Time for another update! Why so soon? Because I feel like it can be any day now and the last few weeks have been nothing short of a roller coaster, so I wanted to capture those for the babies.
How far along? 35 weeks & 4 days
Size of Baby: 4 lbs 6oz and 4 lbs 7 lbs
Size of Baby: Not sure where we are as per BabyCenter, maybe a honeydew melon?
Total Weight Gain/Loss: I’m at barely 124 lbs but the last two weeks I’ve been sick out and not keeping my food down for almost 4-5 days! So right around Christmas I was at 124 and then I lost a whole bunch of weight and now, about 2-3 weeks post xmas, I’m still at the same point. So I’ve gained only a total of about 17 lbs.
Maternity Clothes: Nothing is comfortable. I just try to stay home because those clothes are the most comfortable. I have one pair of jeans that I can manage to wear and a handful of shirts but it’s so cold outside these days that I don’t have enough layers to wear when I go out. Gender: It’s still a SURPRISE :)! Although my NST nurse did randomly ask, “oh, do we know? Two boys?” this was kinda random. So wondering if she knew and accidently slipped but then tried to cover once I said I didn’t know or if she just randomly said that. It will be interesting to find out!!!Belly Button In/Out: Is this even a question? Way beyond outtie. Stretch Marks: Lots of tiger stripes…and I think they continue to just add on as the itchy days go by
Wedding Ring: I’ve only got one ring on and that’s my mom’s LOVE ring. Everything else has been off for awhile.
Labor Signs: This last week I have been getting a lot of pelvic pressure. I had a few moments where I just had to stop in my steps because it hurt to move. And of course at my NST appointment ( I started to have Non-Stress Tests 2xs a week as of last week) this morning I had some contractions show up on the monitor! Not sure if they categorize as BH or actual contractions. Fortunately, they’re not so close together still. They’ve continued tonight and were happening last night too, just not in regular intervals. Also, my upper stomach has been tightening a lot, almost as if the babies are stretching for space but it’s not a kicking feeling, it’s a tightening, so not sure what that is but I did look at my summary from the last pregnancy and it looks like I had something similar at around 36 weeks and there definiately was more room last time than this time!
Movement: I wish I could capture all the crazy movement these two are up to. They are just like their big brother. Constantly doing rolls and jabs in my tummy. Of course these two are trying to share space but it’s still such a special feeling. I was just telling hubby today that I will surely miss them being inside of me. No words to describe what an incredible feeling it is to have baby(ies) inside of you and being able to see and feel the movement. Cravings/Aversions: I’ve been just craving food. Nothing in particular. After having almost a week of not being able to eat anything, I’ve been happy just eating and keeping food down. Although, I do think it’s time for some desserts since the heartburn (and everything else) is finally somewhat under control. Symptoms: So right after Christmas, we all started getting sick one by one. I ended up being diagnosed with a pregnancy related asthma, my heartburn was at it’s worse and of course I had the usual flu like sickness going on. As a result I wasn’t keeping any food down for a good week after Christmas, and it got so bad that that I was throwing up just stomach acid because my stomach was on empty. So, last Monday I ended up having to get IV fluid pumped into me to rehydrate me and get me going again. They also injected me with a nausea medicine to help me keep my food down. And the same day I was prescribed an inhaler. All three of these combined really helped me get back to somewhat normal, at least to the point where I could keep my food down which was the biggest relief. I think those were the worse days of the whole pregnancy, I truly was miserable. Throwing up on an empty stomach, feeling like you can’t breath and coughing so much that I literally thought all these things were going to make my water break because it was causing so much pressure. Thankfully, it is all passing and I’m feeling a lot better with the exception of a lingering cough.
Feeling: I think my last few entries, I wasn’t able to get to this point so I’ll do an uber summary on the last few items. I’m feeling excited, nervous, overwhelmed, anxious! You name it, I’m probably feeling it. I feel like I want to keep “preparing” for the babies but there is only so much we can prepare for. There are so many unknowns this time around. The main things on my mind have been: – Pre-term labor: Up until now this was a concer but now that I’m at 35.5 weeks, I’m feeling a bit better about this but otherwise I was constantly worried about protein in my urine, high blood pressure and all the other pre term signs- NICU: this is definitely top of mind for me right now. I just want them to stay in long enough so we can skip this whole experience because it just sounds so overwhelming. I’ve been reading non-stop about how to manage when babies are in the NICU and what to expect but I don’t think any amount of reading or talking to people can prepare you for it. But I prefer having somewhat of a preview into what to expect than to go in completely clueless. Twins just overall have a higher chance of being in NICU despite being born close to their “full term” mark. Each day you can keep them baking is about 2-3 days less in the NICU! That’s huge! So for now…keep baking babies!- Breastfeeding: Not knowing how early the babies could potentially arrive + possible c-sec + NICU time + demand from 2 babies…makes me very nervous about whether or not breastfeeding will be an exclusive option this time. Of course, I’m open to any and all options but I’m just not looking forward to all the bottles and the cleaning and whatever else may come with not exclusively breastfeeding.
– My Toddler S: With all these changes coming and all these unknowns, I can’t help but overthink everything that has to do with S. My life currently revolves around him and knowing hospital time and recovery time will limit how much time I get with him is just hard for me to digest. I’m sure he’ll do great because kids after all are so good at adapting to change but I do know he thrives because of the schedule and routine he has and it’s so predictable that it really makes things run smoothly at home. That constant helps all of us be happy, healthy and sane! And with two babies coming, his routine will be key!
