33 weeks!

33 wk belly

We are so close to our goal! I am so proud of the babies for doing so good and I am so thankful God has allowed my body to keep up to the challenge. Last weekend was for sure not easy, but we got through it! And it worked, I feel next to no contractions and the babies are really active again with moving body parts under my belly all day. I am really thankful that for the most part, I'm still decently comfortable. Of course, sometimes they go in my back and sometimes I can't breathe very well, but its not anything I wouldn't do again :) (Well..I've learned to be careful what you ask for..)

Our Monday scan was great - babies all look great.. fluid good, flow in umbilical cord great, activity and heart rates great. My cervix dropped a little to 1.7 - but no funneling with uterine pressure. Dr. DP says a couple more weeks with this cervix isn't out of the question.

I'm feeling more tired but mentally still pretty good - just have my head down and determined to keep growing them. I'm also really trying to keep my protein up to keep them growing (eating is getting hard because nothing is normal in there). Otherwise, for 33 weeks, we are pretty uneventful and very, very thankful that we are trucking along this far. A side note, a woman in my multiples group just had a scheduled c-section this Monday at 1 day short of 36 weeks.. 3 healthy BIG babies... one was 6 lb 8 oz and other two were both in the 5 lb area. What a miracle and motivation!

33 weeks!!

Happy "Mag"sgiving

It has been quite a whirlwind the past few days. Wednesday morning our doctor woke us up bright and early to let us know I've been contracting way too much, so we are going to go forward with the magnesium sulfate wash.

So by 10:30 I had my 2nd round of steroid shots to help develop babies lungs (this is their 2nd round, we had our first a month ago when checked in to hospital) and was plugged back into an IV for the magnesium sulfate and fluids. I got a little hot, but most of the terrible things I've heard about didn't hit right away. By 7 or 8, I felt like I had the flu and nothing sounded good. I ate Papa Johns pizza around 9 and then the nurse gave me nubain (a narcotic a lot of women use during natural childbirth if they don't want an epidural). She said it would be like 2 glasses of wine..hmm..sounds good ( I was really worked up because the babies move less on the mag and I was still contracting a lot, so the Dr and nurse wanted me to relax). In theory, the nubain should have been great (should it have really only felt like 2 glasses of wine).. but mine felt like a bottle of tequila! I got so sick I puked all night until 4 am. I've never been this sick in my life. By 5 am thankfully I had some anti nausea meds put in my IV and I slept for a couple hrs. Whew! What a night, but we got through.

I've been on the mag over 48 hrs and will be on until tomorrow. I basically feel like I have the flu and am really sluggish and stuffed up. The babies are really sluggish too, which I don't like. I don't feel them move much, but their heart rates have looked great with the monitoring. The worst parts of the mag are feeling sick and heavy and so thirsty. But my contractions have looked like perfect flat lines on the monitor with a couple here and there, so the meds are working. So although the babies have all moved way down, I think we can for sure make it to to our goal of around 34 weeks. They for sure feel more heavy now that they are all sitting low! We will get a cervix check on Monday to see how the weight of them moving down has affected my cervical length.

We managed to have a nice Thanksgiving together...the hospital had a turkey lunch yesterday and then our friend was nice enough to bring us Thanksgiving dinner last night (Thanks Tracy!). So at least I know the babies got lots of turkey!

Our prayers are for continued growth and developing lungs up until the minute they decide to meet us!

32 weeks!

This is a big week in triplet growing world...the nurses keep telling me that 31/32 weeks is the magic number for when triplets like to show up, but I am pretty sure ours are still enjoying cooking. And I am really sure I am not ready! My Dr says, although all looks great, that in reality, it could happen anytime.. and to expect a Chinese fire drill when it comes! I'm still sticking to a vision of 34 wks + and I hope to just go into labor, rather than water breaking, babies growing unevenly or other health issues in my body that could cause delivery.

32 wks - I am beginning to look really uneven,
Baby C is in my left hip

Update for week: Babies looked good in ultrasound yesterday and my cervix was around 2.0. My Dr wasn't very concerned about my cervix, but I am contracting a lot - sometimes 7-8/ hour, so I will find out today what we will do to keep those down. My current meds got upped last night, but I am still having quite a few contractions. I may have to do a "mag washout", which would be maybe the worst way to spend Thanksgiving, but if it keeps them in there, I will do it. (A washout is a few days with an IV of magnesium sulfate to help my body respond to the trebutaline again - "washing out the medicine" to start over. The trebutaline I'm currently on can start to be less effective once the body gets used to it. I've been on for 8 weeks. Mag washouts have been described by people as "I felt like I was going to die" and "by body was on fire" - so prayers I can avoid!)

