31 weeks

Tomorrow is 31 weeks!  Yay!  32 weeks was what I had my eyes on from the very first moment we learned we were having twins so it is so relieving to be so close.

Side view 30w5d

Front view 30w5d

P kissing the babies

Still feeling good overall, much better than I thought I would feel at this point.  But I am feeling progressively worse every week.  The skin around my belly button and on the sides of my abdomen are stretched to capacity, it is tight, itchy and feel like they are going to tear.  From here on out the babies gain about a half a pound every week.  So every week another pound of babies will be added to my uterus.  How is this even possible?  I feel like a science experiment. 

I am up 38 lbs.  I gained 40 with P, and since I am measuring 40 weeks now (!) I guess that makes sense!  I started this pregnancy 20 lbs lighter than my first pregnancy though, so that is helping my overall weight.  

Blood pressures are slightly higher than the first and second trimester, but not alarming by any means.  This weeks numbers have been 123/85, 130/87, 128/89.  Not great but not horrible.  30 weeks is when I was diagnosed with PIH last time, and by 31 weeks I was on bedrest with pressures of 170/110, then 200/100, so I will take this!

My wedding rings don't fit anymore, but other than that I have not noticed any swelling, except maybe some trace swelling in my ankles if I was outside too much (100+ degree temps with 50% humidity).  Occasional light heartburn, light nausea, but all manageable.  I think back to how miserable I was last time and I thank my lucky stars that I don't feel that way this time.  It must have been the lead up to the pre-eclampsia that made me so miserable.  There is so much not understood about pre-e, but it is thought to have something to do with placental implantation, so it makes sense that the pregnancy would be "different" from the start.  

I have the babies' (not sure where to place that apostrophe....) hospital bag packed.  Mine/DH's is halfway packed.  We took a hospital tour last weekend, I was very impressed with the facilities but it sure is different than America.  They provide maternity pads, mesh underwear, and diapers.  That is it.  No hospital gown besides the one you deliver in, no infant gowns, no receiving blankets, no pacifiers.  So the packing list is insane.  It's a 4 night stay for a C-section, so I am having to pack like 6 sleepers for each baby, 4 blankets, a few pairs of pjs for me, etc.  Way more than I had to last time.  There are several bags that are going to be lugged into the hospital with me, that's for sure!  Also there is no "regular nursery".  Babies will be in our room 24/7.  Which I like in the sense of establishing breast feeding, but if I deliver before my mom gets here DH won't spend every night at the hospital with me, I will want him home with P.  I don't want her sleeping at my friend's house more than a night or two.  So it will be me, recovering from surgery, with a CNA and 2 newborn babies.  That just sounds awful.  I had planned on the last night at the hospital using the nurses a lot to get some rest, letting them keep the babies except when they were ready to feed.  Ugh.  I'm sure it will be fine but it is just nerve racking.

Best thing that has happened recently is I made a new friend!  Her husband works with mine.  She lives right across the street from me and is pregnant with her first, due 2 weeks before me, so we will probably deliver around the same time!  It's so nice to have a support system here, and by support system I mean someone to text bitchy pregnant and newborn things to. 

Love to all. xxx

24 hour urine results (how is that for a sexy title?)

Results were great!  I lost the numbers, but total protein was 100 something mg.  They want it below 300, over 1000 is severe.  I think.  Major language barrier with this nurse, I will ask the dr for details in a week and a half at my next appt.  Two blood tests were done too, both had to do with creatinine, both were good.  One perfect, one just out of range. My blood pressures are remaining great at home too, so hopefully this continues......................

Bump pic

Taken by my husband with my crappy old iPhone (and I just bought a new iPhone like 6 hours later!).  I feel it doesn't adequately show the bump, as I am wearing black, so will have to take another soon.

27+4 update

Dr appt today, babies look great - 1.2kg and 1.4kg (roughly almost 3lbs and over 3lbs!).  This means I have more baby in me than I ever have before as P weighed 5lbs 12oz!  OMG!

