1.08.2013
Preparing for #6!
I found out on December 10th, the day before my birthday, that we are expecting baby #6! We waited a few weeks to tell everyone because I had 2 chemical pregnancies previously and wanted to be sure this one was sticking before announcing. I'm currently 7.5 weeks and feeling mostly good so far. I got bloated right away this time, which never really happened with any of the others. Luckily I haven't had bad morning sickness, so far (though baby is not liking the smell of the homemade chicken noodle soup I have cooking right now!). I don't have my first appointment for another month, and I'm impatiently waiting. I'm going to the midwife that my sister has seen for her last two pregnancies. The hospital is closer than the one I went to last time, which will be nice, and they said they will support VBA2C.
It doesn't quite feel real yet because I haven't had an ultrasound and haven't been too sick, so I'm hoping they do an ultrasound at my first appointment, if for nothing more than to check for twins again lol.
9.05.2012
A short update
It's been a long time since I've written anything on here. Life gets busy with 5 little boys! The twins are amazing. I am so lucky to have them and all my boys! We decided to start trying for #6 (and maybe a girl finally?!) in June. I got pregnant in July but had an early miscarriage/chemical pregnancy about a week later. It threw me into a bit of a low time for a month or so, but we are still trying and praying the next one stays.
In the meantime, I've made this cute little video about the twins birth. :)
In the meantime, I've made this cute little video about the twins birth. :)
1.20.2011
Fast and Furious: The Unexpected Natural VBA2C of My Twin Boys
I've been meaning to post my birth story for the last week, but life with two new babies can be a little hectic lol. My babies are 10 days old now and I'm going to try to get this written while I have a free minute. (This ended up taking about 6 hours to get written lol, life with 5 kids is busy!)
My final belly pic at 36 weeks 
Sunday January 9- I'd had some bloody show throughout the day. Around 6pm I notice I'm having some irregular contractions. They vary greatly in intensity and frequency. I take a bath to see what that does but it doesn't change anything. They stay irregular the whole evening, and space out even more by the time I go to bed. I hope that my body is getting ready for labor and that maybe the next day things will really start happening, but I don't even tell my husband about them because they don't feel like real labor. I've checked my cervix throughout the pregnancy and I do again but it feels the same as it has for the last week. I go to bed around 9:30. I'm up a few times to use the bathroom.
Monday January 10- My husband comes to bed at midnight. I return to bed after one of my bathroom trips. Just a after laying down I feel a painful thunk in my pelvis. Baby A, Isaac, has dropped. I get up, sure that something is going to happen now. I go to the kitchen, deciding I need to eat something while I time contractions. At this point I figure my long hours of early labor will start, like I've had before. As I eat my cereal I time contractions on the computer while checking email and messageboards. Contractions are about 4 minutes apart and pretty painful.
I decide to go take a bath to see if that makes the contractions hurt less since I thought I'd have many hours to go and didn't want to be in so much pain the whole time. About 12:45am as the water is running I check my cervix again and it is dilated a ton more than it had been just an hour before and his head is so low. I think to myself that maybe I shouldn't take a bath, but I push that aside and get in anyway. After just a few contractions just 2-3 minutes apart and pretty strong, I start to realize that maybe I won't have a long slow labor like I'd planned. I call for my husband but he doesn't hear me. I finally get out at 1am and wake him up. I tell him to go call my dad to come stay with the boys because we needed to go to the hospital because I was in labor. He goes downstairs while I get dressed and grab my hospital bag. I'm so glad I'd packed it 2 weeks before. Nate comes up and grabs some clothes and things for himself and we go downstairs to wait for my dad.
I'm having contractions 2 minutes apart and very painful already. I have Nate push on my lower back during some to get some relief. He calls the hospital to let them know I'm in labor and we will be there in about an hour. The lady asks him if we want to talk to a nurse to make sure it's time and I yell at the phone that it is definitely labor. Each contraction feels more intense than the last and I realize that things are going much faster than I'd expected. My dad calls to ask if he has time to go pick up one of my sisters to stay at the house and Nate tells him no. At 1:15am I call a neighbor to come stay with the boys until my dad can get there, because I really felt we needed to go asap. She gets there about 10 minutes later and we leave at 1:30am.
