Twins @ 22 weeks
A 
BBaby B @ 24 weeks
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
The Results
My apologies for not posting. I clicked "save" instead of "publish" Sorry! Some of you have been anxiously awaiting the news. Here is the story. Scroll down to the last paragraph if you don't want to hear details :)
The night before, Allan and I spent what could possibly be our last night at home together for a while. We got up in the morning, making sure I was prepared for at least a few days at the hospital. I said bye to the dogs, and we made the dreary walk out to the car. I ate a good ol' McDonald's breakfast during the forty-five minute rainy drive. I asked Allan, "Wouldn't it be awesome if the doctor said, 'Everything's great. You can go home.'"? A miracle wasn't out of the question for us, but we tried to prepare ourselves for the worst as a defense mechanism.
We made it to the hospital and met Allan's mom there. We went to the Starbucks on the first floor, and I ordered a decaf iced raspberry latte. mmmm....Anyway! We went into the exam room, the tech began the ultrasound. The babies were head-to-head (normally B has her butt in A's face), and they definitely put on a show for us! Baby B wouldn't let the tech measure the blood flow through the umbilical cord because she kept kicking it, and Baby A kept bumping the other one with her stomach like a sumo wrestler. Haha. After a few minutes, she finally was able to hold it for a few seconds so the tech could get a reading.
Dr. G, as he is lovingly called, entered the room shortly after. He is very laid back, but has a good sense of humor. I heard from my OB in Anderson that he is an excellent doctor. I am always glad to hear from him. He discussed the ultrasound results with the tech. Dr. G examined the screen, and said pensively, "Baby A's looks great....and Baby B's looks equally great." The tech and Dr. G just looked at us for a few seconds and the doc shrugged. He asked "What did you do this past week that made the difference?" We basically told them lots of bed rest and prayer. I wish you could have been there to see the slight grin on my Dr. G's face. It was the kind that needed to be professional, but at the same time wanted to rejoice with us. The tech told him that I am (was) the children's director at our church. She is a Christian, and I suspect he is too. I think she was trying to tell him that we are also believers, but I understood how doctors need to be careful about religion in the world of medicine. He said cheerfully, "Well, then keep doing the same thing, and we'll see you next week." He congratulated us on going home, made a joke about hospital food, and just like that, he was gone. Then we went home!
Allan and I spent a relaxing day together, at home, of course. I still have mixed feelings about being home. The house is a mess, and I can't do anything about it! haha. Any of you women ever experienced the nesting phase? Imagine having the motivation and forcing yourself to contain it. However, I am thankful to be home when Allan comes home and to know that the babies are doing okay.
Thank you to everyone who kept us in your thoughts and prayers this week. Please continue to, as they have shown a major improvement but are not out of the woods yet. Please pray that I keep my sanity :)
Melody
The night before, Allan and I spent what could possibly be our last night at home together for a while. We got up in the morning, making sure I was prepared for at least a few days at the hospital. I said bye to the dogs, and we made the dreary walk out to the car. I ate a good ol' McDonald's breakfast during the forty-five minute rainy drive. I asked Allan, "Wouldn't it be awesome if the doctor said, 'Everything's great. You can go home.'"? A miracle wasn't out of the question for us, but we tried to prepare ourselves for the worst as a defense mechanism.
We made it to the hospital and met Allan's mom there. We went to the Starbucks on the first floor, and I ordered a decaf iced raspberry latte. mmmm....Anyway! We went into the exam room, the tech began the ultrasound. The babies were head-to-head (normally B has her butt in A's face), and they definitely put on a show for us! Baby B wouldn't let the tech measure the blood flow through the umbilical cord because she kept kicking it, and Baby A kept bumping the other one with her stomach like a sumo wrestler. Haha. After a few minutes, she finally was able to hold it for a few seconds so the tech could get a reading.
Dr. G, as he is lovingly called, entered the room shortly after. He is very laid back, but has a good sense of humor. I heard from my OB in Anderson that he is an excellent doctor. I am always glad to hear from him. He discussed the ultrasound results with the tech. Dr. G examined the screen, and said pensively, "Baby A's looks great....and Baby B's looks equally great." The tech and Dr. G just looked at us for a few seconds and the doc shrugged. He asked "What did you do this past week that made the difference?" We basically told them lots of bed rest and prayer. I wish you could have been there to see the slight grin on my Dr. G's face. It was the kind that needed to be professional, but at the same time wanted to rejoice with us. The tech told him that I am (was) the children's director at our church. She is a Christian, and I suspect he is too. I think she was trying to tell him that we are also believers, but I understood how doctors need to be careful about religion in the world of medicine. He said cheerfully, "Well, then keep doing the same thing, and we'll see you next week." He congratulated us on going home, made a joke about hospital food, and just like that, he was gone. Then we went home!
Allan and I spent a relaxing day together, at home, of course. I still have mixed feelings about being home. The house is a mess, and I can't do anything about it! haha. Any of you women ever experienced the nesting phase? Imagine having the motivation and forcing yourself to contain it. However, I am thankful to be home when Allan comes home and to know that the babies are doing okay.
