MoM's of Multiples Weekly Check in 8/30

tmk0325

Sorry, I got swamped at work yesterday and forgot to post a new one!

How far along are you? How big are the babies?

Any appointments this week/last? 

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far?

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  

tmk0325

How far along are you? How big are the babies? 24w5d with just 1. Team Green here!

Any appointments this week/last? Nope not until next Tuesday. I'm going to talk to my doc about doing random cervix checks, because I've felt a lot of pressure recently and after that last shortened scare, I want to make sure we are still at a normal length.

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far? Besides having twins and raising them for 1 year, getting my master's degree.  I went back to school after working for a few years and I was very proud of myself for doing it! 

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  I feel like this baby is doing somersaults in my uterus every night/early morning! With the twins, I didn't feel a ton because I had an anterior placenta and I think once they got in their positions they didn't have any where to go, but this one is all over the place. It's the strangest feeling! 

wabash15

How far along are you? How big are the babies? 23+2 singleton

Any appointments this week/last? nope, old lady ultrasound the end of next week

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far? passing my specialty board exam, surviving twins for 2+ years (and we are all alive, hell we thought to do it again!)

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  not much, things are good

@tmk0325 my twins each had a side and I think with a singelton he/she is more in the middle so I also get a lot of pelvic pressure that I never had with the twins. This time I have an anterior placenta so I don't feel so much and its a weird change for me. I will tell you that even though my twins had their sides they rocked and rolled up until term... I wish i had gotten a video of my stomach rocking and rolling when they were "cage match fighting" it was crazy how much they would both move. 

breezybee

Hey guys!  Another week closer!
@tmk0325 thats a huge accomplishment. I tried to go back to school after a long break and just couldn't get it together. Finding the motivation is tough, so good for you!
haha @wabash15 I would say surviving twins for 2+ years is quite the accomplishment!  That seems impossible at the moment lol.  Oh, and I GUESS passing a specialty board exam is ok too lol
Glad things are going well!

How far along are you? How big are the babies?
22+4, babies are the size of coconuts!

Any appointments this week/last? 
We had ANOTHER AS with my MFM. They were finally able to get pics of Baby A's heart. She was being very stubborn. Everything looks "perfect" and "beautiful," according to my doctors. No signs of TTTS, TAPS, or anything. Yay!  And they're 1lb 1oz each!

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far?
I was never big on academic achievements, so that wouldn't be one. My marriage is what I would consider my greatest joy and accomplishment so far. These girls will definitely be at the top of that list come December.  

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  
Signed up for a couple of twin specific classes in October - can't wait. I felt Baby B kick on the outside today for the first time!  It was so rad!  I'm so excited for the future

KathrynJ088

How far along are you? How big are the babies?

26+4, I think the app says cauliflower.

Any appointments this week/last? 
Check up at my OB this afternoon and glucose screen #2 - still 1 hr, I passed my last one at 16wks, so no real concerns. I didn't see the babies this time though. They're big enough to just check heart rates with the Doppler. My doc ordered a transvaginal US while I was there to check cervical length bc I've been having a lot of Braxton Hicks and she just wanted to be sure. All looks good! 

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far?
I went from being an 18 yr old single mom, living with my parents, working at bars, no college,  (nothing wrong with any of that, just wasn't the plan) to a married mom of two, soon to be four, with a very decent salary and career that I love at a fortune 100 company. I feel like I beat every odd stacked against me, and  finally have that sense of security and stability that we really needed. 
This one made me a little emotional 

What rants/raves/questions/advice?
Raves: definitely felt Baby B hiccuping last night
Rants: although I love my job, it's been a bit more stressful lately. Really trying not to have any "that crazy pregnant lady" moments. 
Questions: how to pick a pediatrician for the hospital? I mean, I want the kids to be seen by someone close to home, but the hospital/my ob are about 20ish miles away. Will they travel or are there newborn pediatricians specific to the hospital? I don't remember how it all works. 

elev2017

@tmk0325 I got my masters after working for a few years too and it was definitely a challenge making that transition back to school! Did you continue working while you got your masters? I worked full time and got my masters part time and it was exhausting!

