OK there has been ALOT going on.........

March 8^th 2011. 27w2d – Went into Labor and Delivery to be monitored due to having 4 contractions in an hour. Right as I got to L&D my Dr office called; the FFN test they took on Monday came back positive. Sure this means there is a possibility of delivering within the next two weeks but it also isn’t always accurate in Twins. They checked my cervix and I was still at a 1. Upon talking to the Dr they decided to give me the steroids to help mature the babies lungs. The MFM Dr on call suggested I stay 48 hours for monitoring so that’s what happened.

March 10^th 2011 – 27w4D – 2 days of monitoring later…. Cervix is still dilated to a 1. He, Dr on call, said that at 1cm it would have just been like a dimple of the bag showing. They are going to let me go home on strict bedrest. 

March 11^th 2011 – 27w5d – almost to 28 weeks… today is the first day of bedrest at home. It’s been hard but I have done it. I’ve only gotten up to use the restroom.

March 12^th 2011 – 27w6d – Went to get out of bed at 955am to use the restroom… felt a small gush (actually thought it was urine). Looked at the bed and there were 4 or 5 small red spots. I started to freak automatically. I looked down because I felt wetness on my legs, I had blood dripping down my legs. Let the freakout totally begin. I called L&D, they said to come in (I was going to no matter what!!).

Upon arriving at L&D they verified that yup, that was blood (I wanted to say, well “DUH!”). They then started searching for the babies so they could monitor them. We were able to find both kiddos.  I was having a few contractions but they weren’t too close together.

When the Dr came in she decided to check my cervix. I could tell right away something wasn’t quite right just by the look on her face (not even my normal Dr). She proceeded to tell me that Jackson’s waters were bulging down past my cervix. And not just a dimple like they thought before. This time they were way down!  She was not able to determine how far I was dilated. She said it could just be due the water bag and not being able to reach around it (yea that’s a big portion of the bag)… or it could be that I was pretty much fully dilated. She went off to call the MFM Dr on call at the other hospital (where the Level III NICU is at) to see if they would accept me as a transfer. They, thankfully, agreed. They went ahead and started me on Mag so that we could get the contractions I was having under control.

Before loading up into the ambulance, she checked me one more time. No baby in the canal, that’s a good thing!

Off to the other hospital Lights and Sirens blaring.

While riding in the ambulance, I started contracting. Most likely because it was an extremely bumpy ride. They were coming about every 2 – 2 ½ minutes. Some of them were pretty intense as well. I was still on Mag but it really didn’t seem to be helping.

Upon arrival they got me checked in, started monitoring the babies and had the on call OB/gyn who I had never met come check me out. After feeling the bag of waters, she wanted to get an u/s done to determine if there was any cervix left.  The ultrasound showed that there was definitely a large bag of waters hanging down. There was also Baby A’s umbilical cord in the bag of waters. Not a good thing (prolapsed cord). They also could not see the cervix. It was determined I needed an emergency c-section before the bag of waters broke. If that happened then the cord could be pinched thereby cutting off oxygen to Baby A (Jackson).  I really started getting scared at this point but I knew it was the best bet for my babies.

Next thing I remember is being wheeled in to the OR, looking up at the gigantic lights above my head. They did a spinal block on me. I can remember saying how I felt like my chest was really heavy and that I was having a hard time breathing. I guess that was the doctor’s pushing and tugging on everything inside me. (They had given me benedryl just in case I would have to have general anesthesia… something that is needed with my mastocytosis, so I was a little out of it.) I remember David giving me a kiss on the forehead. He was actually standing up the whole time watching absolutely everything! He said I was already cut open by the time he was able to change, scrub and get in there.

I remember hearing Jackson cry… what a teeny tiny little cry!  Definitely not like any baby cry I had ever hear. Addison did not cry as loudly as Jackson, but I remember seeing them wheeling her out and saw that she had hair.

Welcome to the world and our family my precious little ones…

Jackson Pierce – 2 pounds 14 oz, 15 ½ Inches long

Addison Claire – 2 pounds 11 oz, 15 inches long

After that they just did what they had to do in order to put my uterus back together, stitch me up and staple me up. David said I have more staples in me than OfficeMax. LOL.   It sort of felt like the spinal was wearing off but they kept assuring me that it was not. 

I had to go to recovery for 2 hours, I was able to call my mom at that point. David was also allowed to go see the babies and take a few pictures so I could see them. After recovery, they wheeled me, bed and all down to the NICU so I could meet my babies for the first time. It’s definitely nothing like a full term delivery where you get to hold your baby for the first time.  

I was not allowed to get out of bed until the next day. I wasn’t even that sore but I have come to realize that the reason for that is because the spinal had not completely worn off! Sunday, now that was a painful day!! Especially since I had to get up to use the restroom on my own since they took the catheter out.  

Monday, they took the drain out that they had placed. This is a big relief for me because I always feel like I’m going to rip it out. Biggest issue of mine today has been the emotional aspect. I cried for hours this morning. Most of it was because I felt like my body had given up and failed me. Why couldn’t I carry my babies to term? How would I ever forgive myself (my body) if my poor babies end up sick all the time? Of course I cried because I can’t hold them right now. Shoot I even cried when I came back up from delivering my milk and found out that my lunch had been taken away before I could even finish it!!