Thank you to everyone who kept us in your thoughts and prayers this week. Please continue to, as they have shown a major improvement but are not out of the woods yet. Please pray that I keep my sanity :)
Melody
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Please Pray for Our Girls
Right now, I can't think of anything worse than overcoming the irrational fear of losing a child, only to be told later that it might happen afterall. There really is no better way to say it or any benefit in beating around the bush. The simple fact is that Baby B might not make it. Our only hopes are that a) Baby B miraculously makes a comeback or b) they can hang on in there at least until the 28th week (5 more to go). Let me explain...
Ultrasound #7. Doctor #4.
Doctor 4 finally gave me some answers. I was by myself, and she had a lot to explain, so forgive me if I miss some details. She told me that she was deeply concerned about the growth of Baby B. Every time I go back to the specialist, the weight difference between the two babies keeps growing as Baby A advances and Baby B lags behind. Baby B grows...but not enough. The blood flow through her cord is restricted. It's called placental dysfunction or placental insufficiency, when the placenta isn't providing enough oxygen or nutrients to one of the babies. My understanding is that the placenta just isn't big enough for the two of them, and Baby A benefits more from it, leaving Baby B the leftovers. There's nothing they can do to improve the blood flow.
Doctor 4 explained to me that if she might pass away in the womb and too much time passed before anyone knew it, Baby A would be affected (they share the same network of blood vessels in the placenta) and possibly develop neurological defects. She gave me the option of "clamping Baby B's cord," but Allan and I refuse.
The plan: I am on modified bed rest until Tuesday, April 28th when I go into the specialist again. If they find she still isn't improving or gets worse, I'll be given steroids to stimulate lung development, hospitalized indefinitely, and monitored closely in case something happens where they can act quickly. Either way, our best bet is praying that Baby B hangs on long enough that they could both survive outside the womb.
I know my words are very sterile and scientific. Don't be fooled: I am a wreck. In a way, I try to comfort myself by thinking about all the women who have been told that their babies have a very slim chance of survival, and they end up making it and living happy lives. All I know is that God is bigger, and this Easter I was reminded of his miracles. I also know that whatever God's plan is, he chose us to endure it. To me, that is a major compliment. Still, none of this news is easy to come to terms with completely, and we ask you to please pray for our family. We can't imagine the rest of our lives without our twin baby girls.
Ultrasound #7. Doctor #4.
Doctor 4 finally gave me some answers. I was by myself, and she had a lot to explain, so forgive me if I miss some details. She told me that she was deeply concerned about the growth of Baby B. Every time I go back to the specialist, the weight difference between the two babies keeps growing as Baby A advances and Baby B lags behind. Baby B grows...but not enough. The blood flow through her cord is restricted. It's called placental dysfunction or placental insufficiency, when the placenta isn't providing enough oxygen or nutrients to one of the babies. My understanding is that the placenta just isn't big enough for the two of them, and Baby A benefits more from it, leaving Baby B the leftovers. There's nothing they can do to improve the blood flow.
Doctor 4 explained to me that if she might pass away in the womb and too much time passed before anyone knew it, Baby A would be affected (they share the same network of blood vessels in the placenta) and possibly develop neurological defects. She gave me the option of "clamping Baby B's cord," but Allan and I refuse.
The plan: I am on modified bed rest until Tuesday, April 28th when I go into the specialist again. If they find she still isn't improving or gets worse, I'll be given steroids to stimulate lung development, hospitalized indefinitely, and monitored closely in case something happens where they can act quickly. Either way, our best bet is praying that Baby B hangs on long enough that they could both survive outside the womb.
I know my words are very sterile and scientific. Don't be fooled: I am a wreck. In a way, I try to comfort myself by thinking about all the women who have been told that their babies have a very slim chance of survival, and they end up making it and living happy lives. All I know is that God is bigger, and this Easter I was reminded of his miracles. I also know that whatever God's plan is, he chose us to endure it. To me, that is a major compliment. Still, none of this news is easy to come to terms with completely, and we ask you to please pray for our family. We can't imagine the rest of our lives without our twin baby girls.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
21 weeks
Ultrasound #5. Up to this point, I've been slightly frustrated with my doctors' limited or total lack of information. I need a doctor who will tell me what is going on with the humans growing inside of me. Three weeks ago, my doctor told me that they need to monitor Baby B's growth and that bright white spot on her chest. I went in yesterday and since my doctor was on vacation, I was fortunate to see another one who was very honest and straight forward with me. He said he's not worried about the white spot. It's most likely a calcium deposit, as I mentioned before. The concern is that Baby B is still farther behind in her growth than she was three weeks ago. Baby A has gained 7 ounces, while Baby B has only gained 4. He isn't concerned about twin-to-twin transfusion (when one baby hogs all the nutrients), so that is very good news! This is something I would normally get worked up over, but the fact that everything else has been normal until now seems to keep me at peace. I'm going in next week for "dopplers". The internet--not my doctor--says a doppler ultrasound detects blood flow in the vessels. Are they checking for heart defects?
Well, in other pregnancy news, my belly is measuring at 6 months, even though I'm 5 months along. It is still rapidly growing. Every time I wake up in the morning I feel a little bit bigger. I've grown out of few maternity tops already. I have no idea how huge I'll be in a couple months. Oh boy! Hang on!
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