Cervix long and closed, great.

No urine infection for once in my life.

Unfortunately the good news ended there, blood pressure starting to creep up - 130/92 last week at the GP, 130/89 today.  My urine last week showed 2+ protein, today had a trace.  So I just started a 24 hour urine collection to get a baseline of what my protein levels look like.  I also was instructed to buy a blood pressure cuff and test it twice a day.  Last pregnancy my bp was first elevated at my 30 week appt, but of course then I hadn't been seen since 26 weeks so who knows what my bp was at 27, 28 weeks.

Luckily my dr seems very on top of things, and said once twins weigh 1.5 kg (which we are so close to!) they usually do very well.

I only gained 1 pound in 2 weeks, clearly from the parasite.  My appetite is back in full force so I am sure more is on the horizon.  Total I am up 34 lbs which is right on target for what is recommended.

I should include a bump picture just to scare you all but lucky you, they are all still on my phone.  Maybe this weekend to celebrate 28 weeks which is such a huge milestone.

Thanks

Seriously guys, thanks for the support.

I am feeling just weird.  Yesterday I felt pretty good all morning, then was horribly nauseated all afternoon/evening.  I took half a unisom for sleep/nausea, and it had the desired effect of knocking me out but my abdominal pain/nausea continued.  I kept dreaming about my stomach hurting, then I would wake up in pain.  This happened about 10 times overnight.  I spent all morning feeling feverish, achy and sick, but didn't have a fever.  Right now with tylenol and zofran in my system I feel about 50% better.  Ugh.  It is so disheartening to google this parasite (and google obsessively I have) and read that symptoms can come and go for 6 weeks.  It's been one week and I am DONE.

I was glad to dig up one scholarly article from a few years ago that stated something along the lines of, "There has never been a case of cryptosporidium crossing the placental barrier".  My biggest fear was some sort of infection causing preterm delivery or stillbirth, and it seems that isn't a real risk with this.  Dehydration/malnutrition are the main risks to a pregnancy, and I am making sure to keep hydrated and am eating.

I made an appt with my GP for tomorrow morning.  My fetal medicine guy wanted me to see a GI specialist but I cancelled the appt.  I am a nurse, I know there is no cure for this, I already have anti-emetics,  I just don't know what they would bring to the table.  I am however wanting some repeat bloodwork to make sure my liver/gallbladder are behaving and that I am as hydrated as I hope I am.

Cryptosporidium parasitic diarrhea? Yes please! Also this post brought to you by TMI

So my "la la la, I can't believe how easy and fast this pregnancy has been going, who knew twins would be easier to carry than 1, I am perfect and clearly these fetuses are too" motto has changed to "I am so over this is it 38 weeks yet?"

Early last week I began having back pain.  Very similar to when I had two bulging disks back in 2010.  The pain is in my lower spine, radiating down my legs at times.  Clearly this is from the added weight to my front.  It is extremely annoying, only certain positions help, and at times walking is difficult.  I am using Biofreeze, tylenol, and have emergency anti-steroidals prescribed by my fetal-med specialist but I have only taken one dose as they are category D.  

So Monday and Tuesday were spent dealing with this new development, but NBD.  It is so hot I am not up for much anyway.  P goes to summer school 3 mornings a week, there has been a bit more iPad youtube video watching than good for her, but oh well.  She also spends hours playing dolls, using her imagination and coloring so I am not going to stress about added screen time.  

Tuesday I started having diarrhea.  Approximately 4 times that day. Immediately I knew something was up.  I began super hydrating myself, and got some Zofran from the pharmacy to deal with the accompanying nausea (love that it's over the counter here).  I had my gestational diabetes test that day, and it made me feel AWFUL.  I almost passed out in the waiting room.  The good news is I passed.

Wednesday I had only a few episodes.  I had an appt with my dr that day, he believed it was viral, or perhaps I was having some gallbladder issues.  My appt went well, cervix long and closed, bp low, babies weighing over 2 lbs.  He told me to keep doing what I was doing and see a GI specialist if my symptoms got worse.

