38 weeks and 1 day

We have to be at the hospital for induction at 9am tomorrow and I really do not want to turn up. I desperately to go into labour naturally and have my muscles warm up and not suddenly burst into full on contractions. Also, I am pretty sure that a twin induction will follow into a C section and that would be very inconvienient.

38 weeks!!!

Never thought I would post for 38 weeks but here we are.

So...today was our 38 week OB appointment! I was feeling very nervous before the appointment but could not work out why. After all, in terms of the babies health and development I have had a perfect preggo (just me and bits of me falling off!). Everything has been fine but I had a nagging feeling of something about this appointment.

Bug was with me because we both want to wait until I go into a natural labour over being induced and knew that the docs would be keen to induce me on Wednesday. We managed to hold them off until Friday which is not long but by then I am hoping that over 13 pounds of babies, 3 pounds of placenta and lots of amnio weight should start a natural labour. Bug has been the best advocate for a lot of this pregnancy, he has got me help for the HG and here he was much firmer than me in not being persuaded into medical convenience.

Our reasoning in based on my mum. My mum went into a natural labour with Liz and I at 38+4 days and we collectively weighed nearly 11 pounds so I may just do it! Inducements are also very, very painful compared to going into labour naturally. Imagine running a marathon. The ideal way would be to use all your 9 months of preparation and then slowly start your warm up. Muscles can stretch and warm up slowly, into a trot, a jog and a then a run, you are perfectly in control of you physical state. Good hey! PB even! However, take an induction, unexpected, not as well prepared, suddenly you have to go from standing still and cold into a marathon length sprint - your muscles will hurt, rip and you will be very uncomfortable.

That is why I want a natural start! (Plus the natural release of oxytocin for when I see the little juniors for the first time).

That procedure was 19 hours ago. I had started cramping for a while afterwards but nothing that consumed me and then they faded!

So, with no labour to start we went to our last Twins, triplets and more (aargh!) class over at ‘The Foot’. The class only had half of the usual bunch but it was a great atmosphere last night and I learned some really valuable tips so actually made some notes. This was all post partum information about baby care and mum care. As usual the dads were hilarious. They had to pick objects out of a mum’s post partum bag and explain why we would need it. One man picked breast pads and he had no idea why we would need them! When he learned why he exclaimed ‘leaking from there too! They leak everywhere!’ Our teacher said that even the sound of someone else's baby crying some distance away can make your boobies leak! Going to be avoiding the downtown playgroup when the juniors are born as I can always hear babies wailing from that establishment!

So now I am on the final countdown to being a mum and Bug a dad. It is daunting, it always was but anticipation (of labour pain, of looking after them and no sleep) is always more dramatic than the real thing so I refuse to ponder scenarios and imagine feelings. I insist that we take it day by day and hour by hour when they arrive. We are prepared, have read lots, have a doula and are pretty mature, certainly in age! In the past three months we have expected preemie babies so to have full term heavies will literally and figuratively feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

Roll on labour, juniors, no sleep and leaky boobies!

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!!