MAY 2011 BABY or BABIES!

[2bunsinoven]

Kizmet- sorry for not keeping in touch, I've been so busy, but that's no excuse. Wow! You're already 32 weeks, how exciting. Only 8 more weeks before you see your precious baby and you know it'll fly by. Do you have everything ready, when's your next doctors appointment, do you know if s/he is head down or breached? Sorry for all the questions just want to see how you'll are doing. It's just so exciting to be this far along. These babies are already loved so much, can you imagine how we're going to be when they arrive, head over heals.

Hope- still thinking/praying for you'll, hope everything is ok.

Afm- well the doctor just said I was having a ton of contractions which finally subsided and told me to go in if it happens again so they can take further actions, which it hasn't. So fingers crossed that these beautiful babies stay in as long as possible. This week is my last week at work and I'm a little excited and scared at the same time. I have an ultrasound this Tuesday along with the sugar test, I had to move it a week back. This ultrasound is long overdue, excited to see how much they've progressed. I've been worried about Joaquin because he's not as active as Isaiah:( Joaquin is the one that's lower to my pelvic area. Other than that, not much to report besides the brutal pelvic, hip, and back pain:( but I'll survive, lol. I'll post after Tuesday when I get some results back.



Ki

[2bunsinoven]

Kizmet- forgot to ask you how your back is doing? What have you done to help with the pain?

[kizmet]

Great to hear from you 2Buns! Glad to hear everything is going well and the contractions have eased off. Are you going to have a planned c'section or are you going to try for a vaginal birth? Must be a little scary when you can feel one and not the other as much. I know how I am when Bean goes quiet for a day or so (like last week when I hadn't felt anything since Saturday night and ended up back in hospital on the Tuesday because my BP was through the roof and got put on CTG to make sure Bean was OK - plus side to the whole thing was that my BP was fine by the time I was admitted and they did an ultrasound as well so I got another sneak peak at Bean!

I'm sure my back pain is nowhere near as bad as yours! My back is pretty good now, it's more that I've injured my shoulder somehow, so now can't sleep on my left side at all.

I have an appointment with the OB tomorrow at 11am and seeing the physio for my shoulder at 2.15pm. I'm jealous that you only have a week left at work! I've still got another 19 days! Mind you I'm having tomorrow off, so that makes 18 and as I have to see the OB weekly from now on, I'm not going to go into work in the mornings before my appointments so my BP isn't up (very stressful at work at the moment), I'm sure it will add up to a few less days!

Also, probably only 6 weeks til I meet Bean as I'm pretty sure that they will induce me 2 weeks early.

Are you doing any ante-natal/birthing classes? We started two weeks ago and I've learnt a lot...including how liberal minded our hospital is...the midwife taking the class was talking about naturally inducing and speeding up labour and mentioned that if you want to get "amorous" in the birthing suite to move things along, just to let them know so that they don't walk in! LOL I've told DH that is SERIOUSLY unlikely!

[klinger13]

Hi Kizmet & 2buns - I saw you'd been asking about Teresa (hopeforbabies). I hope she doesn't mind me posting this but she sent me a quick message last week that she ended up delivering Liam via emergency c-section at 26 weeks 6 days gestation. He weighed 2 lbs and was 15in long. As of March 2nd when she wrote me, he seemed to be doing well so far. He was breathing mostly by himself and was taking feedings well also. If I hear anything more I'll let you know or once Teresa has time I'm sure she'll post, but since you were both keeping her & Liam in your thoughts & prayers, if you can keep those thoughts & prayers going, I'm sure she'd appreciate them.

Amanda

[kizmet]

Klinger - Thank you so much for the update. If you're speaking/emailing Teresa, please let her know I'm thinking of her, Liam and her DH. I'll be keeping my fingers and toes crossed for all of them that everything works out just fine.

AFM - Have had a killer week. Ended up having to have oral surgery on Tuesday after a disastrous trip to the dentist and still feeling the effects of the anesthetic but at least my mouth isn't quite as bad today! Got a good report, for the first time, from the OB on Tuesday despite having to go and see him between the dentist and my emergency trip to the oral surgeon - I was suprised to find that my BP was in the vicinity of normal despite having had the drama of a tooth snap off in an attempted molar extraction without the comfort of local...well, I'd had local, it just never works for me!

[2bunsinoven]

Klinger- Thanks for letting us know what's going on. I'm sure Liam is alright and I'm sending lots of hugs and prayers.