@wabash15 I'm excited and slightly freaked out about seeing our twins rocking and rolling in my stomach once they're a little bigger!

@breezybee I've started feeling kicks from the outside recently too. It's such a cool sensation!

@kathrynj088 I think one of mine got hiccups yesterday too! It only lasted for a few seconds, but it was strong and rhythmic. So cool!

How far along are you? How big are the babies?

23+5, chinchillas

Any appointments this week/last? 

Had a second ultrasound at the MFM last week and everything looked good and have a checkup with my OB next Thursday.

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far?

Hmmm... I think these are the top three: Traveling to and living in Japan on my own for a year after college, getting my first degree black belt in Judo, and taking on the role of stepmom and helping to create the best relationship possible between her mom, my husband, and myself to give my stepdaughter the best chance at a happy, healthy, conflict free childhood.

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  

Rave: We went to that Expecting Twins class this weekend and I really enjoyed it. The instructor gave a lot of good tips based on her experience as a mom of TWO sets of twins! And the other couples were all sort of in the same mindset as us (a mix of excited and WTF? how did this happen?! lol) and everyone had a good sense of humor. The instructor will be offering another class on breastfeeding twins in October and I'm thinking of attending that class too.

Question: In that class I was in everyone was saying "My actual due date is XX, but my OB won't let me go past XX date". My OB never gave me a cut off point. Did you guys get one?

KathrynJ088

@leilagphillips I got a cut off date. My due date is Dec 3rd, but my OB will induce me at 38 weeks (Nov 19) if they stay put that long.

breezybee

@leilagphillips Yes, I have s cut off date of no later than 37 weeks - but I have Mo/di twins. I think with di/di it's 38 or 39. Definitely check in with them about it. 

wabash15

@breezybee glad the girls are looking good!
@KathrynJ088 your a rock star! as for a ped. my hospital system is a large one so the peds are part of it. You get who you get on call while the babies are in the hospital but then you see your ped when you are out of the hospital. I don't know if your hospital works the same way or if the peds are independent...  if you have a ped in mind I would email them to ask, or maybe ask your OB. 
@leilagphillips glad the class was helpful. my MFM said he would let me go to 38 weeks then induce. As we got closer to that point  the babies were so large so at 37 weeks he said it was time for them to come out.

stella_700

How far along are you? How big are the babies? 24+4 babies are growing.

Any appointments this week/last? Last appointment had them at 1 lb 6oz apiece. : ) OB appointment next week on Thursday. Should be a short one as I'm not suppose to have an scan this time.

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far?

This one is tough as I really don't think that its so much my achievement as our parents in raising us. We both grew up in military families, it was only after my Dad finally retired that I started to realize what a broader worldview I had compared to some of the students I was in school with, for example, when we moved to Texas from the air base in Michigan, I was called a Yankee. This puzzled and confused me, still does I guess. That kind of insulated upbringing was foreign to me as most of my schooling was on the air base itself. Not that the military doesn't have bigots and prejudiced peoples, but I had NO idea what existed outside of that sheltered/and yet more open environment. 

DH and I tried to make ourselves as ready for a family as possible. We saved and saved to buy the house, bought the house and then found ourselves up to the ugly, frustrating fight with infertility (me : ().  I think getting through that together, stronger both as individuals and as a married couple is probably our greatest achievement so far. Now that the twins will be joining us, they and any future children will be our greatest achievement, hoping to raise them as well as our parents raised us. (yep, a bit snuffly with this question)

What rants/raves/questions/advice? 

Rant: cankles are in full force with the start of our college semester, compression sock recommendation for plus sized ladies?

