15wk update after delivery….It’s been a while!

Hello all! It’s been a few months since I last updated. I got back into a routine with the kids then we went on a 5 day Cruise 6wks after delivery to the Bahamas.  Then stayed in Charleston SC for a few days after.  It was a great relaxing trip for all of us.  Our 1st  family vacation.  Then we arrived back home and I had 1 day to relax b/f I went back to work.  I’ve been running nonstop since then and finally have time to write.  
I’m still pumping up to an average of 80oz per day w/o any supplements to help milk production.  I’ve been selling my milk to a local mom who can’t produce milk and storing most of it away for the Preemie Milk Bank.  She has been very appreciative of the milk. I finally was cleared to start sending in my milk as I had the Rhogam shot and had to wait 92 days b/f my blood could be tested.  So now I’m waiting on my coolers to ship my milk.  I have close to 3000 oz if not more.  I bought a 21cubic ft upright freezer to store the milk in.

I finally started looking into some agencies and answering a few ads looking for new IPs to help.  I know it will take me a while as it always does.  I am looking forward to blessings another couple through surrogacy though.

This last journey hasn’t ended the way that I had envisioned, but I knew from the start that my IPs would have their hands full w/ 3 babies. So I tried not to expect much.  I did get to hold them once and get a pic when they were 6wks old. The girls have been growing nicely.  I don’t know much about them, except they do have a bit of reflux. At around 13wks Sage weighed 8lbs 1oz (Baby A), Cameron weighed 6lbs 5oz (Baby B) & Lia weighted 5lbs 5oz (Baby C).  B & C were the twins.  Cameron needed to have a surgery for a stenosis at 11wks.  Once her recovery was done they left to go back home a few days sooner than they expected so she could see the Dr.  IM  told me through a text message 2wks ago that she loves being a mom & realizes how blessed they are.  
As a surrogate you never know the outcome.  We come into this knowing that we are the outsider to help build a family, when that is achieved our job was accomplished.  No matter if you have a relationship with the IPs after the journey or not.  I know that I did a great job growing 3 beautiful girls for my IPs.  I look forward to helping another couple.  
I will continue to write and update how my new journey goes.  I appreciate all my readers and look forward to comments.  Below are some pics.  Thanks for reading!

Lia, Cameron & Sage (13wks old)

 

Me hold the girls for the 1st time at 6wks old

Sage & Cameron
Sisterly fun…

Proud parents

Me with my younger 2 kids in Charleston SC 7wks PP

My youngest daughter and I in Freeport Bahamas 7wks pp

I hadn’t pumped in 7hrs…I’m a huge producer.

2wks post partum

Hi everyone,  Sorry for not updating sooner, I’ve not been able to find the energy and words to write.  I’ve had people personally ask me how I was doing.  Some was in person, some on different fb/surro groups I’m on and I really appreciate you asking and caring.  I feel very uninspired to write and trying to do my best.  There is some things I may say that may offend some of  you, it’s not my intention, but at the same time this is my blog and a place that I can express my self.  Please don’t comment anything that is hateful.  

I stopped all meds at 6 days pp (post partum).  I had been only taking my powerful narcotic at night for the last two nights b/f this point, but taking the 600mg Advil 2 pills every 6hrs.  When I woke up on Monday morning at 6.5 days pp I felt that I didn’t need it.  As the day went on I felt fine and going to bed I didn’t need my powerful pill either (I can’t remember the name and don’t want to get up and go check…yes I’m being lazy, but I don’t want to over do it).  I relax most of the day and go out for about 2-3hrs each day to stay moving around, but walk slow and I’m careful getting in and out of the car.  It’s hard for me to bend over and I need to remember to stoop.  When I drop something I want to pick it up, but remind myself to let someone else do it.  If you see me out, you would think nothing is wrong b/c I am put together (dressed w/ make-up) and I’m walking slow just to be in your way, but my recover is still difficult, my incision has been painful this week and I’m still recovering from major surgery.  I have good days and rough days.  Dinners have been difficult over the last 2wks for us.  Obviously I don’t have the energy to go grocery shopping & come home and fix meals.  I haven’t even had the energy to plan meals. My husband has been busy too with his busy season of lawn care starting up, taking care of the kids with running them to & from school along with helping out with after school activities that they are involved in. We were very fortunate to receive from my neighbor a meal the day that I arrived home. I couldn’t eat the meal b/c it was pasta, but my husband and kids were feed. My husband made me something that night. My husbands business partner and his wife didn’t have time to make us a meal and wanted to do something for us so they ordered pizza for us and had it delivered (I needed gluten free pizza and thank goodness that’s available now to be delivered).  We were very appreciative for their kindness.  I mentioned this on fb 2 days after getting home in hopes that others would help out. That post backfired! I received 35 likes, but not 1 single person offer to help out with making a meal, having something delivered or giving a restaurant gift card so we can go out to eat. I know that I have lots of foods that I can’t eat, but I even said that as long as the kids and husband were taken care of it would help out. I even asked on Sat. (4.5 days pp) one of the pastors at my church for meals since I delivered earlier than expected and didn’t plan for it. My request was passed off to another couple in the church and it’s been over a week and we’ve heard nothing. 😦 We’ve eaten out way to much b/c of this. I really hate to ask for help from others and this just reminds me why I don’t.
 I nap when I feel tired in between pumping ever 3 hrs during the day and at night so I can rest I streach it to 4-4.5hrs.  I let my full breast wake me up…lol…. I’ve been taking lots of milk to the hospital every other day for the girls. The NICU nurses still can’t believe how much milk I produce. I’m up to 50+ ounces per day. I planned on selling my milk like last time, but had told my IM that I’d do it for free while the girls were in the NICU. I wanted to give them a great start in life. I will have to wait till they are out of the NICU to sell my milk. It will go to preemie babies milk bank. The fee given is compensate my time in doing it. The recipients don’t have to pay for the milk which is very nice.

Here’s a picture of my incision 24hrs after surgery (my nurse was kind enough to take a pic b/c I wanted to see it and I had to much belly flab to see it myself).

24hrs after surgery

 

Here’s a pic today 14.5days after surgery (I still have to lift up my belly flab to see…lol)

 

incision 14.5 days after surgery

I’m hoping this will heal more and not be as noticeable. I see that I also need to tan my belly….WoW! it’s really white…lol
When I arrived home b/c of the surgery I couldn’t stretch and climb into bed for a little over a week. We went looking for a step stool and they were all for children only. So my husband being a creative genius came up with this idea.

It was just the right height and worked really well.

I’m sure that you are interested in how the babies are doing. Well…. My IPs have asked me not to put up any photos or info about the girls for now. I can only hope that I will be able to update you with info and pics at later date. I hope to be able to hold them at some point too and get a picture with them. I need to respect their privacy and what they’ve asked. I can only tell you that they are doing good and growing.

