Well it has been a very interesting week since I last blogged a week ago Friday. Last Saturday afternoon and Sunday evening I started having some spotting that was freaking me out (sorry if that is TMI). I called Shawnee the nurse on Sunday evening and she said she wanted me to come in first thing Monday (March 5th) just to get checked out and make sure everything was ok.
I went in Monday at 945am and I must have looked like a wreck because everyone said I looked tired and stressed. Gee, thanks! Isn't that just another way of saying I look like crap? I knew I did because I had barely any makeup on, but I didn't care. I was too worried about making sure everything was ok.
Justin couldn't come with me so I was by myself on this occasion, and as soon as the doctor walked into the ultrasound room I lost it. He came over and hugged me for like 2 minutes and said I am sure everything is fine. Ok, now I'm glad I hadn't put on any makeup cause it would have been streaming down my face. Shawnee came in and gave me a big hug as well and told me I needed to just relax.
The doctor started the ultrasound and he said, "See look, here are the 2 sacs and they both look great. So does that make you feel better? Will you stop crying now?" My tears stopped as I looked at the screen and saw that they were both still in there. And the next thing out of the doctors mouth was, well now what the hell is that? I looked over at the screen and saw not only 2 sacs, but a 3rd sac directly in the middle of the other 2. Ummmmmm, what is that I asked? Well he said, it could be a couple different things. It could be a 3rd baby. Ummm, ok I am freaking out! It could be viable or non-viable, and we won't know till your next ultrasound on Friday. Or it could be a blood clot or a fluid build-up that will just disseminate on its own over time. My mind was racing! A third baby??? Triplets?? I can't even wrap my mind around that.
The doctor decided he would try and see if there were heartbeats in the 2 sacs, and there were!! It was so cool to see the flicker on the screen and then the ultrasound machine measures each one to make sure they are beating at the right speed. Baby A had a heartbeat of 115bpm, and Baby B 113bpm. Very cool! I wish Justin was here!
The doctor said we would investigate and know more about the mystery sac during our next appt Friday the 9th, but in the meantime I was to be on bed rest for the week. He said even though spotting is normal with many women during pregnancy, and especially women carrying twins, he wasn't taking any chances and wanted me to just chill. He said stress can make symptoms worse, so I needed to watch funny movies and not stress. I said I would try, but now that you have thrown this 3rd baby thing into the mix it's a little hard to calm your mind.
So that is what I did Monday-Friday this past week, chill. Watched lots of movies, read every gossip magazine I could get my hands on and played on my iPad. I have to say it was nice, but towards the end I was starting to go a little crazy. And the thought of a possible 3rd baby was still weighing heavily on my mind.
That brings me to yesterday, (Friday the 9th) our scheduled weekly ultrasound appt. Justin came with me to this one and I was so excited and nervous. Excited to see the progress of the 2 babies and for Justin to see the heartbeats, but also nervous about the mystery blob. I was still panicking about the thought of having triplets! Ahhhhhhh!
The doctor started the ultrasound by saying that the 2 babies look great! He looked around at them for awhile and then started investigating the 3rd blob. (sorry, but I don't know what else to call it). At first he seemed to think it was a split from one of the 2 embryos, but that it was not viable. He said one day we could tell the twins that one of them almost had an identical twin. But then after another 2 minutes of investigating and poking at the blob, he says, ok wait I take it back. I don't think it is a split. I think it is fluid or a blood clot, so ignore what I said before. Ha! We all kinda started laughing, and I took a deep breath, knowing that there are only 2 babies in there eases the stress.
The doctor then went to look for the heartbeats. Baby A was very easy to find and had a strong heartbeat of 125bpm. Baby B is stubborn. It doesn't want to be seen and made it much harder for the doctor to find and measure the heartbeat. After what seemed like forever he finally was able to get a reading of 120bpm, which is still in the normal range and strong. It is so cool to see the little flickering on the screen! Technology is amazing! Justin and i were just holding hands and so in awww of what we were seeing. Then he measured Baby A and tried to measure Baby B, but Baby B wasn't having it. (Justin and everyone there says Baby A has Justin's personality and since I am stubborn, Baby B is me). Very funny! Anyway, he was only able to get a measurement on Baby A which he said is measuring exactly consistent with me being 6 weeks, 5 days as of that Friday. So the doctor said my due date for a normal single birth would be October 29th, 2012. But twins are usually 2 weeks early, so count back 14days and my due date would be October 15, 2012. He said sometimes they can come as early as 36 weeks, so in that case it would be around October 1, 2012. So let's just say I am due the month of October???
Needless to say, I am so excited we are having twins!! I am relieved it isn't triplets. Has it sunk in yet, that we are having 2 babies at once?? Absolutely not. I do feel much less stressed now that we have seen the babies twice now with strong heartbeats both times. We will stay with the clinic for 3 more Friday ultrasounds, and then be transferred to my Obgyn at 10 weeks. The only bit of bad news is I have to continue the daily progesterone injections until I am 12 weeks along. Which means April 15th will be my last injection. Don't think I am not counting down! That day cannot come soon enough.
As far as symptoms go, I am feeling pretty lucky so far. The doctor said most times people with multiples have double the symptoms of single pregnancies. I haven't had that. I have had an upset stomach here and there and an aversion to certain foods and smells, but I certainly wouldn't consider it nausea, or at least what I consider nausea. The worst thing I am feeling is just a constant ache in my lower abdomen. The doctor says its just everything stretching out and is totally normal. I hope I can get through this first trimester without any major symptoms. That would be a nice reward for all I have been though. (I am knocking on wood as I type that.)
The doctor said I am off bed rest as of yesterday, but I still need to take it easy and just stay mellow. I can go on walks and resume my normal daily things, but nothing strenuous or stressful. I think I can totally handle that.
Tomorrow I will be 7 weeks pregnant, so I will have 5 more weeks to get to my safety zone and till I have no more injections. Yay! I am hoping it is an easy 5 weeks (knocking on wood again).
Justin and I are just so excited and can't believe we have made it to this point. It seems surreal. Until next Friday!
Jenny & Justin +2 (plus 3 furry kids) wow, that's going to be a houseful
Injections 149
Sure glad to see the good report. Yes triplets would give anyone major pause. Are you still working through most of this?
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