I'm a  bit scared as the doctors haven't been able to confirm at the same office the sexes of the babies. My ob confirmed one girl while the mfm confirmed one boy. They just don't cooperate very well. Oh well if when they are born its two boys I'll/or my mom/ or my mother-in-law will take a lots of stuff back and buy new stuff.

Our multiples class is the 10th of September, I'm excited about that one. Also signed up for the baby care class for DH as his experience with infants is close to nill. He's going to be an adorable Dad.

@leilagphillips I've got a cut off date as well. The MFM doesn't want me to go past 37 weeks. This puts me actually the week after Thanksgiving.

@breezybee Score for good pictures finally. Our MFM is going to have someone come in on our next appointment to see if they can get better pictures using some different method. Baby B doesn't like pictures and she's not gotten to see everything she wants. What she gets and measures is in the normal range so I've not gotten too worked up over it. The longer the twins stay safe in there the more chill I've become.

@tmk0325 Serious congrats on your masters degree. Its something that is on my wish list but sadly getting a masters degree in history without wanting to teach isn't a very practical notion.

wabash15

@stella_700 i love your story. its so sweet. I'm sure you and DH will be great parents. You could get a bunch of gender neutral stuff just in case... 

beary67

@tmk0325 I don't think it's unreasonable for you to ask the doctor to do more cervical checks.  I'm hoping the pressure is just normal pregnancy pressure and not associated to your cervical length.  

@wabash15 I know someone that had twins through IVF and then 2 years later they had spontaneous twins!  I've heard that if you can survive one set of twins, you can survive anything! 

@breezybee get ready for lots of kicks and movement!  I'm a little further than you and last night my belly was literally jumping up and down from movement.  It's so fun to watch! 

@KathrynJ088 your GTKY  made me tear up.  Good for you, girl! 

@leilagphillips I'm glad the class was beneficial!  My doctor won't let me go past 28 weeks with di/di twins but the main goal at my last appointment was to get to 36 weeks. 

@stella_700 I got my compression socks on Amazon.  I am sure they would have a variety of sizes.  Regardless of the size you get, they are sooooo tough to get on!  Good luck! 

How far along are you? How big are the babies?  25+6 with di/di twin boys

Any appointments this week/last? I had an ultrasound with the MFM today and then met with a nutritionist and a NP in the gestational diabetes group.  Babies are still looking good. Baby A has more fluid than normal, but that's just an indicator of GD.  As that gets controlled, the levels should hopefully normalize.  I am taking my blood sugars now 7 times a day and I go back next week to see if I need to also be put on medicine.  We also have a 4D ultrasound at the OB office next week! 

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far?  I was a horrible student in high school but I decided to turn things around in College and graduated with honors from undergrad and a 4.0 in grad school.  I worked extremely hard and proved people who didn't think I would be as successful in College wrong.  Aside from that, I would say getting pregnant with the obstacles we faced is a pretty big achievement, too! 

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  I've come to terms with my gestational diabetes diagnosis and know it is nothing that I could have prevented.  I eat healthy but unfortunately my placenta is not doing what it's supposed to do.  I am more than happy to step up and do what is needed to help these babies stay healthy!   I've also come to terms with being on modified bed rest throughout the rest of my pregnancy.  Despite everything, I love being pregnant and feeling my babies move now! 

wabash15

@beary67 I think its true if you can handle multiples you can do anything. I'm so glad your in a good place mentally with this pregnancy. you are such a fighter.

tmk0325

Awww so many great answers this week! I must admit I hate having to scroll back up to comment to everyone that posted but there were so many things this week that I will!

@breezybee yay for a great scan! So relieving! 

@KathrynJ088 your GTKY is awesome! congrats on all of the accomplishments! As for the pedi, I asked around for referrals from family and friends that go to the same hospital and there was one pedi that kept coming up, so that's who I went with. He has 20 years experience and everyone loves him. He really is great. He was taking new patients, so it worked out. The only downfall is I have to schedule all of our appointments like months in advance and if something comes up that I think they need to be seen then I have to go with someone else in the same clinic. It's worked out fine!  I'd just go with someone you are comfortable with that can grow with you and your babies. For any of you, if by chance your babies are in the NICU, they will have a neonatologist there and once you are released you'll do developmental follow ups with the NiCU and regular appointments with your pedi.

