Dr. Appointments
12/4
Today was a follow up appointment to see Dr. Chesney and get my blood work results. I had taken Femara on CD's 5-10 and this was a check to see if I had ovulated. Little did he know I was well aware that yes, I had ovulated and was indeed preggo :o) When Kris (Dr. Chesney's nurse) called me back I mentioned to her that I wasn't supposed to start my period until Friday (this being Thursday) but that I had taken a pregnancy test that morning and it was positive! She smiled and said that she had noticed my progesterone levels were very high when she reviewed my blood work from 11/27. They had me do more blood work that day then told me to come back on Monday for another blood draw. They were doing a quant check and wanted to see that all of my levels were doubling appropriately...
I saw Dr. Chesney and he was very surprised that I got preggo as soon as I did! Neither of us expected it to happen on month #1 of Femara! I begged him to let us come back before Christmas for the initial ultrasound to see the heartbeat... We desperately want to share the news for Christmas! He looked at the charts and said that we could come back on 12/21 for the ultrasound and should be able to see a heartbeat then but it will still be VERY EARLY at just 6 weeks! Yay!
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12/7
Kris called today to let me know that everything looks great with my hormone levels! Yay! Nothing out of the ordinary. They went from #175 to about #385 over a 3 day period... Very good sign! Maybe this one will stick! Looking forward to our ultrasound on the 21st!
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12/21
So I have a feeling it's twins... I really can't explain it. I just do. I finally fess up to Chris last week and he admits that he's been having dreams about us having twins. Or in his case, nightmares! LOL! And just last week one of his associates came in his office to tell him that we would be having twin boys! And she didn't even know we were pregnant!
We show up for the ultrasound shortly before our 9:40am appointment time. We were very excited, ok??? We go in and I tell the tech that I'm thinking it's twins... She's got that look on her face like, sure you do. Hahaha! She says that first thing she'll be getting some measurements then she'll look for the baby. She mentioned that we were 6 weeks 3 days along and that it was still very early so we may not get a heartbeat yet... About 10 minutes later she says, "Are you ready?" I laugh and say as ready as we will be! She then turns the screen to us and says, "Well, there are 2 babies!" I don't know what I said. If anything. I know I smiled! I looked over at Chris and he was sitting in the chair tapping his foot. He was speechless! I asked him if he was ok and he said, "Yep, yep". I think we were both stunned. I mean, we were thinking twins but to get the confirmation was just another story!
Ok, fast forward a minute or two. We've recovered somewhat. We now get to hear both babies' heartbeats! What a beautiful sound :o) We saw the little flicker of the heartbeats as well! Two strong little babies!
We had about an hour to kill before seeing the doctor now. We spent it sitting in the waiting room hardly talking. We were both still speechless. It's amazing how protective I already felt for these little babies! When the doctor finally saw us close to 12pm he was thrilled! He assured us that he's delivered many sets of twins and that the clinic is very capable of dealing with twin pregnancies. We were initially concerned that we may need to see a specialist with 2. He said that the ultrasound looking very good and that he had nothing but good things to say about the babies. He wants to see us back in 2 weeks for a follow-up ultrasound to check the babies' growth and see that their heartbeats are increasing as they should. Right now one heartbeat was #109 and one was #119. He said that he'd like to see them both in the #130's when we come back on 1/5/10.
Wow! What a Christmas present!
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1/1/10
Happy New Year! What an exciting new year it will be for us! We've told most everyone that we're expecting now and everyone is very excited for us! I can't wait to go back in on Tuesday, 1/5, for our next ultrasound! I was thinking for about a week or so that I was in the clear as far as morning sickness was concerned... Two late! A few days before Christmas it hit me like a ton of bricks! And I've been sick ever since :o( I finally got a prescription for Zofran 8mg and that has been the ticket. I take it every 8 hours and I'm good to go! Now if I could just get over this tiredness!!! I'm guessing with twins everything is two-fold!
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1/5/10
8 Weeks Preggo!
We had our 8 week appointment today and the biggest best part was that we got to see our babies again! They were PERFECT!!! Both babies had heart rates of #165 so that was fabulous! Dr. Chesney was so cute! He came into the room with a huge smile and just said, "Are we ready for this???" He said that, again, he had nothing but great things to say about them. They were measuring perfectly and were the same size. He was very pleased with their heart rates as well. We discussed starting Slow FE iron pills in case I become anemic (apparently that is a common symptom of twin moms). I've been FREEZING lately so I'm hoping that will warm me up a little too! He refilled my Zofran and said that he didn't need to see us back again for 4 weeks! Hard to believe but since they are doing so well we will be on a monthly visit cycle for a while!
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1/22/10
11 Weeks Preggo!
Today I had an appointment at Maternal Fetal Medicine in Nashville, TN. This appointment was with the specialist (Dr. Collins) to ensure both babies were doing well and developing as expected. Since I have hypothyroidism as well they are monitoring that closely with this pregnancy since that will change as my hormones change.
