Sorry my post is so late after our doctor's appointment on Tuesday (two days ago). We are 29 weeks and 4 days today!
Well, the doctor's appointment went well! The babes are growing...Baby A is 3 lbs 2 ounces (two weeks ago she was 2 lbs 3 oz), Baby B is 3 lbs 3 oz (two weeks ago she was 2 lbs 6 oz), and Baby C is 3 lb 5 oz (two weeks ago she was 2 lbs 7 oz). That's almost a pound each in two weeks! So I have officially passed weight I carried in my belly with litte G man. He was 8 lbs 9 oz at birth and I have 9 lbs 10 oz of babies in my belly right now! Wow! Scary to think how much baby weight I could have before we are done! Speaking of weight, I cannot seem to gain anymore. The goal was to gain around 80 lbs and I have been hovering between 40-50 for the past month. As soon as I think I might be up a couple pounds, then I lose it again. The doc isn't worried as long as the babes are growing ok, but it just seems strange that I can't keep packing on the weight. She says that the babes will not go without though, but that my body will. The babes will burn off the little bit of fat I have left on my body if I am not able to consume enough calories each day. You'd think that this would make a woman happy to loose more fat, but I don't have much extra to give at this point. I am all baby (babies) these days!
Baby B is still having issues with her urinary tract. Both of her kidneys are now enlarged, but at least not to the point of being scary. We just have to keep an eye on it that it isn't getting worse and they will evaluate it more after she is born. Our doc said that this is fairly common and sometimes will resolve itself by the time she's born. She said worse case, is that she may need a minor surgery after birth. We pray that it will work it's way out and we have a healthy baby!
They also completed BPP (biopysical profiles) on each of the babes and they still are all scoring 8 out of 8's! They monitor that they are moving their lungs and practicing their breathing, movement, muscle tone, and the amount of amniotic fluid.
My cervix is now deteriorating faster. A week ago it was at 3.1 cm and this week it was 2.6 cm. At least now I am at the point that it makes sense that it is shortening. They would really like 33 weeks out of me, so that leaves me with a little more than 3 weeks left! If things keep going like this, I think we can do it!
The best news we have is that we are all going to live as a family within a couple more days! By Sunday...30 weeks...we will be back together in Bismarck in our house! We appreciate all of the help that we have had to get situated back in our house again! Hopefully my next post will be to tell you how much bigger these babes are next week!
Triplets
Garin
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Sunday, July 24, 2011
July 24, 2011 - 29 Weeks and Going Strong!
Today we hit 29 weeks! Yeah! We are trying to make it to 33 (according to the doc), so we are now 4 weeks from there. It is hard to believe that we are hitting this point, but at the same time we are very relieved! Every day that these babes stay in is so much better than any care they could get from a NICU.
Here are all the great things we are celebrating this week:
1. Hitting 29 weeks!
2. No more trips to the hospital (after the mag sulfate & steroids last week)!
3. We moved most of our belongings back into our home...I am actually writing this post from my house :) !!
4. We plan to fully move back and spend our time at home by next weekend! There is definitely something nice about being in your own home & own bed!
5. Little G man got to play with his Uncle C.G. (who has always had a very special spot in G's heart), Auntie L.G. and his cousins (T.G. & S.G.) today! Poor little guy hasn't gotten to play with his friends or other little kids for quite a while! Thank you guys for helping us move some of the big stuff too!
6. Grandma N and Craig are working on painting the babies' room this week, so maybe we'll actually be ready for them before they are born! We didn't think we would even all live here prior to the babes being born!
We are excited to be home and are so grateful to everyone who helped us move out when we thought we were going to get water, all who have helped us store our belongings for the past 2 months, and all who have now helped us move back, clean up and have our house look more like a home. We and especially I (who can't do the physical labor) will be forever thankful to all of you!
We have another doctor's appointment, ultrasound, and BPP (biophysical profile) on Tuesday, so we hope to share more good news of how big these girls are getting!
Here are all the great things we are celebrating this week:
1. Hitting 29 weeks!
2. No more trips to the hospital (after the mag sulfate & steroids last week)!
3. We moved most of our belongings back into our home...I am actually writing this post from my house :) !!
4. We plan to fully move back and spend our time at home by next weekend! There is definitely something nice about being in your own home & own bed!
