Another Urine Test...

So we went back to the OB for our biweekly appointment. This was actually the first time in 4 weeks that I did not gain any weight between appointments. The swelling stayed the same, which is fine with me as long as it didn't worsen. I have been gaining 4-5 lbs every 3-4 days due to swelling. Anyways so then by now you know the drill (even if you didn't want to know you know what every pregnant woman must endure each doctor's visit) I had to provide a urine sample. I was hoping it was going to be ok. Well it came back with 3+ protein- not good at all! Then we took the dreaded blood pressure. It was 175/96- again NOT GOOD. So Dr. C was not happy at all. Even when I laid on my side it only came down to 150/ 89. So Dr. C sent back to the hospital to get our usual NST but she also added blood work and another lovely 24 hour urine. Thankfully the blood work came back ok. The boys also both cooperated for the NST, and I was not having contractions. So we got to go home- yay!! Unfortunately the brown jug went home with us again! I really do hate that dumb jug! Since Bob had to work our sweet friend Gene took the jug to the outpatient lab at the hospital Saturday- yeah it was really inconvenient to do the test over the weekend but that is ok whatever needs to be done for the babies. We have another appointment Tuesday so will see how that goes.

24 Hour Urine...

So you may remember me mentioning having to do a 24 hour urine on the 8th. I like to call this the dreaded brown jug test. It is where for 24 hours I have to get a urine sample every time I go to the bathroom. Each sample has to be placed in a brown 3000 ml jug. They run labs to check my kidney function and protein levels on it because of my high blood pressure. If you miss one sample you have to start all over. Did I mention you have to keep the brown jug in your fridge, which is kinda gross. I just told Bob be sure you don't drink out of the brown jug because it looks like a half gallon chocolate milk jug.

 Anyways so we did this test all day Thursday and took it in Friday at our appointment.  At our next appointment we got the results, there was only .297g of protein which meets the criteria for mild preeclampsia. This meant if our NST at the hospital looked good we could basically stay on at home bed rest.  

Jackson did not want to cooperate with the NST so we had an ultrasound at the hospital and he passed his biophysical profile. This is a test which basically looks at his organs, fluid, breathing motions, and blood flow; he got a perfect score. The  other thing that threw us for a loop today while doing our NST was I was having regular contractions. I thought they were just slightly painful Braxton Hicks but no they were the real thing. So they gave me and IV and loaded me with fluids and they eventually stopped. Thankfully it all worked so we could go home and now we are hanging in there till our next appointment on Friday.

And The Verdict Is..

Yesterday I had my doctor appointment to see if we have had any changes since going on bed rest.  I have noticed my swelling has gone down since going on bed rest and was hoping my weight would reflect that. Turns out I did lose some of the fluid, yay! Then we checked my blood pressure. Well the first pressure we got was not so great, 150/89. I was freaking out a little bit to say the least. So they had me go lay down on my left side in the exam room and then came to recheck it. Thankfully it was normal when they did 114/76. Dr. R came in and said she would keep me on bed rest she was pleased with the results we were getting. She also said I get to go to my shower this weekend. We go back to see Dr. M next week and will hopefully get more good news. The boys are doing great. I am actually measuring full term even though I am only 30 weeks and  6 days. So no wonder I feel huge! So the verdict is more bed rest but we are one week closer to meeting our sweet boys!

Bedrest...

The word I have been dreading was prescribed to me. I went to my regular OB yesterday for my usual prenatal visit and the re-attempt to see James in 4-D. I got to the office and waited. I had my ultrasound first. James was once again not in the mood to show us his precious little face. So after many attempts we gave up. After the ultrasound I went to do the usual for every appointment: provide a urine sample, check my weight, and measure my blood pressure. Urine sample, check, what pregnant girl doesn't have to pee. Next it was time to check my weight. My weight gain has been really great so far but today we were shocked. In 2 weeks I had gained over 25lbs, I freaked so did the nurse so of course we tried all three scales in the office. Who gains 25lbs in 14 days!!! I have been doing nothing different in my diet and was totally baffled. Now it was time to check my blood pressure. It was elevated but not too high, only every week seems to be slightly rising. Now to go and wait for the doctor. Dr. M comes in and has a very serious look on her face. She asks how I am doing I tell her "I am exhausted (nothing new), having more frequent headaches (but was not overly alarmed since I have migraines), and that I have had some serious swelling in my feet, and legs. I have also noticed swelling in my face and hands. Dr. M  checked it out. She was not happy with what she saw. She is scared especially after my rapid weight gain my blood pressure my might skyrocket. She told me that she was prescribing immediate complete bedrest. It really threw me for a loop and caught me off guard. I mean we expected partial bedrest with the twins but not all this. I guess the thing is I was a little oblivious to the signs and symptoms I was having.  I am a nurse I should have put two and two together- swelling, headaches, occasional blurred vision, and then my blood pressure being higher than normal. All this points to possible preeclampsia especially the rapid weight gain, my BP is not to the point where she would diagnose me with this but needless to say we are going to be even more closely monitored for it. So we go back in a week and hopefully some of this fluid will be off and things will be better but for now I am on bedrest, which means bring on the books.