On a positive note….I do plan on during another surrogacy, though I will wait till the fall to look for IPs then transfer can’t be any sooner than 1 yr from delivery. Since I’m getting older, I need to move more quickly than I have in the past. Also, on March 6th the last surro baby I delivered will be 4yrs old. I haven’t seen him in person since a few wks before he turned 3yrs old. I look forward to seeing him soon. I can’t believe it’s been 4yrs…Time flies!
Well, it’s time to pump and I have to figure out something for dinner. My husband and kids will be home from the golf game and it’s freezing outside today. I know they will be hungry.
Everyone have a wonderfully Blessed week. As always I appreciate my readers and their comments. 🙂

Birth Story of Triplets…Earlier than expected.

It is with a heavy heart that I write this post.  On Monday, Feb. 17th I delivered the triplets.   If you’ve not read my last post I urge you to read it first. I’m writing this 72hrs after birth and most people have no idea that I delivered. Especially those that know me personally. I didn’t want a lot of people to know as I would be recovering from major surgery and wouldn’t want to deal with having to answer phone calls, fb messages and text messages. I hope that you can respect that and not get upset b/c you didn’t know.

I woke up on Monday morning at 6:30am because I thought our kids had school.  Opps! I was helping my husband out by making breakfast and packing their lunch.  I had my prenatal massage scheduled for 10am.  That was amazing and felt really good.  After that my husband and I went to lunch then off to Earth Fare to grab a few things.  I was starting to drink 2 gals of milk this week to start fattening up these babies.  I had been having Braxton Hicks contractions all day just like I’ve been having since the week prior.  We left Earth Fare at about 2:30pm and the BH contractions I was feeling felt a bit more stronger, but nothing concerning no extra breathing or anything. I arrived at my chiropractor at 3:10pm for my adjustment which I get 1-2 times per week.  He has been doing a great job the entire pregnancy of keeping me in line.  Since my maternity leave officially started on Sunday (due to how  my cervix looked and the minor bleed that I had) I went to work to turn in my note and clean out my personal belongs of my desk.  Since I was going to be gone for 2.5-3months I felt better cleaning everything up in case my desk needed to be moved.  I also said a temporary good bye to most of my co-workers and management.  I really enjoy my job and appreciate all the people that express their interest and care about my well being with this pregnancy. I was still having sporatic BH contractions.  I returned home about 4:45pm and asked my husband to take the kids (16 & 13) out for ice cream.  I went to lay down and rest while they were gone.  I decided that I was going to track the BH contractions that I was having b/c my OB told me to keep an eye of them.  I found a great app that all I had to do is hit the ‘start’ & ‘stop’ button and it did all the math for me.

 

