Saturday 17 November 2012

Growing Together

I must apologize for my absence, though I'm sure anyone with a baby would understand.  Life has been turned upside down and sideways around here, but we've been trying to get a routine down as we grow together and get used to these two new family members.

Stella to the left, Alice to the right
Stella and Alice are now 12 weeks old (or 6 weeks adjusted age since they were born 6 weeks early).  Both girls are growing so much and doing really well.  It's so great to see their adorable little smiles and we're just waiting to hear the first giggle.  They make sweet cooing noises and are getting better neck control as time goes on.  

Things have been pretty tough for me.  Three weeks after the c-section, only days after Alice came home from the NICU I had to have an appendectomy.  I woke up with severe pain in my lower right abdomen and I couldn't even talk I was in so much pain.  It was 2am and Chris called an ambulance.  Turned out my appendix was "gangrenous" and ready to burst...but it' hadn't yet so the surgeon was able to remove it laparoscopically.    Thankfully I only had to spend one night in the hospital, but recovering from that so soon after a c-section really took it's toll.
A few days after coming home from that surgery everything kind of fell apart.  I guess the hormone drop, the physical challenge of two surgeries so close together, and exhaustion hit me and Post Partum Depression really set in.  I went from one day feeling like I could do the "twin thing" to feeling as though I couldn't function as a person, let alone a mom of 2 infants.  Thankfully things have gotten under control now, and after med adjustments I'm feeling much better.  PPD is a scary thing.

Our FOUR gorgeous kids!
I'm still facing some challenges as I adjust.  Chris is still on paternity leave from work because I'm still trying to feel comfortable taking care of both girls on my own.  I feel a lot of anxiety and stress when it comes to caring for both by myself but I'm working on it by attending a support group for other sufferers of PPD and also getting counselling.  It's a process, but at the same time it's been great to see Chris bond with the girls and they with him.  We've been enjoying the time together.  The older kids really love their little sisters as well.  Evelyn participates with helping with some feedings and changing diapers...Nolan gives them kisses, talks to them and loves being a big brother.  It's a little hard for me since I feel pretty guilty that I can't spend as much time with the older kids as I could before and as I'd like to, but I know that the babies won't be so demanding forever.

Interestingly I was contacted by a writer for Today's Parent magazine regarding PPD.  She'd come across my blog and wanted to see if I would be willing to share some of my experience in a story in a special pregnancy issue about pregnancy and depression.  Look for the story in the December issue!



Tuesday 28 August 2012

Happy Birthday!


Estelle (Stella) Marie and Alice Rose were born August 22nd 2012!!!  I was 34weeks and 4days along, and Stella weighed in at 5lb 6.5oz and Alice was 4lb 9.5oz!  What a whirlwind it's been!

My OB returned from vacation and had his first in office day on the 22nd.  On the 21st I was in having an NST and my blood pressure was unstable.  It was high at first but then went down later on.  I'd never had high bp in my life so I guess it's kind of a big deal.  They ran blood tests and all came back normal, so I was sent home.  I'd developed a lot of swelling, my feet, legs, and a "pouch" of water retention in my lower abdomen.  When I had my appointment with my OB my bp was again a bit high.  Given that there had been some worries about the dopplar readings from my ultrasounds, the variable bp issues, and that they thought there was a kilo difference in size between the girls, he felt it was time for them to join us.  He called to try to book my c-section for Friday, but they were completely booked...however they did have an opening for THAT DAY between 1:00-1:30pm.  It was 10am.

Needless to say I called Chris at work and he came to the hospital immediately...our friends came to pick up our older kids and the process started.  Anyone who has watched "Baby Story" on TLC knows how the rest of the process went..pre-op, spinal block, surgery, and of course the moments when each little one was pulled out of me, so amazing!  Both girls cried when they were born but they did require some breathing assistance..common for 34ish week gestation babies.

The next couple of days were stress filled.  Stella was born first and she appeared a bit blue at birth.  Upon initial examination the Pediatrician believed she had a heart murmur.  The next day she was sent to MacMaster hospital in Hamilton where she could be seen by cardiologists and specialists to see what exactly was going on with her heart.  Having our babies at separate hospitals was heart breaking and not knowing what was happening to our little girl that we didn't even know was petrifying!

