Almost 34 Weeks Pregnant

So I am 33 and a half weeks pregnant with the twins and still have hopes of remaining pregnant another 4 weeks. As far as how I'm feeling, not much has changed except that each day I am more and more tired and limited. Sometimes just rolling over leaves me out of breath. But I can't complain... While being on bed rest is extremely boring, it's worth it if it helps at all in producing healthy babies. Not to lie though, I do find myself stifling jealousy towards people who can walk all the way to their mailbox, can sit up for extended periods of time without their back hurting, or can find normal clothes that fit (maternity clothes are no longer cutting it - they would if I went out and bought size Large clothes, but all I really have are small and medium sizes, and I am refusing to buy more maternity clothes with such little time left). On the bright side, I haven't cleaned in quite some time and I'm getting far too accustomed to my daily 2 hour naps.

This entire blog post was actually written on my iPhone, emailed to myself, copy/pasted to the blog using the iPad, and then finished with some quick picture uploads on the desktop. The reason for that is I can't sit straight up- i.e. in a computer chair- or i see spots and get dizzy. The babies are so heavy that they are sitting on an artery that causes my blood pressure to drop when they rest on it. At least that's what I've been told. I also have been unable to lie flat on my back or quite some time now, for the same reason. I'm forced to lie on my side or in a modified reclining position if I can.

I spent Mother's Day in Labor and Delivery with contractions that went away easily with a Terbutaline shot and an IV of glucose. They also determined that my potassium levels had dropped again slightly so they took care of that too. I called my doctor that morning to talk to her about how I was feeling... And basically was told that she "couldn't tell me whether I 'should' come in but if I wanted to come in and get confirmation that I was 'fine,' I could." Well, that ticked me off. I told her I was going in. When I got there I was definitely contracting and regularly, and the nurses were great. When my doctor showed up, I finally earned a, "well, it seems like you really know your body, so I'll send you with a prescription of Terbutaline to take if needed, and if contractions don't stop you definitely should come in to L&D." I'm not quite sure what it is with my luck with doctors who think I'm lying or unaware of how I should feel, but finally I got my point across. At the next appointment she sent me to a specialist. I have had to take the Terbutaline only twice since, have upped my intake of potassium, and drink more than a gallon of water per day. At the last sonogram the length of my cervix was very long and they said that because of it the chances of my going into labor naturally before 35 weeks was extremely low.

31 and a half weeks.

 And just 2 weeks later...

33 and a half weeks. (GEEZ I feel huge!)

Since I last updated about the babies, our little girl, or "the ninja," flipped from breech to head down, and then went back to breech again. Her kidney is still dilated, but it's getting no better, no worse, and we're going to speak to a pediatric urologist for more details and further examinations after birth. At the last sonogram at 32 weeks, they determined without a doubt our little girl was bumped from Twin A to Twin B. She also took the lead in growth, and measured 4lbs 4 oz (75th to 90th percentile). Our little guy measured in at 3 lbs 15 oz (50th percentile). Both have normal growth even for singletons. They have gotten to the point where they aren't kicking so much as rolling around like little aliens in my stomach. That has always freaked Shannon out.

I'm curious to see how they measure at the next ultrasound. When I lie on my back for even a split second I feel nauseous and have to fight to keep from passing out. So for the ultrasound I had to be on my side, which makes me wonder if the measurements were off. I realize the estimated baby weights are just that - estimates. A few days before Adam was born they estimated he'd be about 7 and a half pounds... And then he came out closer to 9 lbs. So we'll see for sure on their birthdays. It's still fun to hear how they are coming along though.

Yesterday Shannon got the remaining baby things out of the attic so we could figure out what more we needed. It's crazy how an ungodly amount of bottles for one baby quickly turns to not nearly enough when we are preparing for two. But we aren't far off and have had so many generous friends give us stuff or sell us gently used things for incredible prices. My parents have been collecting diapers and brought over a mountain of supplies, and awesome friends have been sending us gifts in the mail. So it hasn't been too stressful to organize our supplies, and while we organized today, Adam thoroughly enjoyed testing out every single baby pacifier while relaxing in his old car seat. The same pacis that failed to get his approval when he was a month old were the same ones that ended up covered in dog hair on the floor. And those green soothers were just as popular as they were two years ago. Our sterilizer will be getting a good work out in the next couple weeks.

The Babies' Room

 My next appointment is on Wednesday morning, but apparently it doesn't include a sonogram. My next sonogram is a week after that, at 35 weeks. 28 days until July!