5. Little G man got to play with his Uncle C.G. (who has always had a very special spot in G's heart), Auntie L.G. and his cousins (T.G. & S.G.) today! Poor little guy hasn't gotten to play with his friends or other little kids for quite a while! Thank you guys for helping us move some of the big stuff too!
6. Grandma N and Craig are working on painting the babies' room this week, so maybe we'll actually be ready for them before they are born! We didn't think we would even all live here prior to the babes being born!
We are excited to be home and are so grateful to everyone who helped us move out when we thought we were going to get water, all who have helped us store our belongings for the past 2 months, and all who have now helped us move back, clean up and have our house look more like a home. We and especially I (who can't do the physical labor) will be forever thankful to all of you!
We have another doctor's appointment, ultrasound, and BPP (biophysical profile) on Tuesday, so we hope to share more good news of how big these girls are getting!
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
July 20, 2011 - Home from the Hospital...Again?
Today we are at 28 weeks and 3 days down! If I ever thought that each day matter so much before it means even more at this point!
Yesterday we had our weekly check up with Dr. I and things went well. My cervix was measuring 3.1 cm, which is still looking good and keeps me out of long term hospitalization. If it gets to 1.5 cm or below I will become a resident at the hospital until these babes decide to show their wonderful faces. :) They didn't do an ultrasound for growth, so unfortunately I have no news on how big they are this week. They did do a BPP (biophysical profile) on each of the babes, which they all scored 8 out of 8 on! I believe that the BPP measures the movement, tone, heart movement, chest movement (practicing their breathing) and the amount of fluid/space they have to move in. So they all did great! They will now be repeating this test along with an ultrasound to measure their growth every week. We keep praying that they will all keep doing as well as they have been! The biggest thing that we want is healthy babies!
Baby B had yet another concern pop up about her urinary tract. She was the one that a few weeks ago had an enlarged kidney that we were keeping an eye on (which seemed to go back to a normal size within a couple weeks). Yesterday they noticed that she had an enlarged ureter (the tube that runs from the each of the kidneys down to the bladder). So we will keep an eye on this as well. They said that they will continue to monitor her in utero and then after she is born do another ultrasound to evaluate the situation further. We feel that if there had to be an issue, at least it is with this system and not something more major like a heart or brain issue. Obviously, we really hope that there are no issues with her after she is born either.
We did have a discussion of what our goal is here too...as I am kind of a planner and goal maker! She said until I hit 33 weeks (we'll hit this on August 21st), that we will try to postpone the delivery. At 36 weeks (we'll hit this on September 11th - hopefully they're not born that day) we are free to schedule and do my lovely c-section (no other option there with three babes in my belly). Obviously my body may have other plans that we are not aware of, so we don't know when it will actually happen. As I am writing this I am thinking about that it could happen tomorrow for all that I know! I am going to try to put a countdown on the blog for myself and anyone else who might enjoy counting down to the end of this phase of welcoming triplets into our family!
The doc did admit me (yet again) to do another dose of steroids (to speed up the lung development) and mag sulfate (to speed up the neural development and help reduce the chances of hemorrhaging after birth). At least this time the mag sulfate was more tolerable. It is given in an IV over 12 hours and usually makes one feel very hot, thirsty and nauseous. Luckily this time I was only hot for the first couple hours and then I slept like a baby through the rest of it. I was released this morning with instructions to do another steroid shot this evening. They let me do this after all of the hormone shots we went through just to get pregnant. So back up to Garrison for my poor mom to give me a shot this evening! I know she can do it, but I am sure it won't be easy - mentally that is.