Kizmet- Ouch! I hate anything that has to do with teeth because I know how painful it could be. One infection or mishap and you're kinda screwed when it comes to eating. I hope you feel better by now. About not being able to feel your little bean, doesn't that drive you nuts? I swear Joaquin is grounded as soon as he comes out, lol! He's just the worst when it comes to scarring me. I almost went to the hospital too Friday because I hadn't felt him for 2 days. I just hate going in and being there for 12 hours and then to get a not so good ultrasound. The ladies that do it there don't let me see anything and they don't talk, hate it. Atleast you get to see. As soon as I got to work Friday morning I just ate a ton of sweets and about an hour later I finally felt him, geez these boys are going to be little trouble makers! It sucks that you can't sleep on your left side because they say that's the best side to sleep on. At this point I'm alternating sides because my hips shot after 2-3 hours. And I can't sleep on my back because I just have a non-stop urge of wanting to throw up. Two more weeks at work isn't that far away and I'm sure it'll go by fast, it did for me. It was really hard leaving the kids Friday, I cried of course. How lucky you get to see your OB on a weekly basis now! I'm only seeing mine every two weeks and an ultrasound every 4 weeks, . I'm so jealous that you have 5-6 weeks left, why is it that they may induce 2 weeks early? I'm just so grateful we've made it this far. I haven't started to take any birthing classes. I'm kind of debating if I should even bother because both boys have been breached, but with my luck they'll turn at the last minute. How much are the classes? Also, have you been getting cramps in your calves? Everytime I wake up I get them and I'm just wondering if it has anything to do with the pregnancy.

AFM- Both babies are doing fine. When I got my ultrasound on Tuesday I was expecting to see their faces but they were both facing my back. Joaquin is 2.12 pds and Isaiah is 2.8 pds. Joaquin also has a lot of hair, which explains all the heartburn I've been having. I don't know if their weight is over or under but they said they are fine for being 28 weeks. My Dr. told me that he won't induce me at 36 weeks and I was very upset because he's being telling me 36 weeks this whole time. He said since I'm doing so well he won't be suprised if I go further, but won't let me go over 38 weeks. I guess he knows best, I'm just so miserable right now I'm scared of how my body will take it for another 9 weeks. I feel like an old person. Other than that, my cervix and fluid look great, YAY! And now that I'm not working, it's time to relax and get organized.

[kizmet]

2Buns - I have my next growth ultrasound this Friday. I'm looking forward to that enormously. Hopefully I get a good technician again, unlike yours, who is happy to talk to me about what we're looking at (although I do have a reasonably good understanding of what I'm seeing after years of looking at horse ultrasounds!). The clinic that I'm getting this one done at doesn't have 3D imaging, but at the same time, I don't have to pay for it either, so I guess it's a nice compromise! After a good OB appointment last week, I'm back to fortnightly appointments for now. They will induce me at 38 weeks because I'm type 1 diabetic and it is hospital policy to take babies of diabetic mums out around 38 weeks. I'm feeling a bit nervous about that now - one because that's only 5 weeks away and two, I figure if Bean's happy in there, surely he/she is staying in there because that's the best place for him/her?

About the classes - remembering I'm in Australia, so things are likely very different - they cost us $140 for 7 classes, 2 hours a week. So far, I wouldn't say I've learned a huge amount of stuff that I hadn't already heard about birthing but I have learned a lot about the hospital and it's proceedures, which i think is invaluable.

I hope you start to feel a bit better and the next 9 weeks aren't too tough. I still have morning sickness, which I think is the number one reason I feel rotten. I've also hit a really emotional patch and just find myself on the verge of tears over small things (my poor DH).

Edited to add: yes, I do get leg cramps early in the mornings, however I started taking a calcium supplement and this seems to have helped (sometimes if you are low in calcium, it can cause muscle cramping because calcium is vital for muscle movement) and it is apparently common in pregnancy. Can't really hurt anyway.

[dys24]

Hi Ladies,


how is everyone doing? I'm so busy and tired these days i dont have time to log on anymore. i just read all of your updates and i hope Teresa and her little miracle are doing well.
I cant believe we are so close to delivering time has sure flown by (at least for me) I had a growth scan last week and she is measuring 4lbs3oz which is right in the 50th percentile. No problems as of now, although i'm getting really uncomfortable and tired after working and running after my DD. I cant wait for my maternity leave.

kizmet- wow induction at 38wks? thats soo close. I'm so excited any guesses on the sex of the baby?