My 1st contraction that was slightly uncomfortable than any of the other ones was at 4:58pm. I had a few very light contractions that I could barely notice that felt like all the other ones that I’ve been having and was told it was normal. Then 20min later I felt another semi uncomfortable one. The contractions were running 6-8 min apart and only 45-50sec in duration. I know it sounds bad, but going through it there wasn’t much abnormal about it. I’ve been told that since my uterus was the size of a full term single pregnancy I would experience more BH contractions.
After I had the 2nd semi uncomfortable contraction I decided to lay on my left side to see if they would still come. I contacted my Doula at this point to ask her input, but she wan’t available to talk at that point. I had a few very light contractions and then the bigger one that I had to actually take a breath through. These were the ones I was really tracking. I had a few more very light contractions in between the bigger contractions that were nothing. Then at 5:58p
m I had another of the semi uncomfortable contraction. That was 4 of them in an hr so my OB said I would need to contact him/hospital to get checked out.
My husband and kids just came back at this point and my husband ran into the bathroom. I got up and went to the hall bathroom to pee. After I peed I felt another blood clot come out which has been happening since the day before and I was told it was fine and to come back to the hospital if I could fill up a pad within an hr or I had consistent bleeding. I told my husband that I think I need to go to the hospital. With having those contractions and then the blood clot I felt I needed to get check out. He said ok and came to the bathroom and asked if I needed an ambulance. I said NO! No longer I answered him, I wiped to get up and then blood started pouring out into the toilet. I immediately said, Yes get me an ambulance. I knew this wasn’t normal. He called 911 at 6:04pm and they dispatched the fire truck and ambulance to my house. While he was on the phone with the operator I sent a text to my IPs and Doula. I started to have another contraction and with everything going on I knew I couldn’t talk on the phone. IM replied back immediately and told me to let her know something as soon as I can. I was asked some questions about the pregnancy and if I had the urge to push, then the operator told my husband to get me off the toilet. I had to get a towel to wrap around me and as I was walking out into the living room like 6 firemen walked into my living room….I’ve got no pants on and a towel wrapped around me…So embarrassing!
I was calm, but knew something wasn’t right, the firemen were calm, but my husband was a bit worried. I don’t know where my kids were at this point. I can only assume my daughter was outside up the street with her friend letting them know what’s going on as I was causing concern with the firetruck and ambulance coming to our neighborhood. My son was probably in his room playing on his computer. As I sat on my ottoman I was calming asked question and as I was answering them my contractions were coming stronger and closer. These felt real, not like the other ones. By the time they got all there info my contractions were running 4 min apart. The paramedics (1 male 1 female) walked into my house with a stretcher and I was loaded on and taken out. There was so many people outside of their house watching…A bit embarrassing for me as I usually try not to cause a seen. It was a rough ride into the ambulance from my drive way and being lowered and raised while having contractions. Once in the ambulance I just remember them putting an IV in and asking if I had the urge to push which I didn’t and to let them know when I was having contractions. They didn’t have the lights on to the hospital b/c they said it would cause to much issues and they didn’t want to drive fast with me in the back and with the 2 lane road it would be difficult to have people pulling over. It was a pretty smooth drive. I live 10min away from the hospital, good thing we didn’t have to go to far.
My husband drove the car and met us there and had my cell phone and purse for me. He was keeping in contact with the IPs. When I arrived at the maternity entrance of the hospital I had to come in the same entrance as everyone comes and goes in….Remember….I didn’t have any pants on, Only a sheet and it was a bit drafty. I was once again embarrassed…lol… I noticed and she noticed me, the receptionist to check in with and she’s a blog reader and was surprised to see me (I was just there yesterday). It was good she was there b/c she knew my name and could get me registered. Hi Erica!!
I arrived at about 6:25pm. Since L&D knew I was coming they took me straight to a room and like 6 nurses came in. They were hooking me up to watch all 3 babies heart rates and the contractions. Oh, by the time I got to the hospital my contractions were 2 min apart…not good!
They had to assess me b/f they called the OB on call whom wasn’t my DR. The one on call wasn’t my favorite Dr., but I had only met him once and I didn’t give him a fair shot. He actually turned out to be a very good Dr.
As the nurses were doing what needed to be done to me (everything was moving to fast and I don’t remember what they were doing) I noticed one of the nurses as she was the triage nurse that that took care of me when I was in getting checked out 4wks ago. She remembered me, hold could she not….I was the one with triplets…lol… My husband had been in the room with me since the beginning and keeping in contact with the IPs and reaching out to a few select friends for prayers.
The Dr. was called around 6:40 and was already on his way in to check on another patient. He knew I was another Dr.’s patient and called him to let him know I was there (he later told me this). When he arrived he must have left his car at the front and walked straight in. He still had his jacket on. He immediately re-introduced himself to me and asked how I was doing. I was having to many contractions and told him he had to stop them b/c the babies couldn’t come right now. It was to early. He said he would check me out then we would see what to do. The nurses asked me what was my pain level with these contractions. I said a 6 or 7. They weren’t that bad, but coming to quick. I was down to every minute at this point. The Dr. did an immediate u/s and the babies looked good and Baby A had moved from head down to sideways (transverse). No placenta abruption, bag of water had not broken, but said it may be leaking, but couldn’t confirm it. Then he checked my cervix at 7pm and it was all over at that point….I was dilated to 10cm and 100% effaced. Emergency c-section it was for me. I asked if he could stop the contractions and then keep the babies in and he said it was to late. My main Dr. was on his way in to assist in the c-section which made me really happy as I was scared to still have a c-section.
My husband told the IPs that it was an emergency c-section and they had already been preparing to leave their home and waiting on the word to go. They live 6hrs away so they would miss everything. My Doula couldn’t make it in time for the c-section either, but would be there when I got out of surgery.
While I was getting prepped for surgery it was crazy fast as the nurses were moving quickly. They were shaving me, putting me in a gown and I don’t know what else. I was told that I could have a spinal so I can be awake for everything. I was very happy to hear that.
My spinal was put in while in the OR at 7:20pm and there were 15 people in there besides me. That room was packed. My OB was talking to be during the entire surgery and letting me know what’s going in as I didn’t have anyone to go in with me. My husband would be sick if he went in and he said he was told that he couldn’t go anyway. I guess b/c of how fast everything was. Babies were born in the same order as we’ve been calling them. That’s not always the case, but glad it was for us. My OB showed me each baby for a second. Baby A was born at 7:41pm, Baby B at 7:42 and Baby C at 7:43. All the babies were breathing and were crying at birth. I asked my OB if he could cut out some fat while he was in there….I had everyone laughing and he said he wishes he could, but it may not look pretty. The other OB (the one I wasn’t super happy about) finished the surgery of sewing me up. They knew that I wanted to use my uterus again so they did a bikini cut with double sutures so it would be strong for a Vbac birth the next time. I know you are thinking…She wants to do this again….Of course I’ve been thinking about doing another surrogacy over the past 2 weeks since my pregnancy was so great and all my Dr.’s are behind me and see no reason that I can’t, but I have to wait 1yr b/f I get pregnant. They said you can’t compare this early deliver to a singleton. It’s not the same.
I arrived in the recovery room at about 8:30pm and the Dr. told me that the surgery went great and he would check on me in the morning. My doula walked right in to be with me as I was getting settled in. She was very helpful and helped me understand what was going on and what to expect. I didn’t get into my regular room until about 10:30pm as there was a lot of paperwork for the nurse to enter in the computer while I was in recovery b/f she could move me. Since everything was so fast things didn’t get put in when they normally would.
As I was getting released this morning my OB answered some questions as to why this happened. He said first of all I did nothing wrong and triplets born anytime past 28.5wks was good. He & my MFM (I called him on Tues and got some insight from him also) said that Baby C is the one that started labor by not doing well. With her growth curve starting to slack off (which is why they were having me come back in 1wk) she screated a hormone (I forgot the name) that tells the uterus to start contracting so she can get out. OB also said this is something that they can’t stop b/c they are still working on understanding pre-term labor and how to stop it. The bleeding that I experienced was from my cervix dialating and effacing so fast. My OB’s couldn’t believe how fast I progressed. Also, I didn’t get the steroid shot on Sunday when I was at the hospital b/c he didn’t believe that I’d deliver within the next 2 wks. My MFM said the same thing. I was told I had like an 8% chance of delivering early and the steroid shot isn’t proven to help with multiples and you can’t over use it so he wanted to reserve it for later if needed.
The IPs arrived at about 2:45am and they came and saw me first and my nurse had their bracelets for the NICU.
The NICU nurses told me that they were good size for being 28w5d babies. They are doing as well as they can. Babies B & C are doing better than Baby A. It’s been explained to me that since they were sharing 1 placenta they were already use to having to ‘fight’. Here’s some info on NICU babies if you would like to read http://americanpregnancy.org/labornbirth/carepremature.htm
All the girls needed a PICC line. Read here to know what that is. http://preemies.about.com/od/glossary/g/PICCline.htm
I’ve been pumping for the girls and doing great thus far. My 1st 2 pumps yielded 5ml then 2 pumps after that I wasn’t getting anything. After that I started getting more clostrum it started at 1ml then was 3ml, and by the end of the 19th I was getting 7ml. Very early on the 20th (today) I got 8ml and the nurses were like “nice”. Then my next pump was 30ml then 25ml, then my last pump b/f writting this post I started to over flow the little bottles and had to move into the 5oz bottles. I collected 2.5oz. This is just shy of 72hrs after birth. I should be able to keep up with the milk that these girls need. I will be dropping it by the NICU while the girls are here.
I gained 23lbs with this pregnancy and as of 48hrs after birth I lost 20.6lbs. So awesome….No I’m just going to have to deal with the extra skin and slowly get into a work out routine. I will not jump back into anything, I will take it slow, but I don’t want to sit around and make my recovery more difficult. Thus far my recovery has been great. I’ve had minimal pain, but my doula told me to stay ontop of it and to take my pain meds. I will start to wean off as I get closer to 1wk post partum.
The PBO (Pre Birth Order, so the IPs will be acknoldeged as the parents and not myself and my husband) was due to be signed this Friday. I know we were pushing it. I contacted my lawyer when I was in recovery after delivery and she was going to work on getting the court date moved up. She suceeded and the judge let me be on the phone and my husband and the IPs went to sign everything.
A few of my neighbors have been helpful from keeping my youngest on Monday night and picking both of them up from school on Tuesday while my husband was in court for the PBO. She has offered to help with whatever I needed. I had another neighbor bring us dinner as soon as I arrived home from the hospital today. Which was very helpful!
Well, I still have some things to say, but I’ll update another day as I’m getting tired. Here are the stats for the girls below.
I look forward to any comments and supportive thoughts. I’m hoping that this post has answered a lot of questions so I don’t get bombarded with a ton of questions.

Baby A: Sage Marie born at 7:41, 2lb 12oz, 15.5in long and abgar score 6/7
Baby B: Cameron Joy born at 7:42, 2lb 3oz, 15 in long and abgar score 8/9
Baby C; Lia Francine born at 7:43, 1lb 12oz 13.5in long and abgar score 7/8. (pronounced Leah)

It’s really hard to get good pics in the NICU.