I know I have to take it day by day….and some days are going to be better than others.

Babies:

3/12/11 PM – they are going to put Addison on ventilator to help keep her from tiring out.

3/13/11 – got to see babies 2x. Addison was put back on the CPAP. Jackson is only on 24% oxygen (21% is room air). Brianna came up to see babies for the first time as well.  Addison got her Picc line today. Started pumping.

3/14/11 – Both babies are on Breast milk as of today. We are supplementing with screened donor milk until mine comes in all the way. Jackson received his Picc line today. Both babies have pretty much been on 21% oxygen today (room air) with their cpaps. They started the Phototherapy to help with Jaundice.

27w1d

OB appt today. We did an amniotic fluid test (negative, big sigh of relief); FFN (fetal fibernectin) - should get the results tomorrow, quick u/s (babies looked good and had strong heartbeats). She also did a cervical check, I'm now dialated to a 1 (eek!!). I know women can sit there for a long time, but it still freaked me out when less than a week ago my cervix was still closed.

I start going weekly now.

And it starts

26 Weeks 3 Days....

Had our growth scan today. Babies are measuring good. Baby boy ( Jackson) is measuring 2 lb 7 oz and Baby Girl (Addison) is measuring 2 lb 4 oz. They are in the 76% and 60% respectively.

My cervix decided not to behave though.... It went from measuring 3.2cm to 1.5 cm. (I think my eyes buldged out of my head when I saw that measurement on the screen). It kind of looked like there might have been some funneling but the tech didn't really say. She just said, I'm going to go get the Peri and see if she wants to look etc. Peri comes in and decides to check for Dialation. LUCKILY still closed so no dialation!!

Needless to say I'm on partial bedrest. I have to be off my feet most of the time. I'm allowed to be up 15-20 minutes max!!  I have another cervical check in 2 weeks and growth scan/cervical check in 4 weeks.

Stay put babies!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

26 Weeks

 

 26 Weeks!! I had my last OB appt at 25w 3d. Nothing really out of the ordinary. Babies are still laying Transverse (sideways), which they have seemed to be that way for a long time now! My fundal height was 36!!! (It was 31 at 23w, 27 @ 19w).  This is also the last week of the Second Trimester!!!

I'm definitely feeling movements. There are days that they have parties going on in the womb!! Then they will be really quiet for a couple of days (even though I'm still feeling them move... sometimes their kicks/punches movements aren't as strong as others).  Little boy (Jackson) likes to kick my cervix or something down there! I'll get these lightning bolt type shocks some days. LOL.

I talked to my OB more about Delivery day. Since 38 weeks falls on a Sunday, she said she would wait till Tuesday to do an inducement (she can't do it on Mondays because she is at the office farther away from the hospital). So the farthest I will go is 38w2D. Of course we can only do an inducement if the babies are in the right position etc. As for a C-section... we could do one Monday night but likely Tuesday. 

Week Twenty Six: Second trimester ends this week

You are 26 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 23 weeks) The baby measures 14 inches long and weighs over 1.7 pound. Baby measures 35.5cm long and weighs over 760 grams. The feet are 2 inches (5cm) long. Hands are very active. The baby's eyes begin to open around this time. The fetus makes breathing movements, but there is no air in the lungs yet. Hands are active and muscle coordination is such that they can get a thumb into the mouth. Thumb sucking calms the baby and strengthens the cheek and jaw muscles. The fetal brain scan will show response to touch. Touching and playing with the baby is possible now, as they may respond to your touch through your belly wall. Brain growth continues with brain wave activity for the visual and auditory systems starting to develop. Baby is probably very active in the womb, as the most active weeks are typically between weeks 24 and 28. You may begin feeling your belly tighten and relax at odd moments or irregular intervals. These are Braxton Hicks contractions. They are painless and help the uterus prepare for the birth. Many babies have developed a predictable routine for sleep and active periods. Twins may have entirely different routines from each other. If your back is feeling the strain of your growing belly, try doing some pelvic rocks to relax it.You may be experiencing shortness of breath as the uterus is very close to the rib cage at this stage. Some moms are not able to fully expand their rib cages; however, this does not negatively affect the baby in any way. The end of week 26 marks the end of month six, which is the last month of the second trimester. (WOOHOO!!!)

24 Weeks!!!

Woohoo we are at 24 weeks today!! 24 weeks is considered Viability. Of course we want these babies to stay in and be born closer to 37-38 weeks! I actually went to Labor & Delivery on Friday because I had a lot of cramping. They monitored me for an hour and said there were no contractions and that my cervix is still closed! Woohoo!!

There are plans in the making now for our baby shower. :) My belly is getting bigger every day (Bri hasn't come downstairs yet so I will get my week 24 pictures a little later.

Oh and I think we have finally settled on names!! We aren't telling the middle names yet (something has to be kept a secret right??!!) But for first names I think we are going with Addison and Jackson. The ending in "son" is totally a coincidence and was NOT on purpose at all. Addison's name came first and then David and I were so far away on a boy's name that we all wrote down our favorites from a long list... There was only one name that David and I had that was the same and that was Jackson.

