So with Sandra in the hospital, I am free to manage the creative content myself.
I was peacefully sleeping last night when Sandra woke me up with the announcement that her water broke. After standing around like idiots for a few minutes, we go things in order and made our way to the hospital. Because Sandra was not in labour, they kept her for observation and I went home at about 5:30. By a bit past 8 a decision was made to go ahead with a c-section, with the result that Sandra and I are parents to two boys and a girl, as of about 9:15 AM.
As it turns out, Baby A was a boy (2 lbs 12 oz), Baby B was also a boy (3 lbs 14 oz) and Baby C was a girl ( 2 lbs 13 oz). There were some initial respiratory challenges for babies B and C, who are now doing well. They are intubated but on air rather than oxygen. Baby A is leading the pack at present. Names will be finalized in the immediate future, but we were a bit caught off guard by the abrupt arrival of the babies and had not figured out that particular detail.
Sandra is doing well and was feeling well enough to get in a wheelchair and go to the NICU. Rumour has it that she will be in the hospital until Tuesday. I am sure that she will have accumulated a lot to say by that point.
There is really not much else to add at the moment. When I left the hospital at 5:15 the nurses were pleased with how things were going. Hopefully things will proceed well and uneventfully....
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
31 weeks....
Not counting today or c-section day, we have a mere 21 DAYS until we meet the triplets! I can't believe how close we are :)
Yesterday, Edward and I went for our 31 week biophysical ultrasound and consult. These are much shorter appointments because they don't have to laboriously identify and measure everyone's femurs and bellies (although the tech did note Baby B's very round tummy!) and other sundry appendages. As well, the doctor we had in place of our regular OB was in with us for only a few minutes. His overall summary of yesterday's results - ultrasound, my blood pressure and heartrates - was that our next pregnancy should be quads so that we can be "challenged" a little. Um. Eeek. We chose to take it as a back-handed compliment!
The babies continue to do well. They were extremely active, but the tech commented that they were actually presenting beautifully, and as such, were quite easy to see on-screen. Baby B and C's legs intersect just above my belly button, so when one of them starts kicking, it turns into a free-for-all. They like doing this in the wee small hours of the morning. I probably notice it more because I'm up more... Edward calls it my nocturnal meanderings. I get pretty uncomfortable lying in bed (or in any position) these days, and feel the need to get up and stumble about. Hopefully, my new heartburn medication will help a little. It doesn't seem to matter what or when I eat anymore (although sadly, a huge culprit is tea!), my heartburn/reflux was getting to the point that my inner ears burned, too, and I'd wake up coughing and choking. In the battle for real estate between Baby C and my stomach, my stomach lost. Getting in and out of bed is also a trial - it isn't easy to cold lift 185+ pounds off a pillow-top mattress!! Ah well, not too much longer; and really, these symptoms are par for the course!
Today, my mother is coming over to tackle the nursery. Edward assembled the cribs and placed the mattresses, but the room is chock-full of baby items... it's also still doing double-duty to a small extent as storage. I'm hoping to take some pictures of the progress we make, so stay tuned!
Yesterday, Edward and I went for our 31 week biophysical ultrasound and consult. These are much shorter appointments because they don't have to laboriously identify and measure everyone's femurs and bellies (although the tech did note Baby B's very round tummy!) and other sundry appendages. As well, the doctor we had in place of our regular OB was in with us for only a few minutes. His overall summary of yesterday's results - ultrasound, my blood pressure and heartrates - was that our next pregnancy should be quads so that we can be "challenged" a little. Um. Eeek. We chose to take it as a back-handed compliment!
