I have been doing a bad job at keeping up with this blog. I realized it is because I have not been sure of the direction I want it to take. So after a lot of thinking, I have decided to end this blog and the IF chapter of my life. I know that it will always be a part of me and I will never forget all that we went through, but I just feel it is time. I have another blog that I talk more about life with CF and pregnancy, and would be glad to have any of you that want to follow along on there. Just send me an email (tothosewhowait7@gmail.com) and I will give you the link.
I appreciate the support I have recieved from the IF community more than I can express. I will continue to follow the journeys of those who have opened their lives to me and I will always be thinking of you and hoping for you.
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Hello Again and Lots of Updates
Is anyone still out there? I am so sorry I have not blogged in over 2 weeks! Things have been hectic to say the least. Let's start with some quick updates to bring you up to speed:
-I am 22w4d pregnant today
-Baby A & Baby C weigh 1lb 3oz; Baby B weighs 1lb 2oz
-The girls look healthy and perfect
-I am no longer working
-I am kind of on bedrest (more on that in a sec)
This pregnancy has had its minor bumps within the past month. My cervix started shortening at a concerning rate. One week it lost almost a whole centimeter. But I cut back on work and general activity and it lengthened back and seems to be holding strong and is not a concern now.
At Tuesday's doctors appointment I mentioned to the MFM that I had been feeling different and my belly felt tight and my back was hurting. After scanning my cervix and the babies (which looked great) she put me on a monitor to measure uterine activity. The results concerned her a little because it showed "uterine irritability" and some minor contractions. She thought it could be due to dehydration so I was immediately admitted to the hospital and put on IV fluids and some meds to relax the uterus. After staying there for 48 hours with little to no change I was discharged. They did think I have a UTI and gave me antibiotics to take home with me.
The whole thing was a little scary, and confusing. On one hand they seemed concerned, and on the other it was no big deal. I guess what is happening right now is normal, but we don't want it to progress...? That is the best summary I can think of. So I am to be on bedrest (not strict bedrest, but really laying around as much as possible) until my follow up on Tuesday. Sorry if that synopsis did not make sense, but that is the best I can do with trying to keep it short.
If you are still out there reading, thank you! I am sure I am going to be blogging a lot more, commenting a lot more, and participating in ICLW this month as I have plenty of time on my hands. Please give me a shout out if you are still here!
I am sorry I have neglected my poor blog!
-I am 22w4d pregnant today
-Baby A & Baby C weigh 1lb 3oz; Baby B weighs 1lb 2oz
-The girls look healthy and perfect
-I am no longer working
-I am kind of on bedrest (more on that in a sec)
 |
| 22w Triplet Belly |
At Tuesday's doctors appointment I mentioned to the MFM that I had been feeling different and my belly felt tight and my back was hurting. After scanning my cervix and the babies (which looked great) she put me on a monitor to measure uterine activity. The results concerned her a little because it showed "uterine irritability" and some minor contractions. She thought it could be due to dehydration so I was immediately admitted to the hospital and put on IV fluids and some meds to relax the uterus. After staying there for 48 hours with little to no change I was discharged. They did think I have a UTI and gave me antibiotics to take home with me.
The whole thing was a little scary, and confusing. On one hand they seemed concerned, and on the other it was no big deal. I guess what is happening right now is normal, but we don't want it to progress...? That is the best summary I can think of. So I am to be on bedrest (not strict bedrest, but really laying around as much as possible) until my follow up on Tuesday. Sorry if that synopsis did not make sense, but that is the best I can do with trying to keep it short.
If you are still out there reading, thank you! I am sure I am going to be blogging a lot more, commenting a lot more, and participating in ICLW this month as I have plenty of time on my hands. Please give me a shout out if you are still here!
I am sorry I have neglected my poor blog!
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
20 Week Update
The babies are doing great! They are still on the larger side for their gestational age: Baby A weighs 12oz and Baby B & C weigh 13oz. They were very active as usual during the ultrasound and they were all more stretched out and looked less cramped up than at the last one. The ultrasound tech assured me that they have lots of room in there to grow and that they are still "beastly". All three of their hearts were beating in unison at 150 bmp. Isn't that the cutest! They are syncing up with each other :)
Now for the not so great news...my cervix has shorted about a centimeter. Our doctor was somewhat concerned about it. Not so much about what the measurement itself was (between 2.6-3.0cm) but at the rate of which it is shortening. She said we need to do what we can to preserve its length to avoid hospital bed rest in the near future. So she said I need to cut back even more from work. She said I can go in 2 days a week only and work from home 3 days a week. I am not sure if this is even an option at my job. If it is not then I guess I am ending work earlier than expected. I really hope it doesn't come to that this soon, but I guess I will find out when I talk to my bosses tomorrow. The doc said I can go in tomorrow, but that I need to take off Thurs and Fri. Monday I already have off b/c of Memorial Day, so it looks like I will be taking a total of 5 days off. She wants to see me back in a week.
