More pics

So yesterday was the nuchal translucency test so we have lots of new sonogram pics.  This test is used to help determine your risk of having a baby with down syndrome or several other chromosomal abnormalities.  Its not 100% but 70-90% accurate and the tech said we looked good but that the doctor would be looking at the blood work as well to know but skin thickness was within the normal ranges and the babies had developed their nasal bones with those with abnormalities would not have at this point.  But because the babies have to be in a very specific position we had almost a full hour of watching them on the monitor.  They were very active the whole time and I was really surprised by how much they moved around.  At one point one of them even had the hiccups!  It was adorable.

This is baby A

Baby A's hand

Baby A's head in profile with hand pulled up to mouth

Baby B

Baby B's head in profile

Baby B is a little deeper so the pics were harder to get good ones.  The tech told us that right now all though I am 12 weeks 4 days that Baby A's gestational age is 13 weeks and Baby B is 13.5 weeks.  So they are getting big fast!  My next OB appointment is the 12th of March but that will be just shy of 15 weeks so it will still be a while longer until we know the sexes of the babies. Hopefully the appointment after that one, which I will venture a guess of April 12 since she seems to want to see me every 4 weeks, would put me almost at 19 weeks and you can usually tell between 16-20 weeks.  The wait is killing me!

Feeling good

So yesterday I actually felt good and got a little bit of housework done.  I feel better today as well and today marks 12 weeks for me so maybe the first trimester crappy feeling is going to be done with.  I can hope anyway.

Little known pregnancy side effects that I am having

So everyone knows the normal pregnancy side effects, morning sickness, fatigue, and constipation.   Well I am having those and after reading some today (searching for home remedies for anything and everything) found out that a few other things that I have been having that I simply chalked up to bad luck are pregnancy related as well.    


#1.  Headaches-Low blood sugar, increase in hormones, or the reduced blood flow to the brain (since your body now has to divert more to the babies).


#2.  Breathlessness-because the baby is transferring more carbon dioxide to you.  I was actually having nightmares about drowning and suffocating and waking up out of breath.


#3.  A heightened sense of smell- One theory: It helps you stay away from foods that have a high bacteria content or natural toxins, which could harm the fetus during this crucial period of development.   I already have a VERY strong sense of smell so this has been like overdrive for me.


#4.  Constant stuffy nose-increased hormones and blood production cause the mucous membranes to swell, dry, and bleed.


#5.  Sweating all the time-Your metabolism is in overdrive, and extra blood pumping through your body warms the skin. Perspiring is your body's way of cooling off.


#6.  Drooling....constantly-no one's quite sure what prompts the excessive saliva but some pregnant women produce excess saliva -- up to three or four quarts a day!  I will start to doze off and realize my entire pillow is covered in drool!


I know I have skipped some like how when I laugh, sneeze or cough I run the risk of peeing just a little bit but who has time to keep listing all the crazy things my body is doing right now.  Steve says that I have become extra whinny since my symptoms have gotten worse and I think that if he was the one going through all these body changes we would probably not be having kids :)  Lucky for me he grins and bears my complaining and only every now and then mentions that I brought this on myself.

Nuchal Translucency scheduled

So I finally managed to get this scheduled and I go to the hospital on the 28th.  This is the test that is run to check for chromosomal abnormalities such as down syndrome.  The test measures the clear space in the tissue at the back of the baby's neck.  Babies with abnormalities tend to accumulate more fluid there during the first trimester.  The nuchal test is less accurate than the amniocentesis test where they draw actual amniotic fluid from the sacs but it is also less dangerous since there will be only a scan and bloodwork.  The only downside I see to going the safe route is that amniocentesis actually shows the baby's chromosomal gene strand so I would have been able to know for sure what the sex of the babies are, however they only really do that test for people who are at high risk for chromosomal defects.

Doc visit

So went to the doctor yesterday and everything is fine.  They didnt do a sonogram, honestly I think out of pure laziness since it took them 45 minutes to even call me to the back.  Why book your practice to where everyone is nearly an hour behind their appointment time, just book fewer appointments a day.  I had honestly thought that it took so long the first visit because it was our first visit and they happen to be really busy but this time their was only one other girl in the waiting room to see the doctor and her appointment was at the exact same time as mine and she was called back only a few minutes before me.  Hopefully my next visit will prove they are not as unorganized as they seem.  I like the doctor and her nurse is ok but I really do NOT like the reception staff.  When you work with the public you need to be friendly, I mean a simple "I'm sorry you are having to wait but the doctor will be with you soon" from them would have gone a long way but they just ignore you.   All she did was order some bloodwork and listen to the heartbeats which was all of 5-10 minutes.  That is what really frustrates me because I waited 45 minutes to see her and then she is barely with me anytime and really just does a cursory look which any nurse could have done.  Sigh....Anyway I complain....I was rather irritable yesterday anyway because I was feeling really sick to my stomach.

