19w3d
I had another midwife appointment today. Everything is looking good. All of the pains I feel, and I've been feeling a lot of them, are normal. Mostly the pains are on my right side, from my mid-back/kidney area wrapping around to my pelvis. It's just the stretching of the ligaments that are causing the pain. I was told when it gets bad, don't try to be a hero, just take some tylenol, it's perfectly safe. I have a lot of walking to do tomorrow so I might just take some preemptive tylenol in the morning.
I asked to be measured at today's appointment. Not because I am worried that I'm too big, or not big enough, but I just wanted to know how I compared with a regular single pregnancy. I'm measuring 26 weeks today! 7 weeks ahead... I think I'm going to ask to be measured each time just for fun. I wonder at the end how far along I will get to :)
Work has been really great. I've needed to scale back my site visits a little and my co-workers have volunteered to do some of it for me, or at least, they haven't complained when I ask them to do something. For example, I had a bunch of notices that needed to be delivered on Friday, but it was one of the really bad days for the ligament pain and I just couldn't do it. I called one of the buys and they did it for me. He did mention that it was really cold and that I owed him a hot chocolate, but he was just being facetious.
I bought him a hot chocolate today anyway, it was the least I could do.
A full nights sleep is almost non existent over here. I never did get an increased need to pee in the early days. It wasn't until about 2 or 3 weeks ago that I started to go more often. Now it's every few hours and every night between 2am and 3am. Sometimes I'm also waking at 5:30am but I usually try to hold off on that one because I have to get up at 6:30 for work anyway.
A couple of nights ago I had a few firsts.
1. I had my first Braxton Hicks contraction. It was a little scary, I wasn't sure what it was. I was on the computer and trying to ignore how uncomfortable I was but then D came in and asked me how I was feeling. My first instinct was to say "crampy" but then quickly realized that I shouldn't feel crampy. The feeling passed in a few minutes and didn't come back so I didn't worry about it and decided it was just a BH.
2. I was sitting on the couch with my hand resting on my belly and I felt a kick! I have been feeling a lot of movement, but never anything strong enough that would be noticeable from the outside, but this one was really strong and I could definitely feel it on my hand. I can't wait until that is happening more often so D can feel his babies too.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Saturday, January 26, 2013
Dreams
18w1d
I had my first gender dream the other day, but it only had to do with Baby B.
You know how as you get further along in pregnancy, sometimes you can see the baby moving inside? And sometimes you can see the outline of a foot, or you just know what body part it is that's poking out? Well this was that to the extreme. I could see the entire baby. Like it was sitting on my belly rather than in it, but it was till covered with my skin and inside me. REALLY FREAKY. Anyway, you could see clearly that he was definitely all boy!
Later in the same dream, I was at my cottage and I gave birth to Baby B - only Baby B, not Baby A... Baby A was still safely inside me. This was particularly worrisome because in my dream I was only around 24 weeks along and I actually gave birth in the cottage, not at a hospital... Good news is that baby seemed fine and was sleeping upstairs when everyone woke up the next morning and they all got to see him.
I've had a feeling ever since the very first ultrasound that Baby A is a girl. I don't know whether it's because she was smaller or what, but I have always referred to Baby A as "her". And now with a dream that Baby B is a boy, I can't wait to find out if my instincts are correct!
Only 17 more sleeps! (but who's counting...)
I had my first gender dream the other day, but it only had to do with Baby B.
You know how as you get further along in pregnancy, sometimes you can see the baby moving inside? And sometimes you can see the outline of a foot, or you just know what body part it is that's poking out? Well this was that to the extreme. I could see the entire baby. Like it was sitting on my belly rather than in it, but it was till covered with my skin and inside me. REALLY FREAKY. Anyway, you could see clearly that he was definitely all boy!
Later in the same dream, I was at my cottage and I gave birth to Baby B - only Baby B, not Baby A... Baby A was still safely inside me. This was particularly worrisome because in my dream I was only around 24 weeks along and I actually gave birth in the cottage, not at a hospital... Good news is that baby seemed fine and was sleeping upstairs when everyone woke up the next morning and they all got to see him.
I've had a feeling ever since the very first ultrasound that Baby A is a girl. I don't know whether it's because she was smaller or what, but I have always referred to Baby A as "her". And now with a dream that Baby B is a boy, I can't wait to find out if my instincts are correct!
Only 17 more sleeps! (but who's counting...)
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Imposter
17w5d
Last week I started a prenatal yoga class.
