28 Week ultrasound - finally a 3D!!!!!

Baby A - Girl (2 pounds 14 ounces)

Baby B - Boy (2 pounds 12 ounces)

Aches and Pains

My biggest complaint is back pain, holy cow it's killer. And the strangest thing about the whole thing is it comes and goes with no explanation. I have mentioned it at the doctors and they just keep saying it is due to the weight of the babies. It's just nerve wracking because it's a symptom of pre-term labor. So they said as long as it goes away if I lay down or rest then I am good to go. I had it in the beginning of the pregnancy when I started to really show and I have it now again when I'm even bigger. I am also having the strangest pain that goes straight up my "area". It's weird, and I'm not sure if its stretching pains or something more serious. I called my OB regarding it last week and the nurse told me it was ligaments stretching, but to me its a sharper pain, not a sore stretching pain. This is another disappearing symptom. Went away after I called and not even a week later its back...full blown! So I am going to make another phone call today before the Thanksgiving break.

24 week ultrasound - what a nightmare!

Hi everyone!! So I'm finished up 26 weeks tomorrow!! At times I feel like the whole thing is just flying by, and other times I feel like it is dragging. If I'm busy and having a good week I have no complaints. It's those weeks where I can barely get myself off the couch that I start wonder how I am going to make it. Two weeks ago I went in for my routine checkup with the specialist. Right now I go every 4 weeks. They mostly just take my pressure and weight, then they check my cervix with a vaginal ultrasound, then onto the good part.....BABY TIME!! I love seeing them both on that big flat screen in the office. Makes my day so much better. This appointment they were checking for the growth of the babies. All looked great to us, Baby A was 1.9lbs and Baby B was 1.5lbs. I couldnt believe they grew that much in that short period of time. During the ultrasound the technician asked us a very simple question that struck me as odd. She asked if we ever got the senquential screening done (the chromosomal testing). Hmmmmmmm now why would she ask us that!? No we didn't get the screening done - and to be honest I wasn't even nervous about that because the anatomy ultrasound came back perfect, and the doctor reassured us that any issues or problems they would have picked up on then. So, why did she ask that? She left the room and I immediately brought it to my husband attention. He assumed she was just making conversation, but I had this feeling she saw something that concerned her. A few minutes later the doctor came in and went over everything on the ultrasound. Their growths, movements, ect. Then she mentioned that baby b (my boy) has a small amount of fluid in his left kidney. Ok................ she went on saying it was in the 20 week anatomy ultrasound but was such a small amount that it was not important to bring up. This time, 4 weeks later, it increased. A normal amount is supposed to be under 4ml, and his is 4.6ml....still very borderline. She explained that his "plumbing" could not be all developed yet, or that there could be a kink in a tube leading to the bladder. She also said it is very common and could work itself out. If not, then the baby would have a few follow up ultrasounds after birth but in most cases it is fine. Then she continues to say, orrrrr it could be a soft marker for Downs Syndrome. WHAT!? How can a tiny amount of fluid be such a huge major abnormality? It didnt make any sense to me, and personally everything she just mentioned went right out the window and all I could remember her saying was it could be Downs Syndrome. So that's why the technician said that to us, she saw the fluid and wondered if she could rule out the marker because the genetic testing was already done. I declined the testing with my daughter, and I declined it with this pregnancy also. I felt that if anything was wrong I would find out during an ultrasound, plus what difference did it really make? I looked at my husband and I could see the terror and panic in his face. I'm sure he saw mine too - what now?! The doctor went on saying how there are so many soft markers and she was confident that downs wasn't the case here because both babies passed all the screenings done in terms of the other markers. This was all Latin to me, I'm not one bit familiar with anything regarding downs or what to even look for. She told me I can get an amnio but would recommend I did not because of how far along I was, and the chance of losing the pregnancy would be great then this baby actually having down syndrome. So then she mentioned the Maternity21 genetic blood test. She said it was quick, easy, and not harmful to me or the babies. She said it would give us a little peace of mind. We decided to get the blood work done so we weren't wondering and stressing out for the rest of the pregnancy. We had to speak with a genetic counselor down in Allentown via video conference. This whole part was a huge fog to me. After the conference I walked into another room where they took 2 things of blood and off it went. There goes the rest of my life I thought, in those two little bottles. This "news" that would come back in 8-10 business days could be a total game changer for my family and I. Yep, you heard me 8-10 days of waiting! TORTURE! I left the office completely sick to my stomach. No matter how many times the doctor told me this was "normal" and she didn't think anything of it, I left there thinking one of my babies was not healthy and it was my fault. I came home that night and went into a very dark place. I can remember saying to my husband, "This is all my fault. We couldn't get pregnant for a reason, and I should have left it alone instead of tampering with medication to help. It was a sign to stop, and now our family is going to struggle". I called off work the next day and was going to spend the day getting my thoughts together, and figure out how to have some peace of mind with this because 8-10 days is a long time, and I am a busy lady!! I woke up feeling a little better and able to clearly understand the chances of this. I started to remember the other things the doctor told us it could be, and I did one thing I was petrified to do the night before.....I googled it. I was shocked to see how common this fluid issue was in normal healthy babies, especially boy babies. That gave me some hope that things weren't as bad as I were making them out to be. Later that night a n.p from the specialist office called me to see how we were doing. Once again she told me not to worry, and I was the 3rd one in there yesterday with fluid in the babies kidneys, very common. Ok, so at least now I can function even though the whole thing was still in the back of my head and would be until the results of the blood test came back. My appointment was on a Thursday night, so they told me not to expect the results until late the next week, or early the following (which would bring us to Thanksgiving time). It was Wednesday night the following week and I just got home from my reg ob appointment. It was only 4 business days since the blood work so I was not expecting a phone call, but I got one from the specialist - after all that worry everything genetically was perfect. Ugh thank gosh!! One thing about this whole experience is that it has so many up and down emotions. I feel like I am on a never ending ride and will not be able to get off until I am holding both of these babies in my arms safe and sound at HOME! Next ultrasound is at 28 weeks, lets hope it is uneventful!