Sage (Baby A)

Cameron (Baby B)

Lia (Baby C)

27-28wk update….The 3rd Trimester!

I’ve had a lot of things happen in the last 2wks.  I will try to not go ADD on everyone…lol  and jump around during my story.  

At my 27wk OB apt. My OB was very happy with how well I’ve been doing and said that he’s surprised that I’m not complaining about my aches & pains like most of his multiple moms and even some singleton moms.  I told him that I don’t have anything to complain about.  He smiled and said he’s just amazed at how well I’m doing.  I had my 1hr glucose test done and passed it with a 92!!!  I was super happy when they called a few days later with the numbers.  I asked for specfic numbers, not just if I passed or failed.  My OB’s nurse (whom I love, she’s super nice) called 2 days later with the results….She was happy for me.  I’ve been told that most women pregnant with multiples fail their 1hr glucose…So glad that I passed with flying colors!

My stats from my 27wk 0d OB visit:

I gained 3.5lbs
124/72 bp

I measured a whopping  40cm… That’s 13wks ahead! I was surprised and so was OB so he re-measured me…Same!

I received my Rhogam shot.

 

The 3rd trimester has come in with a BANG!  I’ve been getting consistent Braxton Hicks contractions. I never really felt them in my previous pregnancies. They are not uncomfortable, just are annoying.
I went from getting up 1-2times per night to pee to 2-4 times per night to pee.  The pressure that Baby A puts on my bladder is crazy….I go from not needing to pee one minute to the next minute “Oh, my….I’m going to pee my pants…lol.”  

I still see my chiropractor 1-2 times per week and he helps me so much with this pregnancy.  I would never go through another pregnancy without getting chiropractic care ever again.  He keeps me in line so well, I don’t even waddle when I walk…..Remember, I’m looking full term at this point.

I woke up on Saturday  at 27w3d and my left foot was really hurting on the left side in the middle.  I had to go to work and was limping and walking more on the inside of my foot.  This is not a good look for a full term looking pregnant women.  The next day I decided if it still hurt I was going to urgent care.  It was, so I went.  They weren’t busy and they got me right back.  As the nurse was asking me questions she could tell I was pregnant and we chatted briefly about it.  I assumed she noted it.  Then the NP came in to see me and look at my foot.  She asked if I’ve taken anything for it.  I said yes, I tried Advil to see if that would help, knowing it’s not a good idea for me.  She looked at me as I was sitting on the edge of the bed and said “why isn’t it good for you?” I was a bit stunned and looked at her and said….”I’m 27wks pregnant!”  I mean you can clearly tell and its not like I look fat…I look very pregnant….remember I’m measuring 40cm at this point.  The NP said “I never assume someone’s pregnant.” OK….I can see that sometimes, but come on….Really!  

So back to my ankle….They x-rayed me with lots of cover up on and couldn’t see anything fractured/broken.  I did nothing to my foot to have the pain.  The NP told me that where I was having the pain it could be ligaments stretching or a stress fracture.  (Later my husband said “You’re not so big that you are breaking your own bones….lol…”)  It wasn’t clear what my issue was so they put a boot on my foot….Not the most comfortable thing to wear.  I went to my chiropractor the next day and he adjusted my foot and did a few other things to it.  It started to feel a bit better, the next day was better, but still not healed and on Wed. I felt like there was no issue.  Then on Friday I could feel it some.  I’m going to assume it’s ligaments and the pain will come and go.

Here is my belly pic from 27wks and my boot.

27wks with triplets

Week Twenty Seven: Eyes can open

You are 27 weeks pregnant. (fetal age 25 weeks)
The baby weighs almost 2 pounds now and is about 14.5 inches long.
Baby now weighs about 875 grams and is 36.5 cm in length.
The head is over 2.5 inches (7cm) in diameter.
Your baby’s hearing continues to develop.
The eyes can blink, open and close.
Welcome to the third trimester. Congratulations! You have made it 2/3 of the way through. It may be hard to believe, but your baby now appears much like he or she will look like at birth. Baby now has eyebrows and eyelashes and hair is growing everyday. The muscle tone is improving and his or her body is getting plumper.

Your little one’s brain continues its rapid growth. Don’t forget to share music, conversation, and even books with your baby. Baby may start to recognize your voice as well as your partner, so be sure to say lots of nice things.

The retina at the back of your baby’s eyes is beginning to develop. Those beautiful baby eyes can open now, and the baby will notice and may turn his or her head if you shine a flashlight against your belly.

At 27 weeks, your baby’s length will have tripled or quadrupled from the 14 week mark. If your baby is born this week, the chances of survival is now at least 80 percent. However, serious complications are still possible.

28wks…..

WoW…Starting to feel that mountain that I said I knew I was starting to climb….lol I knew at some point I’d start to feel it. Nothing to complain about just with working and feeling full term, it’s a lot. I was leaving messages for people yesterday (Sat) at work and after a 1 min voice message I was out of breath…lol… I am feeling done with work. It’s just too much. It’s not that I can’t still do my job, it’s just not working anymore.
I had my MFM apt. on Friday, Valentines day. My regular MFM wasn’t there so I saw another one at the practice. I also didn’t have my regular U/S tech as she was on a conference in FL….must be nice…lol My stats are below.

28wk2d MFM apt.
Baby A measured 28w2d,2lbs 9oz, 134 hb, 100% percent tile
Baby B measured 27w2d, 2lbs 4oz, 127 hb, 90% percent tile
Baby C measured 26w0d, 1lb 11oz, 129 hp, 67% percent tile
Cervix measured transvaginal down to 2cm with funneling at the top. Not good!

