The last couple of days I've been beyond exhausted. I got a long term sub job in a high needs, high school special education class. The kids are great... I'm just lacking energy, especially with having to get up at 5:30am. Making 2 babies is serious business.
My latest craving has been Spicy Chicken Sandwiches from Wendy's and french fries with buffalo sauce. I still haven't gained any weight, even though some of my pants have already had to be retired.
According to how the babies are measuring instead of my LMP I'm currently 9w3d. I'm sure things are going well. The risk of MC at this point is pretty low since they both have well established heartbeats.
We're still concerned about the membrane, but trying not to dwell on it too much. At this point there is nothing we can do about it. It will either be there and be seen or it won't be there and I'll have a very high risk pregnancy. From what I've been reading, however, a lot of women had an ultrasound at 8-9 weeks where they weren't able to see the membrane but were able to see it between 12 and 14 weeks. My next appointment is at 13 weeks, so there is definitely still hope. Also, at my first ultrasound at the ER when we found out that there were 2 babies, they pointed out the 2 different yolk sacs. While this isn't a 100% indicator, it is a pretty decent indicator that they fraternal and will have a membrane separating them. We just have to hope and pray for the best at this point. If no membrane exists they will be mo/mo twins, meaning they share an amniotic sac and a placenta. The reason the membrane is so crucial, if there isn't one the twins umbilical cords could get tangled or wrapped around each other, cord compression could happen, cutting of nutrients/oxygen to one or both of them as they grow, or a syndrome called twin to twin transfusion syndrome could happen where one twin steals the blood supply from the other. Usually in the case of mo/mo twins, mothers are admitted full time to the hospital around 24-26 weeks for 24/7 monitoring to ensure that none of these are happening. This, of course, is worse case scenario. Because our twins were conceived with Clomid and more than likely from 2 separate eggs, there is also a lower likelihood that they are mo/mo twins. All mo/mo twins are identical (came from same egg).
The other two types of twins are di/di and mo/di. Di/di twins have 2 different amniotic sacs and 2 different placentas and di/mo twins have 2 different amniotic sacs and share a placenta.
I've had no more spotting since our adventure in the ER, so that is very promising. Spotting is more common in twins and other multiples. We decided to chalk the spotting up to the fact that they are already fighting and bickering in the womb. lol :)
I am anxiously awaiting our next appointment. It seems like a million days away. Not only is it on my birthday, but it is also on the first day of 2nd trimester... AKA the SAFE ZONE!
Welcome to the World Orion and Ronin!
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Still 2 babies!
We had our second prenatal appointment today and our second ultrasound!
First they did all the basic tests: pap, chlamydia, gonorrhea. Then they filled me in out what to expect out of a twin pregnancy. They said it will probably be pretty difficult because I am so small in stature (aka... I'm nearly a midget.) They also said that reaching 38 weeks gestation is ideal and that's what we will really really try to shoot for. I run an increased risk of pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes with twins. I will begin seeing a high risk doctor at 20 weeks. I will go in every 3 weeks after that for growth scans to make sure that the babies are progressing and growing properly. If both babies are head down I will be able to deliver vaginally, but if one or both are breech I will have to have a C-section.
Then they tried to do a transvaginal ultrasound. They were not able to do the ultrasound in the office because I have a giant cyst from my left ovary blocking the view of my uterus thanks to PCOS. (It's like 8cm in diameter.) So they set us up with the state of the art ultrasound machines downstairs in the high risk doctor's office. They were able to get great pictures with the abdominal ultrasound because their machines are so good! One thing they were checking on in this ultrasound was to see if there was a membrane between the two babies. If there isn't, there are more risks of certain twin related complications such as one twin stealing the blood supply of the other twin. They were not able to detect a membrane today, but they said it may just be too early. The tech said it is easier to see as the babies get bigger. So, with that being said, I have another ultrasound appointment in 4 weeks, which is the same day as my next prenatal appointment. They are both on my birthday, January 29th and I will be at the beginning of my 2nd trimester. They are doing this ultrasound to 1. check on the membrane and 2. to check growth.