2buns- glad the twins are doing well! i cant even imagine how uncomfortable you must be with twins. i really give big props to tiwn mommas! I can barely make it with carrying one lol

[kizmet]

Dys - glad to hear all is well. I just hit panic when I read your bubs is in the 50th percentile at 4lb 3, since I was told this morning Bean is 5lb 9!

I have reached a whole new level of bad mood today.

I had what was supposed to be our final growth ultrasound today. Only to find out that bean doesn’t have enough amniotic fluid protecting him/her. So I was admitted to the MDAU for the morning for CTG monitoring (to make sure Bean was moving OK and heart rate was fine) and other invasive, unpleasant tests (to check that the membranes were still intact – this was kind of painful, only then to be asked if we’d had sex in the last 24 hours, because if so, the test would have to be redone tomorrow if it was positive…thanks for the heads up there OB, but thankfully it was negative). TMI? At least during exam of my membranes they did the GBS swab, so I don’t have to get that done again. Blood pressure was good for a change (120/75 and 110/65) so at least that’s one positive. On the negative, I’m fortunate enough to have yet another symptomless UTI, so yet another round of antibiotics after having just finished some on Sunday for the tooth extraction last week.

So by all tests, Bean seems OK at this point. Remind me again though why I shouldn’t google things….wish I hadn’t done that.

I now have to go back for more CTG and another ultrasound on Tuesday morning before my OB appointment and another growth ultrasound next week sometime but not sure of when as they have to ring me back with the appointment time for that.

[2bunsinoven]

Kizmet- Sorry to hear about the bad news. Did they tell you to start doing something or did they give you medicine to increase the amniotic fluid? I know how you feel about the internet. My husband told me a couple of months ago that if he catches me looking stuff up again he's going to disconnect the internet, lol. I can't help it, it's just the best way to get fast information, bad or good. But, as of last week I'm done with it for a while. I accidently came across the worst story and couldn't stop crying, let's just see how long that will last. About the UTI's, a nurse called me last week to tell me I had one as well, I think this is my 4th one so far, ugh. I guess it's just something that comes along with being pregnant. Thanks for the helpful calcium tip, I'll ask my Dr. tomorrow. I'm so jealous of you and dys 24, you'll are so far along and almost there. I'm just so tired of being sick all of the time.

Dys 24- glad to hear your're doing good and time is flying by for you, i wish it would for me. Before you know it you'll be at home with your baby bonding with one another.

Afm- I am constantly nauseas and nothing is helping me. During the first trimester my doctor perscribed me some medicine for this I just don't want to take another pill. I'm going to try to hold out as long as I can. It just sucks because when I lay down my food just comes right up, even if I ate 3 hours before. I got my glucose test results and thankfully came back negative, my number was an 87. I thought I had it for sure because everyone kept telling me I'm more prone to get it if I have PCOS. This past Saturday I almost went to the hospital. I started to get severe contractions. I was walking down my stairs and I nearly fell to the floor because it hurt so bad. I started to time them and they were getting further apart not closer together so I decided not to go in. And then Sunday I only had one so I guess that's better than Saturday night. Ohter than that, nothing new to report. I washed all the baby clothes and blankets last week and it took forever, two hours just to take all the tags off and seperate cold from warm, it was brutal. There were a couple of ourfits that shrunk including their first outfit when they come home so now I'm going to need a back up just in case they're too small. Sorry about all of the complaining, that seems to be the only thing I do now. I hope it goes away after they're born for my husbands sake!

[kizmet]

2Buns - LOL @ you're complaining! I think you're doing a marvellous job! I'm the whinger here! I can sympathise entirely with the nausea and like you, another pill just isn't what I want or need right now. Most of the natural MS pills contain ginger and since I took so many of those early in the pregnancy, I can't face the thought of swallowing any of those ever again! I'm glad the glucose test went well and the contractions have disappeared, that must have been a bit scarey. I really eased up on the googling after I stumbled across a blog written by a woman who had done IVF for years, finally got a baby in her arms albeit briefly, something went wrong immediately after the birth and she had trouble too, so she couldn't go and see the baby in the NICU. The baby died and nobody told her for days, so she never got to say goodbye. I went home and told my DH that I don't care how sick I am or what goes wrong, he HAS to tell me.