So MFM was a bit concerned with Baby C’s growth when he looked at the graph. He said that since they all have a great amount of fluid and the blood vessels in their brain measure great that’s a plus. He wanted me to come back in a week instead of 2wks. I asked if I should let my OB know about my cervix and he said no and wasn’t real concerned with it. Though at my last OB apt. my Dr. said that if I got any closer to 2cm he would put me on maternity leave to take the stress of working away. Well since there was funneling too I knew he would take me out of work, but my apt. wasn’t until this Wed. I didn’t want to wait that long. So I emailed him on Friday afternoon.
I worked from 9-5 on Sat and told a few of my managers what was going on and I was trying to get into the OB’s on Monday, but I expected to be put on maternity leave. One manager said he couldn’t believe that I’ve made it this far (remember I sell cars). I told him I’m a trooper! I still needed to work from 1-7 on Sun and though I didn’t want to I didn’t have a reason not to.
Then…. after getting up 4 times to pee during the night, with 6:30am being the last time, I was able to get back to sleep, sometimes I can’t. My husband and I laid in bed and chatted. I decided I wasn’t going to church since I had to go to work to and I didn’t want to push myself. Then I felt funny down below and thought I peed myself a bit. I jumped out of bed and then saw blood on my sheets…I freaked for a second. Went straight to the bathroom and after I peed I checked the toilet and saw a golf ball size blood clot. I told my husband that I think I need to go to the hospital and get checked out. I felt that I would be ok, especially since I saw the clot and figured that was the reason for the blood, along with blood wasn’t pouring out of me. Though with this being triplets and these babies not being mine I don’t want to chance anything. I’ve never had a bleed in pregnancy b/f.
So I arrived at the Mother and Baby section of the hospital. I explained my issue she told me that my OB was on call…That’s why he didn’t answer my email…lol… I was taken back to triage and they hooked up all 3 babies to the monitor, it wasn’t that hard to find them, I was having measurable Braxton Hicks contractions too. Something I’ve been experiencing everyday since Tuesday of this week (that’s 5 days in a row).
My OB came in and I showed him the pic of my cervix with the funneling and being 2cm. He checked my cervix and said that I was soft, but with having 5 babies he’d expect that. He didn’t feel any dilation…That’s good! He said that with everything that’s going on he was putting me on maternity leave effective today. He wasn’t concerned with the bleed as he believes it’s from cervical change. Then told me I can get dressed and go home and he would see me on Wed.
As I was leaving I saw the 2 checkin ladies that love my blog, Hi girls!!! I chatted for a few minutes with them and it’s so nice to hear people so excited for what’s going on next and thinking about me through out the week. It warms my heart.
My IM and I talked earlier in the week about what to do for delivery. I told her that the Dr. that was 1hr away from me that would do a vaginal delivery pulled out and I was really feeling like driving the 2.5 hrs away was just not an option. Also, with the risk of having the twins sharing a placenta and though a vaginal can be done, it’s not common and they don’t want anything to happen to the babies. I completely understand, but I’m scared to death of a c-section. So a c-section it is for me now. We both agreed that if we were told earlier that my OB office and the hospital wouldn’t support a vaginal delivery we could have done something different, but it’s just to late in the game now. I want them to feel comfortable.
I watched a c-section video on YouTube last week and found it to be incredibly graphic and invasive and started crying. I’m not even a person that cries. I immediately sent my doula a message on fb and she was able to calm me down and explain things to me. (She’s great!) I was able to find other YouTube videos that were not so violent in ripping the women incision open and pulling out the baby.
So now I need to prepare myself for a c-section. I’ve always had vaginal births (5 so far) and this just isn’t something that I thought I’d ever have to do. My doula is helping me with this. It’s so hard to imagine how things are going to go when you never had to do it before. The recovery is going to be the hardest thing for me usually I feel like a million bucks the next day after delivery. I have a feeling I’m going to feel like a train hit me after delivery this time…lol…
Well, I’ve written way more then I usually do and it’s very late. I hope that everyone has enjoyed the update and if you are a praying person I need prayers that these babies stay in and cook several weeks longer. I’ve been wanting 36wks the entire time, but 34wks would be awesome.
I’ll try to update at the end of the week since I’ll have more free time. 🙂

28wks with triplets

Baby A

Baby B

Baby C

Pic of my cervix w/ funneling at the top and dotted line is my cervix

25-26 wk update with triplets

Hi everyone, sorry for the long delay.  The end of the month is very busy for me at work and then I’ve just not had the time these last few days to update.  As of today I’m 26w6d.  I have an OB apt. tomorrow (with glucose test) and will just put that update for next time.  

I keep getting asked, very often (I think b/c people are so interested and/or they don’t know what else to say to me). So how are you feeling?  I answer with the same answer all the time….Feeling Great!  Which I do. I think some people don’t believe me, but it’s the truth.  I don’t feel any different carrying 3 than carrying 1 baby.  I  know that I’m doing a great job and pray that I continue to do a great job and not have these babies early.  I know I feel so good b/c of the 1-2 times a week of Chiropractor care, foods that I eat, amazing vitamins that I take, supplements that I take.  It all makes a difference.  I’ve never been the gal that eat what she wants just b/c she is pregnant.  I don’t personally understand that mentality as you are growing humans and they need the best nutrition possible not junk.  I take better care of my body when pregnant and take it very seriously as I have a set of parents expecting a healthy baby….in my case 3 healthy babies! 

At my last OB apt I was 24w6d

I had no weight gain actually lost 1/2lb…weird!

My BP was 100/79

My belly measured 32cm (running 7wks ahead)

My OB was not concerned with my recent visit to the hospital.  As I had no issues and sent me back to work.  He did tell me not to hesitate at any time I feel like somethings off to go in.  After receiving the bill this week (b/f ins has touched it), It was 2k….of course they would say that…lol…

My OB did tell me that all the Dr.’s talked about me and delivering these girls vaginally and none of the Dr’s want to take it on.  So that leaves me with a C-section, which I don’t want unless isn’t necessary.  With me not being happy and knowing that can’t be the final answer I turned to my Doula and she did some digging and found out that that we need to try teaching hospitals in the area/state as they may me interested.  So being such a wonderful person and helping me to fight for this she sent out 80 emails to 3 different teaching hospitals.  We didn’t receive any responses from the hospital close to me, but 2 further away did respond positively, 1 is an hr away (ranked 2nd in the state) and the other 2.5hrs away (ranked 3rd in the state).  At first I was leaning to the hospital further away as the head of the OB/MFM dept was one to respond and I thought that was a better option. I called her assistant and she had the Dr. email me and then I emailed her back answering her questions.  

I had been waiting 2 days for a response back then I talked to my MFM Dr. at my appointment (I was 26w 1d)  and he knew the Dr. by name and after he did my scan he called her and they talked about 10min and he got off the phone and said that they will do the vaginal delivery, though I have to make an apt. and they have to go over all the risk with me and the IPs.  I also told my MFM Dr. the name of the other Dr. that responded.  Not much more was said.

Yesterday my MFM called me and said that he talked to the Dr. at the closer hospital and she is willing to do a vaginal delivery too and my MFM said that hospital is a great option and that it’s closer is a good thing.  I’m not waiting on her to email me so I can figure out the process of scheduling an apt.  I’m sure that info will be in my next update.

Stats at my MFM apt at 26w1d

Baby A measures 26w2d, weighs 2lbs 1oz, 125 hp and HEAD DOWN…Thanks to my chiropractor doing some work to help her move.

Baby B measures 25w6d, weighs 1lb 14oz, 138hp and head down

Baby C measures 24w3d, weighs 1lb 7oz, 132hp and head up

My Cervix was 2.4cm measured transvaginally (down from 2.7cm 2wks prior).  

MFM was ok with it. Told me to lay on my left side as much as I can and to get off my feet every 2hrs. He wasn’t too concerned with Baby C being smaller as they are showing no signs of TTTS and their fluid levels are great.  I was told it must me her umbilical cord attachment.

