active babies are strong babies

The picture above is from our very first ultrasound. The baby itself is the jelly bean shape with the little lucky fin. I asked my doctor what the floating orb is, thinking it might be two babies. But it was in fact the yolk sac, which is a good sign because the sac provides the necessary nutrients until the placenta takes over in a few weeks.

March 25th, 2019:

Our appointment at the prenatal center with our ultrasound doctor was pretty straightforward. We brought my mom along so she could see the girls move around with her own eyes, and also in case she had any questions for the doctor. Luckily Willow and Evangelene are still growing normally. They weigh about two pounds each and bone length and head circumferences are in normal parameters. Since they share the placenta there’s extra fluid to accommodate two babies, but the amount is still in normal range.  This time around though instead of being upside down they flipped and are now in breach position while facing my back. So their positioning and constant wiggling led to zero pictures, even though the doctor tried for another 4d image. But I really love that they are so active. And it is quite amazing how coordinated they are to work together and flip themselves 180 degrees. Active babies are strong babies after all.

As for me, I’m about the same. Well besides the nightly heartburn but that’s easily subdued with tums. The occasional middle of the night charlie horse from hell is a new development. My worst was three days ago that left me so sore that it felt like I did a work out. Overall I’ve adjusted to the big belly and extra weight by taking lots of breaks and surrounding myself with pillows to ease my lower back. I can feel Braxton Hicks contractions throughout the day as well. They are completely painless, I can just feel my uterine muscles tightening, then my stomach will get really hard, lasting around 30 seconds but very sporadic. This is basically my body preparing itself for labor, but is not true labor. As for myself emotionally I have my good days and bad days, and the amount of rest I get is a contributing factor. I’ve learned to embrace my negative emotions, because its just part of the ride.

March 27th, 2019:

My daughter and I went to my appointment with my OBGYN that I’ve been seeing since the beginning, and was the doctor for my first pregnancy. It was really just a check up and I brought him up to speed on a few things. Now for those of you who have doctors appointments coming up for whatever reason, I would recommend taking someone with you. Usually I have my mom or my husband come with me, but this time I only brought my daughter. What I found difficult was not only being around people, but also being around women with normal pregnancies. Its hard to explain. I get to thinking about how my future is so uncertain, and the things your supposed to be able to look forward to in a healthy pregnancy, I’m not able to do. I won’t even allow myself to buy any clothing sizes beyond preemie or newborn. Because regardless of how long they live, they still need some kind of outfit. So I get a little irritable, a little sad, so for me its good to have another adult to keep me in check. 

So far I’m at 26 weeks, which is 6.5 months, and I am truly grateful for every week. Each passing week gives the girls more time to grow and get strong, and I just pray that they will be able to make it to the next.  

Next week we have our fetal echo appointment and a tour of the NICU. Please stay tuned for more about our journey.