Twin Day – 34 Weeks

Twin Day and Family

Yesterday was Twin Day, and we have officially completed 34 weeks! The boys continue to grow, and they could be a combined weight of 13 pounds this week. On Tuesday, my mom and sister Linda arrived, and they – like our friend Cindy – found the belly (4 feet 2 inches around) more impressive in person. Linda went ahead and flew home on Wednesday, but it was great to see my sister while I’m still huge and well-rounded. She made me some quinoa to try, and I’ve had a hot quinoa cereal breakfast the two days since she left. It’s wonderful to have my mom here. There is something so reassuring and right about having your mom with you as labor looms ever closer, and after talking to her, we discovered I have been having some Braxton Hicks contractions.

Getting Sick and a Trial Run to the Birthing Center

Tuesday night I got sick in the wee hours, and in the morning, Puck asked me to go ahead and call the health clinic to see if we should come in. While we waited for a call back, Puck went ahead and got the car ready and put our packed bags in – just in case. Our neighbors came over to ask if it was time. It’s nice to live in a neighborhood where we know our neighbors’ names and occasionally chat with them.

The Women’s Health Center saw us in the afternoon (after Linda, Mom and I took a few minutes to take some photos), and while delivery was not imminent, my body has started preparing with my cervix thinning and Dominic getting into position on the starting line. The Ob/Gyn also informed us that at this point if I go into labor they won’t do anything to stop it. At 34-36 weeks, babies have a 98% survival rate, and they don’t tend to have serious complications due to their preterm birth.

Mommy Update

I’m getting so large now that on a short trip to a store yesterday someone asked if I was pregnant with twins and the little motorized carts are a must. I’m also up to at least 2 naps a day. In fact, my day is predominantly composed of grunting as I shift or get up or down, eating around 6 meals a day and then taking my glucose readings due to the gestational diabetes, and napping with a little awake time thrown in. At night, I’m lucky if I sleep 3 hours straight as I generally wake up every 2 hours or so for trips to the bathroom.

Itching: I have also developed Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy (PUPPP), a pregnancy rash that only 1% of pregnant women get. It starts in one’s stretch marks and then spreads to other areas like one’s wrists, ankles, knees, behind, thighs, etc. Fortunately, my ever-attentive husband went out in search of Aveeno baby-friendly soothing lotions, bath washes and anti-itch creams (make sure to check this last with your doctor) which eased the raging itch that was spreading across my body. Finally, tamed into something manageable (meaning “something I can resist scratching”), the rash mysteriously began to fade. Usually it doesn’t disappear until after delivery. My most profound sympathies to any women who must suffer through that rash for weeks or months of pregnancy.

Help: Having family here to help near the end has been indispensable. Our nursery wouldn’t be the lovely room it currently is without the help first of all those who helped us move, then of Cindy who helped us wash clothes and organize everything, and finally my mom and sister who brought some finishing touches – plus Puck who went out, hunted, brought home and hung on our wall that necessary adornment that makes any room a cosier place to be – a light. In addition, Cindy, Linda, Mom and Puck have cooked many a meal to keep me on track for my gestational diabetes and from having to get up and on my feet as often during the day. Many, many thanks.

Friday’s Appointment

We were scheduled for our next Ob/Gyn appointment for today (Friday), and we were supposed to start the prenatal testing that the perinatologist had recommended we start 2 weeks ago at 32 weeks. In fact, at the appointment at 32 weeks, we had specifically discussed this with the Ob/Gyn. However, we weren’t scheduled for the prenatal testing (nor was there any interest on their part in giving us the tests late in the afternoon on a Friday) but only for the general – weight (about as expected), blood pressure (slightly higher than usual), and heartrates of the babies. This led to us insisting that they schedule us for prenatal testing (amniotic fluid test and non-stress test) at our next appointment at 35 weeks and asking how we could make sure we were scheduled for it.

Dominic’s and Alexander’s heartrates had also come back elevated. Up until now, they had been in the 130s every time, but suddenly Dom’s was in the 140s and Alexander was 160 – at the upper limit of what is considered normal. Still, even when questioned about this sudden jump, the Ob/Gyn didn’t find it alarming. We were somewhat mollified by the fact that our next appointment with prenatal testing was set for Wednesday – just five days away. Certainly everything would be fine until then, right?