Holidays

Thanksgiving will be here in a few weeks and my husband and I are hosting our very first holiday in our newly renovated home. We are both so excited to have a holiday in our own house and to not have to leave and go somewhere else. It seems every holiday is crazy, running here and there and not even being able to enjoy the day. Finally with my house big enough I can have everyone come over and I won't have to leave the comfort of my house. FINALLY! I am also looking forward to Christmas, I got a huge early jump on my Christmas shopping this year! Smart move, considering I have no idea what a few weeks will bring. That is the most frustrating part of this pregnancy; the big giant question mark that hangs over my head. How long will I go? When can I work until? Will I have to go on bed rest? The insane amount of doctors appointments help with all my questions but it's still a big giant question that no one can give me the answer to. I basically just have to go day by day and take it from there. I am hoping to make it working until 35 weeks. My OB seems to think that will be my max, and then we hope to deliver sometime between 37 and 38 weeks (Feb 17-20). I have double the appointments then someone with a singleton pregnancy. I go to my OB every 4 weeks and my specialist (because it's twins) every 4 also. I am very closely watched so that helps ease my mind on any issues that may pop up. They will also catch a potential issue possibly early, or watch a problem progress into something. So far, there is no real issues, except for a little protein in my urine. And according to my doctor it's my issue not his since there is only a small amount. I just need that small amount to stay small, at least for another 12 weeks! So that's why I am trying to get everything I need done for the holidays finished. So I can enjoy the month of December and grow, grow, grow!

First and second trimesters

Hello! Today is November 6, 2013 and I am finishing up week 22 tomorrow! I more than half way there and so far so good. My pregnancy has been on average "very normal". Just like my first pregnancy with a singleton. The only difference I notice is I was showing much sooner than with my first, and I am much bigger than anyone who is close to having the same due date as me. But of course, I assume it's because I have two beautiful babes in my belly. I had very similar pregnancy symptoms as I did with my daughter, slight morning sickness and back pain from week 7 to about 13. Nothing crazy, just usually first thing in the morning right when I brushed my teeth. Ugh terrible. Other than a few headaches, and back aches it was smooth sailing to the second trimester. This trimester has been more about adjusting my life to my big belly I am carrying around. The extra weight is tough on my back and sometimes affects my routine (like my obsessive cleaning), but that's what husbands are for right!? ;) I feel that having my daughter,and being so busy with her is making the time fly, and really doesn't give me the opportunity to complain about any aches and pains. I recently bought a pregnancy pillow, and so far it really hasn't helped me. It always ends up on the floor - I get too hot with it in my bed. Plus, I am used to a flatter pillow and I feel the fullness of the pillow gives me a headache.

