28W1D - Cervix & Growth Scan Update

First of all 'Thank You' for all your encouraging comments and support. I am sorry, I might not have replied back to you personally (since I am slacking a little with blogging)... but I am still reading your comments and posts, and they mean a lot to me.


Here is a brief update...

01/15/10 Cervix: 1.8 cm

01/20/10 fFN (@ OB): Negative

01/20/10 OB Update: There is a possibility of me getting on to medications (pills not insulin) for GD at my next visit (02/03/10)... my values have been steadily rising recently (started monitoring since 14W)!

01/22/10 Cervix: 1.9/2.0 cm!! The cervix has been going down by ~0.3 cm each week... so this was totally unexpected! I know things can go in any direction, but this is a momentary relief!

01/22/10 Growth: Baby Boy is weighing 2 lbs 8 oz and Baby Girl is weighing 2 lbs 12 oz at 28W1D!! I hope they keep growing at this rate and get stronger day by day!


The hospital I go to does not perform cervix scans after 28W... so this was our last one (unless things change drastically - major contractions/labor/fFN)... the next growth scan will be in 3 weeks (02/12/10). This will be the longest I will have gone w/o an u/s since the NT scan (12W) and first cervix scan (16W). And I am willing to wait - cause that would mean that things are relatively stable. When I enquired with my OB and the MFM, they said that one is not admitted at this stage for a (super) shortened cervix, unless it is accompanied by major contractions or labor or positive fFN. So, for now the bedrest, HUAM and medication (Procardia) continues. I can't thank my Mom and DH enough for making the bedrest (4 weeks now) as smooth as it has been.

26W5D

This post has been long over due. I was hoping to write a long post, but laying down and typing gets a "little" difficult... so I am going to have to go with bullets!

• So, after the cervix scan (with a measurement of 2.5 cm) during Christmas, we decided that I was going on a self imposed bedrest. That was one of the most anxious weeks in a very long time! I was counting days to the next u/s (New Years eve - Dec 31) and was hoping my cervix wasn't doing anything crazy. For some reason, I had this feeling I was going to end up in the hospital and I kind of got in to this nesting phase where I had to get things done (especially all the bills, insurance, home stuff etc).
  
  
• On 31st, during the scan the cervix hadn't changed much (2.4 cm), but the MFM thought that there was some dynamic change happening and they decided to put me on monitoring (Tocometer)! They started me on Procardia (4 times a day - every 6 hours). I received my first shot of the steroid on 31st (I was more than happy to take that - because it meant that it would boost the babies lung development). My husband got to stay with me at the hospital, so it wasn't that bad. I was released after the second shot and the fFN test on the New Years with strict bedrest instructions and home monitoring.
  
  
  
• I have been set up with HUAM - Home Uterine Activity Monitor. I have to put the monitor on twice a day for 1 hour each. The data is recorded and then is sent over to a health clinic which calls me back to give me an update about how many contractions I have had. If there are more than 4 contractions in an hour during a repeat monitoring event or if I am feeling uneasy, the doctor is contacted (touch wood - we haven't had to do that so far). I have realized that I can pretty much pin point a contraction... and I could tell those even before the hospital visit - it was just that I couldn't classify them as a "contraction" back then. During a contraction my belly gets really stiff... mostly on one side more than the other and I get breathless... as if I am choking and I can feel my heart racing, and blood flowing in to my head! Most of the times the contractions seem to be under control with the medication, but there are times when my uterus is extra active. In such a case I am advised to drink even more water than I usually drink (which has been between 5-6L daily - I just get that thirsty) and things seem to stabilize.
  
  
• Along with all this new routine... our insurance changed on 1/1/10! I had nightmares about the hospital/pharmacy creating issues about the new insurance (because we still have not received the permanent id card with an appropriate id #)... but things are under control (after several phone calls). So far, the insurance seems to be having a similar coverage (like our previous one)... but only time will tell (i.e. we do/don't receive bills in mail)!
  
  
• So, right now I am in to my 3rd week of bedrest... food had been a little bit of a problem... but we some how managed. Poor husband has been working extra hard and I feel bad that I have not been able to help him. My Mom came over today and will be staying with us (for a couple of months) until after the babies are born (which I hope is still 8-10 weeks away). My Dad joins us in February. So things will hopefully be a little easier on the home front.
  