The babies continue to do well. They were extremely active, but the tech commented that they were actually presenting beautifully, and as such, were quite easy to see on-screen. Baby B and C's legs intersect just above my belly button, so when one of them starts kicking, it turns into a free-for-all. They like doing this in the wee small hours of the morning. I probably notice it more because I'm up more... Edward calls it my nocturnal meanderings. I get pretty uncomfortable lying in bed (or in any position) these days, and feel the need to get up and stumble about. Hopefully, my new heartburn medication will help a little. It doesn't seem to matter what or when I eat anymore (although sadly, a huge culprit is tea!), my heartburn/reflux was getting to the point that my inner ears burned, too, and I'd wake up coughing and choking. In the battle for real estate between Baby C and my stomach, my stomach lost. Getting in and out of bed is also a trial - it isn't easy to cold lift 185+ pounds off a pillow-top mattress!! Ah well, not too much longer; and really, these symptoms are par for the course!
Today, my mother is coming over to tackle the nursery. Edward assembled the cribs and placed the mattresses, but the room is chock-full of baby items... it's also still doing double-duty to a small extent as storage. I'm hoping to take some pictures of the progress we make, so stay tuned!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Surprise Shower
A few weeks ago, I got a call from one of Edward's coworkers. They had decided to throw him a surprise baby shower, and wanted to know if there was a specific item we needed and what day would work best. Given my months of medical leave and a *small* on-line addiction, I told her we had most of the bases covered, and advised that our prenatal appointments were on Wednesdays but any other day would work well.
A few follow-up phonecalls later, and the party was all set for September 20th at 2pm. They graciously invited me too, but I deferred until the last minute as my ability to participate in, well, just about anything is pretty conditional at this point. Happily, the intrepid party planners even managed to find a wheelchair, so with that in place I was ready to party!
Edward suspected something was up... on Sunday night he told me that he was suddenly being asked to attend a meeting the following morning at 9am, and mused about the possibility that it was nothing more than a ruse to camouflage "festivities". I could tell the whole concept of a baby shower made him uncomfortable, which only served to heighten my enthusiasm for the following afternoon ;) However, we both concluded that the likelihood of having a shower at 9am on a Monday morning was pretty low. He did, however, have a meeting at 2pm that he really wasn't looking forward to....
After being picked up at the house by one of Edward's colleagues and being wheeled to the reserved conference room in grand style, I was amazed and extremely touched by all the effort that went in to organizing the event. There were flowers, balloons, streamers, snacks, gifts and a gorgeous (and absolutely delicious!) cake that featured three baby faces identified as "A", "B" and "C". It truly was a sight to behold. The turn out was incredible - at least 60 people - and the rousing "SURPRISE!!" that greeted poor Edward as he turned the corner, pen and paper in hand in anticipation of his "meeting", was pretty awe-inspiring!
Of course, Edward was completely taken aback and it took a few seconds for him to take it all in - he was definitely surprised to see me sitting there. A few people asked whether the look on his face was in any way similar to his expression when he found out about the triplets - and you know, it was pretty close - although at that moment 21 weeks ago he turned somewhat ashen, whereas yesterday there was a distinct reddish tinge to his face ;) Neither of us are really comfortable being the centre of attention (as evidenced by our wedding) but the group gathered yesterday was so kind, encouraging and truly interested to hear about our situation that it was a pleasure to share a few anecdotes with them. The gifts were adorable and thoughtful, and the collection of funds was so generous that Edward and I were rendered speechless. My mother and I went to the bank this morning and put the money directly into the babies' account. We know how useful it will be down the road, possibly for the purchase of a triplet stroller in the spring.
We had such a good time yesterday afternoon!! It was a real treat for me to get out of the house (and put on makeup; and my new top!) and meet all of the wonderful people Edward works with, and of whom he speaks so highly. It was very, very touching to see how much time and effort they put in to organizing the party, and so it seems the feeling is mutual :)
A huuuuge thank you to everyone who planned and attended the event. It could not have turned out any better, and we feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to celebrate with you! Edward promises that he'll bring the little ones in to meet everyone.... preferably a lot, and for long periods of time... :P We know there will be plenty of warm laps and cuddles awaiting them.
A few follow-up phonecalls later, and the party was all set for September 20th at 2pm. They graciously invited me too, but I deferred until the last minute as my ability to participate in, well, just about anything is pretty conditional at this point. Happily, the intrepid party planners even managed to find a wheelchair, so with that in place I was ready to party!
