I haven’t posted about the twins very much, so I thought I would do a little update on how they are doing.
I am in the 29th week right now. I know, kind of a random number week to be posting on, but I had a growth ultrasound yesterday so it seemed like a good time. Being this far along is pretty good. Of course we want the girls to stay in and get bigger, but in general survival rate jumps to something like 95% after the 28th week. So yay for that! I know in life anything can happen, but I like having that kind of number on my side.
As I said, both girls are growing really well! There is no sign of twin-to-twin syndrome, which can be a concern in twins that share a placenta. Basically in that, one twin gets significantly more blood flow and therefore more nutrients than the other. There really isn’t anything you can do about it, but it helps to be prepared at delivery if we know it is happening. And we would want to know if one twin was in distress for any reason. Fortunately, both are currently just barely under 3 pounds. They are still basically the size they would be if there was only one baby in there. This is awesome for their growth, but it means I already almost have 6 pounds of baby in me. So yes, I do look like I am 9 months pregnant already. I have gotten a few of the ‘any day now’ comments. No, not any day now, more like two more months. At least we are hoping for two more months!
Currently we are looking at the girls being born towards the end of January. We of course hope they stay in there as long as possible. The longer they gestate the better developed their lungs will be, the easier it will be to feed them, and the bigger they will be. Bigger babies tend to sleep better, and I really value my sleep, so some of my motivation for wanting this is selfish. But all around the closer to 40 weeks they are born the better.
A big change from when I was pregnant with Ben to this pregnancy is how often I have to go to the doctor. Because they share a placenta, I get to go in for ultrasounds every two weeks. Every other is just a quick fluid check. The other is a longer measurement check. It is nice to get to see the girls so often, and I remember wishing I could see Ben more while he was on the inside. With him we didn’t have any ultrasounds after the anatomy scan at 21 weeks. To be honest though, going that frequently takes a bit of the thrill out of it. I don’t mean to sound ungrateful, but after the initial few minutes where we see that yes, they are indeed just fine, it gets pretty routine. And when you consider that these ultrasounds are in addition to my regular appointments with my OB, it really adds up. That is a lot of time away from work and a lot of time to get someone to watch Ben. I take him with me to the appointments that are supposed to be fast. He is so good at the fast ultrasound appointments. He of course charms the nurses and the doctor. He has requested that we turn Mickey Mouse or Toy Story on the big tv we see the girls on, but sadly they only get the ‘baby picture channel’ as one tech called it. I am so grateful that Meo and Omi have been so willing to watch Ben during the longer appointments. It is so nice not to have to worry about entertaining a two year old while getting an ultrasound that can take over an hour. Fortunately my doctor is less than 10 minutes from the office, so no one really has to disrupt their day too much. Ben still comes to the office as usual. True, he watches a bit more Mickey than he probably should so work can still be accomplished. But let’s be real, he’s going to have more screen time than recommended while we all adjust to being a family of five. Everyone I have talked to about having your second, and especially your second and third together, says this is normal. Once we settle into a routine we’ll get back off of it again. I think Ben will be just fine.
From here on out we are just trying to make sure the girls stay in and keep up the good work they are doing. Fortunately I haven’t had any problems or complications. The only ‘complication’ is, well, there are two babies in there. I am so happy to still be feeling really good. Oh sure, I’m a bit slow and take longer to get up. But really that is nothing too new. 😉 Of course the one thing I keep being told is to rest and not lift anything too heavy. Hmmm… rest and not lift anything with a two year old around all the time… yeah, not so much. 🙂 Fortunately my doctor is understanding and pretty much told me she doesn’t tell moms not to lift their children unless absolutely necessary. In her words, what mom isn’t going to pick up their child if the child needs it and the mom is able? Luckily Ben is pretty easy going, and we started cutting down on some of the holding and carrying as soon as we found out about the girls. He has adjusted very nicely to walking more. I love that he is in the stage where he loves to help out. I definitely take advantage of that when I drop something. 🙂
We still have a bit of setting up to do in the kids’ room to finalize everything. Grampa helped Pat put the cribs together when they came to visit for Thanksgiving. (Thank you, Grampa!) I have to organize the girls’ clothes a bit, rearrange the room a little, and hang up the pictures. Yes, Ben’s Winnie the Pooh pictures are still on the wall in his old room. This means Pat and I are sleeping in a Winnie the Pooh room right now. That’s going to change soon. Overall I feel we are doing well on preparations. Pat and I took a class titled ‘Surviving Multiples.’ It had a lot of good tips for feeding and burping the girls, which is my biggest concern. With everything else, well, we know they don’t need that much. Some warm outfits, diapers, and a place to sleep. (The bassinet is ready to go!)
Overall we are very excited for the girls to arrive. I do want them to stay in and get nice and big. We are getting close to the home stretch. I know there is still plenty to do before they arrive, but I think we will get it all done in time. This pregnancy has flown by compared to Ben’s. I think that is mainly because of how busy we have been. Plus having Ben around is a nice distraction from just sitting and thinking about the babies. This Christmas season is going to be super fun, and will help the time go by quickly. I plan to fully enjoy this final time we have as a family of three. I know life is just going to get better with the addition of our sweet daughters, but I want to remember and savor this special time we have when Ben can be our total focus. I am enjoying these final weeks of pregnancy. But come the end of January, I will be ready for my new babies to make their appearance.
I guess long story short- 29 weeks. Babies doing well. 🙂 Hopefully they will stay put for another 7-9 weeks!
–Kim