Four Weeks and Counting...

Tomorrow I celebrate my four week anniversary of being here! Can you believe it's already been four weeks??.......cause I CAN. I am hoping now that I'm a little farther along, time won't seem as painfully slow. Getting to 26 weeks seemed like an eternity. Mainly because it was so scary to think about babies being born that early. We are getting closer and closer to a safer time period which we are so thankful for.

No changes here other than the dosage of my medication. Thrilling to say that least. :) I've been contracting more so I have to take a pill form of Terbutaline. This is definitely preferable to the shot because although the pill makes me jittery, it's not nearly as bad and still calms everything down. Seems to work ok but I still have 2-4 contractions an hour. Nothing painful but it is noticeable. I get monitored twice a day still for contractions but only once a day for baby heart beats because we were finding I was contracting more being all strapped up for the babies. Here's a picture of the morning monitoring.




The three monitors on the bottom are the babies. The top one is for contractions. That's just to give you an idea of where the babies are located. I still can't imagine how cramped and squished they are. If one little worm kicks, they all go off their monitors and we have to find them again. Sometimes it can take up to three hours to get 20 minutes of consecutive heart rates. They are all getting a FIRM talking to when they arrive. :) They got measured last week at 26 weeks and weighed in at:

Baby A: 1 lb 13 oz
Baby B: 1 lb 13 oz
Baby C: 2 lb 4 oz

I'm hoping by next week they will be well on their way to 2 and 1/2 pounds. I'm getting bigger by the second and stretch marks have arrived! Lovely.

It's amazing to think these guys could arrive in the next 3-6 weeks. For my birthday next week I'm going to ask my doctor if I can go on the wheelchair ride. I'm dying to see other walls besides mine.

L-O-V-E

First, I just want to start off talking about the 'L' word. I thought I knew love. Honestly I have worried about love a lot in this pregnancy as I have gotten bigger, more emotional, more crazy, and a soon-to-be mother of three. Could mine and Clark's love handle this? Is this too much?

Now I love my hubby.....his energy, passion, and sense of humor. But as I lay here each day, living a life similar to "The Half-Ton Man" on TLC, my love for Clark grows tenfold. Every time he brings back a fresh load of laundry for me, when he (against his will) bought me more underwear when I realized I would be here for a while, when he crawls in the hospital bed with me to rub my back or take a quick nap, when he helps me shower and get ready for bed quickly so I can stay off my feet, when he paints my toenails (he really did...and he did awesome), and so much more. I mean the list is just growing and growing and my heart is full as I witness all this. Amazing.

This brings me to my point. I love Clark's humor and he has this incredible ability to make me laugh even in the worst circumstances. I laughed out loud last night during my beloved shower because Clark pointed out that I share more in common with the Half-Ton Man than I thought. Restricted to a hospital bed, meals brought regularly throughout the day, need assistance bathing, and haven't seen below my belly button in a while. Insert Clark's fat voice while reading all that and you'll laugh out loud too. Anyway, I just love him.

Surprisingly enough and unlike the half-ton man, I haven't gained an ounce since I came here despite my constant eating. Apparently it's normal and muscle mass plays a big role. Hopefully the pounds will start coming back soon as my body adjusts. My belly has grown though which I'm glad for because these babies need to fatten up! Here's my 25-week belly photo and some pics of my luxury suite with view.








This past week brought some stable results from doc which I'm happy with so this next week will be much of the same....laying, eating, reading, and sleeping.

Here's my whiteboard with all my countdowns.



Not too exciting but at least I have something coming up in the near future!

Living the Life of Luxury

The first week in the hospital has been nothing short of eventful. One would think lying in the hospital bed all day would be pretty boring, and believe me, at times it is. Thankfully, the days seem to go by really fast and before I know it Clark is on his way over. It is amazing how a day can be filled up with so much of nothing. For those wondering what type of nothing occurs on bedrest at the hospital, here is a list of activities I enjoy on a daily basis:

-Twice daily Blood pressure/Temperature/Lung/Leg reflex checks
-Making sure I have my moon boots going (help circulate blood in my legs, but I look a little like Michael Jackson with them on...or so Clark says)
-Twice daily contraction Monitor checks
-Baby heart beat checks
-Bathroom breaks every 30-50 minutes
-Ordering and eating 6 times a day
-Taking medications
-Waiting for Clark to come
-Drinking 100 oz of water
-TV, knitting, blogging, etc...

Just a bunch of nothingness. However, I am 24 weeks and 3 days today which is a big milestone in ANY pregnancy because the baby/babies chance of survival at this point is so much more than it was a week a go. This week is also known as the week of viability.

My last Doctor report on Friday was still unfavorable. My cervix has continued to shrink and measured at 14mm. This means no visitors and very compliant bedrest. Luckily (for Clark) showering privileges are every few days now.

I have started steroid shots which are helping with the baby's lung development. Definitely an uncomfortable shot right in the butt. However, knowing how much it will help the babies takes away a bit of the sting. On a side note, Clark is hoping this also gives them a leg up from the beginning for Pee Wee football which will be happening in a few years.

I have started having contractions this week which has really worried the doctors so I have been started on drugs to keep the contractions away. I take Procardia twice daily and have Terbutaline shots when the contractions become more regular than six in an hour. However, with three babies in there, keeping my uterus calm seems to be a harder task than the doctor had planned.