After two days of tests, we finally heard from the cardiologist at Mac and got her diagnosis.  Stella has a congenital heart defect called "Ebstein's Anomoly".  Essentially a valve in her heart is misplaced, causing one of her heart chambers to be enlarged, and the same valve is also "leaky" which is what caused her to appear a bit blue at birth.  Thankfully hers is a very minor form of the defect and according to the cardiologist she should be able to live a long, healthy life without requiring treatment.  She will be followed closely as she grows to ensure everything is fine.  There is a chance that if she becomes an athlete that she could have problems, in which case treatment could be an option, possibly surgery.  I intend to speak to many cardiologists and get as many opinions and viewpoints as I can, just to see if perhaps a minor surgery when she's young might be preferred over waiting til she's an adult...but we have time to figure it all out.  The good news is she will be OK!

Alice has stayed at our local hospital and has been doing fairly well.  Unfortunately yesterday I heard from her Pediatrician that she has contracted an infection.  The blood cultures came back today and it's a form of blood infection, but thankfully she seems to be responding to antibiotic treatment.  It's a bit of a set back as this means she'll need to stay on IV's for at least 7-10 days to get the antibiotics, and her formula feeds have been slowed until she's kicked it.  Stella, however, has been off of IV's completely for a few days AND is on full formula feeds..AND has started taking a bottle as well!  I'm so proud of my little girls, they're fighting so hard and I just can not wait to bring them home.  Stella is finally returning to our local hospital from MacMaster TODAY, and we're so happy.  The girls are 6 days old now and I've only been able to hold Stella twice...she's definitely due for tons of cuddles!!

Thanks everyone for reading my blog, I look forward to continuing to update you all on our little girls progress!
Estelle (Stella) Marie

Alice Rose
                                                 

Monday 6 August 2012

Tests and Moving

  Appointments and tests, that's what my life exists of right now.  I am happy to say though that I can go to these tests from HOME rather than still being in the hosptial!  My cervix stayed at around 1cm for 3 weeks straight and I wasn't having any other issues so I insisted on being let out.  Having a room mate that had undiagnosed sleep apnea and snored so loudly I wasn't able to sleep much for 3 days straight only made my resolve to get out stronger.  I've been home for just over 2 weeks now and it's wonderful!
The tests I go for are Non Stress Tests (NST), Ultrasounds, doctor appointments and Biophysical Profiles (BPP).  NST's check to see if either baby is under stress.  Stress could be due to cord entanglement, oxygen deprivation, or a variety of other reasons.  Ultrasounds and doctor appointments are pretty self explanatory, but BPP's are special ultrasounds where the technician measures the babies movements, the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding each baby, among other things.  So I'm going to twice weekly NST's, bi-weekly ultrasounds and BPP's, and weekly OB appointments.  It's a little crazy.

A few days after I was discharged from the hospital was moving day.  Of course I didn't participate, instead I visited a friend for the day and relaxed.  Our new-to-us place needed (and still needs) quite a bit of renovations and cosmetic work but it's going to be perfect for us.  Slowly things are getting done by my wonderful husband and our house is looking more and more like a home every day.  I feel bad that I'm not able to do much to help, but I know taking it easy is what's best for our little girls.

Speaking of the twins, they're both doing very well.  Baby B isn't growing as fast as Baby A, but neither little ones are showing signs of distress.  B is about a pound smaller than A according to ultrasound measurements.  I had a second appointment at Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto and they didn't seem concerned about the size difference between the girls so I guess they aren't too worried here either.  As of a few days ago A was measuring about 4lb 7oz, and B 3lb 5oz.

As for myself, I'm getting pretty uncomfortable.  Getting up from sitting or laying down is quite excruciating for my back and pelvis.  The babies are a heavy weight for my pelvis to carry, and I have to pee ALL the time! With the heat it's amazing how much my feet swell too.  I can no longer wear shoes and am relegated to flip flops (which also get very tight sometimes).  This pregnancy is definitely much different than my other ones.  My appetite comes and goes, some days I'm very hungry but most days I'm not hungry at all and I have to force myself to eat.

