Pregnancy Highlights:
How Far Along: 33 Weeks
Size of babies: 17.2 inches long
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 51 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Yes and wide shoes!
Gender: A boy and a girl :)
Movement: Yes, but they are running out of room and the movements come a little less often. But every once in a while I get a strong kick from someone. And they both try to stretch out and that means I usually get her up into my ribs and him down on my bladder.
Sleep: Not so good lately. It's hard to get comfortable and I'm having an itching problem (more on that later)
What I miss: Being able to wear normal shoes. I'm now permanently in house shoes or slip ons. I can't even fit into my trusty old Ugg look alikes because my ankles won't squeeze into them.
Cravings: Nothing really, but I still love my Oreos
Symptoms: My legs, ankles, feet, toes, and hands are all swollen. And I can no longer bend over.
Best Moment this week: Seeing the babies at our ultrasound on Tuesday and getting some much needed rest after work almost every day (and only having to work 4 days this week!).
We had our weekly check up on Tuesday and it was a little chaotic. The ultrasound went fine. They didn't measure the babies' sizes so I have no idea how big they are now. But the doctor is guessing that they total over 9 pounds together now. But they did check to see if the babies are practicing their breathing, and monitored their heart rates. They also measured their amniotic fluid and the blood flow in their umbilical cord.
The Dr. checked to see if I was starting to dilate and I wasn't, so that's good news because that means I don't have to go on bed rest.
But he was rushed out right after that because he had to go deliver a baby. But he called me later to discuss some concerns I have. The main thing is the itching. I itch constantly all over my body all day and night. It's keeping me up and night and I'm uncomfortable wearing clothes!
Well, I first just thought this was a side effect of the Iron pills I was on for my low iron. Then I thought it was because of all of the swelling in my feet and hands because it's mostly on the bottom of my feet and in my palms. So when I mentioned this to him, he immediately wanted me to come back in for blood work.
It turns out that I possibly have something called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, or bile salts built up in the liver.
Cholestasis is a very rare illness and occurs in about two out of 10,000 pregnancies in America. So of course I have to get it, right?
I'm not exactly sure what it all means for me and the babies, but what I do know is that they need to try to get the babies out as soon as their lungs are mature enough. Usually, with one baby, they want to induce by 37 weeks, so of course with twins it's earlier than that.
What happens now:
I start taking a medication today called Actigall - this is something to treat the bile salts and enzyme levels in the liver.
Then I have an ultrasound on Monday to measure their breathing, heart rates, and amniotic fluid. I will also get to meet with the doctor after this to talk about it all and find out what his plan is for sure.
Then I go back to the Dr.'s office on Tuesday and Wednesday for steroid shots to help speed up the development of the babies lungs so we can prepare for them to come early.
Then I go back for another ultrasound on Thursday to monitor them again and check the sizes.
I'm hoping that the babies are growing and developing enough that after all the monitoring next week the doctor will want to go ahead and do the c-section at the end of the week. I'll be exactly 34 weeks and that's supposed to be the "safe zone" we've strived for.
This is all very scary for me just because I don't know what it all means, for me and the babies. I don't know the risks or the side effects or what could happen because of it. But I'm trying to stay positive and just trust the doctor and the specialist. They have taken immediate action and that does make me feel better.
I'm also trying to look at how far I've come. I'm 33 weeks and I haven't had to go on bed rest and haven't had any major complications up to this point. And we are so close that I'm confident they will be ready to come next week and we won't have to drag this out much longer.
My main concern is the health of my babies and I trust the doctor is going to do what he thinks is the best for them.
How Far Along: 33 Weeks
Size of babies: 17.2 inches long
Total Weight Gain/Loss: Gained 51 lbs
Maternity Clothes: Yes and wide shoes!
Gender: A boy and a girl :)
Movement: Yes, but they are running out of room and the movements come a little less often. But every once in a while I get a strong kick from someone. And they both try to stretch out and that means I usually get her up into my ribs and him down on my bladder.
Sleep: Not so good lately. It's hard to get comfortable and I'm having an itching problem (more on that later)
What I miss: Being able to wear normal shoes. I'm now permanently in house shoes or slip ons. I can't even fit into my trusty old Ugg look alikes because my ankles won't squeeze into them.
Cravings: Nothing really, but I still love my Oreos
Symptoms: My legs, ankles, feet, toes, and hands are all swollen. And I can no longer bend over.
Best Moment this week: Seeing the babies at our ultrasound on Tuesday and getting some much needed rest after work almost every day (and only having to work 4 days this week!).
We had our weekly check up on Tuesday and it was a little chaotic. The ultrasound went fine. They didn't measure the babies' sizes so I have no idea how big they are now. But the doctor is guessing that they total over 9 pounds together now. But they did check to see if the babies are practicing their breathing, and monitored their heart rates. They also measured their amniotic fluid and the blood flow in their umbilical cord.
The Dr. checked to see if I was starting to dilate and I wasn't, so that's good news because that means I don't have to go on bed rest.
But he was rushed out right after that because he had to go deliver a baby. But he called me later to discuss some concerns I have. The main thing is the itching. I itch constantly all over my body all day and night. It's keeping me up and night and I'm uncomfortable wearing clothes!
Well, I first just thought this was a side effect of the Iron pills I was on for my low iron. Then I thought it was because of all of the swelling in my feet and hands because it's mostly on the bottom of my feet and in my palms. So when I mentioned this to him, he immediately wanted me to come back in for blood work.
It turns out that I possibly have something called intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, or bile salts built up in the liver.
Cholestasis is a very rare illness and occurs in about two out of 10,000 pregnancies in America. So of course I have to get it, right?
I'm not exactly sure what it all means for me and the babies, but what I do know is that they need to try to get the babies out as soon as their lungs are mature enough. Usually, with one baby, they want to induce by 37 weeks, so of course with twins it's earlier than that.
What happens now:
I start taking a medication today called Actigall - this is something to treat the bile salts and enzyme levels in the liver.
Then I have an ultrasound on Monday to measure their breathing, heart rates, and amniotic fluid. I will also get to meet with the doctor after this to talk about it all and find out what his plan is for sure.
Then I go back to the Dr.'s office on Tuesday and Wednesday for steroid shots to help speed up the development of the babies lungs so we can prepare for them to come early.
Then I go back for another ultrasound on Thursday to monitor them again and check the sizes.
I'm hoping that the babies are growing and developing enough that after all the monitoring next week the doctor will want to go ahead and do the c-section at the end of the week. I'll be exactly 34 weeks and that's supposed to be the "safe zone" we've strived for.
This is all very scary for me just because I don't know what it all means, for me and the babies. I don't know the risks or the side effects or what could happen because of it. But I'm trying to stay positive and just trust the doctor and the specialist. They have taken immediate action and that does make me feel better.
I'm also trying to look at how far I've come. I'm 33 weeks and I haven't had to go on bed rest and haven't had any major complications up to this point. And we are so close that I'm confident they will be ready to come next week and we won't have to drag this out much longer.
My main concern is the health of my babies and I trust the doctor is going to do what he thinks is the best for them.