I called my Doula with the great news after my apt. about the 2.5hr away teaching hospital and told her everything else.  She later sent me a PM through fb and found a static in medical journals that measured cervix on triplet women and delivery times.  She found that when the cervix was measured at 26w and it was 2.5cm or less their was a 90% chance of delivery at 33wks or less.  A measurement of above 2.5cm at 26wks had a  30% occurrence of delivery at 33wks or less and a 70% chance of going past 33wks.  I don’t want to deliver early at all and want to go as long as possible to have healthy babies for my IPs.  My MFM said nothing past 36wks….I know I will be very uncomfortable, but it will be for a short period of time and it’s all for a great cause. I want these babies to have less NICU time.

Funny story….I was at the store buying a few things and a younger girl (you can tell she’d never had kids) asked how far along I was.  I responded “26wks”.  She said “oh”.  Nothing else. I then went to stand in line and an older lady (more grandmother type) looked at me and you could tell she wanted to say something…..she waited then said “I guess you’re about done”.  I responded “no, trying to hold them in for another 10wks”.  Her eyes bugged out (Do I really look that big…lol) and said “twins”?  I said “no, triplets!”.  She kind of freaked out, then it was her turn to move up and cash out and she looked at the check out lady and said “she’s carrying triplets!”.  The lady looked at me and didn’t say anything…lol….  

Your baby at 26 weeks
Her eyes are forming, and his eyes will soon start to open.
And her eyelashes are now grown, too.
She’s getting her immune system ready for life on the outside by soaking up your antibodies.
She’s taking breaths, too. They’re of amniotic fluid, not air, but it’s still good practice.

She is the size of a head of lettuce!
She’s still growing in the 13.6- to 14.8-inch and 1.5- to 2.5-pound range, and developing her senses, features and talents!

We took our kids to the circus last week and these girls were very active the entire time. I think they like music 🙂

My belly has been getting itchy at the top. I know it’s expanding. I’ve heard that Vitamin E capsules were the best for it (open them up and rub the oil on your belly), but wondered if anyone had any other options for me.

As always I look forward to the the comments that are posted and people ‘liking’ my post. Feel free to share my blog with others. I am very excited about how many people around the world are reading my blog. I hope that my blog helps others & is a point of interest. I know this story is still being written, but it’s been amazing thus far.
Enjoy the belly pics and u/s pics below.

25wks with triplets

26wks with triplets

Baby A’s head with her arm covering her face and Baby C’s foot pushing on her face.

Baby B profile

Baby C’s head with her arm going across her face shielding from some body part from Baby B.

24wks with triplets…

Sorry for the delay in my post. I’ve been trying to rest and not do much of anything.

I had my MFM apt. on Friday at 24w2d. My IM was able to make it. Everything went well with measuring the babies and the u/s tech was able to get all the info on their hearts which was great. The fluid that’s measured in their brain all was great. Then he looked at my cervix with the abdominal wand and said “I need to take a closer look”. We’ve asked that if everything looks good on top then we don’t want the trans-vaginal u/s as it cost several hundred dollars extra.
The Dr. does the measurment and he measured 3 times and came up with 2.7cm, that’s a 1cm reduction from 4wks ago when he did it trans-vaginal (it was 3.7cm). 2wks ago it was done abdominally and was was still 3.7cm. He didn’t look very pleased. I’ve already had a reduction of work hrs from 50hrs a wk to 35hrs a wk and I sit as much as possible at work and at home I relax with my feet up most of the time. He asked what I did for work and I told him I sold cars…He looked surprised, but I told him 4wks ago at my 1st apt…..lol… I know he sees lots of people and can’t remember everything. He told me to follow up with my OB since my apt. was in 6 days. He’s not a fan of bed rest unless it’s warranted b/c it can add extra stress. I did find a website that backs up what he says as the new norm to follow.

So at 24w2d these little girls are:
Baby A- 24w0d 1lb 8oz
Baby B- 24w3d 1lb 8oz
Baby C- 23w2d 1lb 4oz
Cervix trans vaginally 2.7cm

How your baby’s growing:
Your baby’s growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. That puts him at about 1 1/3 pounds. Since he’s almost a foot long (about the size of an ear of corn), he cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but his body is filling out proportionally and he’ll soon start to plump up. His brain is also growing quickly now, and his taste buds are continuing to develop. His lungs are developing “branches” of the respiratory “tree” as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help his air sacs inflate once he hits the outside world. His skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

As I wrote this earlier I was having quite a few Braxton Hicks contractions as I was sitting up. I called the hospital & talked to the triage nurse & she told me it was a good idea to come in so I can be checked especially since I had some cervix change. So I did.

I was greeted by a very nice recpionist and we chatted as she was checking me in. I told her I wrote a blog & gave her the address. Just then another one of the receptionists walked up & recognized me and said “I love reading your blog!” I love hearing that! I wish I could remember their names… Please forgive me ladies!
I was at the hospital for 2hrs and everything is fine. It took them a while to get Baby C on the heart monitor as she was very active. They all actually were very active, but A & B cooperated. I didn’t have any contractions while I was being monitored. The nurse & the OB Dr that works there said more than likely it was b/c I was lying down. My cervix was internally checked and was normal since I’ve had previous pregnancies. It was soft (I learned it doesn’t get firm again), but no dilation. They did the fFN test (fetal fibronectin test) for early signs of labor, but decided not to run it as I had sex 30hrs earlier. The hospital OB on staff & the OB on call from my office decided it wasn’t a good idea to run it as we can get a false positive. Getting a positive still doesn’t mean that you will deliver early, it just a warning that it may happen.
I was discharged w/ pelvic rest (aka no sex) & no work until I see my OB to be RE-evaluated. He also told me that with being pregnant w/ triplets there’s no over reacting. If I feel like I need to be seen to come in. Sometimes you never know what’s going on & if any pre term labor starts we want to stop it right away.
Jim (my husband) picked me up & we stopped into the grocery store to grab a few things b/f heading home & while walking in the store I could feel the Bracton Hicks contractions. Of course, as soon as I leave they start back up…lol

A funny little story that I forgot to mention earlier. I’ve been getting a few questions since I’m looking more full term like… Others “When are you due”. Me “May”. Others “Are you sure there’s only 1 baby in there?” Me ” No, I’m not sure… There’s 3!” Others ” Shouldn’t you be bigger?” REALLY? There’s no pleasing people sometimes…lol

Enjoy the photos below & I look forward to your comments!

24wks w/ triplets

24wks

Baby A with her hand by her face blocking Baby C’s butt from being in her face. (It says Baby B, it was labeled wrong). IM & I loved this… We were all laughing.

Baby C.. 3D so cool!

Profile of Baby A

Profile of Baby B

23wk update…. A little complaint. TMI

Hi all! This pregnancy has been great. Though I do have to do a little complaining… I deserve it right? 🙂 If you have a weak stomach skip the next paragraph. You’ve been warned!