Over all we're very excited to meet our little girls!  I'm currently 32 weeks and 2 days along :).  I'm very happy to have made it this far, my doctor didn't think I would given my short cervix.  From here on out every day is a real bonus!  I haven't gotten any really good ultrasound pictures recently.  Often they are facing inward toward my spine, and now that they're getting bigger it's harder to get decent pictures...plus they're very active girls!  I can't wait to post real photos of the girls when they get here :D.


Thursday 12 July 2012

There's Always Something...

You never know what will happen with an identical twin pregnancy.  I've been here in the hospital on bed rest for 3 weeks and a day now!  Definitely didn't expect this, but yet, here I am.  Things had been going rather smoothly here, have an ultrasound weekly to check on the girls growth and how my cervix is holding up.  The first week I was here it went from 1.6cm to 1.1cm, but since then has only shortened very slightly which is great news.  My doctor seemed hopeful that I'd last until 30-32 weeks and maybe even be able to go home at 32 for a while until labour starts.  Now, I'm not sure how things will go.

The issue right now isn't my cervix, but possible growth disparity between the two girls.  Baby A has always been the larger one, but the difference between the two girls is increasing.  My doctor came in to give me results and this past week A gained a whopping 10oz, but B only gained 3oz.  Now, this is based on ultrasound results so there is a chance that they could be off.  That's why I will likely be sent to Mount Sinai hospital in Toronto again for another evaluation by a specialist. Dr. Potts said it doesn't look like Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, but more like possible IUGR or Intra Uterine Growth Restriction.  He said if that's the case they will most likely recommend monitoring me until 32-34 weeks and delivering sometime in that time frame...unless B stops growing completely then it would be more practical to get them out asap.  Of course it depends on the results from Mt. Sinai so we'll just have to wait and see.  Hopefully they will let me know a date tomorrow that I can have an appointment there.


Over all I'm doing alright.  Being in the hospital for 3 weeks isn't fun, and if everything is ok and I don't go into labour before then I'm looking at being here another 3 weeks (until I'm 32 wks).  Sigh.  Days are long and rather boring but I know it's what's for the best right now.  Finding babysitting for the kids can be a challenge and Chris is working on getting our new house fixed up and ready to move into so he's very busy.  I'm looking forward to getting back home and developing a new "normal".  

Thank you everyone for your continued good thoughts and best wishes for us, they're greatly appreciated, and thanks for reading my blog!  How about some ultrasound pictures?  These are the best from the last couple of weeks.




Tuesday 26 June 2012

Admitted


Sorry for the long delay in my updates, but things have gotten...interesting...to say the least.
I guess I should start with my last ultrasound, Wednesday June 20.  The techs can't/don't say much at the ultrasound so I figured all was the same as before, though I of course knew I was having cervix issues based on my last ultrasound.  Thankfully I had a follow up appointment with my doctor later the same afternoon so I didn't have to wait too long to hear what was going on.

I went to my appointment and the doc asked me how I was feeling and was going over my chart and ultrasound results.  He always sets it down in front of me so I can read it too, and I saw the word I was hoping NOT to see..."funnelled".  That word might not mean much to most people, but since having issues this pregnancy I've learned that funnelling isn't supposed to happen until labour is ready to start or has already started.  I was only 25 weeks 5 days pregnant, definitely not supposed to have funnelling!

SO, given the results, my doc said the babies are now past the point of viability (24weeks), so they're likely to survive (but with health issues) if born now.  The cerclage (stitch) seems to be holding the girls in for now, which is great, but my cervix had been at 1.6cm for the past 6 weeks and it was now time for me to be admitted into the hospital for hospital bed rest.

I was admitted early evening on June 20th.  Things have been rather uneventful so far, which is great and what we want.  I have a pretty cool room mate and we have quite a bit in common...we laugh together, we discuss our worries and it's nice to have someone to talk to.  The social workers in the hospital came by to make sure things were ok, and since they anticipate me being in here for an extended stay they've given me full cable tv access which is really great.  I've been having some issues with the internet company that supplies access to patients here at the hospital but I'm trying to get it resolved (grr!).