The hospital I am delivering at is usually about 45minutes away. I briefly think about going to a closer hospital but decide I want to stick with the one I know won't give me an automatic c-section. Luckily because it's the middle of the night it only takes 30 minutes to get there. Unfortunately I am having contractions every 1-2 minutes that are extremely intense. My water breaks in the car, and I realize that one towel is not enough to protect a car seat lol. I'm starting to feel the urge to push with my contractions and try hard to just breathe through them one at a time. We are afraid I'll end up delivering in the car.
We arrive at the hospital and I hop in a wheelchair for Nate to wheel me in. We go in through the ER and there is nobody there. Finally a guy shows up and we ask him how to get to L&D from there. He asks if we want someone to come show us the way and I say, "No, let's just go!" We hurry through the hospital and get up to L&D finally. They have a room ready for us and I hurry and strip off my clothes and throw on the gown. They check me and say I'm fully dilated and I say, "I know!" We rush back to the OR (they deliver all twins in the OR just in case) as they are asking me all the questions about pregnancy and allergies and stuff. They have me get on the hard flat operating table and I complain that it does not look comfortable lol. I'm still trying hard not to push and beg them to let me push.
Sunday January 9- I'd had some bloody show throughout the day. Around 6pm I notice I'm having some irregular contractions. They vary greatly in intensity and frequency. I take a bath to see what that does but it doesn't change anything. They stay irregular the whole evening, and space out even more by the time I go to bed. I hope that my body is getting ready for labor and that maybe the next day things will really start happening, but I don't even tell my husband about them because they don't feel like real labor. I've checked my cervix throughout the pregnancy and I do again but it feels the same as it has for the last week. I go to bed around 9:30. I'm up a few times to use the bathroom.
Monday January 10- My husband comes to bed at midnight. I return to bed after one of my bathroom trips. Just a after laying down I feel a painful thunk in my pelvis. Baby A, Isaac, has dropped. I get up, sure that something is going to happen now. I go to the kitchen, deciding I need to eat something while I time contractions. At this point I figure my long hours of early labor will start, like I've had before. As I eat my cereal I time contractions on the computer while checking email and messageboards. Contractions are about 4 minutes apart and pretty painful.
I decide to go take a bath to see if that makes the contractions hurt less since I thought I'd have many hours to go and didn't want to be in so much pain the whole time. About 12:45am as the water is running I check my cervix again and it is dilated a ton more than it had been just an hour before and his head is so low. I think to myself that maybe I shouldn't take a bath, but I push that aside and get in anyway. After just a few contractions just 2-3 minutes apart and pretty strong, I start to realize that maybe I won't have a long slow labor like I'd planned. I call for my husband but he doesn't hear me. I finally get out at 1am and wake him up. I tell him to go call my dad to come stay with the boys because we needed to go to the hospital because I was in labor. He goes downstairs while I get dressed and grab my hospital bag. I'm so glad I'd packed it 2 weeks before. Nate comes up and grabs some clothes and things for himself and we go downstairs to wait for my dad.
I'm having contractions 2 minutes apart and very painful already. I have Nate push on my lower back during some to get some relief. He calls the hospital to let them know I'm in labor and we will be there in about an hour. The lady asks him if we want to talk to a nurse to make sure it's time and I yell at the phone that it is definitely labor. Each contraction feels more intense than the last and I realize that things are going much faster than I'd expected. My dad calls to ask if he has time to go pick up one of my sisters to stay at the house and Nate tells him no. At 1:15am I call a neighbor to come stay with the boys until my dad can get there, because I really felt we needed to go asap. She gets there about 10 minutes later and we leave at 1:30am.
The hospital I am delivering at is usually about 45minutes away. I briefly think about going to a closer hospital but decide I want to stick with the one I know won't give me an automatic c-section. Luckily because it's the middle of the night it only takes 30 minutes to get there. Unfortunately I am having contractions every 1-2 minutes that are extremely intense. My water breaks in the car, and I realize that one towel is not enough to protect a car seat lol. I'm starting to feel the urge to push with my contractions and try hard to just breathe through them one at a time. We are afraid I'll end up delivering in the car.
