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Friday, September 30, 2011

Admitted to hospital

Mitch and I went to our maternal fetal medicine specialist on September 29th.  The appointment went very well and baby B looks to be doing very well.  The doctor did an internal ultrasounds and found my cervix was at a 2 when it should have been at a 4.  Baby A's membrane was starting to funnel out to the cervix.  I was sent to Via Christi St. Joe to be given steroid shots to help develop baby B's organs and magnesium sulfate to calm any uterine activity.  The magnesium sulfate makes me have double vision and feel pretty woozy so its not too fun to try to read a book or do anything on the computer.  I did want to give everyone a quick update.  I will be in the hospital until Saturday afternoon when they will reevaluate how things have progressed.  Best case scenario is I go home and am on bed rest.  Worst case scenario is I stay in the hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy. 
We met with a NICU doctor when we were admitted to go over any questions and what to expect for complications with babies born so early.  The survival rate is fairly good - around 85% and it increase with each day.  The biggest risk is bleeding in the brain.  Right now they have 24 weeks twins and a 25 week baby and they are all doing well.  He made us feel pretty comfortable with the fact our baby will be well taken care of.  The best thing of course is to have the baby stay put for as long as possible.
We would appreciate any prayers you could send up.  Thank you to everyone who is thinking and praying for us.

25 weeks

Sorry, no picture this week.

Size of baby: an eggplant!
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 16 lbs 
Gender: girl
 
Milestones: Head to heels, your baby now measures about 13 1/2 inches. Her weight — a pound and a half about the size of a small bag of sugar, she's beginning to exchange her long, lean look for some baby fat. As she does, her wrinkled skin will begin to smooth out and she'll start to look more and more like a newborn. She's also growing more hair — and if you could see it, you'd now be able to discern its color and texture. Your dexterous baby can touch and hold her feet and make a fist. Your partner may be able to hear her heartbeat by pressing his ear against your belly. Your baby has a regular sleep schedule now and active and inactive periods. You may or may not be able to discern what those periods are. Her nostrils, which have been plugged, open up.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

24 Weeks

Take a break from the computer if your fingers feel numb or tingly. It's probably carpal tunnel syndrome, often brought on by pregnancy. Stretch your hands frequently to loosen them up. For significant symptoms, try wrist braces or splints at nighttime. In the past few weeks, the top of your uterus has risen above your belly button and is now about the size of a soccer ball.
 
Size of baby: a papaya
 
Total Weight Gain/Loss: 15 lbs

Maternity Clothes: yes, just got some new fall and winter clothes I'm ready to break out
 
Gender: girl

Movement: yes, sometime it feels as though she is trying to escape.  I like the little kicks better.  Less painful.

Sleep: went out and bought me a body pillow yesterday after a very rough night sleep Sunday.  Glad to report (and Mitch is very thankful as well) I slept wonderfully!

What I miss: Baby A.  Still think of him/her everyday but I know he/she is in a good place watching over me and baby B and that we will be taken care of.

Cravings: fall food - chili, apples, and bierocks.  Yum! 

Symptoms: stretching and movement.  I think I'm even having some braxton hicks contractions at time.  Took me awhile to figure out what was going on!

Best Moment This Week: Hearing baby B's hear beating.  :)  It was the best sound in the world.  Also, shopping with my mom and making progress on our basement.  The spare bedroom funiture is partially moved down to the basement.  Yay!  Getting close to having the room cleared out so we can start putting the crib together.
 
Milestones: Your baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at just over a pound. Since she's almost a foot long, she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.


What I'm Looking Forward To: The weekend - hopefully we will get the basement cleaned a little more, get the spare bedroom completely moved to the basement, get the crib put together, and go furniture shopping.  Sounds like we will be busy!

Baby Project - Crib Skirt

My mom met me in Wichita on Saturday and we did some shopping.  Got some new maternity clothes that I desperately needed before it starts getting cold.  We also went to hobby lobby and got the fabric to make the crib skirt.  I found a pattern online and picked out the fabic.  It is way cheaper than buying a whole set.  I couldn't find a set I liked anyway.  So this is the inspiration for the rest of the room.  I love all the bright colors.  The wall color will stay the same as it is now.  Mom is going to help me get started on this and we are going to be making a blanket out of what we have left.

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

22 Weeks

22 weeks and 3 days to be exact.  On September 8th, we went to Wichita to meet with our maternal fetal medicine specialist for another ultrasound to check up on the babies and hopefully find out whether baby A was a boy or a girl.  Unfortunately, what we thought would be a happy and exciting appointment turned into a sad and worrisome appointment.  The doctor pointed out baby A was head down and that is when I saw the little heart - and it was not beating.  My heart started racing trying not to believe what I was seeing.  The doctor quickly went to baby B and she was moving around with a strong heartbeat of 151.  He then went back to baby A and said 'Tavish, I'm so sorry but I don't see any signs of life with baby A."

The rest of the appointment focused on making sure baby B was ok.  She is still a she :) and is showing no signs of distress.  The babies were not sharing a placenta or a sac which is the best case scenario in this situation. 

The doctor has no explanation as to why baby A passed away.  All our previous ultrasounds showed no problems with either baby and they were growing at the rate they should.

I will continue to be monitored closely by both the specialist and OB doctor.  Baby A will stay with his/her sister until delivery.  Due to this, there are risks that I could develop clotting problems and infection.  This can also lead to preterm labor.  And of course since baby A passed away without warning, baby B could do the same.

Its hard not to focus on all the things that could go wrong, but we still have alot to be thankful for and I need to stay strong for baby B. She is a pretty active baby most of the time so that is reassuring. She is also a very flexible little thing.  In most of the pictures we have of her from that day, she has both feet at her head.  She used her to to scratch her eye at one point.

Some good friends sent Mitch and me a plant and flowers and in the card was written - "For I know the plans I have for you" declares the Lord "Plans to give you hope and a future." -Jeremiah 29:11.  I've been reading this daily and trying to remind myself that it is all in God's plan and that everything happens for a reason. 

Thank you to those who have given me a shoulder to cry on, shared their experiences with the loss of a baby, and of course all the thoughts and prayers that have been sent our way.  Please continue to pray for baby B!
 

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