The Twins have Arrived!

Surprise! Our 2 little miracles have arrived!!

Lots more details forthcoming, but the quick story….

Went to the doctor on Monday afternoon for a regular appointment and was sent directly to the hospital because the preeclampsia stuff was getting worse and they wanted more testing. Once there, at looking at the lab results, the nurses told me, “You aren’t going home….not without those babies.”

More surprises…you know how I mentioned I felt like the babies had dropped, well, we did an ultrasound and Baby B had flipped and was now vertex (head down) like Baby A. He had been breech the whole pregnancy and I was so thrilled with this change.

SO…..long and short of it was Tues. AM they broke my water, started pitocin, I got an epidural at lunchtime, at 6pm they wheeled me in the Operating Room. I pushed for 40 min. with each baby and vaginally delivered my two little miracles who I am completely in love with…


"Baby A" Matthew

4 lbs 14 oz.

18.5 inches long


&

"Baby B" Ryan

4 lbs. 11 oz.

17.75 inches long


My little guys both got 9 out of 10 on APGAR and are perfect little angels!

I had severe bleeding afterwards. Apparently on average a placenta detaches in about 3 min. Both of mine took 23 minutes and had to be manually separated. The pain was INSANE!! I guess I thought I was “done” after delivering Ryan, but the next 45 min seemed just as painful as pushing those babies out. The result of the great blood loss and the preeclampsia was that I was seriously sick after delivery. I was shaking uncontrollably, bundled in a million warm blankets, and felt like I was dying. I really felt like I was not on earth. It was pretty scary. I was so sad because I wanted so badly to hold and nurse the babies, but there was absolutely no way.

Wednesday morning, I was making a little improvement, but the doctors were talking about giving me a blood transfusion (which I have held off on since I seem to be improving). Meanwhile, both babies were doing great. Matthew was having a little trouble keeping his temperature up, so he had to be put in an isolette (basically a warmer) for a day.

I started trying to breastfeed and pump on Wednesday as I started to improve and while it has been a slow start, I have gotten both boys to successfully feed a few times. I want to take my lactation consultant home with me!!

The insane hormones have also set in. Let’s just say that I was standing in the nursery rocking my boys at 3am this morning, balling my eyes out and repeating, “I can’t believe they are mine.”
I was officially discharged yesterday and expect the boys to be discharged today so we may be going home!

More to come, but wanted to share the awesome news!

Fertility Article in WSJ

I was shocked to see an article on fertility previewed on the front page of the Wall Street Journal.

This woman's face says it all. The pain in her eyes, her mouth, her soul stripped of hope. I know I spent years feeling this way and I know many of you have too (or still are).

Sending love and hugs to my fellow infertiles and cheers to more public awareness about infertility.

Lightening?

I have read about "lightening" at the end of pregnancy. I'm not sure if that's what has happened this weekend, but the babies have definitely made a change. I can't say they feel lighter though, if that's what that term is supposed to mean! They seem much lower and all of a sudden I feel lots of movement on my left side, when the last few months I have mostly been feeling movement on my right side. Along with the dropping, I have started getting some serious lower back pain. I was driving to Lowe's to pick up some supplies for my hubby yesterday (who has been working his tail off to get our new house ready) and I was seriously beginning to wonder if I was going into labor between the back pain and the cramps I was feeling. Thankfully, the cramping stopped, but it has kind come and gone the last day or so. The other thing I've been noticing is that my Braxton Hicks contractions are actually waking me up in the night. They still aren't painful, but I find myself waking up feeling uncomfortable and find my stomach is hard as a rock. And the boob leakage at night seems to be getting worse!

I was joking with my husband that it's amazing how pain is relative. I used to notice the pain in my feet and ankles. Now, I mostly pay attention to the pain in my knees/legs (where the fluid is the worst) and the upper right abdominal pain (thinking my liver). I ask myself, "do my feet not hurt anymore?" or "is my hand not numb from carpal tunnel?" and I find that those things ARE still there....I just happen to notice the things that hurt the worst! Honestly, I am in pretty bad shape. There are very few things that don't hurt at this point.

With these latest symptoms, I basically feel like a ticking time bomb. Part of me wants the babies to stay put and grow and get strong. We need another week or so to get the new house ready. Plus, I'm not sure if I've mentioned this, but I have secretly been hoping these babies are born on July 31st. My mother-in-law passed away from cancer at the young age of 55. Hubby and I miss her dearly and are so incredibly sad that our boys will never know her. Anyway, her birthday was July 31st....what an amazing thing that would be. On the flip side, part of me (my poor body) is so ready to deliver these babies and rid myself of all the fluid and weight and pain. Speaking of weight, I think I have gained about 55 lbs now. 55 lbs you guys!!!!!!!! I weighed less than 110 lbs at the beginning of this!!! I digress. Obviously these babies will come when they are ready (or if I make it past 38 weeks).