We arrive at the hospital and I hop in a wheelchair for Nate to wheel me in. We go in through the ER and there is nobody there. Finally a guy shows up and we ask him how to get to L&D from there. He asks if we want someone to come show us the way and I say, "No, let's just go!" We hurry through the hospital and get up to L&D finally. They have a room ready for us and I hurry and strip off my clothes and throw on the gown. They check me and say I'm fully dilated and I say, "I know!" We rush back to the OR (they deliver all twins in the OR just in case) as they are asking me all the questions about pregnancy and allergies and stuff. They have me get on the hard flat operating table and I complain that it does not look comfortable lol. I'm still trying hard not to push and beg them to let me push.
12.30.2010
Getting Close!
Wow, I guess I just plain forgot to update with what's going on with this pregnancy! I blame it on double preggo brain lol. Really, I've just been very busy with school, the holidays, and life in general. So quick recap of how things are going:
* I switched from the clinic I was going to at 26 weeks because I felt I wasn't getting the best care there. I now see a maternal-fetal medicine OB who specializes in multiples at the hospital I'll be delivering at. The care has been so much better and I feel she really takes the time to listen and answer questions.
* I've had ultrasounds every month to check the babies' growth. They are big boys! At my last ultrasound, at 33.5 weeks they were already estimated at 5lb 14oz and 6lb 5oz. That means that they could both be around 7-7.5lbs if I have them at 36 weeks, or even 8-8.5lbs if I have them at 38 weeks. Not really a surprise because I have a history of big babies, but with 2 that is a lot of baby weight to be hauling around. They have big heads and short legs, also pretty normal for my kids lol. It's been fun to see them so much.
* I have been having weekly appointments now. Every week I have an NST and quick AFI ultrasound to make sure the babies are doing well and they always are fine. After my next regular checkup I should be seeing my OB every week as well instead of every 2 weeks.
* At my last checkup at 33.5 weeks my uterus measured 45 weeks! I'm getting so huge! They also checked me and I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. I'm interested to see if there is any change at my next appointment. The plan is still to have a vaginal birth since both babies are head down and doing well. My OB doesn't want me going past 38 weeks because the risks of twins past that point plus the stress on my c-section scars, and I'm totally fine with that, so if I get to that point and haven't gone into labor she's willing to do a low-dose pitocin induction. The only issue is they have my edd 9 days earlier than I know it should be, but I discussed it with her and she's been supportive of taking a wait-and-see approach. Hopefully they come on their own in the next 1-3 weeks and it won't be a problem.
* I am so exhausted and sore and huge. Although I do want them to stay in until at least 36 weeks for their health, I am so ready to be done being pregnant! This is definitely much harder on my body than a singleton pregnancy, even though it's actually gone pretty well as twin pregnancies go. No complications, no bedrest or preterm labor, no restrictions. So I am glad it's been going well, it's just hard. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'm ready to have 2 babies to take care of lol. I've been busy this week getting all of our baby stuff ready. We are mostly prepared. I still need to borrow a dresser from a neighbor who offered one so I can put the clothes away and get a twin nursing pillow and just a few other little things, but overall we are ready. We've got a nice stockpile of diapers because we buy a box every few weeks plus I had 2 baby showers and was given quite a bit.
This will probably be my last update until after they are born. Wish me luck!
* I switched from the clinic I was going to at 26 weeks because I felt I wasn't getting the best care there. I now see a maternal-fetal medicine OB who specializes in multiples at the hospital I'll be delivering at. The care has been so much better and I feel she really takes the time to listen and answer questions.
* I've had ultrasounds every month to check the babies' growth. They are big boys! At my last ultrasound, at 33.5 weeks they were already estimated at 5lb 14oz and 6lb 5oz. That means that they could both be around 7-7.5lbs if I have them at 36 weeks, or even 8-8.5lbs if I have them at 38 weeks. Not really a surprise because I have a history of big babies, but with 2 that is a lot of baby weight to be hauling around. They have big heads and short legs, also pretty normal for my kids lol. It's been fun to see them so much.
