Our pregnancy announcement

Sent out via Facebook, Instagram and email: (will probably delete this in a few days)

Eating for three until October 2015 :-)

15 weeks!

Wowzers!!  I again can't believe that I'm already (well tomorrow I will be!) 15 weeks pregnant with twins!

The babies are now the size of an apple, 4 inches long and approx 2-3oz/each.  I feel them move everyday, several times a day.  Feeling movement has always been my favorite thing about pregnancy, hands down.  There are no words to describe it.  I'm so glad I'm a woman, I feel so sorry for my husband who doesn't get this time to bond with the babies.  And of course my heart breaks for those of us who are desperate to experience it and haven't yet been able to, or want to experience it just one more time....

I had an appt with an OB in Illinois this past week.  He was wonderful!  Using the doppler he immediately found both heartbeats, in totally separate locations and differing rates.  One baby was consistently upper 150s, other was consistently lower 140s.  So maybe one boy and one girl?
My blood pressure was 122/80 ROCK ON!  I'm continuing the baby aspirin to ward off pre eclampsia, and a million supplements as recommended by Dr Luke of "Expecting Twins, Triplets and Quads".  My weight is up 13 lbs.  Wow!  With pipsqueak at this point I was down 3 lbs.  Luckily with twins it is recommended to gain 20-25 lbs by 20 weeks.  I think I may get there!!!  My uterus is measuring 4-5 weeks ahead, so I already look 20 weeks!  This is why I was in maternity pants this time starting at 8 weeks :-).  At the end of the appt he asked what else he could do for me, and I said, "Could you PLEASE order an ultrasound?".  And he agreed!  It's been 6 weeks since my last one which for an IVF patient pregnant with twins feels like 6 years.  So he ordered it "to check growth".  I love him!  My u/s is this Monday and my Mom has taken off work to be there!  I can't wait!

I'm still feeling GREAT!  As long as I eat all day long I don't feel sick.  So far no swelling, no exhaustion, very little indigestion.  I'm thinking I should enjoy this while it lasts......

We go back to Dubai right after Memorial Day BOO!!  I'm not ready for a summer of temps in the 120s.   I am excited to start organizing our 2 bedroom apartment and buying baby things...  We are gonna be very cramped but I've always liked being cozy :-).  I just hope once the babies are 6-12 months, somewhere in there, that then 4 year old Pipsqueak will be ok sharing a room with 2 babies....   Until then they will obviously be bunking in with mom and dad.   Does anyone have a recommendation for a good bassinet? I am thinking one that has rocking or vibration would be good because I assume at 2am when I am trying to get 2 babies back to sleep I will use any trick/device/voodoo spell I can to get some sleep.  I read that all the sleep "rules" go right out the window with twins.  That you do what you have to to survive.  Amen to that!

2nd trimester!

Tomorrow I am 13 weeks, can't freaking believe it.  This is the fastest pregnancy in history, it's gotta be!  If anyone wants the first trimester to fly by just travel around the world and visit family and friends, I've been so busy I haven't had time to obsess!

I feel GREAT!  Morning sickness ended at about 10.5/11 weeks.....SUCH a difference from my first pregnancy!  I have another stupid cold/sinus infection, but otherwise life is good.

I bought a Doppler and can now differentiate between the two heartbeats.  Such a worthwhile investment!  I'm taking baby aspirin, multivitamin, extra folic acid, extra Mag/Calcium/Zinc, and a stool softener daily.  All done with progesterone as of last week.

The perinatologist I saw a couple of weeks ago said its not a matter of if I get preeclampsia again, it's when.  My Bp was 118/88.  88 is way to high of a diastolic for the first trimester. So she suggested the baby aspirin, it's been proven to delay the onset of preeclampsia.  I started it at 10.5 weeks.

I have an appt with an OB here in Illinois in a week and a half, I will be outside of the NT scan window so I guess we are skipping that again.  Hopefully we will get an u/s though, the scheduling nurse said it would be up to "the discussion between me and the dr".  Well I will beg if necessary!

To be honest I can very easily get sucked into negativity : how hard two babies and a 3 year old will be, how hard living away from family will be, etc.  But trying to focus on how amazing our family will be with 3 children.  Maybe in 3 years :-)

Detailed U/S 9+5

Thanks for all of your wonderful comments on my spotting post.  It's pretty much stopped now, except for occasional brown stringy cm.

I had a detailed U/S at a fetal medicine dr here in the states today.  It was awesome!  An abdominal u/s but so detailed, a great machine.  She saw no bleeding.  Baby A is measuring 9+4 with a heartrate of 165, Baby B is measuring 9+6 with a heartrate of 169.  Or I could have those reversed, I know they are 2 days apart in size, which is consistent, they are always 1-2 days off.  The tech showed me Baby A's placenta is posterior, Baby B's placenta is anterior, she said it was great that they are forming in different locations.  They are definitely fraternal.  We were able to see both of them DANCE.  Like go from completely still to full body wiggling.  It's the most amazing sight, totally unreal!

Due to a big mixup with my dr in Dubai, I wasn't able to see the dr today, so I made an appt for next Thursday.  I am concerned about these blood pressures!  I am off the estrogen and still they are running high 120s/high 80s.  It's just too early for this shit.  I'm fine with this level as long as it doesn't creep up trimester 2 or 3!

