It's a Matter of Hours...

I'm posting now, before my last monitoring of the evening, in case I don't get a chance afterwards.

The monitoring has gone really well today, the boys stayed pretty still, I had to hold A down, but they stayed on the monitor. The nurse said they knew they were being evicted, so they were trying to be on their best behavior.

The dopplers also went really well.

I didn't get much sleep last night because I couldn't get comfortable. If I laid one way, I could feel A in my ribs, the other way, B was on my bladder, if I was too much on either side, I felt like my lungs were constricted and I couldn't breathe.

Shane seems really nervous. He's pacing and fidgeting. I'm nervous about how the boys are going to be. I had to answer questions and sign more forms for the C-section tomorrow, but that part of it isn't even really in my brain. I just want to get it over with and see how they are.

I know tomorrow I am going to be an emotional wreck. All these months of trying to keep myself together with all the stress and worry of it all, I think it's just going to all come out tomorrow.

I don't know what else to say, I'm trying to keep myself calm and distracted.

My cell phone is dead, and I won't have my new one till Tuesday, so I know some of my friends who read this regularly, who might try and contact me... I'm sorry I haven't responded.

Again, I can't believe how lucky I am that everything has gone this well so far.

2 Days... and Our Last Day as a Family of Two!

They let me sleep in today! I woke up at 8:30 and was pleasantly surprised that the transporter hadn't come for me at 8. They came for me around 9:30, so I just got to lay around and relax for awhile. Everything was fine with the dopplers. No absence or reversal of flow, so just one more day of good news and we will have made it through!

The heart rate strips (or I guess they are technically NST's now) were fine in that they were reactive, but A was difficult to get on again. So I guess I stayed on for about an hour and a half, and the nurse had to hold him on for about half the time. We had to have someone come in with the sono, too. I think B is just too big and doesn't have as much room to move around.

I know some people are questioning why not go past 32 weeks if everything is fine. Statistically, 32 weeks is good for twins in this situation. Yes, they will have to stay in the NICU. But every day of this pregnancy has been so dangerous that I agree with my group of doctors that going past 32 weeks is just too risky to keep them out of the NICU for a few days/weeks. Just because I am monitored so often does not mean that something awful cannot happen the minute I get off them. I have heard/ seen so many stories about decelerations and cord entanglement after 32 weeks, and then women have to be rushed into surgery to save babies. And yes, I've heard stories too, where women have made it to 36 weeks and beyond. My husband and I personally do not want to take that risk. I have had 4 steroid injections and have been in the hands of fabulous doctors who have seen this before (although not very many). I'm praying for the best for my babies. Each case of this is so personal to each person, not every momo pregnancy is the same. While there are babies born at 23 weeks and are able to thrive, there are babies born at 39 weeks who don't make it. Shane and I are so scared and nervous, but we are trusting our doctors and we have confidence in our boys to be strong.

Again, thanks for all the prayers and well wishes. I cannot thank all of you enough for being there for us.

Falls & Steroids

On Wednesday, my cousin and my mom came over to help me organize some things in the house and put away Christmas decorations. It's getting harder and harder to move around. We had a sonogram on Tuesday and the boys are doing great. Their heart rates are wonderful and A is measuring 2 lbs. 11 oz. and B is measuring 2 lbs. 5 oz.! They're big for 26 weeks! I'm hoping some of the big baby genes in my family help me out in this situation.

My mom was down in our basement putting decorations away, my cousin was organizing my bathroom upstairs, and I was sitting on the couch going through boxes. I decided to go down and make sure we had put away all the decorations. I was wearing socks, and the steps leading to the basement are carpeted= not a good combo. I slipped down the last 3 steps and landed on my butt on the bottom step. I should add that A has been laying on my sciatic nerve since Sunday and it was really hard for me to put weight on my right leg. I called the doctor and she said to eat something sweet and cold, and I needed to feel 3 kicks on each side within an hour. My mom made me 2 bowls of ice cream, A started kicking all over, but I only felt one kick from B. I called back and they told me to get assessed in Labor and Delivery. 

I checked in, and the babies were fine, but they noticed I was having contractions 3-4 minutes apart; but I wasn't feeling them. The doctor on call there said that it most likely had nothing to do with the fall. They continued to monitor the babies' heart rates, but noticed my contractions were now 2 minutes apart. I felt one- just a tightness in my abdomen. They decided to keep me overnight to monitor the babies and contractions (I think they were worried because they were all aware of me- I'm being admitted on the 16th, and the high risk situation). They gave me Turbutaline and told me to drink a lot of water. They swabbed me and ran an FNN-fetal fibronectin, that came back negative and means I won't go into labor for at least another 2 weeks. It was a long night, the babies were moving all over and the heart rate strips took forever to do. But I was given permission to go home the next morning. I was prepared to stay, since I'll be there in a week in a half anyway, but they talked to my doctor and she said the contractions were normal with twins and to stick to our plan.

*I want to add that apparently I am already very popular at the hospital. Everyone knows who I am, I had so many doctors and nurses peek in to see me, even the people at the front desk knew who I was. Everyone has been very nice, so far, and that makes knowing that I'll be living there for a few weeks a lot more comforting. 

So today I went back to have a sonogram, do the heart rate strips (NST- which was part of our plan as part of my high risk pregnancy), and get my first steroid injection. Babies are still doing well. I got my first steroid injection of Betamethizone, and I will go back tomorrow for my 2nd injection. I am 26 weeks and 6 days today. 

I will admit I am having 2nd thoughts about our initial plan to do outpatient next week and continue as an inpatient at 28 weeks. After my fall on Wednesday, and being able to see the babies' heart rates on a regular basis, it freaks me out to not be able to see that everyday. We asked if we could be monitored tomorrow, so we'll see. Then we go Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, and then I'll be an inpatient as of Monday the 16th. We may talk to the doctor about being admitted maybe Friday, or going everyday this week for the NST. I don't know. I'm just nervous.

To top it off, my 89 year old grandfather, whom I love like a father, fell on Tuesday. He is in so much pain, refuses to go to the doctor, won't eat, and can't move. Last night my aunt, who he lives with, thinks he had a stroke because he has been talking funny and can't remember anything. My mom just called this second and said that the doctor came to the house and now thinks he has Parkinson's disease. No one wants me to come see him because they don't want me getting upset, but I hate the thought of not being there for him. :(