* I have been having weekly appointments now. Every week I have an NST and quick AFI ultrasound to make sure the babies are doing well and they always are fine. After my next regular checkup I should be seeing my OB every week as well instead of every 2 weeks.
* At my last checkup at 33.5 weeks my uterus measured 45 weeks! I'm getting so huge! They also checked me and I was 2cm dilated and 50% effaced. I'm interested to see if there is any change at my next appointment. The plan is still to have a vaginal birth since both babies are head down and doing well. My OB doesn't want me going past 38 weeks because the risks of twins past that point plus the stress on my c-section scars, and I'm totally fine with that, so if I get to that point and haven't gone into labor she's willing to do a low-dose pitocin induction. The only issue is they have my edd 9 days earlier than I know it should be, but I discussed it with her and she's been supportive of taking a wait-and-see approach. Hopefully they come on their own in the next 1-3 weeks and it won't be a problem.
* I am so exhausted and sore and huge. Although I do want them to stay in until at least 36 weeks for their health, I am so ready to be done being pregnant! This is definitely much harder on my body than a singleton pregnancy, even though it's actually gone pretty well as twin pregnancies go. No complications, no bedrest or preterm labor, no restrictions. So I am glad it's been going well, it's just hard. On the other hand, I'm not sure I'm ready to have 2 babies to take care of lol. I've been busy this week getting all of our baby stuff ready. We are mostly prepared. I still need to borrow a dresser from a neighbor who offered one so I can put the clothes away and get a twin nursing pillow and just a few other little things, but overall we are ready. We've got a nice stockpile of diapers because we buy a box every few weeks plus I had 2 baby showers and was given quite a bit.
This will probably be my last update until after they are born. Wish me luck!
9.03.2010
Well, this changes things...
So we had our ultrasound this week on Wednesday. We got there early because I was supposed to have a checkup before it, but there was a mixup and my checkup was Thursday. So we were early but they got us back right away. The ultrasound tech was really nice and was chatting with us about our kids and how many siblings we have. Then she says, "So this will be 5 then." I looked at Nate confused and she says, "Did you know that? You are having 2."
WHAT?!
We were so shocked, asking her if she was sure over and over. I was grinning so big as she showed us that there were indeed 2 babies in there! Holy cow, it was such a surprise! I mean, I knew I'd been growing faster this time, but since we'd always just heard one heartbeat and the movements I felt were always in the same spot I'd just assumed that there was only one in there and I was bigger from it being baby #4.
So then we got down to checking out the babies. Of course she had to do all the measurements and things before she would look at the genders. Finally she finished Baby A and went for the money shot. Right away we could all see that it was 100% BOY! Hubby then guessed that the other was a boy while I held out hope for 1 of each. After another long scan of Baby B's measurements we got to see that HE was not shy either! Yep, 2 BOYS!!! Both babies look perfect. Measured just a bit bigger than my dates so they moved my due date to January 26. Of course I'm still going with February 4 since I know when they were conceived. And since it's likely I'll go early anyway I'm not worried about the dates, I just expect they will be born some time in January. The twins are in separate sacks, but share a placenta. From everything I've read about it we won't know if they are identical or fraternal until after they are born. Some identical twins have separate sacks and some fraternal twins share a placenta. The only way we'd have known for certain right now is if they shared a sack (identical) or if they were opposite genders (obviously fraternal lol).
My little boys
After the ultrasound we immediately started calling family and friends and letting them know. We got a lot of "Oh my gosh!" and "Are you serious?!" and lots of congratulations.
The next day I was supposed to have a regular midwife checkup. I got there and was told that unfortunately I could not see them anymore because I was now high-risk. So sad! So I was transferred to the OBs and have to go to a different clinic. The clinic only does high-risk appointments on Friday mornings, which makes things a bit harder because I frequently have extra kids Fridays and that means Hubby has to get time off or permission to work from home some days. Anyway, they did listen to the babies and measure my uterus before sending me on my way.