It feels so strange being in a room with 20 other pregnant women after being so uncomfortable for so long around preggo's. It feels like I'm in hiding, like I don't really belong and that someone will finally clue in, call me an impostor, and ask me why I'm here.
I know I'm pregnant, I have the growing belly to prove it, but somehow I'm still infertile.
I'm infertile and I can't have babies... and yet I have two growing inside me. It's a bit of an identity crisis.
Last week I started a prenatal yoga class.
It feels so strange being in a room with 20 other pregnant women after being so uncomfortable for so long around preggo's. It feels like I'm in hiding, like I don't really belong and that someone will finally clue in, call me an impostor, and ask me why I'm here.
I know I'm pregnant, I have the growing belly to prove it, but somehow I'm still infertile.
I'm infertile and I can't have babies... and yet I have two growing inside me. It's a bit of an identity crisis.
Friday, January 11, 2013
Symptom Check
16w 0d
How the hell did I get to 4 months already???
So far I've had it pretty good symptom wise **knocks on wood**.
In the first trimester, my main complaints were of heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and nausea. My "morning sickness" always happened in the evening around dinner time, but it never got too terrible. A lot of twin moms describe having exaggerated morning sickness but I've been pretty lucky in that department and have only thrown up once. I keep catching my self thinking that I was made to be pregnant, but then have to remind myself if that was the case, I would have been able to get there on my own. But I digress...
My nausea has finally subsided only to be replaced with heartburn (Tums are my new best friend). Some nights I still feel a little off. I seems that I either have heartburn or nausea, but not both or nothing. I'll take it since it means I will have two little miracles in my arms by the summer.
Other symptoms have included:
round ligament pain (ouch!)
fatigue
spotting - which has stopped, thankfully, for now...
back pain
headaches
less frizzy hair - yes, I hardly have to straighten it anymore!
So far I haven't had any real food aversions or cravings.
I think I may have felt baby B a couple of times, but nothing with any consistency, and I may just have gas...
How the hell did I get to 4 months already???
So far I've had it pretty good symptom wise **knocks on wood**.
In the first trimester, my main complaints were of heart palpitations, shortness of breath, and nausea. My "morning sickness" always happened in the evening around dinner time, but it never got too terrible. A lot of twin moms describe having exaggerated morning sickness but I've been pretty lucky in that department and have only thrown up once. I keep catching my self thinking that I was made to be pregnant, but then have to remind myself if that was the case, I would have been able to get there on my own. But I digress...
My nausea has finally subsided only to be replaced with heartburn (Tums are my new best friend). Some nights I still feel a little off. I seems that I either have heartburn or nausea, but not both or nothing. I'll take it since it means I will have two little miracles in my arms by the summer.
Other symptoms have included:
round ligament pain (ouch!)
fatigue
spotting - which has stopped, thankfully, for now...
back pain
headaches
less frizzy hair - yes, I hardly have to straighten it anymore!
So far I haven't had any real food aversions or cravings.
I think I may have felt baby B a couple of times, but nothing with any consistency, and I may just have gas...
Thursday, January 10, 2013
Reveals
Over the last month I have gradually come out of the pregnancy closet. The first one started with my extended family.
At the beginning of December we always get together for a Christmas cookie exchange and I usually bake the sugar cookies and everyone decorates their own at the exchange. So this year I also made and decorated some for everyone to enjoy while they decorate. I cut out some cookies in the shape of little onesies and decorated them as Dr. Suses's Thing 1 & Thing 2. I forgot to take pictures of them so I don't have any to show you :( but they were cute!
I was a little late getting tot he exchange so it wasn't quite how I planned it. I wanted to put the two Things on top of everyone individual pile of sugars so when they came in and had a look around, they would see them. But by the time I got there, there was already a few people there and they were all hanging out in the kitchen. My mom and sister tried several times to get them to leave the kitchen so I could set up, but it was no use, someone always stayed behind! So instead, I put two cookies each on several small plates that my mom had set out for appetizers, then covered them with a napkin and brought them over to the table 2 or three plates at a time so no one would notice. I thought I was being weird so someone would notice, but no one did.
Once we were all seated, I waited a few minutes, but no one even looked at the small covered plates so my mom finally had to tell everyone that there were a couple of cookies already decorated to enjoy now under the napkin. Once everyone saw the cookies, it took a few minutes for it to sink in and even then, people were a little nervous to say something in case it didn't mean what they thought. They were kinda looking between me and the cookies so I smiles and did some jazz hands before my Aunt tentatively asked "are you trying to tell us something?"