My OB has been here to see me a few times to check and see how I'm doing which is nice.  I asked him yesterday what he expects to happen, given other cases like mine he's dealt with...he said he'd be very happy if the babies make it to 30 weeks gestation...32 weeks would be preferred but he doesn't seem to think that I'll go that far.  Of course it worries me since prematurity can cause a lot of health problems and of course means a long NICU stay for my baby girls, so we're just hoping for them to hang inside for a while longer and to be very strong when they come.  They were both measuring right around 2 lbs each which is a great size for 25.5 week babies.

I'm 26 weeks 2 days today...every day counts now!
I don't have my camera so I can't add the most recent ultrasound pictures, but I'll try to get it soon so I can keep you all updated on how much my sweet baby girls are growing!

Friday 8 June 2012

No Berry Picking

Lets change things up today...I usually post my ultrasound scans at the end of my post, but today, what the heck, here are our little girls!
Giving her neck a stretch

Look at that cute little nose!














My OB was very happy that the report from Mt. Sinai came back normal and well and that the girls look wonderful.  He was, however, a little concerned about my cervical length.  I've been instructed to rest as much as possible to give the girls as much of a chance to stay safely in utero for as long as we can.  

To get an idea of how much rest he meant I mentioned that I was hoping to go pick strawberries soon...he told me to buy them.  Sigh. I was looking forward to going out and picking them, it's so fun with the kids, but of course, the safety of our babies  comes first, so we'll buy them.

He told me to call immediately if I get any painful contractions or have any bleeding at all...so I guess I need to take the rest thing pretty seriously.  I'm only 23 weeks 5 days today, much too early for the girls to arrive safely.  He said he highly doubts I'll make it to the full 37 weeks considering my short cervix, so I'll do what I can to rest.  It'll be difficult with our move coming up, but I know Chris won't let me lift a finger, he's in love with his little girls already!  I do hate the pressure it puts on him though.

I'm not sure if I mentioned the thumb pain I was having in a previous post, but since then my other thumb started hurting as well, and the pain went from my thumbs and up my wrists.  Time for the mighty Google to help me figure out what the heck was going on.  It turns out I've developed Pregnancy Induced Carpel Tunnel Syndrome.  In both my wrists.  I guess it's caused by a constriction of a certain nerve in the wrist and  will usually resolve itself after the birth.  I could purchase braces and I'm going to price them out, but I'm guessing they're probably more expensive than I want to spend on a pain that will go away in not too long.  

Since 14 weeks our girls have remained head-down (or Vertex as the doctors would say).  Considering that I asked my doc how soon after a vaginal birth he'd be able to do a tubal ligation, and his answer was 6-8weeks.  I had hoped it could be done within a day or 2 but he said swelling needs to go down.  The good news is that since the surgery is done laparoscopically (with a few small incisions and a little camera to guide the surgeon) the recovery is very fast.  If I had it done on a Friday, but Sunday I'd be pretty much back to normal.  So, I guess if I don't wind up having to have a cesearian it'll be alright, I'll recover over a weekend and be ok to care for the babies the following week.

There's my big update this week folks!  I'm getting really excited about all our changes happening, and about meeting our new additions!  I've been getting tons of kicks, punches and head butts, and the kids have both been able to feel their sisters bumping around inside me :).  Their excitement really rubs off and they just can NOT wait to meet their sisters!  OH and I just wanted to add I lost another pound this appointment!  Ugh, I try to eat as much as I can, I swear!  However, I'm measuring large according to my doctor, if I was having a single baby I'm measuring 33 weeks! About 10 weeks ahead lol! Thankfully fundal height measurements aren't really accurate for multiple births so I'm not too concerned.  I sure feel huge though!  Here's me this past week:

23w 4d preggo with our girls :)

Wednesday 30 May 2012

Specialist

Yet another eventful week here in the Hoover household!