So we are back in Garrison and Craig is making plans to move our stuff back into our house in Bismarck - hooray! I don't know how long it will take him to get it to the point where we can move home, but it will be nice to be back in our own house again. I didn't think I would see the day of this happening until after the babies were born! The best news at this point is that I am still able to be at home. I have been keeping updated with quite a few other mothers of triplets and everyone that I know has been hospitalized by this point. So if there was any badge to wear out of this deal it would be that I have had too many visits to the hospital, but at least I have only slept three nights there and the remainder of the pregnancy I have been able to be at home (or at least as close to home as you can get). We really have to thank my mom - Grandma N - for all of her hard work to keep me on my behind, keep little G in line, make sure that Craig has lunch and cookies for his week away from us, and still try to carry on a life of her own! I don't know that there will ever be a big enough way to thank her and my dad for all of their hospitality and help over the last two months! If you two are reading this, please know how much we all appreciate and love you for all of your help, love and support! :)
Yesterday we had our weekly check up with Dr. I and things went well. My cervix was measuring 3.1 cm, which is still looking good and keeps me out of long term hospitalization. If it gets to 1.5 cm or below I will become a resident at the hospital until these babes decide to show their wonderful faces. :) They didn't do an ultrasound for growth, so unfortunately I have no news on how big they are this week. They did do a BPP (biophysical profile) on each of the babes, which they all scored 8 out of 8 on! I believe that the BPP measures the movement, tone, heart movement, chest movement (practicing their breathing) and the amount of fluid/space they have to move in. So they all did great! They will now be repeating this test along with an ultrasound to measure their growth every week. We keep praying that they will all keep doing as well as they have been! The biggest thing that we want is healthy babies!
Baby B had yet another concern pop up about her urinary tract. She was the one that a few weeks ago had an enlarged kidney that we were keeping an eye on (which seemed to go back to a normal size within a couple weeks). Yesterday they noticed that she had an enlarged ureter (the tube that runs from the each of the kidneys down to the bladder). So we will keep an eye on this as well. They said that they will continue to monitor her in utero and then after she is born do another ultrasound to evaluate the situation further. We feel that if there had to be an issue, at least it is with this system and not something more major like a heart or brain issue. Obviously, we really hope that there are no issues with her after she is born either.
We did have a discussion of what our goal is here too...as I am kind of a planner and goal maker! She said until I hit 33 weeks (we'll hit this on August 21st), that we will try to postpone the delivery. At 36 weeks (we'll hit this on September 11th - hopefully they're not born that day) we are free to schedule and do my lovely c-section (no other option there with three babes in my belly). Obviously my body may have other plans that we are not aware of, so we don't know when it will actually happen. As I am writing this I am thinking about that it could happen tomorrow for all that I know! I am going to try to put a countdown on the blog for myself and anyone else who might enjoy counting down to the end of this phase of welcoming triplets into our family!
The doc did admit me (yet again) to do another dose of steroids (to speed up the lung development) and mag sulfate (to speed up the neural development and help reduce the chances of hemorrhaging after birth). At least this time the mag sulfate was more tolerable. It is given in an IV over 12 hours and usually makes one feel very hot, thirsty and nauseous. Luckily this time I was only hot for the first couple hours and then I slept like a baby through the rest of it. I was released this morning with instructions to do another steroid shot this evening. They let me do this after all of the hormone shots we went through just to get pregnant. So back up to Garrison for my poor mom to give me a shot this evening! I know she can do it, but I am sure it won't be easy - mentally that is.
So we are back in Garrison and Craig is making plans to move our stuff back into our house in Bismarck - hooray! I don't know how long it will take him to get it to the point where we can move home, but it will be nice to be back in our own house again. I didn't think I would see the day of this happening until after the babies were born! The best news at this point is that I am still able to be at home. I have been keeping updated with quite a few other mothers of triplets and everyone that I know has been hospitalized by this point. So if there was any badge to wear out of this deal it would be that I have had too many visits to the hospital, but at least I have only slept three nights there and the remainder of the pregnancy I have been able to be at home (or at least as close to home as you can get). We really have to thank my mom - Grandma N - for all of her hard work to keep me on my behind, keep little G in line, make sure that Craig has lunch and cookies for his week away from us, and still try to carry on a life of her own! I don't know that there will ever be a big enough way to thank her and my dad for all of their hospitality and help over the last two months! If you two are reading this, please know how much we all appreciate and love you for all of your help, love and support! :)
Sunday, July 17, 2011
July 17, 2011 - 28 Weeks!!
Today, we hit 28 weeks! It is at this point that they say we are past most all of the scary birth defects and that the babes should be pretty healthy if born! Hooray, what an amazing feat!