AFM - I had an appointment yesterday morning with the day stay unit at the hospital for CTG and ultrasound. The midwife who was on was one of my favorites, which was nice. She's very kind, good at explaining things and pretty honest about her opinion. CTG was fine, Bean was busy kicking up a storm and it didn't take long to get a good trace. The midwife did 'um and ah" a little bit about whether or not to do the ultrasound as she said it usually takes a week to see any real difference in the amniotic fluid levels but since she had the time, she did it anyway - thankfully! As soon as she put the scanner on my belly, she said that she could see without measuring anything that Bean had PLENTY of fluid in there. I suggested to her that I thought the ultrasound technician on Friday seemed a bit haphazard in her measurements - she only came up with 500 - 600mL, and with little effort, the midwife came up with 1170mL - exactly what should be there.

It was then off to the OB armed with all the results, she did another ultrasound and agreed with the midwife that my fluid levels were FINE. So all that drama, AGAIN, for no real reason. I feel like I've lurched from one drama to the next with none of the drama actually being warranted. DH has been assuring me that this is because they are being cautious rather than incompetent, but I've found it so emotionally draining that I am exhausted by it all. I'm now on twice weekly CTG monitoring and ultrasounds at the day stay, weekly OB visits and thorough growth ultrasounds at the imaging clinic once a fortnight. OB has once again confirmed that I'll be induced on 18/4 at 38 weeks if I don't pop any sooner (and DH is going away for 8 days from next Tuesday, so he's banned me from popping until after then).

[2bunsinoven]

Kizmet- So happy the drama was all for nothing, I can imagine how stressful that could be. Once again, jealous of you for all the ulrasounds you're getting. I don't have one for another 2 weeks. WOW!! your delivery date is RIGHT around the corner! How exciting that you already have a date. I keep asking for one and he keeps telling me to go with the flow. Ummm, I'm not the type of person that goes with the flow, I'm a planner so it's driving me nuts.

AFM- I had an appointment today and all was well. The doctor checked me down there since I've been having so many contractions and he said everything looks good. He also said he felt a butt, lol. Of course when I got home my mom brought it to my attention that I've only gained 1 pound in the past 2 weeks, so now I'm freaking out that the babies aren't growing. Can I have 1 peaceful week? UGGH. Do you think I should be worried? I wish I knew a nurse.

Has anyone heard from Hopeforbabies (Teresa)?

[kizmet]

I haven't heard from Teresa - i hope all is well.

I agree - a peaceful drama free week would be LOVELY!

I don't know if it's different because you have twins on board, but I know my weight gain has been in fits and starts. I haven't really put on any weight in about 3 weeks but my belly has definitely grown!

[2bunsinoven]

Kizmet-Thanks.
I ended up on calling the nurse from my school, she's studying to be an OB nurse and reasurred me that it's normal.
But I am eating a lot more snacks just in case, I just can't help it

[kizmet]

Well, I think I got it - a peaceful drama free week!

I had an OB appointment this morning and CTG monitoring in the day stay first. CTG was fine - Bean was cooperating for a change so they got all the responses they needed in the first 30 minutes. The midwife again commented, as did the OB later, on how tight my abs are - I think that is hilarious really, since I've always been a bit of a fatty in that area! Then it was off to the OB. It was an OB I hadn't seen before and boy, I hope I see him again. He was fantastic - thorough, good at explaining things and best of all, gave me and Bean a big fat tick of approval. So maybe at last all the drama is over. He did an ultrasound, which I wasn't expecting, but was more than happy to lie through. Did all the measurements - Bean has gained about 400g since the 18th which is good and he/she is measuring in the 51st percentile for size and weight - exactly what I want to hear (and pretty consistent with the previous ultrasounds)! No giant or tiny baby for me! Also, the fluid was perfect, convincing me even further that there wasn't an issue there in the first place. He printed out about 5 or 6 pics for me, which I'm going to scan later today if I get the chance and I can pass them on if you like. So the up side of all of this is that I don't have to go for CTG this Friday, though I still have the proper growth ultrasound at the medical imaging clinic AND, here's the big one. If nothing changes between now and 38 weeks, the OB says that they WONT be inducing me now. My blood pressure was up this morning 140/70 however, since I'd been awake since 4.30am and really upset about Mike leaving, so considering the circumstances that's pretty good.

So ultrasound on Friday, CTG and OB again on Tuesday. last day of work on Friday!