Ultrasounds :)

8 week ultrasound Baby A and Baby B

20 week ultrasound Baby A - GIRL!! Baby B - Boy!!

Our story...

Hi everyone! I decided to create a blog to help my family and I remember our latest adventure....TWIN PREGNANCY! Crazy, I know...twins! Sometimes I still can't believe it myself. :) I currently have a beautiful 4 year old daughter who I am totally obsessed with, and when she turned 3 years old my husband and I decided to expand our family. However, God had a very different plan for us. With my husband and I both working full time (demanding) jobs everything had to be perfectly planned out. My kids would be exactly under 4 years apart and I would have a baby in March. Sounds like the perfect plan right? Nope, not even close. After a year of trying and trying to get pregnant (and suffering one miscarriage) we both realized this was not going to be as easy as my first pregnancy. We had to turn to my OB for some serious help. After many rounds of blood work it turned out my body was not producing progesterone, a very necessary hormone to conceive. So with some discussion my doctor recommended the ovulation booster, clomid to help with healthy ovulation (I could not bare the thought of another possible miscarriage). Weighing our options...Baby? Miscarriage? Or no baby? We decided to go down the baby road with a little help. I was reassured by my doctor that he believed this would do the trick. It would be easy, affordable, and in the end give us the second baby we both desperately wanted. I can vividly remember one question my very relaxed, nothing bothers me, husband asked, "what about multiple pregnancies?". Crap, I thought as he asked this questions....could this be the deal breaker? I thought about it myself, but how bad would it be? And what were the chances? The doctor told us both --- 4% chance. We both looked at each other with a smile and the same thought....slim chance, but hey if it happens that would be "fun". So off on clomid round one 50mg I went. My round of blood work after ovulation this month was a disappointing 4. How devastating that news was. I thought this was the month I was finally going to be pregnant, even after hearing most success stories happening on round 3. So my doctor said my dose needed to be doubled and onto round 2 I went 100mg. Hello hot flashesand mood swings (my poor husband these few months)! This month my blood work was much better news, 14! I was getting closer and closer to that magic number 15! The number of a healthy egg. (How and when did I become so education on reproduction?) Still after the great news of healthy ovulation I was still not pregnant. So onto round 3 100mg (last month I prayed). This month my blood work came back at 16. Perfect ovulation number I was told by the nurse, this month had to be it! Maybe it was because I always heard the 3rd month was the charm with clomid, but I definitely felt different this month. I wasn't even late and and decided to take a test, and to my surprise it was positive. FINALLY!! After all that we were pregnant! Because of my miscarriage I had to go and get MORE blood work done to check my HCG levels to make sure they were doubling. My first draw was 35, my second was well over a 1,000. Um...last I googled about HCG levels were that they needed to double....I'm not a mathematician but that is WAY more than double. Right then and there I had a feeling there was more than one baby in my belly. Two weeks later my doctor scheduled an ultrasound. The technician was wonderful, answering all our questions showing us the beautiful sac we were praying to see. Then she moved the wand over to the left and said something I will never forget, "And here is the second sac". I knew it. We were having twins! The feeling was very overwhelming. Glancing at my husband I can see tears of joy in his eye, but my gut was not telling me to cry with joy, it was telling me to cry with fear. Two babies!? There's only supposed to be one...a million questions and issues filled my brain. It was surprising news that took me about a week to wrap my head around. I did a lot of research and spoke to other moms of multiples who had many of the same concerns I did. Will my tiny 5'2 frame be able to carry twins? Will I go full term? How will I feed both of them when my husband is working? Do they sleep in the same crib? And oh no, now I have to buy double of everything!? I'm pretty sure that my organized, ocd, worry, worry, worry, personality ruined the first week for me... my husband was so excited about how "cool" it would be and I was struck with worry on how am I going to do this. It wasn't until about two weeks after my initial ultrasound that my doctor sent me for another to check for heartbeats. And there they were two unbelievably perfect heartbeats, both around 125. Right at that moment when I was handed my little print out of my peanuts all my worries went away. How lucky am I? Two beautiful babies? As my husband says it took us so long to get pregnant with our second baby we skipped right over to the third! Onto our twin pregnancy........