On a good note, I think I've finally stopped losing weight. During the pregnancy I'm supposed to try to put on about 30lbs. Not sure how that's going to work out with the gastric bypass, but my ob/gyn said the most important thing for me right now is getting enough calories. So if the only thing I can eat is ice cream, then so be it because my prenatal vitamins will help with the nutrients my food is lacking at least until the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
Baby A - This baby is measuring 8w5d with a heart rate of 154bpm. It is already a little mover and shaker. It gave the ultrasound tech a hard time getting it's heart rate because every time he would get locked on and start scanning it the kiddo would wiggle. The baby's rump is on the left and head is on the right.
Baby B - This baby is measuring 8w6d with a heart tate of 173bpm. So far it seems to be the more mellow of the two. This baby's rump is on the left and head is on the right as well.
First they did all the basic tests: pap, chlamydia, gonorrhea. Then they filled me in out what to expect out of a twin pregnancy. They said it will probably be pretty difficult because I am so small in stature (aka... I'm nearly a midget.) They also said that reaching 38 weeks gestation is ideal and that's what we will really really try to shoot for. I run an increased risk of pre-eclampsia and gestational diabetes with twins. I will begin seeing a high risk doctor at 20 weeks. I will go in every 3 weeks after that for growth scans to make sure that the babies are progressing and growing properly. If both babies are head down I will be able to deliver vaginally, but if one or both are breech I will have to have a C-section.
Then they tried to do a transvaginal ultrasound. They were not able to do the ultrasound in the office because I have a giant cyst from my left ovary blocking the view of my uterus thanks to PCOS. (It's like 8cm in diameter.) So they set us up with the state of the art ultrasound machines downstairs in the high risk doctor's office. They were able to get great pictures with the abdominal ultrasound because their machines are so good! One thing they were checking on in this ultrasound was to see if there was a membrane between the two babies. If there isn't, there are more risks of certain twin related complications such as one twin stealing the blood supply of the other twin. They were not able to detect a membrane today, but they said it may just be too early. The tech said it is easier to see as the babies get bigger. So, with that being said, I have another ultrasound appointment in 4 weeks, which is the same day as my next prenatal appointment. They are both on my birthday, January 29th and I will be at the beginning of my 2nd trimester. They are doing this ultrasound to 1. check on the membrane and 2. to check growth.
On a good note, I think I've finally stopped losing weight. During the pregnancy I'm supposed to try to put on about 30lbs. Not sure how that's going to work out with the gastric bypass, but my ob/gyn said the most important thing for me right now is getting enough calories. So if the only thing I can eat is ice cream, then so be it because my prenatal vitamins will help with the nutrients my food is lacking at least until the 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
Baby A - This baby is measuring 8w5d with a heart rate of 154bpm. It is already a little mover and shaker. It gave the ultrasound tech a hard time getting it's heart rate because every time he would get locked on and start scanning it the kiddo would wiggle. The baby's rump is on the left and head is on the right.
Baby B - This baby is measuring 8w6d with a heart tate of 173bpm. So far it seems to be the more mellow of the two. This baby's rump is on the left and head is on the right as well.
Monday, December 31, 2012
1+1=4?
So yesterday around 5pm I went to the restroom and found blood in my undies and when I wiped. This, of course, immediately freaked me out. I called my OB's on-call nurse who told me, based on the bleeding and the clots I passed in addition to the back pain I was having I should be seen within the next 4 hours. Thayer and I went straight to the ER in my hometown (we are out of state visiting family). The got me back in a room and did blood work and had me pee in a cup. Then we waited for an ultrasound tech to come in. They don't have one on staff 24/7 because it's such a small hospital so they had to call her in. At about 8pm we went back to have our ultrasound. Of course I was expecting the worst.
They started with a transabdominal US and took some pictures of my ovaries and uterus, but couldn't get a clear picture of what was going on in my uterus. She then switched to an transvaginal US. After lots of looking and measuring the ultrasound tech zooms in on my uterus and says, "Looks like we have two kiddos in there." She then proceeded to show us Baby B followed by Baby A. She took pictures and measurements of each and checked their heart rates. Baby A had a heart rate of 174 and Baby B had a heart rate of 177. There are 2 yolk sacs, and based on the fact that I ovulated out 2 eggs, our best guess at the moment is that they are fraternal twins.