There was many congratulations and then when my mom said something about twins, it finally clicked what the cookies meant and there was a whole other round of congrats. Everyone knew our journey, so there were a few tears from everyone and they were so happy for us. My cousin started slowly growing red trying not to cry before finally breaking down. I swear you could see the line of red rising from her chest, up her neck and over her face.
There was one Aunt missing from the cookie exchange so we called her on speaker right away and told her about the cookies. She just kept saying "awe that's cute" and then I said "oh ya, and they are in the shape of little onseies." again, "Too cute!". Then there was a long silence while I waited for her to get it before I just jumped in and said "This is taking forever, I'm pregnant with twins!" Again there was silence before she said congratulations in a shaky cracking voice (she was obviously crying). It was bitter sweet telling her because she herself was infertile and adopted both of my cousins.
Eventually we all got settled into decorating sugar cookies.
For D's extended family, he really had no interest in doing a grand reveal to his extended family so instead I just signed all of our Christmas cards "Love Erin, Dave, Babies M & M, and Jak". Thankfully the cards were delivered before his big family Christmas on the 22nd. Some of them got it, but others were confused and wondered if Jak had puppies. We were the first to arrive that day and I was a little surprised that his Aunt started talking to him about work before saying anything. Apparently she wanted to wait until she could confirm with his mom before sticking her foot in her mouth if she misunderstood. Once D's mom arrived and set everyone straight there was many congratulations.
I didn't realize I had made my reveals so complicated that it took so much thought, but apparently so. I decided to take a different approach at work. For a few weeks I conducted a social experiment where I stopped hiding my bump and waited to see if anyone would say anything. Only one person asked my coworker M who lied and then promptly told me of the inquiry. No one else dared ask. Eventually, just before New Years, I told a few people at work and then instructed them to spread the word so I wouldn't have to tell anyone. I really don't know how some of them can still not know, it's really pretty obvious now...
The picture in the bottom right corner is from this past weekend compared to the top left corner from October.
At the beginning of December we always get together for a Christmas cookie exchange and I usually bake the sugar cookies and everyone decorates their own at the exchange. So this year I also made and decorated some for everyone to enjoy while they decorate. I cut out some cookies in the shape of little onesies and decorated them as Dr. Suses's Thing 1 & Thing 2. I forgot to take pictures of them so I don't have any to show you :( but they were cute!
I was a little late getting tot he exchange so it wasn't quite how I planned it. I wanted to put the two Things on top of everyone individual pile of sugars so when they came in and had a look around, they would see them. But by the time I got there, there was already a few people there and they were all hanging out in the kitchen. My mom and sister tried several times to get them to leave the kitchen so I could set up, but it was no use, someone always stayed behind! So instead, I put two cookies each on several small plates that my mom had set out for appetizers, then covered them with a napkin and brought them over to the table 2 or three plates at a time so no one would notice. I thought I was being weird so someone would notice, but no one did.
Once we were all seated, I waited a few minutes, but no one even looked at the small covered plates so my mom finally had to tell everyone that there were a couple of cookies already decorated to enjoy now under the napkin. Once everyone saw the cookies, it took a few minutes for it to sink in and even then, people were a little nervous to say something in case it didn't mean what they thought. They were kinda looking between me and the cookies so I smiles and did some jazz hands before my Aunt tentatively asked "are you trying to tell us something?"
There was many congratulations and then when my mom said something about twins, it finally clicked what the cookies meant and there was a whole other round of congrats. Everyone knew our journey, so there were a few tears from everyone and they were so happy for us. My cousin started slowly growing red trying not to cry before finally breaking down. I swear you could see the line of red rising from her chest, up her neck and over her face.
There was one Aunt missing from the cookie exchange so we called her on speaker right away and told her about the cookies. She just kept saying "awe that's cute" and then I said "oh ya, and they are in the shape of little onseies." again, "Too cute!". Then there was a long silence while I waited for her to get it before I just jumped in and said "This is taking forever, I'm pregnant with twins!" Again there was silence before she said congratulations in a shaky cracking voice (she was obviously crying). It was bitter sweet telling her because she herself was infertile and adopted both of my cousins.
Eventually we all got settled into decorating sugar cookies.
For D's extended family, he really had no interest in doing a grand reveal to his extended family so instead I just signed all of our Christmas cards "Love Erin, Dave, Babies M & M, and Jak". Thankfully the cards were delivered before his big family Christmas on the 22nd. Some of them got it, but others were confused and wondered if Jak had puppies. We were the first to arrive that day and I was a little surprised that his Aunt started talking to him about work before saying anything. Apparently she wanted to wait until she could confirm with his mom before sticking her foot in her mouth if she misunderstood. Once D's mom arrived and set everyone straight there was many congratulations.