The anticipation is getting exciting! I have started wondering what these little guys will look like, what their personalities will be. I worry about breastfeeding and sleep deprivation and being a good mom and not a complete stress case. My heart swells watching my hubby practice taking the stroller for spins around the garage. But mostly, I just pray that my boys are healthy. I can still hardly believe that this is happening. I am two weeks or less from having a family, which is something I wasn't sure I would ever have.

Belly Pics

I am super late, but I finally updated some belly pics.
I need to take another one soon. It might be my last one!

36 week appointment

I had a quick appointment today to check blood pressure, urine (for protein) and do my Group B Strep test. My blood pressure was about the same as it was on Monday - still slightly elevated, but not to dangerous levels. There was some protein in my urine, but again not to dangerous levels. So, they said come back on Monday to continue to be monitored for preeclampsia signs. I am a little nervous about some of the other side effects they mentioned - headaches, blurred vision, upper right quadrant pain....I have had all of these things, but they seem to come and go. The upper right quadrant pain is the most interesting - I always assumed that was the baby that made my ribs feel bruised and tender, but apparently that may be my liver, which is enlarged! EEK!

They did my Group B Strep test and then asked if I wanted to have my cervix checked...said it was totally optional. I asked how much it was going to hurt and the doctor said, "it's gonna be pretty uncomfortable." I quickly said, "no thanks." I was kind of curious, but I figured if they aren't going to check me at every appointment, what is the point in knowing (because I won't be able to see progress)? Even if I was slightly dilated, I could stay that way for weeks. I am slightly rationalizing my decision though. Honestly, I kind of wimped out. I can't believe after all the IVF stuff I've been through and the fact that I am about to give birth that I wussed out on a cervix check. GEEZ!!! I have really gotten "soft!"

The craziest part of the appointment was when the doctor asked if I had thought any more about delivery. I told him that if the babies stayed positioned as-is, that I would probably do a c-section. He said, "Ok, well let's get you scheduled for about 38 weeks." I told him I needed to check with hubby and then when I was checking out at the front desk, I checked to see who was on call that week, so maybe I could pick a doctor I liked (I go to a group practice). It just seemed so surreal to actually be thinking about scheduling the birth of these babies. I can't believe the time has come!! I am just praying these little guys are healthy and strong. They certainly fought hard to get here, so I'm hoping they continue to be fiesty little guys!

Still Plodding Along

I went to the doctor yesterday. I am still plodding along, which is great news at this point. My blood pressure was about the same as last week and the urine test came back ok. They want me to start going in twice a week for monitoring just to be sure the preeclampsia signs don't get worse.

The babies are staying right on that 10th percentile line. Baby A was 4 lb 15 oz. and Baby B was 5 lb. 2 oz. Baby A is head down and Baby B is breech. They are in the same position they were 2 1/2 weeks ago, so most likely that's how they are going to stay. I have a pretty big decision to make if I was to try a vaginal delivery. I feel like kind of a quitter, but I think if the babies stay in their current positions that I might opt for a c-section. I just feel like the worst case scenario is to do 1 vaginally and 1 c-section and it just feels like that is the path I am headed down. After A delivers, they would have to try and turn Baby B, or a few doctors in the practice will do a breech extraction where they reach in your uterus and pull Baby B out by the feet, but they said they do not do them often and there are risks, namely head entrapment, which sounds super scary to me. And all of these options require time. If Baby B is stressed, they have to deliver ASAP. So, it just seems there are so many scenarios where Baby B gets delivered by c-section. Maybe I am crazy, but I just don't want to be in labor all day, vaginally deliver A and then end up with a c-section after all. Am I "giving up" too easy? Any thoughts???

Peeing in a Cup at 8.5 mos. pregnant

Every time I go to the doctor's office, they have me pee in a cup. That obviously seems like a simple task, but when you are are 8 1/2 months pregnant, this all of a sudden becomes very difficult because you can't see what you are doing!! The last few times I've managed to get a few drips of pee on my hand - yuck! I think they should make those cups bigger or invent some kind of better system when your belly takes over!

So, another funny pee related story. I had to collect my pee for 24 hours for this preeclampsia test. I was literally carrying around this jug of pee...awesome! I had to laugh at the instructions when they say to discard your first morning pee and then begin collecting for 24 hours after that. What does "first morning pee" to a pregnant woman really mean??? Is that anything past midnight or is that more like a normal person so like 7am?? Because I have probably peed 4 times between midnight and 7am!!