Last night I started to have lots of acid in my stomach and started to feel awful. As the night went on I went to bed to be more comfortable with my head elevated and still no relief. I woke up around 1am with intense acid pain. I had to get up. I took 2 food enzymes and within a 1/2 hr I felt the urge to throw up. Which is something that I never do…(If you recall I didn’t even get morning sickness with this or my other pregnancies.) It wouldn’t stop coming. My nose and throat hurt for a while afterwards. I drank some cold water and then was sleepy enough to go to bed. I woke up this am and still had the acid and felt awful. My upper back still hurt, had a headache (with pain behind my eyes) and I just felt yucky. I drank some water & took some Tylenol. Not to long later I felt the urge again to throw up. Luckily it wasn’t as much. So I was scared to put anything into my body. Though I know that I needed something. So I slowly drank some water and then after a while I was kind of hungry, but not really…what do you eat? So I tried my morning coffee with my protein powder in it. It helped and I was able to hold it down and haven’t gotten sick since. I laid in bed all day and barely ate. I took a hot bath, drank a green smoothie with protein powder in it, took more Tylenol and my headache finally went away. I had to get ready for my OB apt. I laid around for a while after I got out b/c I just felt crappy!

So I will be 23wks on Wed and this is my 22w6d update…

I’ve gained 4.5lbs in the last 3wks
BP was 122/72
Measured 29wks. That’s 6wks ahead. Last OB that saw me had big fingers and I thought he was over measuring by the way he was acting.

I’ll be going to OB office ever 2wks now. OB wants me to see a Dr. every week. So that’s alternating with MFM. OB also wants me to cut back my hours. He wasn’t happy that I worked 63hrs in a row. He knocked me back to 35hrs a week. I’ll be taking my note to work tomorrow and see how they plan to adjust my schedule.

OB also told me to take Zantac when I need it since I’m having issues with acid. He said it happens more with multiples as it has something to do with more progesterone and softens up the esophagus more and lets in more acid. I took one an hour ago and it’s not gone… Some mild relief, but that’s it.

Baby at 23wks
At 23 weeks, baby’s really getting ready for her big debut, listening in on what’s going on in the outside world. And you’re getting ready too. Just remember: While having the nursery painted and stocking it with diapers is important, there are some other pressing things you should have on your radar. Namely, financials. Around week 23 is a good time to call your and your partner’s insurance agent to check how you’re currently covered and decide what adjustments you’ll want to make for baby. You might also want to start thinking about writing a will, if you don’t have one, or updating your current one. How’s baby’s savings account going? If you’re like, “what savings account?” that’s okay. But decide whether or not you want to start one for her. One study found that kids who have their own savings account are more likely to go to college, and another one estimated the average cost of raising a baby until age 18 to be over $226,000. Whoa! Let’s multiply that by 3…YIKES!

your baby’s the size of a grapefruit!
At about 10.5 to 11.8 inches and about 12.7 to 20.8 ounces, baby’s not just getting bigger, she’s getting even cuter.

Sorry no pic…I’ll take it tomorrow and post 23 & 24 belly pics after my MFM apt. on Jan. 17th.

Have a great night/day!

21-22wk update…Getting bigger!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas!  I didn’t get a ton of relaxing done before my 6 day strech of 63hrs straighs….Ugh!  I was not happy that my job wouldn’t give  me a little break, but I made it through.  Thank goodness for my awesome prenatal vitamins by Garden of Life.  Best vitamins that I’ve every taken!
I had my 22wk check up with my MFM Dr. yesterday at 22wks 1day.  Everything still looks good, but they are looking very closely at Baby C as she is still 1wk behind.  Nothing concerning yet, but Dr. said with these kind of twins you need to be carful and monior closely.  He said ” I’d prefer triplets to all be in there own sac”…lol…. So would I! At my next appointment on the 17th at 24wks they will do an extensive scan of the hearts.  He said that there can be issues with IVF pregnancies.  A 1-3% chance.  He said more than likely there is nothing to worry about based on previous scans.
So I’ve been feeling a big bigger…lol… I see my OB on the 7th and will see how my fundal height is measuring.  I also dread that that awful glucose test is coming soon…yuck!  praying that I pass the 1st time.  There shouldn’t be any reason as I eat very well. 
As of 22wks 1 day the babies are measuring.

Baby A 21w5d 147hb 1lb

Baby B 21w6d 136hb 1lb

Baby C 20w1d 132 hb 12oz

Cervix still measuring 3.7.  They did the transvaginal  last time and this time it was with the regular wand on the belly. I found out that it’s several hundred dollars to do the transvaginal and asked if they could hold back on that unless they see a problem.  They agreed.

I was in the bathroom with a lady at work the other day and while we were washing our hands she said ” I am going to feel bad if you’re not, but are you pregnant?”  I said “NO, I’m just getting fat…lol”.  Then I followed it with, “yes I am!”.  We both chuckled and went on to talk about the pregnancy briefly.  She works in one of the office’s and we don’t see each other a ton, but I thought she knew b/c she always ask how I’m doing.  It goes to show I can’t assume that everyone can tell I’m pregnant…lol  Though I really hope that I wasn’t this big before the pregnancy 🙂

Some information about a 22wk pregnancy.

A growth spurt has put baby weighing in just around a pound! Your little one looks so much more like a tiny person now, complete with eyelashes and even eyebrows. With an increasing sense of his environment, baby can now perceive the comforting sounds of his home; including your heartbeat, your voice, and even soothing music that you play to him.

Reacting to the difference between light and dark, your little one might reward you with a few playful punches or kicks if you shine a flashlight onto your belly. This is a great way to let your partner get a chance to interact with the baby!

While your baby is further developing and maturing his organs like his heart, lungs, brain, and intestinal tract, his developing sense also allow him to feel his face, tug on his ears, and even play with his toes or discover the joy of sucking his thumb! 
 

I’ve received a few comments after each post and I really appreciate you taking the time to read my blog and post a comment/question/your expierence.  It means a lot to me.
I hope that ya’ll enjoy the pics below from my 21wk & 22wk belly and the U/S pics.
 

 

21wks

21wks bare belly

22wks

Baby A

Baby B

Baby C on her belly

19-20wk update and belly pictures.

Hi to all my followers. I’m sure you are anxious to hear my update. I was very busy yesterday with an appointment with my new MFM Dr. and then a visit with my OB office. After that I went to my prenatal massage and then dinner with my husband. I had a very full day. I will post pictures below.

I was exactly 20wks yesterday for my appointment.

Baby A is measuring 19w5d and 12oz 145hb
Baby B is measuring 20w1d and 11oz 130hb
Baby C is measuring 19w0d and 9oz 143hb
My cervix is measuring 3.7 (done with an internal wand)
My bp was 126/78
I gained 3.5lbs in 3wks
My belly measured 28wks…WoW! I’ve been measuring 5wks ahead, but theses babies had a growth spurt.

