Twin Pregnancy

I found out I was pregnant just before I was 5 weeks along.  I was at work on a Friday and was not feeling quite right.  I looked at my calendar and was like 'wait a second here..." and started counting days.  Yep.  I was 5 days late.  I was NEVER late.  I had been like clockwork for almost 2 years.  I kinda brushed it off thinking that I was just a bit out of sorts after getting back from vacation.  When I got home, Kevin and I were planning on going out to get sushi.  After checking for the eleventy-billionth time that day to see if AF made her appearance, I decided to run out and get some tests. 

I came home and immediately ran up to take the test.  The + sign appeared in less than 30 seconds.  "Uh oh, I drank SO MUCH last week" was my first thought.  My second thought was "holy $#!t, I'm pregnant!"  It was the first and only positive pregnancy test I have ever taken.  I didn't want to jinx myself, so I decided not to take another one.

Backing up for a second here, it took us a little while to get pregnant.  We started trying in October of 2009.  My doctor told me it took healthy couples up to a year to get pregnant.  We tried for a few months and nothing happened.   Then, I started to get frustrated.  I decided that we should just go with the flow for a while and see what happens.  Well, nothing happened.  In July of 2010, my doctor made me get a blood test to check my progesterone levels.  It turned out my levels were low, so he wrote me a prescription for clomid.  I was supposed to take it from CD 3-7.  I took my first doses in late August 2010.  Now, I didn't do any research on clomid, and the only thing my doctor had told me was that it would help increase my progesterone levels. 

About a week before we left on our vacation, I started to get some pain in my breasts.  It was especially bad in the shower.  I just chalked it up to the prescription.  There was NO WAY I was going to get pregnant in my first month (hence, why I decided to live it up in Jamaica!)  Well, that first dose was, in fact, successful.  Luckily, those Bob Marley shots and Jamaican Smiles didn't seem to have any effect on my gorgeous girls (which I still feel HORRIBLE about to this day!)

When I was 8 weeks pregnant I went to visit with a few of my friends from high school.  Kevin and I had not told anyone except for our parents and our bosses.  I decided to tell them, although I was trying to hold out until at least after our first OB appointment.  I told them about the Clomid, and one of them was like "You know there is an increased chance for twins, right?"  Um.  No.  I didn't know that.  Uh oh. 

I had been kind of thinking that I could possibly be carrying more than one for a few reasons. I had all day nausea since pretty much the day I found out I was pregnant, and had lost weight, but still was seeing my stomach round out a bit already.  I didn't think that was supposed to happen until later in the first pregnancy.

At nine weeks I had my first appointment.  Kevin and I walked into the room and the nurse told me to undress, put the gown on, and the doctor would be in momentarily.  I saw that ultrasound machine sitting next to the bed with my name on it.  I was so nervous that whole day.  I looked at Kevin and said "I don't care about any other pregnancies, I just want this baby."  He squeezed my hand and said everything was going to be fine.  Then made a crack about triplets. ;)

The doctor walked in and went over the typical pregnancy information, asked how I was feeling, what I was eating, if I was taking my prenatals, etc.  Then he got started with the exam.  He had flipped the screen towards him and I was just looking at Kevin.  All of a sudden the doctor was like "Oh...wow".  My heart sank, I instantly thought there was something wrong with the baby.  Then he flipped the screen towards me:

 
"OMG, we're having TWINS!" I screeched.  I'm almost positive the entire state of Ohio heard me.  It was one thing to kind of suspect it, but it was entirely another to see it. 

I had all day nausea and food aversions until about 20 weeks or so.  I had just started eating chicken and turkey again after being a vegetarian for 7 years the summer before I got pregnant, and any kind of meat was the first thing to go.  I think I survived my first trimester on bagels, apples, oranges, spaghettio's, and ice water.  Barely anything appealed to me, and I was concerned about getting enough protein for the babies.  I actually didn't gain weight until my 17 week appointment (I was up 4 lbs over pre-pregnancy weight).

I had a detailed scan at my doctor's office at 17 weeks and found out that Baby A was a girl.  Baby B was not showing off the goods, so we were going to have to wait until our anatomy scan at 20 weeks (at the MFM office). 

Baby A results at the 20 week anatomy scan:


And (finally) Baby B:


More than the gender of both babies, I was concerned with their growth and development.  They discovered at my 20 week appointment that Baby B had a marginal insertion http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Velamentous_cord_insertion.  Luckily, nothing more than being monitored a little more closely was needed.  I made sure not to look this up during my pregnancy, and reading this now, I am sure glad I didn't.  Other than that, we had no issues with development throughout the pregnancy.  The girls grew wonderfully, and I was extremely lucky.

At 26 weeks both girls were still head down (as they had been the entire time).  If they stayed that way, I was going to try for a vaginal delivery.  At 28 weeks, Baby B flipped transverse.  I actually felt it happen.  From that point, it looked likely I was going to have a c-section.

One of the main concerns during a multiple pregancy is going on bedrest.  I was scared to death it was going to happen early on, and I was lucky it didn't.  My goal was to make it to my shower (at 29 weeks).  I did!  Unfortunately, I didn't escape completely unscathed.  At 32.5 weeks, they discovered my cervix was only measuring a little over 2 cm (good is over 2.5cm, but they prefer 3-4cm).  At that point my doctor pulled me from going into the office every day.  I was lucky that my work was very understanding and they allowed me to work from home for 4 weeks.  Here was my setup!

 
From 31 weeks on, I went to the OB weekly.  I was so glad for that.  It gave me piece of mind throughout the last stages of my pregnancy.  I was always worried something was going to happen, and was lucky to have the pregnancy I did.  Multiple pregnancies are no joke.  I have met a lot of multiple momma's, and I am one of the few with a fairly drama free pregnancy.  I will be forever grateful for that.

At around 35 weeks I had another detailed scan at the OB's office.  Baby B flipped yet again.  I again was hopeful for a vaginal delivery.

My doctor allowed me off bedrest at 36 weeks.  I did EVERYTHING to try and induce labor after 37 weeks.  Walks around the neighborhood, cooking all day, cleaning, etc, etc ;).  But no dice.  Those girls were as happy as clams in there.  We ended up scheduling my induction for May 19th.  And the doctor, once doubtful I would make it to 36 weeks, was pretty sure I would end up being induced at 38 weeks 4 days.  At my last appointment at 38 weeks 1 day I was 1 cm dilated and 80% effaced.  I gained 35 pounds total, and was lucky to have low blood pressure throughout.

And make it to my induction date I did!  Although there was a good amount of pain, and some mood swings I really did love being pregnant.  There was nothing better than feeling a baby (or babies) move around inside you.  I missed that the second they were out, and I still do.  That's the part that makes me most sad about being done, I'll never have that feeling again.  Being pregnant was truly one of the best things I have ever experienced.

Here are some profile pics of me from 5 weeks to 38+4:

5 weeks
 
 
10 weeks
15 weeks
19 weeks

20 weeks

 

23 weeks

25 weeks

 
26 weeks


28 weeks
33 weeks
36 weeks
 
Delivery Day!  38 weeks 4 days
 



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