I didn't realize I had made my reveals so complicated that it took so much thought, but apparently so. I decided to take a different approach at work. For a few weeks I conducted a social experiment where I stopped hiding my bump and waited to see if anyone would say anything. Only one person asked my coworker M who lied and then promptly told me of the inquiry. No one else dared ask. Eventually, just before New Years, I told a few people at work and then instructed them to spread the word so I wouldn't have to tell anyone. I really don't know how some of them can still not know, it's really pretty obvious now...
The picture in the bottom right corner is from this past weekend compared to the top left corner from October.
Saturday, December 22, 2012
a little scared
13w 2d
Last Tuesday I had my last appointment with the FC and we got to see this:
Then on Thursday at 5 pm I started seeing red, blood that is. It was very scary. I got up from my chair at work and felt wet so when I checked (I was alone in the office, everyone else had gone home by that time) my finger came back bloody. I immediately called the midwives emergency line. They told me that if the bleeding got worse or I started cramping, to go to emergency at the hospital. Otherwise they would set up an ultrasound for me on Friday. I was told to relax for the weekend and not do any housework; curl up on the couch, watch Christmas movies and just rest. By the time I got home the bleeding had stopped and was just spotting. So I called in sick on Friday and went to the ultrasound and got to see the babies again:
Everyone was doing fine, wiggling around, and waving and turning over with strong heartbeats! The official ultrasound report didn't get to the midwives until Monday, but everything was "absolutely perfect" and they couldn't find any reason for the bleeding.
Fast forward to yesterday morning, just after I got out of the shower, I started bleeding again. This time was the exactly the same as last time, it only lasted about 20 min then stopped and turned to spotting. Again I called the midwives, but they didn't send me for another ultrasound this time. I'm still spotting a little today, but I'm taking it easy and trying to rest as much as I can.
The possible reasons that the midwife gave me that I could be spotting/bleeding in a simple increase in the amount of blood in my body. Also I'm just extra vascular at this point and a simple bump to my cervix, even inadvertently, could result in spotting. If it continues to be an issue they will consult with an OB and possible send me for another scan. I'm not going to bother calling them if it happens the same way again. My next appointment is Jan 7th, if there are any more episodes, I'll let them know then.
Last Tuesday I had my last appointment with the FC and we got to see this:
Twins
Twins
Baby A
Baby B
Then on Thursday at 5 pm I started seeing red, blood that is. It was very scary. I got up from my chair at work and felt wet so when I checked (I was alone in the office, everyone else had gone home by that time) my finger came back bloody. I immediately called the midwives emergency line. They told me that if the bleeding got worse or I started cramping, to go to emergency at the hospital. Otherwise they would set up an ultrasound for me on Friday. I was told to relax for the weekend and not do any housework; curl up on the couch, watch Christmas movies and just rest. By the time I got home the bleeding had stopped and was just spotting. So I called in sick on Friday and went to the ultrasound and got to see the babies again:
Twins
Baby B
Baby A
Everyone was doing fine, wiggling around, and waving and turning over with strong heartbeats! The official ultrasound report didn't get to the midwives until Monday, but everything was "absolutely perfect" and they couldn't find any reason for the bleeding.
Fast forward to yesterday morning, just after I got out of the shower, I started bleeding again. This time was the exactly the same as last time, it only lasted about 20 min then stopped and turned to spotting. Again I called the midwives, but they didn't send me for another ultrasound this time. I'm still spotting a little today, but I'm taking it easy and trying to rest as much as I can.
The possible reasons that the midwife gave me that I could be spotting/bleeding in a simple increase in the amount of blood in my body. Also I'm just extra vascular at this point and a simple bump to my cervix, even inadvertently, could result in spotting. If it continues to be an issue they will consult with an OB and possible send me for another scan. I'm not going to bother calling them if it happens the same way again. My next appointment is Jan 7th, if there are any more episodes, I'll let them know then.
Friday, December 7, 2012
11 Weeks
11 weeks
Sometimes I still can't believe I am 11 weeks pregnant. I've seen the babies twice now and my belly is growing, but it still seems so unreal!
Last week I got a new job, I start on Dec. 17. My replacement starts on Monday and I have a week with him to train. So today I moved all of the files to his new cubicle. I may have over done it a little even though I was using a cart to move everything, it was still a lot of bending over and repetitive motions. By the time I was done, my lower back was pinching every time I bent over. Then after lunch we decorated the office for Christmas. It's the most I've done since becoming pregnant and now I'm exhausted and I have a headache. I had to run out to pick up butter to make cookies tomorrow and for the first time ever I parked in the expectant mothers parking space and didn't even feel guilty about it!