We had an interesting day though...unfortunately, not much celebrating! We woke up and had a wonderful breakfast with my folks. It was shortly followed with mama having a very upset tummy. Good thing that Craig called into the hospital right away as the contractions started coming very shortly thereafter. For the first time, these were very strong, intense contractions. He loaded me up in the van and we headed for Bismarck right away. By the time we got into Bismarck, they were steadily coming every 8 minutes! It was the quickest trip I have ever had between Garrison and Bismarck (thank goodness there weren't any highway patrol out!!). The nurse got me settled into a room and she started right away to slow these contractions down, which were now about five minutes apart and lasting two and a half minutes! They first tried increasing the dose of Procardia (which I have already been taking for a couple of months) as well as a half liter of fluids. That slowed them down a little bit, but only for about fifteen minutes. So our second attempt was more fluids and a really nasty injection called terbutaline. I say nasty, because it makes my heart race as well as gives me the shakes. Thank goodness they finally slowed down enough to give me a chance to eat some lunch in between contractions - thank you really to my amazing husband who fed me because I was shaking so bad. Finally, the contractions stopped. And I crashed out for a nap as this all was completely exhausting! Surprisingly, after an hour and half of not having any more contractions I was sent home. Somehow, I cannot believe it as I was sure we were going to be meeting these three babes yesterday with how fast and strong those contractions were!
We all made it home safe and sound, but completely exhausted from the stress of the day. Our doc was out of town, so we are curious to see what she will have to say about all of this when we see her on Tuesday!
We had an interesting day though...unfortunately, not much celebrating! We woke up and had a wonderful breakfast with my folks. It was shortly followed with mama having a very upset tummy. Good thing that Craig called into the hospital right away as the contractions started coming very shortly thereafter. For the first time, these were very strong, intense contractions. He loaded me up in the van and we headed for Bismarck right away. By the time we got into Bismarck, they were steadily coming every 8 minutes! It was the quickest trip I have ever had between Garrison and Bismarck (thank goodness there weren't any highway patrol out!!). The nurse got me settled into a room and she started right away to slow these contractions down, which were now about five minutes apart and lasting two and a half minutes! They first tried increasing the dose of Procardia (which I have already been taking for a couple of months) as well as a half liter of fluids. That slowed them down a little bit, but only for about fifteen minutes. So our second attempt was more fluids and a really nasty injection called terbutaline. I say nasty, because it makes my heart race as well as gives me the shakes. Thank goodness they finally slowed down enough to give me a chance to eat some lunch in between contractions - thank you really to my amazing husband who fed me because I was shaking so bad. Finally, the contractions stopped. And I crashed out for a nap as this all was completely exhausting! Surprisingly, after an hour and half of not having any more contractions I was sent home. Somehow, I cannot believe it as I was sure we were going to be meeting these three babes yesterday with how fast and strong those contractions were!
We all made it home safe and sound, but completely exhausted from the stress of the day. Our doc was out of town, so we are curious to see what she will have to say about all of this when we see her on Tuesday!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
July 14, 2011 - The babes are getting big!
Today we hit 27 weeks and 4 days! We are finally down to single digits left - they will take the babies by 36 weeks if I haven't gone into labor myself, so we have less than 9 weeks left - whew! I don't know if my body or mind can handle another 9 weeks, but I just have to keep taking it day by day.
This past Monday, we had another ultrasound and things look good! The babes were measuring 2 lbs 3 oz (two weeks ago Baby A was 1 lb 10 oz), 2 lbs 6 oz (two weeks ago Baby B was 1 lb 13 oz) and 2 lbs 7 oz (two weeks ago Baby C was 2 lbs). They are all still measuring a couple days ahead of schedule. The best news is that they are all fairly close in size (which can be a major issue by now). They also checked Baby B's kidneys and both measured within a normal range. That eased a lot of stress of concern that there was a problem with one of our little girls! They also measured my cervix again and it is holding out at about the same measurement. Hooray! Much better than our news two weeks ago!
I really appreciate all of the well wishes and encouragement over the last two weeks. The last couple weeks have been really hard for me. I felt so defeated. For the longest time, I have been so optimistic and feeling like I could carry these babes to 36 weeks. Our last appointment in Fargo made me fear that I was going to be going into labor sometime in the next week or two - which obviously, did not happen. Our wonderful Obstetrician, Dr. I said a lot of encouraging things to me as well this past week (thank you :) !!). She believes that with everything that I have already pushed through that we will make it well beyond the average of 32 weeks.
