybe we will be lucky. You probably won't want to go home from yours!

I also hope everyone else is doing okay. It's been a little quiet - probably all of us trying to catch up with everything that needs to be done before there isn't any more time

Alicia

[Paige]

Alicia:

I love your names! Do you find yourself saying them to your tummy? I'm rooting for you to get a private room....if you're doing double the work, shouldn't they take that into consideration???? Are you having them naturally or do they just schedule a C-Section with twins? I've heard of both, maybe it depends on your Dr.

I've had people act pretty surprised when I tell them my due date. It's weird though....all of the sudden they are surprised it's so soon. It used to be they were surprised my mountain was so big.

I'm still wondering if Janem delivered at 30 weeks, and how everything went? Has anyone heard anything?

Paige

[alicia]

Paige,

My twins will probably be C-section because neither has ever been head down. But if Baby A turns in time, then they can usually deliver both naturally. Of course I have to have an epidural anyway, just in case they need to do an unplanned C-section. Too bad!

If they don't come by 38 weeks, they will do a scheduled C-section. I just hope they stay in there at least until 36 weeks or so. No sign of early labor yet, though - fingers crossed.

I can't believe you've only got 6 weeks to go! Good luck with the home stretch!

Alicia

[TanyaVincent-Tomlinson]

Hi Ladies

Finally got there... today is my last day at work... and what am I doing???? SURFING!!!

Paige, your hospital sounds more like a 5 star hotel... you really won't ever want to leave!! We still have to go and look at the facilities in our hospital... but somehow I don't think that even German efficiency can top that one!

Alicia, I will keep my fingers and toes crossed that you manage to get a room on your own... you will deserve it after all your work!!

We started our ante-natal classes last week... am quite enjoying them, and learning some new German words!! (although I DO have to explain them to DH afterwards as well!! ).

Am really beginning to feel like a beached whale... especially at night in bed. I cannot believe how big I have suddenly started to feel. We have our next doc's appointment on Tuesday and hopefully he will start wanting to see us a little more regularly... we're still on the every 4 weeks schedule... is that normal????

Yesterday someone asked me if I was at the hospital for delivery and when I said I still had another 7 weeks, she asked if it was twins! Must be giving our little Anna (yes, that's the name we've chosen) a bit of a complex to be told that she's big!!

We had a brilliant scan last time... is it possible to fall more in love with your baby from a good scan picture??? Check her out yourselves www.boycieandmarlene.com/LittlePrincess2

Take care and keep the updates coming!
Tanya

[Cate]

Hi Tanya what a brillinat scan it's lovely seeing the baby isn't it very reassuring, they are scaning me every 4 weeks (pre eclampsia last time small baby)and up to now everything the right size I'm building quite a collection of pictures I don't have a scanner on the pc otherwise would share with you I presume thats how you have included yours?

We have Annabel as one of our names but also Violet, Isobel Samuel and Issac and Jacob, I keep thinking of new ones then come back to the same.
I was on a site the other day that popped up random names with origin and meaning etc roulette style which was good but one of them was Adolf!!! I appologise to anyone who may in fact have Adolf in mind.
Despite Pauls addiction to the history channel I don't think so!! Also we have an odd Norwegian surname which we always have to spell so it has to be something you don't have to keep spelling don't want the poor child spending rest of life spelling first and surname and also has to go with it and not rhyme!!!
I'm getting quite excited doc reckons will give me date on 22nd March for c section and be before 37 weeks which means I've got less than 8 weeks to go...... March next week therefore will be April baby instead of May? Cate xxx 29 weeks 1 day today

[alicia]

Cate,

What lovely names you have chosen! That website with the random names sounds very interesting. Would you mind passing it on to all of us?

Tanya,

Your scans are beautiful! It's so great when you can get a good view. Sometimes mine are shy and they can't get much of anything. Your little Anna is adorable! And I think every 4 weeks is normal unless they have reason to believe there may be a problem. I'm starting to go every 2 weeks because they want to know if the babies are planning to come early, as twins often do.

Hang in, everyone, we're in the home stretch!

Alicia

[TanyaVincent-Tomlinson]

Hi there

Just come back from a very stressful day... ok last day at work, not so stressful, but my backache was getting worse and worse throughout the day, so much so that DH insisted on taking me to hospital to check that everything was ok (after our antenatal class the day before when the midwife had said that contractions can be in your back and don't have to be in your tummy!)... everything was... and Anna is doing well...up to 2kg (or 4.4lbs)... but a bit scary.... well the back pain was still there... although I felt reassured that there were no contractions and the doctor took some blood etc. To cut a long story short, got home and spent the best part of 4 hours on the loo... I am sure that any weight I put on in pregnancy has now gone (sorry to be so crude!).... I think it's those awful iron supplements again. I have just sent DH to the shops to get some prunes and some other gentle laxatives... I NEVER want to do that again!!!! Still, I guess it is practice for the big day!