Babies Measurements:

Baby Boy A: 3.15
Baby B: 3.11 (our little baby grew almost a pound in 3 wks, she is fighting back)
Baby C: 4 lbs (she actually slowed down in growth, but she is also hiding behind other 2 babies, so not sure how accurate her measurement was)

Our prayers are for 2-3 more weeks of growth and health for babies and my body as they get bigger. They are really getting heavy and I can tell my body wants to contract more. I'm not in pain, just hard to get comfortable, but still eating and sleeping really well. We will be thankful to celebrate Thanksgiving this week as we get closer to 33 wks! Every day counts!

31 wks!

We are getting there! Good update today from our ultrasound and cervical check! My cervix actually went back up to 2.9 from 2.1 - so the bed rest is working. My contractions sometimes creep up to 5 or 6 an hour, but most of the time, its around 2-4. Dr. D.P. pushed really really hard on my uterus (ouch!) to mimic a contraction on my cervix, but no funneling and it stayed the same length. Babies looked great and had good fluid.

Baby A and Baby B have their heads down pretty far, with B's head in my lower right hip now. Baby C still is sitting in my left hip. We were joking w/ our Dr today how babies are like birds going south for the winter.. they just know to get heads down and to go south towards the end. (Except for baby C who does her own thing anyways)

Getting a little more stir crazy this week and feel like I'm losing my appetite and feel blah.. almost a return to the first trimester.. just a lot more belly weight :) But can still sleep like a champ, so not complaining.

Our prayers are for 3-4 more weeks! 34 would be great and 35 would be even better! Just really trying to keep a good attitude and keep my mind busy while my body cooperates and the babies keep up their great work.

Celebrating 30 wks and 30 years as we get ready for an ultrasound w/ ultrasound goo :) 

Scott's spot in my hospital room 

30 wks 6 days pics

For everyone who says I look like I don't have 3 babies in there..does this front on angle change your mind!!!?? :) You can see how tight my monitors are getting.. they are leaving weird alien marks on my belly!

Baby A is low,low,low and midline with head down. Baby B is on my right side with head down, so her head is on her brother's butt and her butt is up by my ribs :) Baby C, our sweet triplet that thinks she is a singleton is still stretched out on my whole left side, her butt/legs are in my left hip and her head is all the way up under my ribs. 

Lessons from the Bed & A Growing Belly

"God only knows...God makes his plan. The information's unavailable to the mortal man." - Paul Simon

A year ago I would have cried my eyes out if you told me I would weigh close to 200 lbs and that I would be forced to lay still each and every day as the world continues on. But God knew what he was doing.. and because of this time, I am a better person. And in my alone time with my babies, I've never felt more purpose or joy.

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED (SO FAR) FROM PREGNANCY AND BED REST: (We aren't done yet!!)

- My body is no longer my body. My body is taking time out to grow and help create human life and no job, yoga class or vacation could ever trump that blessing or feeling of pride. As a woman who takes pride in my body, giving permission to this idea is the most beautiful thing.

- The feeling of life inside of me or the "shows" of belly dancing on the outside of my belly NEVER EVER get old or annoying.

- Christmas when I was 5 years old is NOTHING compared to the feeling leading up to meeting our babies. Especially with each passing day. I have butterflies.

- I love when people comment on my belly. No matter how big it is. I am so proud.

- Even in my solitude on bed rest, I have an overwhelming feeling of happiness, peace and joy.

- I already miss the journey of pregnancy as it nears the final weeks. I loved every single thing.. the secret Scott and I kept before we told anyone else, the anticipation of a belly bump, the first "fishy swim" that you weren't sure was movement, the first big kick, the first time someone asked me "When are you due?", the way Scott looked at me like I was beautiful as I grew, and the way it feels to not recognize your body as you let pregnancy just take it's course.

- Being forced to lay every day in a bed can actually make you appreciate so much you never thought of before.. warm sun on your face, wind and fresh air, going to the grocery store and eating the meals you want, driving with your windows down, jogging outside, getting your mail, walking in a CVS and so much more.

- Being alone is not so bad. I've been blessed to have this time to get to know myself and to like myself. I hope I find this time after the babies come...somehow.

- My friends and family really do love us and want to help in their own way when I let them. Especially my parents - I know they must look at me and feel like it was just yesterday I was born. I am sure in 30 years I will understand.

- Scott is the best partner I could have chosen. I don't think I truly knew how GOOD he is deep down until this all happened. He really loves me.. and us. And I (we) really love him. The real kind of love.

Today, as we are in the month of Thanksgiving, I have never been more thankful. I look forward to the next 30 days and pray I get all of those days to grow and anticipate our new family...even if its from bed.

30/30

A big weekend around here - I turned the big 3-0 and we hit 30 weeks!

Big Party at the Hospital!

It was a great birthday .. probably one of my best even though I was stuck in a hospital. Scott surprised me w/ Casa Italian food from Fort Wayne Friday night and sent a BEAUTIFUL big bouquet of flowers. Saturday my girlfriends came and ate a lot of sugar with me. And Sunday my parent came and brought me a burger from Scottys Lakehouse and lots of nice presents (including big girl pj pants I actually fit in.. XL!)
Thanks to everyone who made my weekend special! I am finally coming down from my sugar high! I also got wheelchair ride privileges.. so on Sunday I got to be wheeled outside for some cool, fresh air! It had been over 10 days since I had felt real air!