Both babies are measuring 8w3d as of yesterday. It was pretty hard to get measurements on them because they were pretty wiggly and one wanted to hide some. Based on the day I ovulated instead of my last menstral periods I should be 8w4d as of yesterday (by LMP I would be 9w1d). The on-call OB I saw said things look good, and they couldn't pin point the cause of the bleeding. Since last night, the spotting has stopped. I'm on pelvic/bed rest until I see my regular OB on Wednesday.
Needless to say, we are a little bit shocked. We didn't really expect this at all. 3 1/2 years of trying for one little baby and not being able to manage it, all of a sudden we're having two. Guess I can look at is as I only have to go through morning sickness, pregnancy, labor/delivery, etc. once because we only plan to have 2 children.
We were too shocked, I think, to even ask for a print out of pictures of the little bugs. We should have those on Wednesday though because they were planning on doing and ultrasound that day anyways.
They started with a transabdominal US and took some pictures of my ovaries and uterus, but couldn't get a clear picture of what was going on in my uterus. She then switched to an transvaginal US. After lots of looking and measuring the ultrasound tech zooms in on my uterus and says, "Looks like we have two kiddos in there." She then proceeded to show us Baby B followed by Baby A. She took pictures and measurements of each and checked their heart rates. Baby A had a heart rate of 174 and Baby B had a heart rate of 177. There are 2 yolk sacs, and based on the fact that I ovulated out 2 eggs, our best guess at the moment is that they are fraternal twins.
Both babies are measuring 8w3d as of yesterday. It was pretty hard to get measurements on them because they were pretty wiggly and one wanted to hide some. Based on the day I ovulated instead of my last menstral periods I should be 8w4d as of yesterday (by LMP I would be 9w1d). The on-call OB I saw said things look good, and they couldn't pin point the cause of the bleeding. Since last night, the spotting has stopped. I'm on pelvic/bed rest until I see my regular OB on Wednesday.
Needless to say, we are a little bit shocked. We didn't really expect this at all. 3 1/2 years of trying for one little baby and not being able to manage it, all of a sudden we're having two. Guess I can look at is as I only have to go through morning sickness, pregnancy, labor/delivery, etc. once because we only plan to have 2 children.
We were too shocked, I think, to even ask for a print out of pictures of the little bugs. We should have those on Wednesday though because they were planning on doing and ultrasound that day anyways.
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| 8w4d with TWINS! |
Sunday, December 23, 2012
8 weeks
Things have still been going well. Not really any morning sickness today. Not sure how I feel about that. It's one of those double edge sword situations. Does the absense of symptoms mean something is going wrong? Yesterday I was miserable. Due to the Zofran (morning sickness, nausea medicine) I was incredibly constipated (lol, tmi I know). Finally took something to help and it was... painful. I still haven't gained any weight, but I think I've finally stopped losing weight. I've been making sure to drink plenty of fluids and eat good food in addition to my protein shakes.
I'm doing the very best I can. It does depress me some to know that even with me doing my very, very best it might not be enough to make this little bug stay safe and growing in my uterus. I try not to think about miscarrying again, but from time to time it does cross my mind. I keep reminding myself not to count my chickens before my eggs hatch because I know that at any moment this blessing could be taken away from me. It's a hard pill to swallow, especially when so many women I know can get pregnant in the blink of an eye. I really don't know how much heartbreak I can survive at this point, and I just hope that this is finally my time.
We are telling my in-laws tomorrow that we are expecting. My parents already know; they've known since the morning I got my BFP. They live overseas so tomorrow it will technically be Christmas day for them. We're also planning on announcing on Facebook after we have our next doctor's appointment. I have a SUPER cute idea for how to do it.
I'm doing the very best I can. It does depress me some to know that even with me doing my very, very best it might not be enough to make this little bug stay safe and growing in my uterus. I try not to think about miscarrying again, but from time to time it does cross my mind. I keep reminding myself not to count my chickens before my eggs hatch because I know that at any moment this blessing could be taken away from me. It's a hard pill to swallow, especially when so many women I know can get pregnant in the blink of an eye. I really don't know how much heartbreak I can survive at this point, and I just hope that this is finally my time.
We are telling my in-laws tomorrow that we are expecting. My parents already know; they've known since the morning I got my BFP. They live overseas so tomorrow it will technically be Christmas day for them. We're also planning on announcing on Facebook after we have our next doctor's appointment. I have a SUPER cute idea for how to do it.