Cate,
Yes we have been scanning the pictures in... it's been a godsend for our families, as they're obviously quite far away and can't get to see the scan pictures otherwise... and will hopefully also be a nice reminder for Anna later on.

I love your names... Samuel was one of our boys names as well- but as soon as we knew it was going to be a girl, it had to be Anna- it was my grandmother's name. My cousin (who is also pregnant with a girl now- 2 months behind us) is really jealous that I've already bagsed Anna, as she wanted it too! My other grandmother was called Violet!

It's so difficult knowing that whatever you chose as a name now, the poor little mite has to live with forever... everyone keeps asking if I've changed my mind and want to call her Cruz, like the Beckham's new baby!!!
Speaking of Adolf, though, we have to be careful of birth dates... his was in April!!!

Enough of my rambling.... hope you're all well and look forward to hearing your news. Anyone got any new measurements????

T

[Cate]

Put in baby names roulette into google then it suggests a site NetDoctor.co.ukNames best of luck!! Took Jess for swimming lesson today and hopped on posh scales when there I weigh 11stone 1lb (70.3kg) I'm about 5'5" tall no wonder I can't breathe I was 9stone 4lb.
Paul is not so keen on Violet but Jess and I like it Isobel is my Mothers middle name.

[Cate]

On the subject of random Spainish words for baby names my friends have come up with Chorizo as in the sausage for a boy Cava a take on Chardonnay or Tapas or Cerveza!!!! xxxx

[alicia]

I'm all for Cerveza. It sounds so cool! Of course in California, everyone knows this word. So you might as well just name the child Budwiezer.

[Barny]

Hello,

I don't post much but I lurk alot and I've been following your progress. Glad to see you're all doing OK.

I'll be 29 wks on Tuesday. Decided to measure my bump the other day after reading about your measurements. It was 39 inches. Was a tad shocked, as I'm too only a shortie at 5ft 2. It's quite frightening to think that the baby has got to at least double it's weight yet. Where's it all going to go? I feel like my tummy could burst already.

You guys seem really organised with the nursery preparations. I've done nothing yet. Starting to panic a bit now. As for names, I haven't a clue. Like your friends suggestions Cate - I'll see if DH goes for any of them, but somehow I think he won't!

Take care all,
Barny

[Paige]

HI Ladies!

Barny..nice to hear from you! We've all definately graduated from bumps to mountains! I measured last night and was 43 inches! I think it's a little smaller though if I measure in the morning.
My sister had her baby on Friday (a little boy) and is home, nursing, cleaning and cooking! She's doing great, and it's her first one. I'm making the road trip tomorrow to go see her new little peanut. Our babies will be exactly 6 weeks apart.
I loved the names, I was cracking up? How about throwing a little french in there.......Vin (means wine in French ) I'd like some vin or cerveza right about now, it seems like it's been forever!
One of my best friends just went through her first IVF cycle, and had a blood test on day 14 post transfer. She got a positive, but her hcg level was only 30, which seems a little bit low to me. Now we're holding our breath until Monday to see if everything doubles/triples. Does 30 sound low to you guys? I think...if I remember right, mine was over 100 on day 10 post transfer. Can you guys remember? Seems like forever ago doesn't it.
Rolling over at night is turning into a major event. It also wakes the baby up and then she does gymnastics for another 1/2 hour until I'm totally awake and then can't go back to sleep. I don't know how you ladies with twins are rolling over at all, it must be soooo much to move around!

Take care of yourselves!

Paige

[alicia]

Paige,

You can still sleep lying down? There is no rolling over when you have to sleep sitting up. Actually I can usually sleep the last hour or so, and yes, rolling over is nearly impossible.

I remember that my clinic likes to see HCG levels at 50 or higher. But as we all know, sometimes low turns out to be fine and other times not. Of course getting a +ve at all is a great sign that it will work, even if not this time.

Barny,

Nice to hear from you. Do you know if you have a boy or a girl? As for nursery preparations, the only reason we've done anything at all is because all the books about premature twins have put the fear in me.

We had our baby shower today. It was so fun, but also very tiring. My dear friend Dorian did such a great job with everything. And we now have almost eveything we need for the little guys. I think I'm going to take a nap now...

Alicia

[Barny]

Paige - I agree rolling over in bed is hard work. Poor DH is gradually getting squeezed to the the very edge of the bed.

An HCG of 30 does seem a little low but you can't really tell with just one reading. She'll have more of an indication with some repeat levels so she can see whether it's doubling. Fingers crossed for her.

Alicia - These baby showers sound good fun. It's a shame we don't have them in the UK.

I've resisted the temptation to find out whether it's a boy or girl. I think it's because I don't trust the sonographer to get it right. It would be just my luck to be told it's a girl, go and buy everything pink and then it turns out to be a boy.

I'm counting down the days until I finish work now - only 8 more left. Once I've finished work, hopefully I get my act together with some preparations. I start my ante-natal classes tomorrow night so maybe that will scare me into getting organised.

Barny
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