Edward suspected something was up... on Sunday night he told me that he was suddenly being asked to attend a meeting the following morning at 9am, and mused about the possibility that it was nothing more than a ruse to camouflage "festivities". I could tell the whole concept of a baby shower made him uncomfortable, which only served to heighten my enthusiasm for the following afternoon ;) However, we both concluded that the likelihood of having a shower at 9am on a Monday morning was pretty low. He did, however, have a meeting at 2pm that he really wasn't looking forward to....
After being picked up at the house by one of Edward's colleagues and being wheeled to the reserved conference room in grand style, I was amazed and extremely touched by all the effort that went in to organizing the event. There were flowers, balloons, streamers, snacks, gifts and a gorgeous (and absolutely delicious!) cake that featured three baby faces identified as "A", "B" and "C". It truly was a sight to behold. The turn out was incredible - at least 60 people - and the rousing "SURPRISE!!" that greeted poor Edward as he turned the corner, pen and paper in hand in anticipation of his "meeting", was pretty awe-inspiring!
Of course, Edward was completely taken aback and it took a few seconds for him to take it all in - he was definitely surprised to see me sitting there. A few people asked whether the look on his face was in any way similar to his expression when he found out about the triplets - and you know, it was pretty close - although at that moment 21 weeks ago he turned somewhat ashen, whereas yesterday there was a distinct reddish tinge to his face ;) Neither of us are really comfortable being the centre of attention (as evidenced by our wedding) but the group gathered yesterday was so kind, encouraging and truly interested to hear about our situation that it was a pleasure to share a few anecdotes with them. The gifts were adorable and thoughtful, and the collection of funds was so generous that Edward and I were rendered speechless. My mother and I went to the bank this morning and put the money directly into the babies' account. We know how useful it will be down the road, possibly for the purchase of a triplet stroller in the spring.
We had such a good time yesterday afternoon!! It was a real treat for me to get out of the house (and put on makeup; and my new top!) and meet all of the wonderful people Edward works with, and of whom he speaks so highly. It was very, very touching to see how much time and effort they put in to organizing the party, and so it seems the feeling is mutual :)
A huuuuge thank you to everyone who planned and attended the event. It could not have turned out any better, and we feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to celebrate with you! Edward promises that he'll bring the little ones in to meet everyone.... preferably a lot, and for long periods of time... :P We know there will be plenty of warm laps and cuddles awaiting them.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
30 weeks!
Edward and I went in this afternoon for our 30 week appointment and measurement ultrasound. We hadn't had the babies measured in two and a half weeks, so I was a little nervous and hoped they'd grown substantially. Both of us were amazed at how crowded it is in there at present. They are essentially in one big jumble, although still roughly in the same positions. It was incredibly difficult to get all the images required in one go, so she had to search quite extensively to find the best angles. The good news is that all three have grown considerably. The award for the largest growth spurt goes to Baby A. And we *do* have one baby over 3 pounds: surprise, surprise, it's our Big Bruiser Baby B who weighed in at 3lb 3 ounces! Baby A sits in the middle as per usual at 2lb 13 ounces, and Baby C continues to be "petite" and weighed in at 2lb 8 ounces. I wasn't particularly pleased with Baby C's results, but our OB isn't concerned in the slightest because the baby continues to grow according to its anticipated trajectory. In fact, it went from being in the 14th percentile for weight to being in the 18th this week. Anything over 10 is considered "normal".
In even better news, all three babies scored 8/8 on their bioprofile tests! Everyone had great activity levels (that is an understatement - they were whopping it up in there!), great muscle tone, they were all practicing their breathing and their heart rates were excellent. Not only that, but my cervix has lengthened to 3.4cm - 3.7cm when Baby A graciously decided to moved it's head off of it! My blood pressure was 106 over 72, so that's another good result.