@leilagphillips Our cut off date with mono/di twins was 37 weeks. My goal was to make it to 35... I made it to 31! 

@stella_700 Your children will definitely be your greatest achievement! You'll do great!

@beary67  I am keeping my fingers crossed that those babies of yours stay in and your body does what it's supposed to for many more weeks!!

I forget who asked about my masters, but I actually quit my job, moved, found a part time job, and went to school full time.  During that time, I also lived in Rome on my own and worked and I'm very proud of that too!

breezybee

@beary67 Im glad you're doing well, despite the GD.  @wabash15 is right - you are a fighter and you can do it!
@stella_700 you and your husband sound solid and totally ready for this new adventure. That's got to feel good!

jennasaisquoi

Can I just say, all you ladies are just a breath of fresh air! My last experience with pregnancy boards was on Babycenter and uh... Wow. I'm always viewing this on a smartphone, I need to get better about responding to stuff- pregnancy brain seems to be curtailing my ability to remember who said what without a lot of triple checking. 

How along are you? How big are the babies?

23 weeks, closing in on 24- which is a major milestone  for me with my double rainbow s! Theoretically, both grapefruit sized. But measuring super long. (I blame my mutant husband.)

Any appointments this week/last? 

Last week's appointments went well. Nothing this week. I have the fetal echo and a cervix check next week.

GTKY: What has been your greatest achievement in life thus far?

Getting pregnant. Seriously, we were told it would not happen without major intervention. I'd been married 11 years, we'd tried everything, and were getting ready to try IVF again (after 2 failed cycles) and my husband was begging me to give up. I just couldn't. 

Ended up getting pregnant by accident, at 39. I literally thought I was going through menopause. I finally took a test at 11PM  on Father's Day, after I went ballistic and pruned the heck out of our rosebushes in an irrational fit of rage because I was "sick of looking at them". NOT typical behavior for me.

Surprise! My preliminary IVF cycle consult ended up being my first ultrasound for my son, Alexander. 

Also, writing. I've been yelled at multiple times for waiting as long as I have to actually get paid to write. It's hard to put myself out there, but it's been a wonderful, inspiring experience so far. 

What rants/raves/questions/advice? 

It's so damn hot here. I can't leave the house without getting a migraine. Aaaaaaaaa!  

Is anyone else slowing down drastically? I ran errands today, and had to sit down multiple times because my feet were swollen and killing me. Also, getting into and out of the car is starting to get complex. Hoisting myself in is ok, but the little wiggle to get situated in the seat is somehow way harder than it was a few days ago.

Advice- if you're registered on Amazon, make sure you get the complimentary baby sample box! Mine had a darling muslin hedgehog swaddle in it. 

wabash15

@jennasaisquoi With the twins I was like that. I would have to stop several times to rest as we walked through costco. Sometimes it was just to catch my breath (darn babies crowding all my lung space) and stairs.. man I was exhausted after one flight!  its fantastic your nearly to viability!! It was a big sense of relief for me reaching that stage last time and I'm right there with you now... (24 weeks on monday for me! holy crap how are we this far along already?) I also feel you on the getting pregnant thing...  

britmanering73

*lurking*

Hi ladies,

I loved creeping in on all your stories. Excuse me for being here but I'm pregnant with di/di girls and just wanted some more interaction. We have a few wonderful ladies in our January 2018 group but OB told me no later than 38 weeks which will put me December 28th I may fly in and out of here from time to time.

elev2017

@britmanering73 Welcome! This is a great group of ladies. Feel free to fly in anytime! 

tmk0325

@britmanering73 feel free to join in! I'll be posting a new thread this week soon, would love to have you stop by and introduce yourself!