  
• On a lighter note... when we checked in to the hospital and were going through some initial Q/A... one of the questions asked by (a young *hot*) doctor was "when was the last time you had intercourse?" Haha... my answer was July! To which she was like "whoaw" followed by a foxy look at my husband!
  
  
• Currently, I am going in for weekly u/s. At the last u/s on 01/08, the cervix measured 2.2 cm. The next visit is this Friday 01/15 for cervix and 01/22 for cervix and growth scan. I am seeing the OB every 2 weeks as well. I have requested a 2nd fFN test at the next OB appointment on 01/20. The current routine continues, unless there are any crazy changes in between!

Hospital Visit - Quick Update

Just a quick update... I will post in detail later.

I had my follow up cervix scan yesterday morning and the cervix had not changed much... just a 0.1 cm less than a week ago (which could just be a margin of error)... though the tech and doc thought that I was having some contractions and the cervix is dynamically changing... so they decided to send me to the Perinatal Evaluation and Testing (PET) section of the hospital for couple of hours of monitoring. They hooked me up to monitors gave me a shot to reduce the contractions... the contractions reduced but kinda came back with in an hour... so they decided that I was getting the steroid shot (to boost babies lungs) and was going to start some pills (4 times a day) to reduce the contractions. I forgot the name of the medication, I will put that up when I post in detail. So we ended up staying overnight. We did the FFN test this morning and are awaiting the results. I hope they come back negative! If they are negative, most likely I will be going home this evening after the second steroid shot! As of now the babies and I are doing well.

Happy New Year to all!

*** Update ***
FFN result came back negative. Got back home January 1st evening, just exhausted and overwhelmed, will post in detail tomorrow (Sunday 3rd).

24 Weeks - *Viability* & the CERVIX

It is 24 weeks! We had a growth and cervix scan today.

The babies are doing great and are weighing in at 1lbs 7oz (baby girl) and 1lbs 5oz (baby boy). They were moving around a lot and looked like they were having a good time in there. 24 weeks is viability and I am very glad we made it to this big milestone... every week from here on is going to be a greater milestone in this journey to have two healthy and chunky babies!

Now for my cervix :(... Up until now, I have been measuring at around 3.4 cm (since 16w)... today it was 2.4 cm. That is 1 cm less than what it was 2 weeks ago! Till now I have been going in every two weeks for the cervix check, however this time I have been asked to come in (at the hospital) for my next check with in a week! I am worried and I know I still have quite a bit of cervix there, but that is a big difference in 2 weeks. It is always reassuring for us to get the checks done towards the end of the week, but this time with it being Christmas weekend, I can't really talk directly to my OB till around Monday/Tuesday (unless I call him on his emergency line) and that is not making me happy.

We were planning for a baby shower in January and I wanted to start gearing up towards all that... but right now I don't want to think of where I will be 4 weeks from now!

I have never really mentioned this before, but I was laid off earlier this year and we decided it was better for me to stay back home during this whole crazy ride... which essentially means that I have been resting a hell lot more than I would have had I been working full time. Which means that even if I get on to a pretty strict bed rest, it still wouldn't be very much different than what I have been up to thus far.

I guess right now I am just panicking and I just need to wait and watch. The babies are doing a great job in there... it is the Mommy who needs to keep her stuff together!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everybody! Please say a little prayer for me! Thank you for all your support!

22 Weeks

Well, 22w4d!

Quite a few things to update, so I am going for the bullet points...

• I had my H1N1 vaccination last Tuesday (12/08/09)... I was ready to take what was available, but fortunately they had the Thimerosal free one available, so I got that. Haven't had any side effects till now... hope it stays that way!
  
  
• Had an OB appointment last Wednesday (12/09/09 - 21W6d)... we discussed c-section again. We tentatively scheduled a c-section date for April 2 (38w1d). My OB does not like to go beyond 38w... and he seems to be highly optimistic :). As much as I want the babies to stay in there for that long, I very well know that that is an absolute best case scenario and things can change like crazy before that! I am trying to stay cautiously optimistic and positive, yet realistic!
  
  
• After the 20w scan, I will be continuing with my cervix check every 2 weeks along with growth scan every 4 weeks (at least as of now)... so the next growth scan will be on 12/24/09 (24w). OB appointments continue to be every 4 weeks as of now (next one will be 01/05/10).
  
  
• Cervix check on last Friday (12/11/09 - 22w1d) went well, I am still measuring around the same... I hope I can hold up the same way for the next several scans!
  