The OB was reviewing my anemia blood test during our discussion on the risks of c-section deliveries, and would like to see me on an iron supplement in addition to my other vitamins. He's hoping that it will reduce the chance I would require a blood transfusion if I have more bleeding than they anticipate once they start the surgery. Basically, the major risks during a c-section are similar to other surgeries: possibility of blood clots is the most common (and the most dangerous), a risk of infection, hemorrhage or meningitis. He told us that because my uterus is so distended and I have three placentas to remove, hemorrhage is a distinct possibility, but reassured us they have a lot of strategies to cope with this scenario. To be honest, I'm not too concerned with the operation mostly because I know that there is no other way to deliver these babies safely, and I've had 20 weeks to come to terms with that reality. I'm also in very good hands :)
All in all, we couldn't have hoped for a better appointment! Our high-risk nurse informed us that based on her experience, she thinks we'll make it to October 15th!! I know it's just an opinion, but that gives me hope :)
Our next appointment is September 22 for a bioprofile ultrasound and consult... 31 weeks is looming right around the corner!
In even better news, all three babies scored 8/8 on their bioprofile tests! Everyone had great activity levels (that is an understatement - they were whopping it up in there!), great muscle tone, they were all practicing their breathing and their heart rates were excellent. Not only that, but my cervix has lengthened to 3.4cm - 3.7cm when Baby A graciously decided to moved it's head off of it! My blood pressure was 106 over 72, so that's another good result.
The OB was reviewing my anemia blood test during our discussion on the risks of c-section deliveries, and would like to see me on an iron supplement in addition to my other vitamins. He's hoping that it will reduce the chance I would require a blood transfusion if I have more bleeding than they anticipate once they start the surgery. Basically, the major risks during a c-section are similar to other surgeries: possibility of blood clots is the most common (and the most dangerous), a risk of infection, hemorrhage or meningitis. He told us that because my uterus is so distended and I have three placentas to remove, hemorrhage is a distinct possibility, but reassured us they have a lot of strategies to cope with this scenario. To be honest, I'm not too concerned with the operation mostly because I know that there is no other way to deliver these babies safely, and I've had 20 weeks to come to terms with that reality. I'm also in very good hands :)
All in all, we couldn't have hoped for a better appointment! Our high-risk nurse informed us that based on her experience, she thinks we'll make it to October 15th!! I know it's just an opinion, but that gives me hope :)
Our next appointment is September 22 for a bioprofile ultrasound and consult... 31 weeks is looming right around the corner!
Friday, September 10, 2010
A Belated 29 Week Update (and an off-topic rant)
On Wednesday we had my first weekly appointment - and the only one, it would seem, that will not include an ultrasound. Edward has been stellar about accompanying me, but his aunt was in town this week from New Brunswick so she came with me instead and got to drive our new minivan :)
The nurse was a little confused as to the nature of our appointment (it was booked by the replacement doctor we had a few weeks ago), but she ran the usual checks: good fetal heartrates on the doppler and a blood pressure reading of 112 over 60. Our OB then decided to manually check my cervix. Apparently, every now and again they like to step away from the ultrasound's measurement of cervical length and feel for themselves. They can tell a lot from the exam, including the positioning of the babies, and whether the cervix is long and closed, soft or hard. He thought about doing another fetal fibronectin test, considering the last one was inconclusive, but then pronounced that my cervix was still long and closed and the babies hadn't dropped into my pelvis - in his experience, the test would likely have come back negative. He told me that he thinks I have at least another few weeks left in me :) Our next appointment is the 15th... and then I only have 4 more, the last one being two days before my c-section date.
Having Edward's aunt here was a huge help. She knocked several projects off The List, and went on numerous missions armed with her Garmin GPS to pick up various and sundry items from lampshades and cribs, to extension cords, turtle food and upholstery trim. She used said trim to re-do a rather tricky chair. My "Activities Director" (ie. Edward) wasn't keen on the idea of me tackling it a second time - I reupholstered it myself about a year ago, but the master bedroom decor has changed. So, his aunt, ever game to take on a challenge, came to the rescue and did a fantastic job! She also cooked up a storm, adding to our freezer bonanza. Both she and Edward filled our first Supperworks order on Thursday night. We'll wait until the babies are born to sample the goods, but it came recommended by a close friend (hi Tania!) and it feels good to have a several meals waiting in the wings.
