29 Weeks: 70 Days… or Less to Go!

Yesterday we had one of our last appointments with the Perinators, and we had the same ultrasound technician and perinatologist as our first time (See $2.62). The ultrasound technician was again chipper, and she gave us the run down on each little body part that she checked. When the perinatologist arrived, we greeted her in good spirits, and we were surprised when she responded in kind – smiling and chatting with us this time. We even got to hear a little bit about her own pregnancy! We must have gotten her on an off-day before.

Today we complete 29 weeks, and Alexander and Dominic are doing great. The babies continue to excell in growth, and Dominic has taken a significant lead while still keeping their concordance high. Here are the new numbers, and you can compare them with our numbers of 4 weeks ago:

• Dominic (Thing 1):
  • 1692 grams
  • 3 pounds 12 ounces
  • 96th percentile in weight and 17 days ahead of expected growth for a singleton
• Alexander (Thing 2):
  • 1553 grams
  • 3 pounds 7 ounces
  • 84th percentile in weight and 11 days ahead of expected growth for a singleton
• Generic Singleton Baby at 29 weeks:
  • 1153 grams
  • 2 pounds 5 1/2 ounces

1553 grams /1692 grams = 0.9178

Concordance = 92%

The Perinator was surprised at how well I could still get around with how large I am getting (the two boys together are the size of many a newborn, plus they have the added weight of two amniotic sacs), and so far I’m not showing signs of preterm labor. The Perinator also reaffirmed that the boys’ umbilical cord insertion was not something to worry about. We got a clean bill of health, and we’ll see the Perinators again in 4 weeks – probably for the last time.

The boys had moved from their bunkbed position in the last week and a half or so, and we were eager to find out how they had arranged themselves because we couldn’t quite tell from poking around on the belly. It turns out they are currently practicing their acrobatics with Dominic forming the base of a “T” with his head down, and Alexander is balancing on top of his feet to complete the “T” with his hands up by his face. This does make it seem more likely that Dominic is getting a few extra kicks in on his brother right now.

Alexander and Dominic have both been active lately – distorting Mom’s belly into funny shapes, kicking and pushing little hands and feet out. Sometimes I can feel a movement all the way across the belly from left to right. Alexander continues to be my biggest pusher, and I can generally feel his head or hand on my upper left and his bottom and feet on my upper right.

Now that our boys’ vision continues to improve, we’ve started playing the flashlight game with them. We shine a flashlight on my belly to see if they will kick or push where the light is, and one or both of them responded well to the first game. Puck now has a way to get his boys to “Kick Mommy” when he wants to feel his little tykes move.

And to continue a Twin-Daddy tradition:

Babies Countdown – The Double Header

70 days until September 2

• Wednesday, June 30 is our next appointment with the OB-GYN.
• Sometime in mid-July Mary gets fitted for her nursing bra and takes the super-sucker in for cleaning.
• Wednesday, July 21 is our next appointment with the Perinators.
• Thursday, August 12 and we hit our goal of 36 weeks minimum. From here on the twins could come at any time.
• Thursday, September 2 and we reach 39 weeks. The OB-GYN has said she doesn’t want Mary to carry beyond this date.
• Thursday, September 9 and we hit 40 weeks. This is our due date even if we know the twins will be here sooner.
• 2 weeks Post Delivery – Schedule a follow up appointment with the Lactation Lady.
• 4 Weeks Post Delivery – Look for baby smiles.
• After the Delivery – 4.5 months of the Twinsanity Interval.