So I now have found my way back to that optimistic person I had been for the majority of the pregnancy! Thank goodness! This past week, Craig and I toured the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and that was quite an eye-opener. I saw one really small infant in what they call an isolette (the clear box/crib with two holes in each side for your arms to reach in and care for a baby inside). It was so emotional for me to see and experience. I guess, you see photos of these from time to time, but you never picture your own baby needing to be placed inside something like that (more or less picturing three of your children in those). It was scary to see, but also reassuring that they will take good care of our babes whenever they decide to come. Bottom line is that seeing a small baby struggling for his/her life makes me want to fight even more to carry these babes another day, week, or even two months!
Like I said before, I really appreciate all of the encouragement over the past two weeks! It really has helped me keep my head up as the discomfort continues to grow. We see the doctor every week now, so I should have another update next week.
This past Monday, we had another ultrasound and things look good! The babes were measuring 2 lbs 3 oz (two weeks ago Baby A was 1 lb 10 oz), 2 lbs 6 oz (two weeks ago Baby B was 1 lb 13 oz) and 2 lbs 7 oz (two weeks ago Baby C was 2 lbs). They are all still measuring a couple days ahead of schedule. The best news is that they are all fairly close in size (which can be a major issue by now). They also checked Baby B's kidneys and both measured within a normal range. That eased a lot of stress of concern that there was a problem with one of our little girls! They also measured my cervix again and it is holding out at about the same measurement. Hooray! Much better than our news two weeks ago!
I really appreciate all of the well wishes and encouragement over the last two weeks. The last couple weeks have been really hard for me. I felt so defeated. For the longest time, I have been so optimistic and feeling like I could carry these babes to 36 weeks. Our last appointment in Fargo made me fear that I was going to be going into labor sometime in the next week or two - which obviously, did not happen. Our wonderful Obstetrician, Dr. I said a lot of encouraging things to me as well this past week (thank you :) !!). She believes that with everything that I have already pushed through that we will make it well beyond the average of 32 weeks.
So I now have found my way back to that optimistic person I had been for the majority of the pregnancy! Thank goodness! This past week, Craig and I toured the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit) and that was quite an eye-opener. I saw one really small infant in what they call an isolette (the clear box/crib with two holes in each side for your arms to reach in and care for a baby inside). It was so emotional for me to see and experience. I guess, you see photos of these from time to time, but you never picture your own baby needing to be placed inside something like that (more or less picturing three of your children in those). It was scary to see, but also reassuring that they will take good care of our babes whenever they decide to come. Bottom line is that seeing a small baby struggling for his/her life makes me want to fight even more to carry these babes another day, week, or even two months!
Like I said before, I really appreciate all of the encouragement over the past two weeks! It really has helped me keep my head up as the discomfort continues to grow. We see the doctor every week now, so I should have another update next week.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
July 3, 2011 ~ Finally...26 Weeks!!
Today we have officially hit 26 weeks and 7 weeks and 4 days of bedrest down! Hooray! Each day really counts as we found out last Monday at our last doctor's appointment over in Fargo. It was an interesting appointment that left us with an unsettling feeling in our stomachs. Everything seemed to be going so well and now we have a few concerns...
During the ultrasound, they found that Baby B has one of her kidneys enlarged. I believe they like to see them measuring 0.2-0.3 cm and her's was at 0.59 cm. It is not to the point where it is scary, but it is something we are going to have to watch closely to make sure that she will be ok.
We also found that there is a good chance that the measurements of my cervix that were being done in Bismarck were not accurate. In order to get an accurate measurement that they need to observe the cervix for at least 5 minutes as my uterus can contract and move thus changing the measurement. With that, we found that my cervix is actually down to 2.5 cm which is a little different than the measurement a week ago in Bismarck at 3.6 cm. We are getting to the point that my body is getting ready to push these little girls out! I can't blame it with my belly measuring 49 inches and the average pregnancy at the end only measures about 42 inches! With the cervical change, the doctor recommended that we begin steroid injections in order to help the babies lungs develop faster in preparation for their birth. I had one injection Monday in Fargo and another on Tuesday back in Bismarck.
When we asked the perinatologist (specialty in high risk pregnancies) in Fargo about the duration of the pregnancy and how soon these babes may arrive he said that it is so dependant on the woman's body. He said that he has had women dilated to 4 cm and keep babies in for another two months and he has others in my situation that may have the babies within a few days. So basically, we have no idea! The plan is to repeat these steroids again in two weeks in order to always have them helping the babies' lungs mature a little faster.