Anyway, just had to laugh at these little things.

Pre-E monitoring

I have a scheduled doctor's appt. on Monday, but decided to call my doctor's office today because the swelling in my legs has gotten ridiculous. It has worked it's way from my feet to now all the way up to my thighs. I literally have no ankles and knees. It is totally disgusting. I was hoping I would go in and they would say everything was just fine and I was being my normal worry-wart self, but I wasn't quite that lucky.

They took my blood pressure and it was up. Not to any crazy levels, but definitely up for me and borderline high for the general population. There was no protein in my urine, but they made me take this jug and collect my urine for the next 24 hours and then I have to do some bloodwork.

The did a fetal non stress test where they hooked me up to all these monitors. They said the babies were good and that I was definitely having contractions. The doctor said, "Well good, maybe you'll go into labor on your own" to which I quickly responded, "Well, NOT YET!!!" He said, "You know, you ARE at 35 weeks." I said, "Yeah, but Dr. B (another doctor in the practice) was just telling me she delivered twins this weekend on their due date - 40 weeks." He said, "That's nice, but it's not normal. Most twins come at 36-37 weeks so you better get ready." I don't know why, but I was not ready to hear this!! I obviously knew in my mind that 36-37 weeks was totally in the realm of possibilities and heck - it would even be awesome to make it that far. I guess I have just been so fixated on baking these babies longer. I just want so badly for them to grow big and strong and be healthy when they arrive. Plus my own little selfish reason regarding the move and if they could just wait 2 weeks, we could have all the house stuff wrapped up and they could be in our new house!

Anyway, I have my fingers crossed for my appointment on Monday - that babies have grown, that the urine test and lab work come back ok.

As a sidenote, I do wonder if something is going on because I have become insanely uncomfortable lately. The swelling and then I can hardly stand to lay down because Baby A is up under my ribs and they feel bruised. I started sleeping on the couch because it's more comfy for me to have the back to rest against and less disturbing to my hubby. Another bizarre thing....earlier this week when I was in bed with hubby, he was kind of resting his head on my chest. When we got up, we noticed this wet spot on my t-shirt. He was joking that he must have drooled on me. Well, the next morning, I had a matching "drool" spot on the other side. I am thinking nipple leakage! YIPES!!! The babies kicks have gotten super strong and when Baby A decides to get the hiccups or punch down there, I literally have this reflex to hold it in (like an arm is going to fly out or something!!)

New House, No Cribs and 34 weeks - OH MY!!

I tend to be an organized person...really I am, but you wouldn't know it lately. I am 34 weeks with twins and I literally don't know where I am going to be living when these babies arrive!

We ended up buying that house we were looking at (I can't remember if I already mentioned that). The previous owners moved out at the end of June and we were having this debate of whether we should try and move before the babies come or not. There is a lot of work to be done - new carpet, hard wood, new countertops, appliances, fixtures, painting, etc. etc. and it would be 10 times easier to do the work before our furniture was there (not to mention the dust and paint fumes that I don't really want to be around). My husband had convinced me it just wasn't going to happen, so I finally came to peace that we wouldn't move until the fall. Well, his friend that does house remodeling came to look at the house and said, "we can knock this out in a month no problem." So, with hope in sight, we decided to get back on the "fast track" and try and get things done before the babies arrive. So, I am seriously up to my eyeballs picking out carpet, tile, paint colors and the like. Most women like this stuff....I apparently am not like most women because it just stresses me out! There are SOOO many choices and while I am great at researching and analyzing the pros and cons of all the products, I am terrible at making a decision. I have such a hard time visualizing how something will really look and I am scared I won't like it! Luckily, that's where hubby comes in....the decision maker!

To make matters worse, our cribs are STILL not in. Supposedly they will be here in the next week or two. I'm not holding my breath!

I have everything we don't use every day packed up in the old house. The "nursery" in the old house is basically a room with all the baby stuff (which is fairly organized), but I just haven't gotten to do the proper nesting. I always envisioned I would have this perfect nursery just waiting for the babies and instead I have no cribs, there is no point in decorating the old house when we are moving and the new house isn't ready. EEK! The good news is that everyone tells me that as long as you have the basics (milk, diapers, etc) and the impromptu bassinet or pack n' play if need be, the babies won't even know the difference! I sure hope so because this momma is a mess!!!

On a more positive note, I am glad we are picking out all this stuff for the new house now because I can't imagine trying to choose lighting fixtures with 2 newborns! So even if we don't get to move before they arrive, hopefully the selections will be done and it's just a matter of waiting out the construction. The moving won't be fun, but we'll manage!

Off to meet with a prospective pediatrician!