On Monday I got a call from Mt. Sinai hospital in Toronto.  My OB had sent a referral and they were booking an appointment for me to come in on Wednesday.  I hadn't yet had the follow up appointment with my doc about the ultrasound the previous Thursday so I was surprised!  We booked the appointment and I called my doc's office to find out what's up.  I guess my OB was concerned about the sizes of our girls and it appeared that one had more amniotic fluid surrounding her than the other, and the other one appeared to have an empty bladder...these are early signs of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (you can read more about TTTS here: http://www.tttsfoundation.org/)

TTTS, if left untreated is 80% fatal for both fetuses, so it's very important to have an ultrasound by a specialist to determine if treatment is needed. TTTS can only happen in identical twins that share a placenta.  The treatment I would likely have had is a laser ablation surgery, where they use a laser to burn any blood vessels between the two babies, which would hopefully cause the babies to even out their growth and them to get nutrients from the placenta rather than giving and taking from the other twin.  The only hospital in Ontario to offer this surgery is Mount Sinai, with Dr. Ryan performing the surgery.  I met Dr. Ryan today, he went over the technician's notes and ultrasound pictures and he confirmed the results.

So, what are the results?  There are NO SIGNS of TTTS at all!!!  Our little girls look very healthy, strong, growing completely normally!!!  The ultrasound took over 2 hours, and was incredibly thorough.  She listened to vessels in the brain, heart, checked the kidneys, bladders, bones, chambers of their hearts, everything!  Everything was perfect!  Another positive was that both of the umbilical cords attach near the centre of the placenta, which is a good sign that TTTS is unlikely to develop!  We are SO relieved and thankful, words can't express it!  I'm not sure where things went wrong with my previous ultrasounds.  The only thing I can really guess is that since I have a different technician every time, things are measured slightly differently by each tech, so things can seem to be wrong when they're really not.

I know so many of you are pulling for us, and we're so thankful for your positive thoughts, they mean so much!  Thank you!  I didn't get any ultrasound pictures today (sorry!), but there will be more next Thursday!

Thursday 24 May 2012

Size Matters

Today is HOT and I'm sure feeling it!  28 degrees celsius!  Looking forward to our move where we'll have central air! lol.  I'm really not complaining though, since I'll take the heat over the cold and snow ANY DAY.  I've been feeling quite a bit more movement in the past week or so, and if I look at my belly at the right time I can see it moving which is so neat!  The girls also seem to enjoy using my bladder as a soccer ball, which is not so neat lol.  The older kids are so excited about the girls coming, Nolan has been saying "goodnight" to the babies and Evelyn has been talking about all the things she'll teach them.  I'm so proud of my wonderful kids!

I was a bit concerned after the follow up from my previous ultrasound.  At the appointment my Doctor told me that it appears that baby A is measuring about 20% smaller than baby B.  Now, that said, they weren't able to get all of baby A's measurements at that time since she just wasn't cooperating for all of them, but he said we'd be keeping a close eye on their sizes.  He said just one measurement can really throw off the anticipated size as a whole, so I'm hoping that after today's ultrasound they'll have gotten what they need and it'll show more even growth.  Apparently they are both still within "normal" range size wise for their gestation, so that's a good thing. He also said that it doesn't appear to be a problem with the placenta, and it could easily be that baby A is just a smaller baby.  I'll be looking forward to the follow up for this ultrasound to see what's going on.

That said, I've been feeling pretty good recently and thinking I might have a bit more of an appetite than I've had until now.  I have hip, back and groin pain but I guess that's just part of the deal this time around.  I've been doing a good bit of knitting in preparation for the girls coming, and I just can't wait to see them wearing my creations.  I'll be sure to post pictures of them wearing them.

Baby Girl A, getting so big!
So, an ultrasound means PICTURES!  Here they are!  Got a really good one of baby girl A this time and not such a great one of baby girl B, but they were very bouncy and moving all over the place.


Baby Girl B, facing down

Thursday 10 May 2012

And The Verdict Is......



That's right!  We'll be having two beautiful baby girls!!!
Today was the very thorough ultrasound.  It took about 2.5 HOURS!  Considering my back is still sore from the spinal block it was no easy task to lay there while the technician took her many measurements.  Of course she couldn't tell me much about what she found but things seemed to be good and I'm looking forward to the follow up doctor appointment to discuss it.