I’ve still been feeling wonderful except Sunday through Tuesday (19w 4-6days)I was having some mild pains in my lower belly area when I was up walking while at work. The pain stopped and I did call the OB and they said it sounded like ligament pain which it was since my uterus grew an extra 3cm. I’m feeling fine now.

I keep getting asked how I feel. I actually feel wonderful thus far….I know at some point I’m going to feel it, but for now I feel like I’m carrying 1 baby…lol…Nothing different yet. I’ll tell you not having Morning Sickness for any of my other 5 pregnancies and not even this one has been wonderful! I am very blessed.

For now I’m still working 45-50hrs a week, but get to sit down more at my desk rather than being up on my feel. It has helped a lot. My MFM Dr. and OB both said that as long as I’m not having issues, babies are fine and I’m not having stress at work I can stay. As you know anything can change in a moment. I’d like to continue working as long as I can to keep the fiancial stress off my IPs for now. We all know that at some point I won’t be able to sell cars. It just will be come to difficult.

My son’s 16th birthday is on Sun and what I wanted to do for him isn’t going to happen right now as he just couldn’t get his room cleaned an organized. I will do it later. Maybe after the babies are born. I’m so glad that he isn’t a girl turning 16 as she would not be happy with me not doing much for it. My husband will take him and a few friends to go see the Hobbit 2, then back to the house to play video games and them I’ll make some of his favorite food.

Oh, I mentioned that I started going to a new MFM Dr. and I absoutely loved him. He was much more interactive with me and after the u/s tech did her thing we sat down and looked at the babies himself to make sure there isn’t any signs of TTTS. Click the link to learn more. (http://www.tttsfoundation.org/medical_professionals/what_is_ttts.php). He also wanted to properly measure my cervix with the u/s wand and was very surprised that it hasn’t been done yet. I’ve only had my cervixed measured once or twice, but with the regular u/s wand that goes ontop of your belly. He was not happy and said that wasn’t the way it is suppose to be done. He didn’t just tell me all the negatives like my previous MFM Dr. did and only spent 5 minutes with me. I have to go every 2 wks now to then can monitor me. It’s just routine as if they can catch it early they have a better chance of helping the babies.

I gave my IPs a cute decoration for their Christmas tree. I’ll post the picture below. Any comments that you’d like to make I do love reading them. Thanks for all the interest and support in my blog and this triplet pregnancy. Everyone have a very Merry Christmas!!

Gift for IPs

20wks

20wks

Baby C feet shot

Baby C

Baby B

17-18wk update

Hi to all!  Sorry for not posting last week, but I just didn’t feel like writing.  There wasn’t much to say or report.  So I thought I’d save it for this week. I have over 30 followers now…Pretty exciting!  Don’t forget if you want to share my blog on your fb or other sites please go ahead, BUT if you know my name PLEASE don’t disclose that.  I prefer to stay more annomyous. 

I visted the OB last week at 17 wks and my BP was 122/70, I had gained 4.5pds in the last 3 wks and was measuring 22wks…5wks. I didn’t get an U/S at this appointment as the OB used the doppler to find the heartbeats.  Since we know where they are it made it easier.  I had just had an U/S a few days before so he felt good about not doing one.  It’s a good thing as I found out that my ins. isn’t covering any U/S until I meet my $2500 deductible.  Awesome!!  I will likly meet that at the end of the month and then it starts over Jan. 1st.  This is sooo Wrong!  In going over the bill I also noticed that on a few U/S they are charging me triple…When I questioned about it I was told “isn’t their 3 babies”?  I’m not being charged that all the time just occassionally.  I personally don’t think it’s right and having it invegistated.  Trying to save my IPs money, especially since I’m suppose to get U/S at every appointment and at over $200 for each one it’s just crazy! Sorry, but it’s very frustrating for me!

I am on the low end of what I should have gained for weight, but of course the OB doesn’t mention anything about nutrition at all!  It is a bit sad.  My MFM Dr. doesn’t say anything about it either.  I know that as long as the babies are growing  they are happy, but there are some very important things that women pregnant with multiples should do for their nutrituion.  Some guidance would be great.  I took it upon my self to get a nutritionist and it’s been very helpful.  I still can’t eat everything that is outlined for me, but I do my best every day. At least I stay away from all my food senstivities which has helped my Hashimoto’s Thyroid disease.  Yeah for that!!!  I’d mention all the foods that I can’t have, but I don’t want to here any negativity about it.  I get hassled all the time for it.  I really don’t care as I know what I’m doing for my body is the right thing and my goal is to grow very healthy babies and keep them in as long as possible. 

I’ve really “popped” over this last week and a half.  You could barely tell I was pregnant at 16wks with clothes on and now…Well lets just say…WoW!  I look like I’m almost in my 3rd trimester…lol…I have a pic below that my husband took yesterday for me that is a full body and then you will see my normal bare belly shot.  I’m going to put a cool collage together when it’s all done.  Probably with One True Media since I know it’s easy with them…lol… I can’t wait to make it!  I’ve really felt very pregnant lately as getting out of bed and rolling over is a bit more of a challenge.  I know I have a ways to go and it will get much more challenging before it’s all over, but at least I’m aware of that now. 

With my belly getting in the way more and still working full time anywhere from 45-50 hrs a week (sitting as much as I can) I just don’t have time to clean anymore.  Well, let me refraze that….lol  I do have some time, but I want to relax as much as possible when I’m off and not clean.  My husband and kids can only do the surface stuff, but it’s not REALLY clean.  It’s time to find someone to come and help me.  The stinky part is that it will have to come out of pocket until my allowance kicks in.  I didn’t plan to well and didn’t think that I’d need house cleaning so soon.  I’ll know better for next time…If there is a next time!  Only time will tell.  I’d love to help another couple, but I want to enjoy this one as it could be my last surrogacy.  I just pray that my pregnancy is uncomplicated,  the delivery no matter which method (vaginal is my preference) will be uncomplicated & these babies will need no NICU or hardly any. 

My husband and I are planning our son’s 16th birthday.  He doesn’t care that he’s turning 16 like girls do and doesn’t want anything but have a few friends over and play video games.  So that’s what we will do.  I’ll make my famous chocolate chip cake and icing for him and provide some snacks and leave them along…lol…  Though my husband and I are going to surprise him with his bedroom redone.  It wont’ be anything expensive, just his taste.  I can’t say much right now, b/c I dont’ want anything to get back to him, but when we are done I will post a pic of it.  Oh, you may be wondering if he’s getting his license?  He can’t technically till the 2nd week in Jan b/c that’s when he passed his permit test (has to hold it for 1 year), but he’s not done a ton of driving and not sure he’s ready yet.  He doesn’t even care about driving…kids these days!  When I was 16 it was a race to get our license…Most kids these days just don’t care.

Not much else to say…. I’ll update at my 20wks as that’s my next OB and MFM appointment.  I hope that you enjoy reading and have a wonderful week.   

17wks 6days

17wks

18wks