In non baby news, we were kept on our toes the past week by a stubborn external natural gas leak. I was not aware of this, but the pipes on the right-hand side of the gas meter are actually the responsibility of the home owner, and any problems will cost; in our case to the tune of almost $600! We had been smelling gas in the driveway for a loooong time. But because the meter reader AND the crew who redid the entire meter structure over one week this summer never commented on the strong smell, I thought it was normal. Last week, a visitor to the house noted the odour and urged us to get it checked out. So we dutifully called Embridge and their inspector came out and found a small gas leak on one of the pipes on "our" side of the meter. He shut off the gas, and we called a contractor who fixed the leak for $200. Not twenty minutes after he left, I noticed the smell was lingering. It was the long weekend, so we waited until Tuesday and called Embridge back. They sent another inspector, who informed Edward's aunt that he was "fixing a leak" - ostensibly on the gas company's side of the meter because he was able to complete the work - but he left without telling us what he did, or elaborating on what, if any, problem he had discovered. Today, we could smell gas even more strongly. So we called Embridge and they sent out a third inspector. This guy was awesome. He couldn't initially find a leak, but he could definitely smell it. He spent half an hour trying to locate the problem and discovered that the supply pipe going into the house (of course, on "our" side of the meter) was so corroded, he could pick pieces off with his bare hands! He qualified this as a major gas leak, and shut everything off. We called the contractors back who replaced the entire pipe for $395. We'll see what happens...
I am absolutely furious that it took THREE inspectors to locate the issue. It would seem that as soon as they found a leak, they didn't bother to check for any others. And I'm shocked that possibly three leaks were found in one meter! I'm not any more pleased with the contractors... the company is claiming that their first employee fixed the leak he was told about. I argued that due diligence suggests he would recheck all the joints and fittings before flipping the gas back on and walking away from the job, regardless of what he read on the inspector's report. This is gas were talking about! Thank God we got this fixed when we did, and that no one ever smoked in the driveway. I shudder to think what could have happened as that pipe continued to corrode.
In any case, it's fixed... hopefully.
On Monday, we're hitting the big 3-0 milestone! We're very excited to have a Civic delivery in our sights, and even happier that it will kick-off the one month countdown to D(elivery)-Day! I'm very anxious to see the babes on ultrasound next week, particularly when it comes to their guesstimated weights. I've been ravenously hungry these past two weeks (I gained 6 POUNDS in one week - eep!), and I'm hoping that will translate into at least one 3 pound baby... come ooooon, Baby B!
The nurse was a little confused as to the nature of our appointment (it was booked by the replacement doctor we had a few weeks ago), but she ran the usual checks: good fetal heartrates on the doppler and a blood pressure reading of 112 over 60. Our OB then decided to manually check my cervix. Apparently, every now and again they like to step away from the ultrasound's measurement of cervical length and feel for themselves. They can tell a lot from the exam, including the positioning of the babies, and whether the cervix is long and closed, soft or hard. He thought about doing another fetal fibronectin test, considering the last one was inconclusive, but then pronounced that my cervix was still long and closed and the babies hadn't dropped into my pelvis - in his experience, the test would likely have come back negative. He told me that he thinks I have at least another few weeks left in me :) Our next appointment is the 15th... and then I only have 4 more, the last one being two days before my c-section date.
Having Edward's aunt here was a huge help. She knocked several projects off The List, and went on numerous missions armed with her Garmin GPS to pick up various and sundry items from lampshades and cribs, to extension cords, turtle food and upholstery trim. She used said trim to re-do a rather tricky chair. My "Activities Director" (ie. Edward) wasn't keen on the idea of me tackling it a second time - I reupholstered it myself about a year ago, but the master bedroom decor has changed. So, his aunt, ever game to take on a challenge, came to the rescue and did a fantastic job! She also cooked up a storm, adding to our freezer bonanza. Both she and Edward filled our first Supperworks order on Thursday night. We'll wait until the babies are born to sample the goods, but it came recommended by a close friend (hi Tania!) and it feels good to have a several meals waiting in the wings.