Dr. Collins was great. He was very thorough and covered several things that we had not heard yet from Dr. Chesney. He mentioned that since there are 2 placentas this can mean an increased chance of diabetes, as well as anemia, pre-term labor, etc. He did not see any reason for concern. Granted, we are still very early at 11 weeks so will see us again in 6 weeks when we should be able to tell the sexes. We are so excited to see what we have growing in there!
Because there are 2 babies the ultrasound is longer taking about 1 hour. We were able to see both babies very well this time and even see little profiles :) It's amazing how at not even 3 months they are already so developed! Baby "B" is literally on top of Baby "A" and was WAY more active. He (I'm guessing boy) was kicking his legs like crazy and throwing his arms up in the air (doing his Jazzercize as the tech put it)! He was so funny to watch. At one point when he threw his arm up we even got a peek at his little hand and fingers! It was so amazing to see :) Baby "A" on the other hand had no desire to be bothered. She kept having to reposition and move around and shake her up (I'm guessing girl). Both heartbeats were very strong at #175 and #168. Both babies measured at exactly 11 weeks 0 days which is exactly what we were thinking so we're right on track.
I've been feeling somewhat better and a little less tired each day, thank goodness! In just one more week I'll be out of my 1st trimester and hopefully be feeling ALOT better!
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2/4/2010
13 Weeks Preggo!
Welcome to the 2nd trimester! Hopefully this will mean the end of the never-ending nausea and awful fatigue. Only time will tell.
My cravings are still very much fruit related. When I leave for work everyday my lunchbox is packed with apples, grapes, oranges and strawberries! No kidding! I think I'm eating us out of house and home with how expensive fresh fruit is! It's crazy! The only other craving I've had is for Root Beer. Yes, I know it has caffeine but if it's the only caffeine I have all day I think it's fine! It seems to settle my stomach!
I saw Dr. Chesney today for my 13 week check up. This was my first "pre-natal" check up meaning they did blood work, took a urine sample, blood pressure, etc. The whole 9 yards. We started the appointment with an ultrasound and both babies looked great! Both heartbeats were #161 (amazing that they were the same) and both babies were measuring at 12 weeks 6 days (which is EXACTLY) where I am. They are both growing beautifully and I will have my next appointment on 2/23 and should be able to see what we're having :o)
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2/23/2010
15 Weeks Preggo!
The big news today.........We're having a boy AND a girl! Yay! We're SO excited! She was certain one was a girl and she thinks the other is a boy but said not to go buy anything yet... We go back to see the specialist next week so hopefully they'll be able to get a better idea as to what these babies are!
Both babies are growing well and Dr. Chesney had nothing but great things to say about them. They are 4 oz each and measuring about 4-5 inches from head to bottom. I'm growing bigger each day it seems and it's hard to think I still have a long way to go!
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3/3/2010
16 Weeks Preggo!
The reaffirming news today........We're having a boy AND a girl! Yay! It was pretty clear today. Both babies looked great. They are both now 6 oz each and about 6 inches long from head to bottom!
They took blood to check my thyroid but other than that it was a pretty routine visit. We'll go back for our "big" 20 week ultrasound on 2/23 (with Dr. Chesney) and on 3/30 (with Fetal Maternal Group). This will be a very long appointment as the ultrasound itself will take 1 1/2 hours because there are two babies!
We've started buying 2 packs of diapers each time we do our weekly grocery shopping to help us start to stock up. It's hard to believe it but we're 1 week away from our halfway point! Dr. Chesney has assured me that he'll do my c-section at 37 weeks which puts us around 7/22. I verify this with him each time I see him (LOL) because I know I'll be SO ready then! He keeps telling me not to worry that he'll indeed take them then. I'm so happy with our choice to go with Dr. Chesney. He's so compassionate and truly a great doctor!
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3/23/2010
19 Weeks Preggo!
Today was our "big" 20 week ultrasound with Dr. Chesney! The appointment started with an ultrasound to measure each and every bone in our little babies bodies! Caroline and Carter did beautifully. They were both very cooperative and she was able to get all the measurements in a little over an hour! Very good! They were very active and enjoyed kicking and punching each other through the membrane. It was hysterical to watch :) I guess just getting us ready for what's to come! Sibling rivalry already!
After the ultrasound we met with Dr. Chesney to go over the results. He was very pleased again and had nothing bad to say at all. All positive. Both babies are growing nicely, the fluid levels were great and there was nothing bad to report. I had read on several websites that the 20 week ultrasound can be very important in identifying trouble with the babies. First of all they check for down syndrome by measuring certain things then they also check for white spots as a 2nd "marker" for down's. Neither baby had these which was wonderful.
We found out that our next appointment will be @ 24 weeks then we'll start weekly appointments @ 28 weeks. At the next appointment they'll also do my first glucose test. I talked with Dr. Chesney about things I can do to prevent pre-term labor (anytime before 37 weeks) and he gave me a few suggestions. Drink LOTS of water (for some reason water keeps the contractions at bay???), second, get lots of rest and keep my feet up and lastly don't work more than 8 hours a day. Chris and I came home and looked over a few things and found that we could afford (temporarily) for me to go to 30 hours/week. I talked with my manager today and we've worked out a schedule for me to reduce my hours over the next 3 months. I'm thrilled. It's getting harder and harder everyday to just move around. The plan for now is to work up until either 6/28 or 7/5 at which point (if I'm not already on bed rest) I will take vacation until the babies come... Just 4 more months! Wahoo!