Since I have no baby pics to show I will show you how huge I am :)

Not sleeping

How is it that I will be so incredibly tired but cannot sleep!  I feel like I am up half the night waking up because of this or that.  I have never been a light sleeper but now it seems the slightest noise wakes me and the any non-constant noise keeps me from getting to sleep.  I have to say first trimesters suck!!!!!  No sleep, constantly tired, nausea at every turn....ugh!  I have to say one of my least favorite things is nauseated hunger.  I am starving but nauseous at the same time :(  I am hoping that most of this will pass and that sometime in April I can head down to Albany for the weekend.  Its nice that I can go see everyone, I miss everyone there so much but as of right now I cant be in the car long at all before I get sick.  A trip to the grocery store has been my limit lately.

Scared

Last night I was getting ready for bed and went to pee before tucking myself in and I was spotting.  It scared me big time.  I know everyone says it happens sometimes but it scared me really bad regardless.  I called the doctor on call and she told me its ok that sometimes after sex you might have some spotting and from what I read about a thousand other things can cause it as well.  Most are nothing to worry about.  She put me on bed rest for the day and I am to take it easy for the next few days and if it gets worse to call them.  It just scared me so bad cause I dont want to lose the babies.

Can I actually do this?

So some days I wake up and have this fluttery feeling in the pit of my stomach.  Now I know it is too soon to be feeling the babies but right now I have come to associate this feeling with high anxiety days.  On the days I feel this I tend to run a little "high" on the maintenance end.  These days are my "OMG can I actually raise two children" days.  I think that this is god's way of evening the scales for mommies to be all over.  I have wanted a baby for so long and have baby sat so much over the years and been Aunt Tiffany to so many kids that there was never any doubt in my mind that "I can do this".  Interacting with kids comes naturally to me and its like I send out these vibes that only children can feel that say "Yes, I would love to play with you"  because over the years I have kids just decide that they want to talk to me will just sit down and randomly talk to me.  I'm not talking about kids of my family and friends but complete strangers.  And when I meet kids that dont just automatically like me, I dont stop until they do, I'm not above bribery.  All this made me utterly confident in myself that being a mom was what I was born to do and I would excel.  I think expecting naturally brings out the "can I do this" in parents to be and I think that because god was afraid I wouldnt have that moment, he decided to give me twins.  At least to even the playing field for me with all the other moms to be :)

Almost feel better

So today I seem to have mostly gotten over the severe dehydration and I am no longer seeing life with a motion blur on it.  My head is still the tiniest bit swimmy but pretty ok overall.  I am back to regular nausea or at least my stomach is tolerating the nausea again.  Its amazing how long it takes to feel normal again after getting sick like that, you think "oh just drink some fluids, you'll feel better tomorrow"  but its more like hydrate and feel better in several days.  Just typing up that post the other day took forever because it was like my concentration was sapped from my body too.  The doc did send me home with a 30ct supply of  prescription anti-nausea meds so I can take them if I need to, however they give me a headache every time I take them so I have to take some acetaminophen with them.  Thanks to everyone who sent me some tips on ways to control my nausea, so far though nothing is really working (even the rx only works to a certain point)

My next tip request is where to buy panties......currently all my panties are the little board short ones, but it has gotten to where I cannot stand to have anything touch my stomach.  I want some that ride low in the front hitting just at the pelvic bone but will still cover my butt.  If anyone knows of some I should check out let me know.

I have also come up with a new type of snuggie or blanket that needs to be invented.  Since all the nausea and stuff my stomach is SUPER sensitive to touch and warmth and I cant stand to have my clothes or blankets touch it.  So this is where my idea for the pregnant snuggie comes from.....a snuggie that still wraps around the arms but has a big belly hole cut in it.  I find myself having to get one set of blankets for my top and one set for my bottom right now :P  I tuck one set just under my belly and the other just under my boobs.  I think I may make some footie pajamas like this, they have like a round zipper exert in the middle.

And it gets worse

So Wednesday night I finally started throwing up and I spent the next 36 hours puking my guts up.  Friday morning I called the OB and she wanted me to go to the labor and delivery ward at the hospital.  They held me for a several hours pumping me full of fluids.  It took them forever just to get my IV started because I was so dehydrated (my hand is a huge bruise) and they sent me home with some anti nausea medicine.  I still feel really crappy and I have lost 8 lbs now but hopefully I will start to feel better now.