In non baby news, we were kept on our toes the past week by a stubborn external natural gas leak. I was not aware of this, but the pipes on the right-hand side of the gas meter are actually the responsibility of the home owner, and any problems will cost; in our case to the tune of almost $600! We had been smelling gas in the driveway for a loooong time. But because the meter reader AND the crew who redid the entire meter structure over one week this summer never commented on the strong smell, I thought it was normal. Last week, a visitor to the house noted the odour and urged us to get it checked out. So we dutifully called Embridge and their inspector came out and found a small gas leak on one of the pipes on "our" side of the meter. He shut off the gas, and we called a contractor who fixed the leak for $200. Not twenty minutes after he left, I noticed the smell was lingering. It was the long weekend, so we waited until Tuesday and called Embridge back. They sent another inspector, who informed Edward's aunt that he was "fixing a leak" - ostensibly on the gas company's side of the meter because he was able to complete the work - but he left without telling us what he did, or elaborating on what, if any, problem he had discovered. Today, we could smell gas even more strongly. So we called Embridge and they sent out a third inspector. This guy was awesome. He couldn't initially find a leak, but he could definitely smell it. He spent half an hour trying to locate the problem and discovered that the supply pipe going into the house (of course, on "our" side of the meter) was so corroded, he could pick pieces off with his bare hands! He qualified this as a major gas leak, and shut everything off. We called the contractors back who replaced the entire pipe for $395. We'll see what happens...
I am absolutely furious that it took THREE inspectors to locate the issue. It would seem that as soon as they found a leak, they didn't bother to check for any others. And I'm shocked that possibly three leaks were found in one meter! I'm not any more pleased with the contractors... the company is claiming that their first employee fixed the leak he was told about. I argued that due diligence suggests he would recheck all the joints and fittings before flipping the gas back on and walking away from the job, regardless of what he read on the inspector's report. This is gas were talking about! Thank God we got this fixed when we did, and that no one ever smoked in the driveway. I shudder to think what could have happened as that pipe continued to corrode.
In any case, it's fixed... hopefully.
On Monday, we're hitting the big 3-0 milestone! We're very excited to have a Civic delivery in our sights, and even happier that it will kick-off the one month countdown to D(elivery)-Day! I'm very anxious to see the babes on ultrasound next week, particularly when it comes to their guesstimated weights. I've been ravenously hungry these past two weeks (I gained 6 POUNDS in one week - eep!), and I'm hoping that will translate into at least one 3 pound baby... come ooooon, Baby B!
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
28 Weeks... and a Date :)
This week's ultrasound was not a full "growth scan" because they did that during my unscheduled ultrasound on Friday, and they need at least 10 days between scans to measure the growth appropriately. Instead, they performed a biophysical profile in which they grade each baby on a number of factors, including amniotic fluid levels, activity levels, practice breathing sessions, etc. I'm very pleased to say that all the babies passed with flying colours, although we weren't able to see Baby B attempt to breath at this juncture. However on Friday, the tech noted that it was doing exactly that during the scan - and it's really at this point that they first start that reflex - so no one was too concerned that we weren't able to check that box today. My next growth scan is September 15, at my 30 week appointment. I have a monitoring appointment next Wednesday, which will not include an ultrasound.
The babies were very active in there! And, of course, they are rapidly running out of personal space. It was cute to see that despite their cramped quarters, Baby A had its leg fully stretched, with the other one slightly bent. Baby C has also gained a little more room by flipping itself from "head to maternal left" to the right side so that no one is kicking it in the head anymore. Smart baby! Of course, Baby B still holds the lion's share of real estate, and continues to hold court on my entire left side. Its facing my spine, so various and sundry internal organs are well within its range...
