37 weeks

Had our final scan today at 37 weeks. This was one of the most complicated scans ever for the technician to decipher who was what and was where. They are totally entwined and turkey's belly could not be measured due to Jerky’s legs in it, her head was so far down my fanjeeta that I needed an internal measurement. Jerky is so wedged he can barely move and he failed the movement test this time so we had to have another non stress test. Thankfully the little monkey started moving so no stress for anyone!

Apparently they like that sardine lifestyle and the doctor was very happy with them. They are bang on the average (50th percentile) weight and size for their gestation. Jerky was 6 pounds and 4 oz, Turkey was 5 pounds and 13 Oz - but as her belly was not measured ‘in the round’ they said this was a weight under estimation and she will be more.

Next time we see the juniors they will be in the outside world :-)

No sign of any labour activity...I feel like I am in the twilight zone, not just from lack of sleep, but also waiting for some thing to happen. I have been a moody emotional spanner this week. I am tired with my 100 wee trips a night and the gino belly and I have been weepy to the point of embarrassment. I imagined meeting them for the first time....wept! Imagined Bug meeting them...wept! Wanted to be able to walk a mile...wept, made some tea...wept.

Am fine again now but is that normal? Bug will keep and eye on me post partum just in case. Apparently 25% of new mums have PPD!!!! The number is even higher with multiple mums so I am scared of getting it. We have info to hand and help in case I do. I will also keep a close eye on Bug as I am used to chaos and disorganization but he is much more used to routine and planned schedule, tidiness and no suprises!

As long as we both don't get it! yikes.

Insomimanic

Right, so I must of dozed off at some point but I woke, got dressed, wide awake, feel great, raring to get on with day and tea drinking. Go downstairs and DANG! It is 2:50am.

I went on FaceSpace and a friend said that I may be going into labour! Oooooh. Just in case I am I ate the rest of my Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey.

Then I googled “10 cm dilated” and my chunky munky snack is going back in the pot.

8th Feb

Saw my OB today and was there waiting for hours and hours, I got really moody but then I over heard a couple of women telling parents (one was about my age) or being told (walls are thin) that they have to have hysterectomies. Realized that not everyone is there for the same lovely reasons as me and waiting a couple of hours is no problem. The poor girl who was close to my age was with her parents. As she walked off they exchanged the world’s saddest look between themselves and I wanted to leap up and hug them. I hope they will all be ok.

Anyhoo, the OB was chuffed with how they are getting on and said that I have a super cervix! She said ones that measured so thin do not normally get to 34 weeks. I have always felt confident about managing the pre-term issues as the medical staff have been fabulous and as a result I have relaxed. I am sure that helps.

PS: I did get weighed....never ever have I weighed this much in my life! Going to blog the pre labour weight against the post birth weight...soon, when it happens.

9th Feb Evening

Another twins class tonight and learned a lot of new information about the stages of labour and processes of all the various staff. The nurse taking our group is good at making us aware of where we have a choice and right to query certain procedures and know about all our options. Obviously the main desired result is a healthy babiez and mum but being happy with, and in control of one of the most important episodes of your life is seen as another priority.

We got to see all types of tools like suction caps - they look like cute loo unblockers, forceps....invented in 1900BC and unchanged today...probably. And they can all fit up ‘there’ when needed as a 10cm dilated tunnel will appear where previously no tunnel existed.

Oh and 80% of women poop as they push. ‘It is nothing to stress about, we see it everyday and wipe it away so fast you will not even feel or know that it has happened” Well fine...but my husband will!

2nd Feb Still cooking!

Wow! February and the juniors are still cooking yippee! Well done body :-)

We had our 32 week scan today and they were indeed both 4 pounds!!! They both passed their tests - movement, practice breathing, gulping and heart rate ..maybe some other stuff. Jerky would not move for ages though and we nearly had to hook him up ti a fetal stress test again but near the 30th minute he jerked around enough times to pass!

We asked the doctor if he has any leads at all on when they may make an exit. He replied that they did not expect me to get to 32 weeks so estimated anytime from now and the next 5 weeks!!

25th Jan nearly 32 weeks

As soon as I was off bed rest I signed us up to the next multiples class at the Foothills hospital. We had to wait a while for this to start but last night was our first night Everyone in the class is having twins, there are no triplet or quad parents which is a shame as I would like to know some for when twin newborns are hard, triplets or quads would make me feel better in comparison, like a fatter friend does (joke!). It would be like me compared to my singleton baby friends.

So, we all had to introduce ourselves and say how preggo ‘we’ were. We were by far the most preggo. Most mums are around the 20 week mark...and they have bellies the same size as me!! If I didn’t know that the juniors were weighing in just fine I would be worried.

I asked the other women if any one has had ‘really bad morning sickness’. One other woman was having morning sickness and I was eager to have a chat with her about it until she said “I have been on diclectin since week 6”. So not an HG mum. Still, having morning sickness is still pants.

All the bed rest reading and early warning knowledge seems to of paid off as nothing that I did not know came up! I am more there to meet other people and eat cookies.

24th Jan Uh Ooooh!

I was lying down upstairs today when I started having painful contractions about every 20 mins. Bug came up about the 5th cramp and could feel my belly clenching like a fist and solid.

We drove up to get checked out at our hospital’s L&D (you have to go there with any complications once you are 20 weeks preggo or the general ER staff throw a fit). I was not panicking as we are in a good week and doctors could always stop an early labour.

They carried out a fetal stress test on the juniors and measured my contractions. The sound of the juniors own heart beats made them physically bonkers and their heart rates were good at approx. 155 bpm, this is good, bradycardia with babies is a nono. The fetal activity was very positive, the worry is if they do not move as it indicates stress or worse. My cramp pains had of course stopped! However, they were concerned that I was still contracting every 10 minutes and the peak of the contraction was hitting the top of the graph. They were very surprised that I was in no pain but concluded that the machines are calibrated for women with a bit more fat over their uterus and the machine was picking up mine straight from the muscle. Rah! I have no fat on my belly heheh.

Anyway. After 3 hours on the machine and a cervix re-check (soft but closed) I came home.

I noticed something else at L&D. this is the second time I have been in for these reasons and the triage wards are always full but BUG is the only man who seems to accompany his woman. The others all have other women or are on their own. I am lucky, BUG sits there, holds my hand and reads his book. His eye brows raise a bit when he over hears women talking about ‘discharge’ ‘leaking vaginas’ and screaming like a dying animal (labour).