Beautiful flowers from Scott!

Monday's ultrasound showed the babies all looked great. Good fluid and LOTS of movement. They are really crazy in there right now. I can noticeably feel all 3 moving now - and they are for sure stronger. My belly dances up and down during monitoring and they all feel different. Baby A is so low and it feels like he is constantly jumping up & down on a trampoline which is sometimes my bladder. Its like his legs go from frogger to straight. Baby B rolls and runs her body parts against my belly. I still get big kicks or punches from her. The first punch that hurt happened this week from her. She always fights back when the monitor is on and kicks right at it. Baby C is still transverse across my left side, taking all the space. She is lounging, but has moved down a little.. which makes my left hip a little more uncomfortable. I get mostly kicks/punches from her - and they are all gentle and polite.



My cervix went down to 3.1 from 3.5 last week - but the Dr said this is normal, so no big deal to go down and up a few points. My contractions are more intense, but they don't seem to be too concerned about this unless it starts to really change my cervix. I'm holding up pretty good - just get a little uncomfortable at night and find it harder to get my body up to go to the bathroom. Scott is normally here to help me up.. and he never laughs at his big pregnant wife. I still enjoy being pregnant and feeling them in there. I am not ready for them to come out yet!

Countdown to December.. just 4 more weeks!

1 week down at Hospital

The week has gone pretty fast and I am thankful for every morning when my Dr wakes me up at 6:50 to say "good job"..another day down!

A typical day is up between 7 and 8:30, order breakfast and then monitor babies. Then I watch TV or get online and order lunch. (Food is getting really old.. so it was a treat to have Patachou brought in once this week!). Then either I have visitors in the afternoon or I read/nap and wait for Oprah :) I am 2 Twilight books and 2 movies in. Hoping to start the baby books and work on pregnancy scrapbook. I have trouble concentrating, so I won't be solving any world problems while laying here.

Yesterday I had more contractions and just had a not feeling great day. The support group was nice to get out of my room because I had no idea what outside of my room looked like, it was a blur when I came. However, it was a little overwhelming for me to hear all the stories...some women are 21 wks or have been here for 8 wks with just one baby! Right away I got a tight uterus and started sweating like crazy. My sweating is out of control when I am groups of talking people. Its so weird, like my body's mechanism of telling me to go be alone, calm and quiet! I mostly listened and ate my cheese snack. I did meet one girl here with twins who I liked and she lives close to us, so maybe we will be bed buddies. So oddly, I was happy to return to my cold, quiet room to calm those contractions down and be thankful that all in all, we really have been blessed with an easy pregnancy.

Baby movement is getting different -- instead of kicks, I can feel rolling and almost stretching of babies. It doesn't feel like random little bumps, it feels like babies moving in there! I actually lost a pound in a week! I have NO IDEA how this happened..I eat all day every day. So I will just keep fitting in as much protein and calcium and calories as I can to grow those babies. They are taking everything I put in my mouth these days. I mean my teeth and jaw are literally tired from eating and chewing! So off to wait for my omelet AND french toast..

29 weeks Today!

9 lbs of baby!

28 wks,6 days. I was a scary pregnant lady in
wires for Halloween

The good thing about the hospital is that everyone comes to you! Scott and I "slept in" until 7:50 this morning and were woken up by a knock on the door from our primary OBGYN. We love her.. she has a way of encouraging us but telling us the truth. (The bonus of a Dr that has carried and delivered triplets herself). She said for sure we aren't going anywhere until after delivery and that the goal is at least to "beat her" delivery date of 31 weeks.

Next the specialist came down w/ our favorite tech to do our ultrasound in our room. The fluids still checked out ok for everybody.. although still just really hard to see as they get bigger.

Babies Weights: (average weight for 29 wks is 2 1/2 lbs.. so all at or above average)

Baby Boy A: 3 lbs
Baby Girl B: 2.12 lbs

 A better view of monitoring all 3 and
contractions at the same time. Everybody kicks
at the monitors when they are on

Baby Girl C: 3.4 lbs (gained a lb in 3 wks - she is the porker!)

My cervix is stable at 3.5! So if all goes as is, we will for sure be able to make it to 34-35 wks. The things to pray for are fluid, consistent growth, no preeclampsia and keeping everything pretty relaxed in there until it's time. (I have to remember I have a uterus measuring over 40 wks and 9 lbs of baby, so relaxing is the best thing I can do).

The nurses continue to be great. I only have to get heart rates monitored once a day now since it's so challenging to capture all 3. I have a big "outing" Wednesday if my Dr. lets me go... 10 am social hour for all the bed rest girls on my floor :)