– Recovery: Last time my recovery was HORRIBLE and very traumatic! I can’t help but pray for a better recovery this time especially so I can be there for S and the babies asap. Last time around it was easy because although the recovery was rough, I just had to be there with S all day on the most part. But this time being there for S is at a whole different level. I just want to be back to normal as soon as I possibly can. So I have yet to determine whether I would consider a VBAC or a C-sec.
As you can see all these things are literally top of mind! And the weirdest thing is most of them are not directly about managing life with the babies. I’m sure that will hit hard when it all happens. But all of these things will really impact life once the babies arrive.
Best Moment this Week: Believe it or not going in for my NST and seeing contractions on the monitor was rather exciting, lol. Probably because it validated that I’m not crazy for feeling the pain but also because it means it’s that much closer to meeting our new babies. Probably not the BEST moment but still exciting. We did put together the double stroller and try out the full ensemble! That was exciting! It’s making things very, very, very real! It’s all so huge! I look tiny next to my new stroller! But it was fun to see S push it around and understanding that it’s for the babies. He talks about it so sweetly, let’s just hope it continues (wishful thinking)!
Since I didn’t get to write about it a few weeks ago, I’ll also write that it was also exciting to buy two new (more compact) carseats for the babies. We’ve been struggling to fit 3 across in our current cars. And even as we did car browsing we were struggling to comfortably fit 3 across. So we finally took the plunge and just bought 2 new ones rather than trying to reuse S’s old. Car shopping was NOT fun and we still have not pulled the trigger on that because I think we’re happy with our current cars and don’t want to make a hasty decision until we figure out what is most functional for us in reality vs what we currently think. Shopping for 3 across, reverse facing is no joke, especially if you are petite. So many things to consider such as being able to lift the carseats + baby in, door clearance on both sides, being able to take the double stroller in/out of the cargo space…the list goes on!
Every perinatology appointment is very exciting. I have those every 4 weeks which is cool because we get a detailed ultrasound to check on the babies, placenta and amniotic fluid levels. I love going to those appointments. Each time we get to see different things the babies are doing in the womb. We also get to find out the size of the babies which is fun to track. They basically have been growing an average of about 1lb every 4 weeks.
What I Miss: Last week all I missed was being able to eat! This week I’m doing better but in terms of food I miss being able to eat without having to stress about heartburn. I stopped drinking tea the last few weeks because it was really making my acid reflux and heart burn really bad. I also miss having an array of clothes to wear! Anytime we talk about going out of the house, I dread it because I literally have nothing to wear that is warm & comfortable. It’ll be nice to fit into my clothes! I also miss being able to sleep, sit and stand without being in pain. Right now everything just hurts. It’ll be nice to just get back into shape and feel stronger rather than weak and dependent. I can hardly stand for more than 15 minutes at a time. And then I have to sit. Then I can hardly sit for 15-20 minutes before I have to lie down (unless I have a heating pad on). And once I lie down, it takes forever to find a comfortable position. Once I find a comfortable position, I’m ready to switch positions or get up in about 15 minutes. So it’s this constant change of position that alleviates the pain but doesn’t provide much rest. But all complaints aside, I will VERY much miss having these sweet babies inside of me and the feeling they give me. It truly is priceless!
What I am Looking Forward To: Meeting these two and having them meet their big brother! I am so so so excited for S to have siblings and see their journey together. But for the immediate future I’m just looking forward to finishing off some of our final to do items. The list seems endless but here’s a glimpse of what it’s looked like and where we’re at with it:
Find carseats that fit 3 across (Buy Buy Baby Trip)
Check out cars that will fit 3 across (this is after we had already gone through other configurations that did NOT work)
Double up on newborn clothes
Find a second ghodiyu
Look into hired help for house work
Research & buy double stroller
Stock up on new activities/toys for Toddler S for post delivery to keep him busy
Stock up freezer with food for Toddler S
Sort and organize Toddler S’s infant clothes
Sort and organize Toddler S’s toys
Make labels for all clothes and toys
Start packing basics for hospital bag (toiletries, Toddler S stuff,)
Wash newborn clothes for hospital bag
Wash all newborn clothes, blankets
Figure out post delivery living situation
Install carseat bases
Research pump and bottles (didn’t need these last time!)
Call L&D to understand sibling visitation
Register for L&D at hospital
Treat myself to a pedicure (and because I can’t reach my toes)
Finish baby blankets (I don’t think this is going to happen :()
Pick out sibling gifts for all 3 kiddos
Pick out something for Daddy of 3 🙂
Stock up on newborn diapers
I’m sure there is more but this is just what I can remember right now. And there are a lot of things we already took care of which I just haven’t had time to write about. But I think the hardest things have been the carseat and car situation. Everything else is no biggie!
I can’t wait to meet these babies!!!!!! It can basically be any day now! 38 weeks is full term for twins. I’ll be 36 weeks in a few days. So about 2 weeks left at most 🙂 and then life is going to change one more time and I am blessed to have it just this way.
Milestones: 35.5 weeks with twins and still baking! 2 more weeks to go!
Next Appointment: My calendar is currently full of appointments. I had one appointment on Tuesday (NST), two more on Friday (36 week check up & NST)