I realized today that I didn't come back with pictures from the last ultrasound! Without further ado, here is the first family photo (9w4d):
Aren't they cute!
So far I haven't had too many symptoms. I've had some nausea in the evenings, mostly around dinner time, and my boobs have been really sore in the middle of the night - it hurts like hell to roll over! I've already had quite a few aches and strains. At one point I thought I was having a gallbladder attack; I even had an ultrasound and everything; but that wasn't it, I just hurt. My chiropractor thinks it was a rib and when he adjusted me, there was a loud crack in the area of the pain and I haven't had any pain there since.
Last weekend I woke up at 7am on Saturday morning because my back hurt so bad that I made D go mattress shopping that morning. Our new mattress gets delivered on Sunday - I can't wait!! Last week I started seeing a massage therapist to help with these pains and the headaches I've been getting.
My mom said all her headaches went away while she was pregnant, but that hasn't been my experience. I've been getting more than normal, it sucks and D is getting tired of giving me neck rubs - too bad, I gave tons to him while he was sick, now it's time to return the favour.
I had a midwife appointment yesterday. It was pretty uneventful, except that I got to hear one of the heartbeats! It's still pretty early to pick up a heartbeat on a Doppler, but since there are two, one of the babies was up out of the pelvis enough to be heard. The other one would not stay still long enough and was very low and behind the uterine artery, so while she could hear it in the background, she couldn't pin it down on the Doppler. Other than that, this was my physical appointment so she checked my liver and kidneys and listened to my lungs and heart. Every thing is a-okay! Since I'd already had a PAP this year, we skipped that and the FC had ordered blood work so they didn't have to do that either. It was a pretty easy appointment.
I get to have one last ultrasound with the FC on Tuesday and it can't come soon enough. After that I don't know when I will have one next, but it will be too far away whenever it is!
Sometimes I still can't believe I am 11 weeks pregnant. I've seen the babies twice now and my belly is growing, but it still seems so unreal!
Last week I got a new job, I start on Dec. 17. My replacement starts on Monday and I have a week with him to train. So today I moved all of the files to his new cubicle. I may have over done it a little even though I was using a cart to move everything, it was still a lot of bending over and repetitive motions. By the time I was done, my lower back was pinching every time I bent over. Then after lunch we decorated the office for Christmas. It's the most I've done since becoming pregnant and now I'm exhausted and I have a headache. I had to run out to pick up butter to make cookies tomorrow and for the first time ever I parked in the expectant mothers parking space and didn't even feel guilty about it!
I realized today that I didn't come back with pictures from the last ultrasound! Without further ado, here is the first family photo (9w4d):
Aren't they cute!
So far I haven't had too many symptoms. I've had some nausea in the evenings, mostly around dinner time, and my boobs have been really sore in the middle of the night - it hurts like hell to roll over! I've already had quite a few aches and strains. At one point I thought I was having a gallbladder attack; I even had an ultrasound and everything; but that wasn't it, I just hurt. My chiropractor thinks it was a rib and when he adjusted me, there was a loud crack in the area of the pain and I haven't had any pain there since.
Last weekend I woke up at 7am on Saturday morning because my back hurt so bad that I made D go mattress shopping that morning. Our new mattress gets delivered on Sunday - I can't wait!! Last week I started seeing a massage therapist to help with these pains and the headaches I've been getting.
My mom said all her headaches went away while she was pregnant, but that hasn't been my experience. I've been getting more than normal, it sucks and D is getting tired of giving me neck rubs - too bad, I gave tons to him while he was sick, now it's time to return the favour.
I had a midwife appointment yesterday. It was pretty uneventful, except that I got to hear one of the heartbeats! It's still pretty early to pick up a heartbeat on a Doppler, but since there are two, one of the babies was up out of the pelvis enough to be heard. The other one would not stay still long enough and was very low and behind the uterine artery, so while she could hear it in the background, she couldn't pin it down on the Doppler. Other than that, this was my physical appointment so she checked my liver and kidneys and listened to my lungs and heart. Every thing is a-okay! Since I'd already had a PAP this year, we skipped that and the FC had ordered blood work so they didn't have to do that either. It was a pretty easy appointment.
I get to have one last ultrasound with the FC on Tuesday and it can't come soon enough. After that I don't know when I will have one next, but it will be too far away whenever it is!
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