Of course I called Chris immediately after the appointment and he was a little surprised because he had guessed boys..but also very happy.  The kids came home from school and as soon as they saw me they were asking what the babies are! lol.  Evelyn of course was thrilled about them being girls, and Nolan is happy too.  He was hoping for boys...obviously...but even this morning he said if they're girls he'll be happy too.  I think once he sees how cool it is to be the only boy in mix he'll be happy.  They're both going to be wonderful older siblings!

Baby Girl A, just chillin'
Some other news, we got a house nearby and we're moving at the end of July!  It's very exciting as the house is 4 bedrooms which we will definitely need!  It's going to be a crazy summer, with both the current kids playing softball this year on alternate evenings, and Chris playing on Sundays...plus the house needs some renos (thankfully Chris is a carpenter!).  Lots going on, but all great and positive so we're looking forward to the changes.

Baby Girl B, sucking her thumb!
Now for the pictures! I know you're all waiting :).



Both their little heads, look about the same size!

Thursday 3 May 2012

Worries and Woes

What a stressful few days I've had.
As I posted last time, I've been feeling some wonderful movement from the babies and it's been so exciting...until about 4 days ago when I wasn't feeling ANYTHING.  Of course, being a neurotic pregnant woman I was thinking the worst.  The first day went by, and I figured I just wasn't paying attention..then the second day, still nothing really distinguishable...then the third day and still nothing!  So, last night Chris went out and got me a large iced cap from Tim Hortons AND a mini Blizzard from Dairy Queen.  Now, if they're not gonna move after that I don't know what would get them moving!

SO, I finish the ice cream (which was delicious by the way, Strawberry Cheesequake..yum!) and I finish the iced cap, and a few minutes later I laid down and waited for them to start bouncing around.  Well...they STILL didn't prove that they were still there!

This morning I just couldn't stand it any more and I called my OB's office.  They got back to me in a few minutes and asked if I could come in for 1:30pm.  Excellent...but worried.  I posted on a local mom's twin board on Facebook about my worries and a peer support person (Stacey!) asked if I'd like her to come along...just in case the news wasn't good so I wouldn't be alone.  How wonderful!  What amazing people there are in the world, willing to help a complete stranger!  I have to say, she proved to me that there really are caring people still in the world, sometimes they show up just when you need them.

I got to the appointment and the receptionist and nurse got me in right away...I was one of the last patients of the day and I just love both of those ladies, they're so great.  Blood pressure was perfect and again I'd lost another 1.5lbs...so that's 6lbs total lost so far.  I try to eat, I swear I do!

Stacey came with me and we chatted while we waited for Dr. Potts in the exam room.  The Dr. came in and we chatted a bit about the lack of movement and then he got the dopplar and we listened for the first baby.  What a relief to hear that little "Woosh Woosh" heartbeat!  Also the static sounds of baby moving around (that I couldn't feel!). He checked baby 2 and thank goodness all was the same, great heartbeat and some definite static sounds of baby moving about!!  I was so relieved, as was Stacey and the doctor!  He gave me the option of going for an ultrasound tomorrow...but I do have the gender scan booked for next Thursday and since he felt everything was ok, I trust his judgement and I'll wait until then.  As much as I love seeing the little beans, I don't like wasting the system's resources.

Of course I feel silly for being as worried as I was, but as the nurse at the office said, they would rather people worry and get things checked than just not give a damn.  They all assured me that they're there to support and to not feel bad about checking up when something doesn't feel right.  I feel SO lucky to have such great care!

OH and Chris said that the babies are definitely grounded when they come out for worrying their mama so much!  Now I can relax and be VERY excited for the gender scan next Thursday!!!

Wednesday 25 April 2012

To C or Not to C, THAT is the Question.

Congratulations to my sister, brother in law and niece on the birth of their son and my nephew Luke!  He looks a LOT like his older sister when she was born, such a cutie!

Today I had a post-op appointment with my OB.  He was happy that all seems to be going well and that I haven't had any problems since the surgery.