We are in the states now,  enjoying time with family and the cold weather! It's in the 40s on the East Coast right now!  And raining!  I love it!  Desert you can suck it!

Spotting, spotting, spotting

I am over it.

Started spotting yesterday, just tan colored CM.  This morning had a gush of red with CM.  I went into the OB, she did an abdominal u/s.  Both babies look great, measured 9+2 and 9+4 (I am 9+3 today), both had a heart rate of 179.  She did a vaginal exam, cervix is closed.  She sees no reason for the bleeding.

Just now pinkish spotting started back up.

I am so very sick with morning sickness that I am less worried about the babies.  I'm thinking maybe since this is happening every couple of weeks that maybe it is just growing/stretching pains?  With twins the uterus has to grow much faster, from what I've read many twin moms spot on and off throughout their pregnancy.

I fly home tonight, I just knew I couldn't sit through a 15 hour flight without knowing the babies were alive.  Can't wait to see Pipsqueak.  What I texted my husband just now is, "This 60% of our family can't wait to be reunited with the other 40%!"

9 Week Update

Fruit Size? This is always my absolute favorite thing in pregnancy, comparing the baby (babies?) to food.  This week they are 1-1.25 inches, or the size of a grape, or a green olive.

Due Date: According to the IVF calculators November 7.  According to my OB basing it on my LMP it's November 9.  And of course with twins, and with my history of pre-eclampsia probably more like September or hopefully October.

How far along: 9 weeks today.

Genders: We are not going to find out.  With P I begged my husband to let us find out, he was really against it.  So I have promised him that if we got another chance it would be a surprise...

Total Weight Gain: 2-3 lbs.  With P I was down 2 lbs at 16 weeks, doesn't seem I am on that track this time....

Stretch Marks: My white faded ones from my first pregnancy immediately got darker as soon as I got a bfp.  Hormonal maybe?

Swelling: Not yet!

Movement: Too early!  Although these last couple days I could've sworn I felt tiny, tiny flutters. But both times I felt them I had flatulence right afterwards.  LOL

Maternity Clothes: Haven't worn any yet but I did buy some bottoms!  I can still wear some regular jeans/shorts but waistbands make me feel sick.  I am showing MUCH more quickly this time, which I know happens with a second pregnancy and with twins.  

Sleep: Ugh, I have been having insomnia.  And of course the sinus infection isn't helping.  I am sleeping 5-7 hours straight at night, then trying to take a nap everyday.

Cravings: All the food.  Seriously I am hungry all the time.  I wake up with my stomach growling.  I go to bed and my stomach is growling.  Specifically been craving milk, pasta, oranges, and fried chicken.

Symptoms: Nausea, but not every day, and so far not as bad as my last pregnancy.  I think it may be because I am not constipated this time.  Which I think is because this time I am on rectal suppositories instead of vaginal ones.  You're welcome for this information.  Also a little boob tenderness, urinary frequency and weird dreams.

What I miss: Just sushi.  I have been craving raw salmon intensely.  But of course I am happy to forgo it. 

What I'm loving: Surprising people with our news! Don't worry, we haven't told everyone.  Just family and very close friends.  I know it is still early.  

I've talked to my husband several times since he left.  He and Pipsqueak are having a great time in Florida.  I can't believe I am missing Easter with my family :(   But I am getting better, and I know she is having a blast. 

Sinus infection during pregnancy is FUN

Obvi the title lies.  I have a sinus infection, bilateral ear infections, and possible pneumonia.  It is simply miserable not being able to take Sudafed, Afrin, Ibuprofen, etc.  I was lucky enough not to get much in the way of illness during my last pregnancy (nothing contagious anyway!).  I went to my GP yesterday and he said my right sinus was so swollen and inflamed that it had completely blocked my eustachian tube in that ear.  That explains why my head has felt like a balloon that needs to pop!

I started 36 hours ago on Amoxil three times daily, which I think is just starting to work.  I have the slightest bit of relief which is enough to make me grateful.  I hate taking an antibiotic while pregnant, but my OB agreed that it is the best one, proven to be safe, and the GP said the infection was bad enough that it wouldn't clear up easily without meds.  For the past 3 nights I have also taken Doxylamine 10mg (unisom) to help me sleep.  It is actually an antihistamine, so it helped the nose a little, but more than that it knocked me out enough that I could sleep sitting up with my mouth hanging open.  My OB swears this med is safe too, and I researched it and I guess it is commonly used with Vitamin B6 for morning sickness?  Maybe that explains why my nausea has been less severe the past couple days.

DH and Pipsqueak flew home last night.  I was supposed to as well but my Dr said no way could I fly.  Not only because of the sinus and ear stuff, but he took blood to test for Mycoplasma Pneumoniae.  Some highly contagious thing that is going around.  The results won't be back until early next week so I am flying home Tuesday night now.  So that means I am missing Easter with my daughter :-(  I am sure she will have fun with her Daddy, Uncle, cousins, and grandparents.  They've been gone 24 hours and I miss them already!  Although I did take a 3 hour nap today and that was pretty darn wonderful...