Speaking of little babes...they are growing like weeds in there! Baby A measured 1 lb 13 oz (measured 1 lb 6 oz one week ago), Baby B at 1 lb 15 oz (1 lb 10 oz) and our biggest, Baby C at 2 lbs (1 lb 11 )!!! All I can say is, grow babies grow! They all are still measuring about a week ahead of average so hopefully that will help them if they decide to join us early!
We also got to go back and see all of the fabulous nurses and doctors that helped us get here! Without them we would not have been able to have another child. All of your kind words, gentle teasing, and encouragement along the way has really changed our lives! I don't know if we can ever find the right way of saying thank you to all of you! Dr C. who apparently gets days off...we hope when you have a clinic day in Bismarck again that you let us know when so that we can give you a big hug as well (and corner you about when you are coming to babysit these three girls!). Really, we would love it if sometime that you are here that we could hopefully show you this big belly or the beautiful girls that are going to come from it! Thanks again to all of you!
Tuesday was a little different day...I went in for a very minor surgical procedure to have three moles removed (one near my eye and two on my arm) that were starting to get a little suspicious. With my mom battling of skin cancer the last few years, we didn't want to let them go on any longer. We will find out in a few days what the pathologist decides that my moles were...hopefully just a safety precaution!
The moles were only the beginning of being picked on (or so I felt) that day. We met with our OB, Dr. I after the mole removal to get the other steroid shot for the babes lung development. From here she wanted to immediately admit me for a 12-hour IV dose of magnesium sulfate, which is suppose to help the neural development and prevent hemorrhaging after a premature birth. The IV wasn't as bad as they made it sound, but it was not fun at all. It made me feel so hot inside as well as completely parched. I don't think I have ever drank so much water or pee'd so often in my life. Good thing this all wore off after a few days!
So after the moles, injection and IV, I felt pretty defeated. Up until this point I felt that I was being so strong and brave as this pregnancy weighs and beats up my body, but I finally hit a point where all I could do was cry. I've been doing a lot of praying and asking for help to make it through the final stages. I realize now that nothing about this pregnancy or these babies is in my control. I can put up a strong fight to keep them in my belly as long as possible, but it is out of my hands now. Only God will know when it is time for these little ones to show us their faces! That is a hard reality for someone who is a Type A, likes to be in control of herself, planner-type of person. I guess this too will only make me a stronger person in the end.
So the best news is that we have made it to 26 weeks! Each day is so important now. The first major stepping stone was to hit 24 weeks, which is the point when the babes are viable outside of my belly. The next major stepping stone is 28 weeks, which is the point where we are past most major premature birth defects. So that is our next goal! The next points are too far out for me to think about, so I won't even go there. But triplets are born on average at 32-33 weeks, so we are getting there (not fast enough of course)!
We still don't know what to think of the river in Bismarck! They have started decreasing the flows out of the Lake Sakawea reservoir, but yet it still has more water coming in than what they are pushing out the dam! And furthermore, we are still above the level of the spillway gates! We just fear that they are starting to make some cutbacks on the flow prematurely. If there was a heavy rain or fast snow melt in the mountains, I am afraid that the flooding will only get worse in Bismarck. So we still are not planning on making any changes with me not living at home or with moving our belongings back home. There are still so many things that can happen and the river is still very high. I guess you could say we learned from Minot when they had to evacuate a few weeks ago, but remained dry and now look at the massive flooding they have had! Speaking of, our prayers go out to everyone affected by the flooding, but especially my cousin in Minot M. & H. M. whose house has become part of the dike being covered with dirt. I wish there was so much more that I could do to help you besides offering prayers and my support!
We'll leave you with yet another belly picture:
During the ultrasound, they found that Baby B has one of her kidneys enlarged. I believe they like to see them measuring 0.2-0.3 cm and her's was at 0.59 cm. It is not to the point where it is scary, but it is something we are going to have to watch closely to make sure that she will be ok.
We also found that there is a good chance that the measurements of my cervix that were being done in Bismarck were not accurate. In order to get an accurate measurement that they need to observe the cervix for at least 5 minutes as my uterus can contract and move thus changing the measurement. With that, we found that my cervix is actually down to 2.5 cm which is a little different than the measurement a week ago in Bismarck at 3.6 cm. We are getting to the point that my body is getting ready to push these little girls out! I can't blame it with my belly measuring 49 inches and the average pregnancy at the end only measures about 42 inches! With the cervical change, the doctor recommended that we begin steroid injections in order to help the babies lungs develop faster in preparation for their birth. I had one injection Monday in Fargo and another on Tuesday back in Bismarck.