I think that a couple of months ago I got in the mindset that this was going to be an unpredictable journey with lots of ups and downs, and at that point I relinquished most of my control. So I am not too surprised by this news. I am just taking it for what it is, and will do what my doctor recommends. No need to panic now, just taking things one step at a time and doing what I need to do.
There was a moment during the ultrasound where I just thought to myself, I just love them so much, and I started to get teary eyed. I am already so bonded to these girls. I get to watch them grow and change every week and I amazed and proud of them every time I see them. Everything they do is cute...even in utero! Putting their hands by their faces, kicking each other, making sucking faces. It is all just so cute! :) I am in love already.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
19w1d Appointment Update & A Plan
Yesterday I had an OB appointment and it went well. At these appointments they do a quick ultrasound to check heartbeats and then it is mostly about me (blood pressure, weight, cervix check, measuring my uterus, etc).
The girls were very active during the ultrasound yesterday--I asked them to take a peak to confirm that they were indeed, still all girls...I have heard too many stories about doctors being wrong. I was relieved to confirm that they are still all girls! Baby A ('Lil A) and Baby C (Ci Ci) were basically folded in half with their little legs almost touching their heads. The tech said that was normal for any baby and that babies are really flexible in utero. 'Lil A was having snack time and kept moving her little mouth around like she was sucking up the amniotic fluid. All 3 heartbeats were great and I did not get dizzy during the ultrasound! Yea!
BP was good, weight was good (and high), cervix good, and the doc said that my uterus is measuring around 32-33 cm which is about the size of a 32-33 week singleton pregnancy! When my doctor first came into the room he said "Wow, you have really blossomed". It made me laugh.
Doc said he does not want me working past 24 weeks. I am totally ok with this and feel relieved that we have a plan. He said things can change before that, but assuming all remains well until, my last day of work will be June 21st which is only 4 1/2 weeks away!
We talked a little about my breathing difficulties and that is one reason why he wants to remain cautious and no work past 24 weeks. He said in order to maximize cardiac output I will need to be basically resting all the time. He did not use the words "BED REST" per say, so maybe I will just be taking it easy. Who knows...but I like having a plan, even if it is a loose one.
At the beginning of the pregnancy time was going by so slow. I couldn't wait to start showing and to stop feeling nauseous. Now it seems like time is flying by and that the babies will be here before we know it. They can safely (using this term loosely) arrive anywhere between 13-18 weeks from now...how crazy is that!? The longer the better and my goal is to make it to 35 weeks. At 35 weeks they say that babies have learned most of what they need to know in utero and if there are no complications can probably go home with mommy and daddy. I know there are no guarantees but it doesn't hurt to remain positive and optimistic. "They" also say that preemie girls tend to do much better than preemie boys so we have that on our side as well. Go girls, go! Keep growing big and strong and be nice to each other!
Updated belly pic coming soon!
The girls were very active during the ultrasound yesterday--I asked them to take a peak to confirm that they were indeed, still all girls...I have heard too many stories about doctors being wrong. I was relieved to confirm that they are still all girls! Baby A ('Lil A) and Baby C (Ci Ci) were basically folded in half with their little legs almost touching their heads. The tech said that was normal for any baby and that babies are really flexible in utero. 'Lil A was having snack time and kept moving her little mouth around like she was sucking up the amniotic fluid. All 3 heartbeats were great and I did not get dizzy during the ultrasound! Yea!
BP was good, weight was good (and high), cervix good, and the doc said that my uterus is measuring around 32-33 cm which is about the size of a 32-33 week singleton pregnancy! When my doctor first came into the room he said "Wow, you have really blossomed". It made me laugh.
Doc said he does not want me working past 24 weeks. I am totally ok with this and feel relieved that we have a plan. He said things can change before that, but assuming all remains well until, my last day of work will be June 21st which is only 4 1/2 weeks away!
We talked a little about my breathing difficulties and that is one reason why he wants to remain cautious and no work past 24 weeks. He said in order to maximize cardiac output I will need to be basically resting all the time. He did not use the words "BED REST" per say, so maybe I will just be taking it easy. Who knows...but I like having a plan, even if it is a loose one.
At the beginning of the pregnancy time was going by so slow. I couldn't wait to start showing and to stop feeling nauseous. Now it seems like time is flying by and that the babies will be here before we know it. They can safely (using this term loosely) arrive anywhere between 13-18 weeks from now...how crazy is that!? The longer the better and my goal is to make it to 35 weeks. At 35 weeks they say that babies have learned most of what they need to know in utero and if there are no complications can probably go home with mommy and daddy. I know there are no guarantees but it doesn't hurt to remain positive and optimistic. "They" also say that preemie girls tend to do much better than preemie boys so we have that on our side as well. Go girls, go! Keep growing big and strong and be nice to each other!
Updated belly pic coming soon!