  
• The babies are dancing in there and I can sometimes see the whole tummy move! I might have felt the baby girl hiccup yesterday - it was a continuous rhythmic nudge on the top right side - a little too rhythmic to be kicks... though I am not very confident it was hiccups either... since I have never felt it before!
  
  
• Starting (around) 2 weeks ago, I can hear my left side groin/pelvic area "pop"... it normally happens when I have laid in one position for long. At night when I change positions or get up to pee, it is the most common. It doesn't hurt much, but it definitely makes me want to make any movements slowly. I guess it is Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction (SPD)... I didn't really mention it to my OB, but I will be bringing it up the next time I speak with him. Has anyone experienced this... what did you do to reduce it?
  
  
• I signed up for Marvelous Multiples and the Breastfeeding classes (for January) at the hospital I will be going to. I would like to take the Baby Care class as well, but that seems to be conflicting with the other classes and the next one I can go to is in late February... and I am not sure if I am really going to be super mobile at that time. I would imagine that class is going to be pretty general and the other class contents would overlap with this one to some extent... also, my mom will be with us starting Jan mid, so hopefully even if we can't make it to that class we should be okay.
  

H1N1 Vaccination?

The H1N1 vaccination is finally (kind of) available in our area! I am planning on taking it... but what is making me uncomfortable is that the Thimerosal (mercury preservative) free ones are either unavailable or are available in limited quantity and there is no guarantee that it will be available when I go in to take the shot!

The Thimerosal free ones are supposed to be "safer"... but there is no (super) concrete study as to whether the ones with the preservative truly cause any issues or make you (your offspring) 100% more susceptible to autism etc! Though it is something I definitely would like to avoid... the less crap in my body the better... (honestly, thinking of how many shots I have taken with IUI/IVF... I wonder how many preservatives I have put in to my system already and does 1 extra shot matter!?)

I am not sure what I want to do (as in take the regular shot)! If you have already been vaccinated, which shot did you get?

Pink & Blue!

Yes, it is a boy and a girl! :)

We had the anatomy scan today (Nov 25 @ 19w6d)... and so far everything looks good! I am so very thankful for how far we have reached and this experience that we have been blessed with. Still a long road ahead, but it is reassuring to see them hale and hearty, kicking and punching their Mommy!

The u/s tech we had was not very verbose, so it was hard to follow most of the stuff she was doing. We were in there for around 1.5 hours... the last 15 minutes were with the MFM, who checked the hearts and some other organs. I would say those 15 minutes were the toughest... since I have always heard that you see an MFM if there is a problem; though I guess for an anatomy scan it is a norm (at our hospital) for the MFM to come in and take a peak at the babies!

The heart rates were at 159 and 163 bpm, and they weighed 11 and 13 ounces (boy and girl respectively). At this stage, they do not measure the length since the babies are curled up. My cervix is still holding up at 3.3, which is a relief. I will be back for my next cervical check in approximately 2 weeks (Dec 11).

I feel like I am getting bigger day by day and it is getting tougher to move around, roll around...! The movement in the belly area is pretty distinct. We might have felt it from the outside on occasions, but it is still not super obvious.

My BFF is coming over for Thanksgiving and we are hoping to do some baby shopping on Friday-Saturday! :)

Wishing you all a very Happy Thanksgiving!

Cyclesista Announcement...

Since some of you asked...

There are a few technical changes happening over at Cyclesista, so the site may be unavailable at times. We hope to get it back to normal as soon as possible, and will keep you updated. In the meantime, feel free to submit your details to mybabytobe at gmail dot com (myself), shansterbaby at gmail dot com, babydustdiaries at gmail dot com, or beaxiaojie at gmail dot com and we'll queue them all up for when the site is running smoothly (and hopefully improvedly!) again.

This announcement has also been posted at LFCA.

18 Weeks

Well, actually 18w4d!!!

Had an OB appointment last week... we did the AFP testing, which came out normal. We also tested for my TSH (it has been 4 weeks since I stopped my TSH medication)... and fortunately it seems to be stable. It just went up from 0.9 to 1.3 (and not the 3+ that it was at my RE's office).

My 2nd cervix check was Friday and things seem to be stable (so far)... my cervix was measuring 3.4 (like last time)... hopefully it stays the same for weeks to come!

And then... we are barely a week away from our 20w u/s!!! I am nervous, excited and anxious at the same time! It will be one of the big u/s, and if the babies cooperate we will know the genders too! It is scheduled for Nov 25 (a day before Thanksgiving)!