Updates....

I am overdue for an update on some of our doctors' visits. Everything seems to be progressing nicely along during this pregnancy even though we are high-risk. My hours for work have been significantly reduced by my doctor but as of now we are not on bedrest. I have had some issues with swelling and blood pressure but my blood pressure has been much better the past few weeks! My weight gain has not been to bad I have only gained 18 pounds overall which considering right now I am carrying a little over 4lbs of babies, plus, fluid and the placenta I am not upset by that number. 2 weeks ago I had my glucose screening. I was dreading this test. I was told that there is a much higher prevalence of gestational diabetes in twin pregnancies and I have a horrible family history related to diabetes. I went to the doctor and drank this horrible, horrible glucose drink. Seriously how do kids drink such sweet drinks it reminded me of those jug drinks for kids. Then I had to wait a hour to get my blood drawn. At the end of the hour I felt like crap, like I was going to pass out. So I left and grabbed something to eat. I waitied and waited for the dreaded call that I had failed and needed to take a 3 hour test but I PASSED. My blood sugar was perfect, what a relief! My doctor said Monday that we will have these babies in 8-10 weeks which is crazy! We are so excited but nervous!  at our Ultrasound yesterday they said the boys are showing no evidence of TTTS and the fluid discrepancy has resolved it self, Praise the Lord! So we are doing great there are a few things they are still monitoring in the boys but we are totally giving those worries to the Lord knowing He is in complete control! Thank you for all your prayers and keep them coming!

Back to my OB.....

This is a week of doctor appointments. Today I went to my regular OB and Wednesday is our biweekly ultrasound. This morning I went to the see Dr. M. I have gained 3 pounds this past month but ironically still weigh less than my pre-pregnancy weight thanks to losing about 12 pounds during the first trimester. I still feel huge. Of course we took measurements and at 20 weeks I am measuring about 23-24 weeks. The boy heart rates were great although they would not stay still! During my exam my Dr. M mentioned that I would be needing to slow down even with the light duty I am on.  She said we needed to prepare ourselves for the dreaded "B" word. Not exactly what we were hoping to hear. She said nothing to change right now but to be prepared. We were hoping to avoid bedrest and still praying that it will not be anytime soon or at all. She also increased my visits from monthly to every  two weeks. So now we will be seeing the regular and high-risk doctors biweekly. Today has not been my favorite day because along with the "B" word, I am just not feeling so great. I am so exhausted from everything and nothing. I was hoping for the burst of energy you are supposed to get in your second trimester but that seems to not be happening.

16 weeks...

Pregnancy Stats:

How Far Along: 16 Weeks

Size of our babies: Our twins are the size of avocados this week.

Maternity Clothes: A mix, more and more maternity clothing is showing up in my daily outfits

Gender: Too soon but I can not wait

Movement: Not yet but hopefully soon

Sleep: I can not get enough. I have increased the number of pillows I sleep with poor Bob I am sure it will only get worse.

What I miss: Diet Coke, Sushi

Cravings: Tacos,  Chocolate Frosty's, Habachi Chicken

Symptoms: Fatigue,  Stretching, and Headaches

Best Moment this week: Bob and I hearing the twins heartbeats at our Dr. appointment this week.

Everything looked good at our monthly check up. I am measuring at 18-19 weeks which is normal to measure bigger for twins. Boy, can I feel the great stretch. It gets a little painful sometimes in all honesty. The twins had strong heartbeats this week around 155 and were moving all over the place. 

Dr. Appointments...

This is the last week of the 1st trimester and I am hoping it will take the nausea and vomiting with it. As you can tell from the picture we are tired, thanks to the constant all day sickness. We had a physical this with Dr. H all is well except for a UTI. So I am starting an antibiotic to clear that up. Later in the week we went to our high risk ob for 1st trimester screening.  This tests for down's syndrome and spina bifida. It is non-invasive and consisted of and ultrasound and finger stick. Everything came back normal. However, we did found out something new as it seems we do with every ultrasound.  Much to my husband's relief it was not that we are having triplets (anyone seen the Slate card commercial), he was a little wary that we might discover more babies like last time, rather that our twins are identical.  Identical either 2 boys of 2 girls, how exciting. With this comes a whole new set of possible complications but we are trusting in the One who is forming these precious babies in my womb. I am so thankful that through prayer I can let go of all the fears that plague me.

BIG SURPRISE

Today we went for our second ultrasound. I was nervous and excited ready to see Little One's heartbeat. However, we saw more than we ever hoped.  We discovered we are having TWINS!! Holy Moly!! I can not believe it! We saw Baby A first. Everything looked great. Then our doctor said "Well it looks like there is another baby!" What?!!? Shock hit. Bob remained very quiet. We had no idea this was possible. Twins do not run our family but there was Baby B. Both babies look great and have a great heartbeats. We are in shock and so excited!!  Our due date in May 5, 2011. We are still high risk this may mean bed rest later on and preterm labor or a c-section but time will tell. We are completely trusting God to take care of us! This weekend we are going home to tell our parents not olny are we expecting but we are expecting twins!! I can not wait to see their reaction this is the first grandbaby, actually grandbabies on each side. Guess I need to change the name of our blog now!