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Proud Mama
On Tuesday we had our 18 week appointment with our MFM. I learned that they basically do a full anatomy scan on each of the babies at every ultrasound because it is almost impossible for them to get all the measurements they need from each of the babies during one session. The girls looked great! They are getting so big. They each weighed 9 oz which puts them in the 75-86th percentile. The average weight of a fetus at 18 weeks is 6.7 oz (or something like that). The tech also told me it was very rare for all 3 of them to weigh the same. I think they are competitive with each other already!
I am so proud of them! The ultrasound tech said we had some beastly babies, and I took that as a great compliment. We want big, healthy babies. Since they will be born early the bigger they can be the better. The MFM said from all the measurements she was able to get they all looked remarkably healthy. It was such a relief to walk out of that appointment. Like a HUGE weight has been lifted off of me.
Baby C has already migrated way up almost to my ribs. I can't believe she is already all the way up there. I had been feeling what I thought was movement right under my left rib, and the ultrasound confirmed it. So crazy!
Today was a big milestone. I knew the day would come, I just didn't think it would come so soon...I outweigh my husband! Now, he isn't a very large guy--he has a thin build and is only 5'9/5'10. It is just a weird feeling to outweigh him! I have gained almost 20 lbs in 18w2d! It seems to be that all 4 of us girls are gaining weight nicely :) Looks like the high protein diet (and my splurges) are paying off.
I am so proud of them! The ultrasound tech said we had some beastly babies, and I took that as a great compliment. We want big, healthy babies. Since they will be born early the bigger they can be the better. The MFM said from all the measurements she was able to get they all looked remarkably healthy. It was such a relief to walk out of that appointment. Like a HUGE weight has been lifted off of me.
Baby C has already migrated way up almost to my ribs. I can't believe she is already all the way up there. I had been feeling what I thought was movement right under my left rib, and the ultrasound confirmed it. So crazy!
Today was a big milestone. I knew the day would come, I just didn't think it would come so soon...I outweigh my husband! Now, he isn't a very large guy--he has a thin build and is only 5'9/5'10. It is just a weird feeling to outweigh him! I have gained almost 20 lbs in 18w2d! It seems to be that all 4 of us girls are gaining weight nicely :) Looks like the high protein diet (and my splurges) are paying off.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Growing Pains
For the past several evenings (around dinner time each day) I have been experiencing some pain/pressure/tightness down low on my uterus. The pain seemed to be getting progressively worse each night. So on the way home for work on Wed I called my OBs office. The nurse suggested that if it were to happen again tonight that I should go the ER.
I was already having the pain as we spoke so I drove straight to the hospital. They did an ultrasound (which looked good) and a urine test for a UTI (which came back negative). They sent me on my way and said they felt it was just "growing pains".
The next day I followed up with my MFM who told me she would like to see me that day. I took the day off work to rest and went on in. The appointment lasted all of 10 minutes. They did a vaginal ultrasound to measure my cervix. It was at 4.0cm which is very good! The hospital measured it (via abdominal ultrasound) the day before at 3.2cm. The MFM told me that the most accurate way to measure a cervix is via vaginal ultrasound.
So anyway, she told me that the pressure/pain I am experiencing is normal, but usually does not happen this early. She said she thinks it is time to start cutting back on my work hours. Her recommendation is 6 hour work days instead of 8 for now. So today I need to talk to my boss and see if this is ok. I am happy with this solution because I do feel like my body is telling me to take it easier.
First and foremost, I am so relieved that everything is ok with the babies. Secondly, I am trying not to allow these so called "growing pains" to worry me, but they either make me think something is wrong or cause me to fear the discomfort that lies ahead. I know that some stretching/pulling is considered normal, but sometimes I feel that what I am experiencing is beyond that.
It is time to trust that everything is ok and let go of the rest. This is my new mantra and I am going to try so hard to live by this. Sometimes that damn fear is just so tempting.
I was already having the pain as we spoke so I drove straight to the hospital. They did an ultrasound (which looked good) and a urine test for a UTI (which came back negative). They sent me on my way and said they felt it was just "growing pains".
The next day I followed up with my MFM who told me she would like to see me that day. I took the day off work to rest and went on in. The appointment lasted all of 10 minutes. They did a vaginal ultrasound to measure my cervix. It was at 4.0cm which is very good! The hospital measured it (via abdominal ultrasound) the day before at 3.2cm. The MFM told me that the most accurate way to measure a cervix is via vaginal ultrasound.
So anyway, she told me that the pressure/pain I am experiencing is normal, but usually does not happen this early. She said she thinks it is time to start cutting back on my work hours. Her recommendation is 6 hour work days instead of 8 for now. So today I need to talk to my boss and see if this is ok. I am happy with this solution because I do feel like my body is telling me to take it easier.
First and foremost, I am so relieved that everything is ok with the babies. Secondly, I am trying not to allow these so called "growing pains" to worry me, but they either make me think something is wrong or cause me to fear the discomfort that lies ahead. I know that some stretching/pulling is considered normal, but sometimes I feel that what I am experiencing is beyond that.
It is time to trust that everything is ok and let go of the rest. This is my new mantra and I am going to try so hard to live by this. Sometimes that damn fear is just so tempting.
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