Here is some information from a few sites regarding the 24 weeks:

Week Twenty Four: Practices breathing

You are 24 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 22 weeks) The child is now gaining around 3 ounces (90 grams) a week. Baby weighs about 1.3 pounds and is 12 inches long. Baby weighs about 600 grams and is 30cm (crown to heel) long. The eyelids can be seen very clearly. If born at this stage is officially considered viable, they may well be able to survive. The lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree and cells that produce surfactant. This is a substance that helps the air sacs inflate easily and also keeps the small air sacs in our lungs from collapsing. The baby practices breathing by inhaling amniotic fluid into developing lungs. The unborn baby is covered with a fine, downy hair and the skin is protected by a waxy substance. Some of this substance may still be on the child's skin at birth at which time it will be quickly absorbed. Baby gains about 3 ounces this week. The weight is in muscle, bone mass and organs. The body begins to fill out with its appearance increasingly becoming more like that of a newborn. Taste buds begin to form. If mom drinks something strange or bitter, baby may be observed showing his or her distaste. Little creases have appeared on his palms. The muscular coordination of the hands has improved as they sucks their thumb. Over the next week or so, the sweat glands will be forming in the skin. Baby now weighs about 1.3 pound (600gm) and is around 12 inches (30cm) long. (We already know ours are bigger than this pound wise anyways). After this week your baby is officially considered viable. 36% of babies can survive premature birth at 24 weeks - However, serious complications are still possible.

Here is a chart that was posted on one of the forums I visit regarding Viability.
21 weeks and less - 0%
22 weeks: 0-10%
23 weeks: 10-35%
24 weeks: 40-70%
25 weeks: 50-80%
26 weeks: 80-90%
27 weeks: >90%
30 weeks: >95%
34 weeks: >98%

Per Babygaga

It's another week full of exciting developments for your magical growing baby!

Just take a look at the checklist for this week: 1) ears: done; 2) fingernails: done; 3) (if you have a boy) testicles: taking their 3-4 day trip from the abdominal wall to the scrotum; and 4) lungs walls: secreting “surfactant”.

What’s surfactant? It's basically what it sounds like: a surface-activated fat that helps your baby's little lungs inflate (where inflate = fill with air not get more expensive for no understandable reason).

In the meantime, your submerged baby is still breathing in their amniotic fluid (and a bit of pee), preparing and rehearsing their lungs for an oxygen-filled life outside the womb.

By the end of this week, your wee womb-squatter will be weighing in at a whopping 2 lbs and 14 inches long.

All this new weight means your tiny baby is actually starting to fill out their skin, but they're not anywhere near their adorable fat-baby potential.

Most of the fetal “filling out” is coming up in that long awaited (and slightly dreaded?) third trimester. Woo-hoo! Get ready!

omg

I actually PASSED my Gestational Diabetes testing!!!!!!!!!!!! Woohoo! How I did that when I couldn't 12 years ago is beyond me!

Week 23: Fingerprints and footprints form

Twenty-three weeks into your pregnancy, or 21 weeks after conception, your baby's skin is wrinkled, more translucent than before and pink to red in color.

This week your baby begins to have rapid eye movements. Your baby's tongue will soon develop taste buds. Fingerprints and footprints are forming. For boys, the testes are beginning to descend from the abdomen. For girls, the uterus and ovaries are in place — complete with a lifetime supply of eggs.

Per a different site:

	Week Twenty Three: Sense of balance develops
	You are 23 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 21 weeks) He or she measures over 28cm and weighs up to 550 grams. The baby is over 11 inches tall, weighs about a pound. The eyebrows are visible. The child can successfully suck. Bones located in the middle ear harden. Your baby does a regular 'workout' inside your womb. He or she turns from side to side and head over heels. Thanks to a fully developed inner ear, which controls balance, your baby may have a sense of whether he or she is upside-down or right side up in the womb. Skin pigment is now forming. The fetus is now proportioned like a newborn except it is a thinner version of a newborn baby since its baby fat has not developed much yet. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. Baby has begun producing insulin, important for the breakdown of sugars. If born now, your baby would have a 20% chance of survival, the odds going up with each passing day. By this week, your baby weighs a little over 1 pound (500g). Its crown to heel length is 11 inches (28cm).

23w1d

Wow I didn't realize it had been so long since my last post.....

I have been feeling the babies moving pretty consistently since those kicks 2 weeks ago. Course I worry on the days when they are really quiet... I try not to.

I had a growth scan last week. Baby boy weighed 1 lb 6 oz and baby girl weighed 1 lb 40z. They looked good but still wouldn't allow the tech to take all the pictures that were needed.

Today was an OB appointment. We did the gestational diabetes testing. Oh that drink is so so sweet! I had the fruit punch version vs the Orange. I drank it so fast though that I felt like crap for awhile.

She did a quick ultrasound, saw the babies heartbeats and that was about it. She was happy with the measurements of the growth scan (oh yea cervix was pretty constant at 3.2).

Now I go back every 2 weeks.