1st Prenatal Visit

So today Bob and I went to the doctor and discovered we are not 8 weeks like we thought we are actually 6 weeks. We are looking at a May 8, 2011 due date. I had more blood work done today as well as our first ultrasound. We saw our little one's heart beat it was fabulous! 

Our little one is the size of a Sweet Pea. 

According to BabyCenter.com our little one is doing a lot of growing this week.

"This week's major developments: The nose, mouth, and ears that you'll spend so much time kissing in eight months are beginning to take shape. If you could see into your uterus, you'd find an oversize head and dark spots where your baby's eyes and nostrils are starting to form. His emerging ears are marked by small depressions on the sides of the head, and his arms and legs by protruding buds. His heart is beating about 100 to 160 times a minute — almost twice as fast as yours — and blood is beginning to course through his body. His intestines are developing, and the bud of tissue that will give rise to his lungs has appeared. His pituitary gland is forming, as are the rest of his brain, muscles, and bones."

We go back in 2 weeks for another ultrasound!  

Shots

   

When I discussed pregnancy with my OB Dr. H she told me that a pregnancy would mostly likely be considered high risk for me. This is due to my history of DVT or blood clot. So when I called her last week after finding out I was pregnant she schedule an appointment with Duke Perinatal Consultants, to discuss my history and pregnancy. Today we went to meet with that team. It was very nerve racking. We arrived early, they took my vitals, the took us to a room with a table and asked us to wait and the practitioners would be in shortly. Bob and I discussed my medical history with a nurse practitioner and then met with the Dr. K, who will be following me in addition to Dr H throughout this pregnancy. We discussed my history, family history, and plans for this pregnancy. He felt that I should go on Lovenox shots which I had taken previously during the first two weeks of my blood clot. Only this time I will be taking 2 shots of Lovenox a day, every 12 hours. This will continue for at least the first 24-26 weeks of pregnancy, then I will switch to a different form of heparin that is shorter acting as I get closer to delivery. Then postpartum for 6 weeks I will be back on  the Lovenox. 

So you may be wondering what is Lovenox? It is a form of anticoagulation therapy or a blood thinner. The goal for me in not complete anticoagulation, as when I had the blood clot, but prevention. Prevention of not only me developing another DVT, but a life threatening condition known as a Pulmonary Embolism which occur with a blood clot goes to your lungs. Taking these shots will also help to prevent clots form hopefully forming in the placenta which will decrease blood flow and oxygen to little one.

 All that said I am still nervous to say the least, but happy that I will be closely monitored. I addition to placing me on the shots today we also did blood work to see if I have a genetic predisposition to blood clots. These test will take about a month to come back and will hopefully be negative. Next week we go back to see my blood clotting levels after the first week of shots. Then we will continue to be followed closely along with my OB. In addition to extra blood test, shots every 12 hours, we will have an monthly ultrasounds to monitor the baby. I will also be closely monitored for gestational diabetes because of my strong family history and weight. Today was a little overwhelming but Bob and I both feel we are in great hands, we have fantastic doctors. We also have hope beyond the power of man's medicine. We know the Lord is in total control of this pregnancy and in that we have hope beyond measure.  

Book Shopping...

Yesterday Bob and I went to Barnes and Noble. I could not wait to officially go the pregnancy section and purchase some books. We browsed for a little while and being budget conscious only left with two books. We got "Your Pregnancy Week by Week" and "Belly Laughs". 

I started reading as soon as we got home. I read almost all of "Belly Laughs" last night. It is a very frank and comic look at pregnancy. It addresses a lot of the things no one really talks about because there to embarrassed or grossed out about what is going on with their body. I can already relate to some parts of it.

 After reading about halfway through the book I was so sleepy. It was only 8pm at that point which is so odd for me but I ended up falling asleep till eleven and woke up nauseated. That seems to be how I feel lately sleepy, nauseated, and always having to pee. I totally thought I wouldn't have to pee this much till the third trimester but apparently you have urinary frequency in the first trimester too. I am really excited about the book "Your Pregnancy Week by Week". It tells us how big our little one is, what is developing, tips, changes you are going through and more. The hardest part is not to read ahead. 

Today I talked to my doctor and we set up our first ultrasound and prenatal appointment. It is in 2 and a half weeks. I can not wait to see our little one's heartbeat. I think Bob and I both are a little nervous about our baby until we see the heartbeat. My doctor and I also talked about another appointment we have scheduled for Monday at Duke Perinatal Clinic. Before getting pregnant my doctor and I discussed the possibility of my pregnancy being high risk due to the fact I have had a blood clot before. So we are going to talk  about the risks and wether or not I need to be on anticoagulants during pregnancy. This also makes me nervous I defiantly do not want to go through that again. I am still trying to keep my excitement measured simply because I know the risks and I see miscarriages everyday in the ER. However, it is still amazing how much one simple word such as pregnant changes everything. Bob and I began praying over the baby and what changes this will bring. We are already so in love with our little one.