This morning I had my first appointment at the new clinic. I did all the normal weight (127) , blood pressure (97/63), urine stuff. I had a lot of glucose in my urine, again, so they did a finger stick to check my blood and it was ok. But they want me to come back next week to take the GTT early, because they like checking with twins early plus the fact I always have so much in my urine. I met with a nice Dr. We discussed how having twins can affect the delivery. He knows I want to have a VBA2C and explained some risks that might make that harder now with twins. I definitely understand. There are more complications that can arise during pregnancy and delivery. And if Baby A isn't head down at delivery we will go straight to a c-section. But as long as Baby A is head down and there are no other complications that make it too risky, then I should be able to try a regular delivery.
I'm really not too sad about the idea that I have a pretty high chance of needing a c-section this time. Twins makes a big difference and there are more factors to think about this time. Yes, I want a vaginal delivery but not at the expense of my babies and my health. We will take it a day at a time and see how things go with the pregnancy.
I will have more frequent appointments than normal, plus a monthly ultrasound to make sure both babies are growing ok.
There are also things I'll need to buy with these babies that I hadn't planned, like another carseat, a double stroller, a better nursing pillow (my boppy doesn't have the support needed to nurse 2 at a time), and more clothes. Plus the diapers! Unless Nathan magically potty trains before the twins are born I will have 3 in diapers! I want to start stocking up now, buying a pack of diapers for the babies every time we buy one for Nathan.
I'm so tired from my mind racing ever since we found out. I still find myself suddenly thinking, "Wow, I'm having twins!" and grinning. There is so much to think about and plan for, but mostly we are very excited and feel blessed to be getting 2 little boys.
WHAT?!
We were so shocked, asking her if she was sure over and over. I was grinning so big as she showed us that there were indeed 2 babies in there! Holy cow, it was such a surprise! I mean, I knew I'd been growing faster this time, but since we'd always just heard one heartbeat and the movements I felt were always in the same spot I'd just assumed that there was only one in there and I was bigger from it being baby #4.
So then we got down to checking out the babies. Of course she had to do all the measurements and things before she would look at the genders. Finally she finished Baby A and went for the money shot. Right away we could all see that it was 100% BOY! Hubby then guessed that the other was a boy while I held out hope for 1 of each. After another long scan of Baby B's measurements we got to see that HE was not shy either! Yep, 2 BOYS!!! Both babies look perfect. Measured just a bit bigger than my dates so they moved my due date to January 26. Of course I'm still going with February 4 since I know when they were conceived. And since it's likely I'll go early anyway I'm not worried about the dates, I just expect they will be born some time in January. The twins are in separate sacks, but share a placenta. From everything I've read about it we won't know if they are identical or fraternal until after they are born. Some identical twins have separate sacks and some fraternal twins share a placenta. The only way we'd have known for certain right now is if they shared a sack (identical) or if they were opposite genders (obviously fraternal lol).
The next day I was supposed to have a regular midwife checkup. I got there and was told that unfortunately I could not see them anymore because I was now high-risk. So sad! So I was transferred to the OBs and have to go to a different clinic. The clinic only does high-risk appointments on Friday mornings, which makes things a bit harder because I frequently have extra kids Fridays and that means Hubby has to get time off or permission to work from home some days. Anyway, they did listen to the babies and measure my uterus before sending me on my way.
This morning I had my first appointment at the new clinic. I did all the normal weight (127) , blood pressure (97/63), urine stuff. I had a lot of glucose in my urine, again, so they did a finger stick to check my blood and it was ok. But they want me to come back next week to take the GTT early, because they like checking with twins early plus the fact I always have so much in my urine. I met with a nice Dr. We discussed how having twins can affect the delivery. He knows I want to have a VBA2C and explained some risks that might make that harder now with twins. I definitely understand. There are more complications that can arise during pregnancy and delivery. And if Baby A isn't head down at delivery we will go straight to a c-section. But as long as Baby A is head down and there are no other complications that make it too risky, then I should be able to try a regular delivery.
I'm really not too sad about the idea that I have a pretty high chance of needing a c-section this time. Twins makes a big difference and there are more factors to think about this time. Yes, I want a vaginal delivery but not at the expense of my babies and my health. We will take it a day at a time and see how things go with the pregnancy.
I will have more frequent appointments than normal, plus a monthly ultrasound to make sure both babies are growing ok.