Wednesday night I had pain like you wouldn't believe.  I was half afraid they were contractions, but since my cervix looked so good that day on u/s I decided they weren't.  I had diarrhea 3 times overnight from 9pm - 3am which is insane, who poops overnight besides babies?  At 4 am I decided to go to the ER.  Once there I began going like every 15 mins, and not a normal color or odor either (I will not go into more detail, you're welcome).  They took blood, urine and stool samples, started an IV of saline, gave me zofran IV, and had midwives come down from OB to monitor babies and contractions.  Luckily no contractions were picked up, heart rates were good.  Then the OB resident on call came down and did an u/s (my second in 16 hours lol) and all looked good.  She pointed out that they had their heads together like they were telling secrets.  

After 3 hours the ER doc came in and said I tested positive for cryptosporidium.  Basically it is a water-borne parasite.  Symptoms usually last 1-2 weeks but can last 4-6 weeks, oh fun!  Side effects are dehydration and weight loss.  Super fun for someone pregnant with twins!  No cure, no treatment besides nausea meds and hydration.  

Thursday and Friday were two of the sickest days of my life.  I was going like 20-24 times a day, just liquid, and my 3 hemorrhoids reached gigantic states.  Every bm was, in my own words, "like getting ass raped with a dagger".  

Saturday and Sunday I felt bad about half the time, only went maybe 5 times each day.  Sunday I actually seemed to have some constipation which I do not for the life of me understand.  Now it's Monday morning, and so far I feel pretty good.  Woke up with heartburn and back pain, but no colon pain.  26+2.

23+4 update

3 days until viability babies!!!  But let's wait 12 more weeks until your birthday mmkay?

I had an appointment yesterday, and got a surprise ultrasound.  Maybe with twins they measure growth every appointment?  Maybe it's because it can be hard to differentiate between the heartbeats on the doppler?  Whatever the reason I am not complaining!

Baby A remains slightly smaller, approx 1 lb 11oz.  Baby B is measuring 1 lb 13.5 oz.  According to the chart the US perinatologist gave me to keep track of all the details twins in the 50th percentile this week should weigh 1 lb 4oz, so we are overachievers! So crazy that they are going to be 2 lbs soon!  4 lbs of baby inside is INSANE! P was only 5 lbs 12 oz when she was born, so within the month I will probably have as much baby inside of me as I ever have, plus twice the placentas, fluid, etc.  No wonder I am a tank!!!!!!!!!!!!

Cervix is still long and closed, 3.77cm.  Whew.

Blood pressure was.........  119/81!  ROCK ON!

I am up 28.4 lbs total, which the dr was very happy with.  I gained 6 lbs in the last 3 weeks since my last appt, I still need to google whether 2 lbs/week weight gan in the second trimester is ok.  Ahh well whatever.

My next appt is in 2 weeks, at 25.5 weeks.  I will have my glucose test that week, fingers crossed.

I still feel GREAT. Seriously I have been cleaning the house like mad, haven't napped since the first trimester, no nausea, very little heartburn, just some pelvic achiness in the evenings.

We bought a car recently, so for the first time in 20 months we no longer have to rely on public transportation.  When it's not boiling hot outside we will continue to walk most places, but a car is a lifesaver in this heat!  We bought a 2010 Honda Pilot which is an 8 seater....it's taking some getting used to driving such a big vehicle but it's great having so much room.  We have been taking many weekend road trips to check out the area, and it's great loading up the car with whatever we want!  And obviously this thing will fit 3 car seats plus friends with their kids!

We have bought my mom's plane tickets, she will be coming out when I am (hopefully) 36 + 2.  I am PRAYING that I don't deliver until she gets here, because having her here to take care of P would be a huge weight off my shoulders.  I have a good friend here who assured me she will watch her, but I know P would be more comfortable in her own house with Grandma.  And she is staying 7 weeks!  I am so pumped.  I am gonna need to help so much!