Not the best picture. So is the little pooch bloat or the start of the bump? I'm betting on bloat... lol. I do know that because of my surgery I will tend to "pop" sooner than most first time moms because I'm stretched out muscle wise like I've been pregnant before.
Symptoms: Nausea, enlarged, tender breasts (1/2 cup size already), sensitive nipples, tired a lot, feeling very lethargic, constipated.
Friday, December 21, 2012
7 weeks... holy all day sickness
This post is late. The holidays and preparing for them have kept me pretty busy. I had my first doctors appointment on Tuesday. They adjusted my due date to August 4th. They took blood, had me sign papers, and went over basic information. I got a nice little, free book. All my bloodwork came back normal. My next appointment is still January 2nd. I've now lost almost 10 pounds since finding out I was pregnant, though I don't look it because I look super bloated.
This week the morning sickness (or should I say all day sickness) has really kicked in. The doctor gave me a prescription for Zofran. It has been a complete life saver. I already have difficulty eating much because of my surgery and being nauseous and barfing just made it that much worse. Actually... I don't really even barf. I just dry heave really hard because of the way my stomach had been re-routed. It hurts more than anything and sounds really horrible.
I'm not complaining. Just stating facts. I'm thankful every time I feel sick. I'm thankful for waking up all night long to run to the bathroom because I get up at least 3 times a night to pee now because I'm drinking so much water. I wouldn't change it for a second. I know how lucky I am. I also know that I have another 5 weeks before this little baby is completely nestled inside me and safe.
Symptoms: tired, all day sickness, sore nipples/boobs, weightloss, frequent urination.
This week the morning sickness (or should I say all day sickness) has really kicked in. The doctor gave me a prescription for Zofran. It has been a complete life saver. I already have difficulty eating much because of my surgery and being nauseous and barfing just made it that much worse. Actually... I don't really even barf. I just dry heave really hard because of the way my stomach had been re-routed. It hurts more than anything and sounds really horrible.
I'm not complaining. Just stating facts. I'm thankful every time I feel sick. I'm thankful for waking up all night long to run to the bathroom because I get up at least 3 times a night to pee now because I'm drinking so much water. I wouldn't change it for a second. I know how lucky I am. I also know that I have another 5 weeks before this little baby is completely nestled inside me and safe.
Symptoms: tired, all day sickness, sore nipples/boobs, weightloss, frequent urination.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
6 weeks
Today marks 6 weeks. I FINALLY was able to make my first appointment. Let me tell you what a pain in the ass that was. First, I had to wait for insurance approval to make the appointment. I got that on Friday AFTER the doctors office was already closed. So, I called first thing Monday morning. After 15 minutes on hold on the appointment line I told the scheduler about my concerns over weightloss due to my gastric bypass surgery. She told me she would put in paperwork for the referral specialist to look over. The referral person would look it over and talk to the doctor to determine if I would an earlier than normal first appointment. The scheduler told me it would probably take 3-5 days for the referral person. I was so FRUSTRATED. I just want to know that everything is okay. I just want something to go right for me for once. Luckily, today (Tuesday) I got a call back. I have an appointment on Dec. 18th to go in and sign forms and have labs done. Then we have our first appointment at 9w1d on January 2nd. These days cannot get here fast enough. I was hoping because of my medical concerns I would get seen earlier than "normal" but he doesn't seem that concerned about it.
Symptoms: nausea after eating and if I go very long with an empty stomach, sore nipples, fatigue, acne, constipation, restless sleep, peeing more frequently.
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| 6 weeks - Some bloat |
Symptoms: nausea after eating and if I go very long with an empty stomach, sore nipples, fatigue, acne, constipation, restless sleep, peeing more frequently.
Wednesday, December 5, 2012
Smexy Just In Time
Well it looks like I got my boudoir pictures done just in time because now I'm pregnant and bloated. I'm pretty happy with them! I feel awesome. It's so weird to see my collar bones and shoulder blades. I'm so used to being a fatty with rolls on top of rolls that hid all my bones.
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| I did some "naughty teacher" shots. |
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| I look naked, but I have a corset on. |
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| This is my favorite... I editted it down.. you can't see my corset and thigh highs :-P |
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