There are also things I'll need to buy with these babies that I hadn't planned, like another carseat, a double stroller, a better nursing pillow (my boppy doesn't have the support needed to nurse 2 at a time), and more clothes. Plus the diapers! Unless Nathan magically potty trains before the twins are born I will have 3 in diapers! I want to start stocking up now, buying a pack of diapers for the babies every time we buy one for Nathan.
I'm so tired from my mind racing ever since we found out. I still find myself suddenly thinking, "Wow, I'm having twins!" and grinning. There is so much to think about and plan for, but mostly we are very excited and feel blessed to be getting 2 little boys.
8.20.2010
Pregnancy Updates
So, I've had 2 appointments so far. It's a bit odd not knowing which midwife I will see for an appointment since it is such a large group, but the two I've met (and one student) were very nice. At my first appointment they did all the normal first visit stuff like background, bloodwork, pap, etc. I was bummed they did not do an ultrasound, because I've always had an ultrasound at my first appointment with the other 3. But we did hear little one's heartbeat on the doppler. The midwive said my uterus felt larger than my dates would put me, 12 weeks instead of 10, but since I was sure of my dates they shrugged it off. I'm guessing that scar tissue may have something to do with it, plus this is my 4th so my uterus is a bit stretched out lol. We discussed my history and although I will have to meet with a maternal-fetal specialist at some point (I probably will next month) to discuss VBA2C, they told me it is really my choice, which was nice to hear.
At my second appointment it was just a quick checkup. Heard the baby again. I did find out that I am GBS+ already. Never had it before, but evidently it showed in my first urine sample, and if it's in your urine that means it's already heavily colonized so they don't bother retesting at the end of pregnancy and I'll have to be on antibiotics during labor. It shouldn't be a problem other than that, and because I tend to have long labors I will have plenty of time to get the antibiotics. I just hope I can have the IV out between doses so I can move around easier.
In more exciting news we also set up the anatomy ultrasound! It will be September 1st. I'm so excited to get to see the baby. I will be just under 18 weeks at that point. I can't wait to see if we are getting another boy or finally a girl!
My belly has grown faster this time and I'm hoping there is just one baby in there lol. I was a little more sick than I was with the last 2, but luckily that has subsided since entering the 2nd trimester and I'm feeling pretty good, just exhausted. I started feeling that baby 2 weeks ago, during my last checkup when we were looking for the heartbeat it moved against the doppler. It's still very faint and I only feel it 1-2x a day if I'm holding very still and paying attention. Can't wait to feel it more.
At my second appointment it was just a quick checkup. Heard the baby again. I did find out that I am GBS+ already. Never had it before, but evidently it showed in my first urine sample, and if it's in your urine that means it's already heavily colonized so they don't bother retesting at the end of pregnancy and I'll have to be on antibiotics during labor. It shouldn't be a problem other than that, and because I tend to have long labors I will have plenty of time to get the antibiotics. I just hope I can have the IV out between doses so I can move around easier.
In more exciting news we also set up the anatomy ultrasound! It will be September 1st. I'm so excited to get to see the baby. I will be just under 18 weeks at that point. I can't wait to see if we are getting another boy or finally a girl!
My belly has grown faster this time and I'm hoping there is just one baby in there lol. I was a little more sick than I was with the last 2, but luckily that has subsided since entering the 2nd trimester and I'm feeling pretty good, just exhausted. I started feeling that baby 2 weeks ago, during my last checkup when we were looking for the heartbeat it moved against the doppler. It's still very faint and I only feel it 1-2x a day if I'm holding very still and paying attention. Can't wait to feel it more.
6.04.2010
Positive update!
Well, we have found out some exciting news to finally add to this depressing blog! Baby #4 is due next February! Although I am still extremely nervous about how the birth may go this time, we are excited to be adding another little one to our family. I am grateful that there is a hospital near that will support VBA2C and that they have a large group of midwives who deliver there. I have my first appointment with one of the midwives on July 9th, and hope to discuss my options in depth with her. Although I know I can do an unmedicated birth, I'm not sure if I want to. I think I may just take a wait and see approach, see how things are going and if I feel the need to get an epidural than I won't feel bad about it. It would be nice to have a labor that's a bit quicker than my other 3 too, lol. And who knows, maybe we'll get a girl this time?
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