My cervix is holding at 3 cm, but Babies A and B are quite low in my uterus, which translates into a lot of pressure on my cervix. They may check it manually at next week's appointment if I continue to have strong contractions - right now, they're Braxton Hicks, ie. false labour contractions, but even so, they could alter my cervix length. As of now, I'm still not on bedrest per se, although I'm taking it very easy; only going downstairs in the morning and not returning upstairs until bedtime. I'm also increasingly tired, so although I get up with Edward and have breakfast, I'm usually zonked out on the couch from 9am to 11am, and again before dinner. My body is *definitely* feeling the stress of the pregnancy at this point, and although I feel really, really good, the 46 pounds I've gained to date is a challenge to lug around :) My blood pressure was very good today - 110 over 64 - and I passed my Gestational Diabetes and anemia tests with flying colours, so the strain doesn't appear to be too heavy on anything other than my legs... and my cervix ;)
Other than seeing the babies moving and shaking, the BEST part of today's appointment was the scheduling of my c-section! The babies will be born October 15, which is a mere 44 days away! I am SO very very excited to have a date. This pregnancy is as much a mental game as a physical one, and having a specific date to focus on is a major mental boost. Of course, no one can say for sure if I'll make it to 34 weeks, but I am obsessed with the idea of getting there. Those of you who know me well, can attest to how... um... persistent I can be when I get an idea lodged in my tiny brain ;) In fact, if they are delivered on the 15th, they'll be 34 weeks and 4 days, and considering that every day in utero counts, they'll be even bigger and healthier than if they were born at 34 weeks.
Next hurdle is reaching 30 weeks, which means I'd be able to deliver at the Civic. Delivering before then would mean that I'd have to go to the General, which would be very disappointing for us. Ah well, "one day at a time" is how we got through the last 28 weeks... what's two more?!
The babies were very active in there! And, of course, they are rapidly running out of personal space. It was cute to see that despite their cramped quarters, Baby A had its leg fully stretched, with the other one slightly bent. Baby C has also gained a little more room by flipping itself from "head to maternal left" to the right side so that no one is kicking it in the head anymore. Smart baby! Of course, Baby B still holds the lion's share of real estate, and continues to hold court on my entire left side. Its facing my spine, so various and sundry internal organs are well within its range...
My cervix is holding at 3 cm, but Babies A and B are quite low in my uterus, which translates into a lot of pressure on my cervix. They may check it manually at next week's appointment if I continue to have strong contractions - right now, they're Braxton Hicks, ie. false labour contractions, but even so, they could alter my cervix length. As of now, I'm still not on bedrest per se, although I'm taking it very easy; only going downstairs in the morning and not returning upstairs until bedtime. I'm also increasingly tired, so although I get up with Edward and have breakfast, I'm usually zonked out on the couch from 9am to 11am, and again before dinner. My body is *definitely* feeling the stress of the pregnancy at this point, and although I feel really, really good, the 46 pounds I've gained to date is a challenge to lug around :) My blood pressure was very good today - 110 over 64 - and I passed my Gestational Diabetes and anemia tests with flying colours, so the strain doesn't appear to be too heavy on anything other than my legs... and my cervix ;)
Other than seeing the babies moving and shaking, the BEST part of today's appointment was the scheduling of my c-section! The babies will be born October 15, which is a mere 44 days away! I am SO very very excited to have a date. This pregnancy is as much a mental game as a physical one, and having a specific date to focus on is a major mental boost. Of course, no one can say for sure if I'll make it to 34 weeks, but I am obsessed with the idea of getting there. Those of you who know me well, can attest to how... um... persistent I can be when I get an idea lodged in my tiny brain ;) In fact, if they are delivered on the 15th, they'll be 34 weeks and 4 days, and considering that every day in utero counts, they'll be even bigger and healthier than if they were born at 34 weeks.
Next hurdle is reaching 30 weeks, which means I'd be able to deliver at the Civic. Delivering before then would mean that I'd have to go to the General, which would be very disappointing for us. Ah well, "one day at a time" is how we got through the last 28 weeks... what's two more?!
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