One big decision I'll have to make before these little ones join us is whether to attempt a vaginal birth or choose to have an elective cesearian.  I know most of you are thinking "Why on earth would she want an elective cesearian???"...well, lets go over it.

Lets say I choose to have a cesearian.  The benefits are, I would be able to have MY doctor deliver the babies...otherwise I'll be at the mercy of whatever doc is on call at the time.  Also, I asked my doc today and he confirmed that if the elective cesearian was my choice that he could do a tubal ligation at the same time, so I wouldn't have to have that as a separate procedure later.
      The downside of a cesearian is of course the fact that it is a major surgery.  Recovery time is much longer than a regular vaginal delievery, and I'd inevitably have some scars (which isn't a real issue with me since the scar would just go along with my stretch marks..ha ha..).

Alright, so if I decide to have the babies vaginally lets look at the positives.  I would have a faster recovery.  Studies have shown that babies actually benefit from the process of labour and delivery because the contractions help the babies lungs prepare to breathe air.  I would have a short hospital stay.
     Those are pretty significant benefits, however, there are some big negatives to attempting a vaginal birth this time around.  First of all, I'd only be able to attempt vaginal if the first baby is head down.  Otherwise it would be a cesearian since most doctors around here won't even attempt a breech birth.  So, assuming the first is head down, and the second one is breech, it's possible that I could still deliver both vaginally, but there's about a 50% chance that either the second one or both of them would need to be delivered by an emergency c-section (again, by the doctor on call, likely not MY doc).  Often the 2nd baby enjoys the extra room in the uterus left after the first baby is delivered and will "stretch out", making vaginal birth impossible.  Since the operating room wouldn't be booked for the tubal procedure as well as a cesearian I'd have to book the tubal for another time, and have a separate procedure for it.

So, I'll be considering the options for a while.  Of course I have a long time until I have to make the decision, but it's what I've been thinking about.

On another note, I've been feeling some movement!  The baby on the right is the one I've been feeling mostly, the one on the left is further back so I don't feel him or her as much.  It's pretty exciting though and I'm loving the little pokes!

So there's my update.  Next ultrasound is still booked for May 10...I've been impatiently waiting.  I can't wait to find out if they're boys or girls!

Friday 13 April 2012

Franken-Cervix

There's something I haven't told you.  I've known all along it was likely to happen, but I didn't want to worry everyone, but now that it's over I can tell you all about the experience.

I had a minor surgery yesterday.  The procedure is called a Cervical Cerclage.  There are a few reasons why I needed this procedure, but what it comes down to is the cerclage is a series of stitches through my cervix that will keep it closed, and help to prevent premature labour.  It can and will be easily removed either when I start going into labour on my own or a week or so before I'm due to have the babies so that my cervix can open and I can deliver the babies as usual.

You're all probably thinking...stitches through the cervix..OUCH that must HURT!  Well, you're RIGHT.  I'll go over my day yesterday, since I know you're all curious.  It's a long story.

I arrived at the hospital at 12:30pm, I was a bit early as I was supposed to arrive at 12:45, but anyway, I waited to be registered, then waited in the day surgery waiting room...at about 2:00 I was brought back to the changing area to put on my gown and answer questions about my health history...etc etc.  I was offered Tylenol and Celebrex (Celebrex is like Ibuprofen, but a much stronger version).  I declined the Celebrex because, for those who don't know, Ibuprofen is a NO NO during pregnancy because it thins your blood.  That was fine and they understood.
SO, then I waited some more in the day surgery waiting area until about 2:45, and then I waited some more until about 3:30 in the surgery waiting room.  Yes, it was A LOT of waiting!!!

Finally it was time to get into surgery.  I walked into the room, got up on the bed.  They took my blood pressure, temperature, put the heartrate clip on my finger, and the anaesthetist put the IV in my left hand.  Well, apparently he hit a valve and it wasn't working right so he had to take it out and try again in my right hand.  That one worked.  Now it was time for the part I'd be dreading...the spinal block.  I sat on the edge of the bed, leaned over and he prepped my back, poked my spine looking for the right spot and warned me about the sting.  Yeah, it hurt, I felt a really sharp pain, and he apologized because he scraped my bone (ow.).  I got a sharp jolt down my left leg as he pulled the needle out because apparently he didn't get the right spot and had to do it AGAIN.  UGH.  This time he felt he got it right (thank god).