When we asked the perinatologist (specialty in high risk pregnancies) in Fargo about the duration of the pregnancy and how soon these babes may arrive he said that it is so dependant on the woman's body. He said that he has had women dilated to 4 cm and keep babies in for another two months and he has others in my situation that may have the babies within a few days. So basically, we have no idea! The plan is to repeat these steroids again in two weeks in order to always have them helping the babies' lungs mature a little faster.
Speaking of little babes...they are growing like weeds in there! Baby A measured 1 lb 13 oz (measured 1 lb 6 oz one week ago), Baby B at 1 lb 15 oz (1 lb 10 oz) and our biggest, Baby C at 2 lbs (1 lb 11 )!!! All I can say is, grow babies grow! They all are still measuring about a week ahead of average so hopefully that will help them if they decide to join us early!
We also got to go back and see all of the fabulous nurses and doctors that helped us get here! Without them we would not have been able to have another child. All of your kind words, gentle teasing, and encouragement along the way has really changed our lives! I don't know if we can ever find the right way of saying thank you to all of you! Dr C. who apparently gets days off...we hope when you have a clinic day in Bismarck again that you let us know when so that we can give you a big hug as well (and corner you about when you are coming to babysit these three girls!). Really, we would love it if sometime that you are here that we could hopefully show you this big belly or the beautiful girls that are going to come from it! Thanks again to all of you!
Tuesday was a little different day...I went in for a very minor surgical procedure to have three moles removed (one near my eye and two on my arm) that were starting to get a little suspicious. With my mom battling of skin cancer the last few years, we didn't want to let them go on any longer. We will find out in a few days what the pathologist decides that my moles were...hopefully just a safety precaution!
The moles were only the beginning of being picked on (or so I felt) that day. We met with our OB, Dr. I after the mole removal to get the other steroid shot for the babes lung development. From here she wanted to immediately admit me for a 12-hour IV dose of magnesium sulfate, which is suppose to help the neural development and prevent hemorrhaging after a premature birth. The IV wasn't as bad as they made it sound, but it was not fun at all. It made me feel so hot inside as well as completely parched. I don't think I have ever drank so much water or pee'd so often in my life. Good thing this all wore off after a few days!
So after the moles, injection and IV, I felt pretty defeated. Up until this point I felt that I was being so strong and brave as this pregnancy weighs and beats up my body, but I finally hit a point where all I could do was cry. I've been doing a lot of praying and asking for help to make it through the final stages. I realize now that nothing about this pregnancy or these babies is in my control. I can put up a strong fight to keep them in my belly as long as possible, but it is out of my hands now. Only God will know when it is time for these little ones to show us their faces! That is a hard reality for someone who is a Type A, likes to be in control of herself, planner-type of person. I guess this too will only make me a stronger person in the end.
So the best news is that we have made it to 26 weeks! Each day is so important now. The first major stepping stone was to hit 24 weeks, which is the point when the babes are viable outside of my belly. The next major stepping stone is 28 weeks, which is the point where we are past most major premature birth defects. So that is our next goal! The next points are too far out for me to think about, so I won't even go there. But triplets are born on average at 32-33 weeks, so we are getting there (not fast enough of course)!
We still don't know what to think of the river in Bismarck! They have started decreasing the flows out of the Lake Sakawea reservoir, but yet it still has more water coming in than what they are pushing out the dam! And furthermore, we are still above the level of the spillway gates! We just fear that they are starting to make some cutbacks on the flow prematurely. If there was a heavy rain or fast snow melt in the mountains, I am afraid that the flooding will only get worse in Bismarck. So we still are not planning on making any changes with me not living at home or with moving our belongings back home. There are still so many things that can happen and the river is still very high. I guess you could say we learned from Minot when they had to evacuate a few weeks ago, but remained dry and now look at the massive flooding they have had! Speaking of, our prayers go out to everyone affected by the flooding, but especially my cousin in Minot M. & H. M. whose house has become part of the dike being covered with dirt. I wish there was so much more that I could do to help you besides offering prayers and my support!
We'll leave you with yet another belly picture:
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| The smile can be deceiving!! These babes are getting very heavy these days! |
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