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3/30/2010
20 Weeks Preggo!
Another day for great news! Today I went for my 20 week appointment with Maternal Fetal Group. Again, there was nothing but good news. Both babies are growing beautifully at 14oz each making them zoom into the 84th and 62nd percentiles! That means that they are bigger than 84% (for Carter) and 62% (for Caroline) of other twins their ages! Wahoo! Great news especially considering they're twins... Dr. Kang was thrilled with this news!
The appointment was quick and uneventful since everyone is doing so well! I'll continue to see them every 4 weeks until the babies are born. My next appointment with them is scheduled for 4/28 @ 10:00am.
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4/11/2010
22 Weeks Preggo!
They say that everyone pregnant woman reaches a point where she "pops".
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6/14/2010
31 Weeks Preggo!
It's been a while. Shortly after my last post I was taken off work. At 24 weeks I started spotting and Dr. Chesney decided it was time for me to stay home. Not bed rest exactly but not at work any longer. I am truly blessed that Bank of America has a wonderful short term disability benefit that will allow me 12 weeks (exactly what I'll need) of paid time before the babies come. Then once they arrive I will be given 12 weeks of maternity leave (paid as well) to spend with them before returning to work.
I am now 31 weeks along. Starting next week I'll go for twice weekly visits with Dr. Chesney (Monday, Friday). The babies are doing great and they each weigh 3lbs 14oz. At the rate they're growing they'll be 6lbs each by the time I deliver! Hard to believe how far we've come. Also hard to believe that we only have 5 more weeks to go! My c-section has been scheduled for 7/19 when the babies will be 36 weeks. In some ways I'm thrilled and in others I'm terrified. A c-section is major abdominal surgery and will take some time to recover from.
My belly is a rocking and a rolling these days. You can truly "see" the babies moving now if you watch my belly. Last night Carter got the hiccups and it was such a crazy feeling! I remember Alex getting them once or twice but it's funny how you forget what it's like...
I've been going for weekly visits since 28 weeks and we've had weekly BPP (biophysical profiles) ultrasounds done. These are very interesting to say the least... These ultrasounds check for 4 things. Each baby has 30 minutes to: practice breathing (we watch for his/her diaphragm to contract), move all his/her body parts, increase or decrease heart rate by 15 beats and then they measure fluid levels to ensure each baby still has plenty of fluid. If all 4 are good then the babies receive a 8/8 score. So far every week we've gotten 8/8 for each baby. They seem to be thoroughly happy where they are and have no desire to come out :) Which is a good thing (for now!).
At today's appointment Dr. Chesney mentioned that it will now be a waiting game to see how my body reacts to carrying so much baby. As of today I'm carrying almost 8lbs of baby (what Alex weighed at time of delivery). This is fine, but what happens next week when I've got 9lbs? Or the following week when I've got 10lbs? Each week the babies should gain 5-6oz each. We will see what happens. He did mention that I may have to go on "bed rest" if I start contractions too early.
Tomorrow I will see the Perinatologist for a checkup as well. I'll try and post something then if they have anything else to add...
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6/15/2010
31 Weeks Preggo!
Today I saw Tennessee Maternal Fetal (my Perinatologist). They checked my glucose levels and added a 2nd dose of Glyburide for me to take daily. I will now be taking 2.5mg after breakfast as well as with my bedtime snack. I had some readings in the 130's and they weren't very happy with this. They also did a hemoglobin A1C that will supposedly tell them how my glucose levels have been over the past 3 months. My blood pressure and weight were both fine. I've gained a total of 22lbs so far and am now 32 weeks along.
The ultrasound went great but I didn't come home with any additional pics... Both babies are growing well. Caroline measured 4lbs 4oz and Carter measured 3lbs 14oz. However she wasn't able to get a great measurement of his abdomen so she wasn't sure how accurate his weight would be. He was not cooperating very well and wasn't positioned well for all the measurements.
I will return to see them on 7/6 and I will be 34 weeks.
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6/19/2010
32 Weeks Preggo!
I'm still chugging along! The babies should be about 4.5lbs each now but we'll find out for sure when I go back on Monday (6/21). Starting next week I'll be seeing the doctor twice weekly on Mondays and Fridays until the babies arrive. It's getting scary how close it's getting! At 34 weeks they won't attempt to stop labor once it starts. I've been remembering back to when I was pregnant with Alex and he was born at 7lbs 15oz so I never got "this" big with him. Already I'm carrying more baby than I ever have. With Alex I dilated to 1-2cm a few weeks before I had him but I never actually went into labor. I was induced 2 days before his due date. So who knows what will happen with this pregnancy. When I go in Monday they will start checking me to make sure I'm not dilating too soon. If I do start to progress too soon Dr. Chesney mentioned he may have to enforce a more "official" bedrest. So, we'll see!