In a few minutes my legs were tingling and I couldn't feel my bottom at all.  They figured the freezing was successful, my wonderful OB, Doctor Potts came in and got me prepped.  He got ready and started the first stitch...yeah, the freezing wasn't working fully on my insides, only my outside skin...so...I felt every. single. stitch.  I felt every pull and tug of the suture.  Both the anaesthetist and my doc felt very bad that it wasn't working but all he could do is just finish the procedure.  I breathed through it, had some tears in my eyes.  Thankfully the procedure took only about 10 minutes and it was over.

I was wheeled into the first recovery area and the nurses were all so excited that I was having twins lol, it was cute.  They got the dopplar and found the hear beats of both the babies, so they were doing just fine after the procedure.  I was in considerable pain, and they asked my doctor what kind of medication they could give me for the pain, and for the life of me I can't remember the name but it started with an F.  I went from being in a constant, throbbing 4 on the pain scale to a 0 within a few minutes of the drug going in my IV.  It was wonderful!  It didn't last very long, but it was very effective when it did.

After a while I was wheeled to the Day Surgery recovery area.  The nurses there gave me some crackers (I was starving, not having been able to eat since midnight the night before), and some apple juice.  There we waited for the numbing to go away enough so I could walk.  After about an hour it was time to get up and see if my legs worked.  Slowly I shifted to the edge of the bed, my bottom was still completely numb but I could feel most of my feet and legs...but immediately the pain in my cervix was there and sharp.  I got up slowly and though half of my right foot was still frozen I walked well enough to be able to get ready to go home.  Chris had been at the dentist FINALLY getting his permanent crowns put on his front teeth (that he broke the day his appendix ruptured and he fainted in our bathroom).  He came from the dentist to pick me up and they wheeled me to the main entrance.

Well, in the end, I survived it.  Yesterday I was in quite a bit of pain, at least a 9 or 10 when I had to walk around...today it's considerably less, maybe a 3 when I move around, though my back is pretty sore from the spinal.  Of course, it was worth the ordeal to help do what I could to ensure my babies survive, but it was pretty painful.  So, I figure now that my cervix is all stitched up, I now have a Franken-cervix.  (get it...frankenstein...franken-cervix...?) Cheese, I know lol.

Thursday 5 April 2012

14 Weeks and Growing

Today was the last time I'll have to drink a litre of water before an ultrasound!!! YAY!  I have to say, that is the only bad thing about early ultrasounds.  It's great to see the babies progress and everything, but that full bladder feeling, and having the technician press on it has to be the worst!
The technician I had today was the same lady that discovered our twins!  I've seen a different tech every time I've been in so it was nice to see this one again, because the babies sure have grown a lot since they were two little fetal poles the last time she saw them. 

Top of both babies heads
I'm a tad bit concerned about the ultrasound.  The good news is both babies are growing at the same rate, and with identical twins that's what you definitely want to see.  The thing that worries me though is that she was having a hard time seeing a membrane separating the two babies.  It WAS definitely there at the 8week ultrasound, but I've heard of some cases where the membrane was so thin that the babies had managed to tear it and then they went from being diamniotic (each having their own amniotic sac) to being monoamniotic (sharing an amniotic sac).  Sharing a sac can be dangerous because their umbilical cords can get very tangled.If it happens to not be there though, it would 100% mean that I'd have a planned cesearian.  So I'm a bit worried but monoamniotic twins are rare and chances are she just couldn't get the right angle to see the membrane and that it's still there.  We'll likely see it at future ultrasounds.  
My next ultrasound isn't planned until May 10th, so you'll all have to wait a while to see more ultrasound pictures, but hopefully I'll get a nice preggo belly to show at some point lol. 
Baby A
The individual pictures of the photos aren't great this time, but they give a general idea.  They've grown a fair bit in 2 weeks!