I am trying to stay as still as I can so as to keep contractions to a minimum. The next big milestone is week 26 so we are trying to make it that far. Nothing more to report and no pictures unfortunately. My camera is never handy and I don't think I want a picture of myself on the blog. Maybe I'll take them now and post them later...after the fact. :)

Thanks for all the support and prayers. Definitely been feeling the love. We've just been trying to get into a groove that works for us and where Clark can balance his home, hospital, and work life. Whew! Lots to balance. Hopefully the next Doctor report will be in our favor!

xoxo

Day 1

Well folks, my time has come.

Bed rest has come my way. I started today excited to go to the doc and then head to the theater to watch Eclipse. After learning my cervix had thinned significantly from over 40mm down to 23mm, the doctor talked briefly about how he recommends hospital bed rest when the cervix length is less than 25mm. Then he left the room. Clark and I were really confused as to what was happening. He went and called my doctor and they decided on a plan of action. I was not dilated at all luckily but because I was also starting to have some 'funneling' of my uterus, as they call it, the docs told us to head down the hall to the antepartum unit. Then....I took my rightful place in bed. My pernatiologist ordered a FFN (fetal fibernectin) test to be done right away. This detects the presence of a fibernectin protein near your cervix. This protein is essentially a 'glue' that holds the sac/sacs of water to the uterine wall. Near week 39-40, this glue starts to break down allowing the sac/sacs to loosen from the wall thus preparing for delivery. Obviously this would not be ideal as I am only 23 weeks. If the test is positive (protein is present), there is a high likelihood of delivery within the next two weeks although it's not a guarantee. If negative, I would be in the clear for a while. So although my OB is not an advocate of the test because of the inconclusiveness of the results, he followed through with the peri's order. Surprise, surprise...my test was positive. Now we're nervous even though, like I said, it's not a guarantee of imminent delivery. Either way, Doc says I have a ticket here for the duration of my pregnancy.

My privileges include getting up and going to the bathroom......that's it!! You read right, no showering privileges for the time being. That should be interesting.

I got hooked up to a contraction monitor to see if there was any activity going on. There seemed to be a lot of 'uterine irritability' as they called it but no clear or consistent contractions. The nurses still felt that I needed a shot of Terbutaline to calm things down. This was probably my first of many shots. After 20 minutes there didn't seem to be a change so I got a second shot. That seemed to do that trick. As great as that medication is to get things under control, it makes my heart race and gives a feeling of breathlessness. I felt I had just ran a marathon for a couple hours and was very shaky. I tried to eat a waffle and couldn't control the shakiness enough to even put a fork to my mouth. That seemed to be when reality set in that I was at the hospital and things were serious. Luckily Clark was there to help feed and calm me. I imagine he was just as frazzled as I was.

While being monitored for contractions I also had my first round of fetal monitoring. Basically the nurses find all the babies heart beats and monitor their activity. All babies cooperated and gave a good show. I'll be monitored for 20 minutes, twice a day. All the babies were measured at the peri's office this morning. They are weighing in nicely.

Baby A: 1 pound 4 oz
Baby B: 1 pound 5 oz
Baby C: 1 pound 8 oz

Some good to the day is that I've already ordered two meals and they were brought to me in bed!! Also, I'm not in active labor so it wasn't an emergency situation. Now it's just a matter of keeping those critters in there. I'm certainly not excited to be here and frankly am quite surprised. I expected it eventually. Just not today and not so suddenly! So Eclipse will have to wait. Clark and I decided we want these babies to have a September birthday. That would put them at 32 weeks Sept 4th. So let the countdown begin!

64 days left...

The Secret Diet

I've been totally lame with posting but energy levels have plummeted for me so using any sort of brain power has become difficult. However, I wanted to record a little bit about my diet and what all the hype is about!

It seems like every pregnancy book I've read, although full of encouragement to enjoy the time of eating what you want, still discourages gaining too much and overestimating your calorie requirements. So when I bought one of the ONLY books about triplets....I was sick to my stomach when I saw these figures:

Weight gain prior to 24 weeks: 36 pounds
Weight gain overall: 58-75 pounds
Calorie Intake: 4,000 calories
Protein: 200 grams
Carbs: 400 grams
Fats: 178 grams

36 pounds by 24 weeks?? 4,000 calories??? 200 grams of protein??? This seemed virtually impossible. Especially because when I read the book I was barely eating/drinking much of anything. By week 12 I had only gained two pounds and couldn't even think about eating meat. The reason and science behind the proposed weight gain is that after 24 weeks, you can't eat enough anymore to keep up with the calorie requirements of the babies...so they use all the prior stores you built up. Weird to think about but as I'm only one week away from 24 weeks, I can see my appetite and amount I eat slowly decreasing with each meal. There's not much room anymore! The weight gain won't extend my gestation period but apparently it can add half a pound, on average, to each baby at birth. When these babies will be around three pounds....half a pound is a big deal!

I have found myself having to rededicate over and over to this diet. I feel better when I don't eat as much, so it's hard, but I know that's exactly what I shouldn't be doing. I've stuck with it and will be EXACTLY 36 pounds heavier by next week! Goal achieved! Some staples in my diet these past 15 weeks have been:

Egg sandwiches
Mac N'Cheese
Quesadillas
Ensure drinks with protein powder
Lots of milk
Cottage Cheese
Greek Yogurt
Beef/Chicken/Tuna

I rarely ever eat out or have a desire to eat out. But basically I eat some sort of animal protein every day, LOTS AND LOTS of cheese, and milk. The meat has been hard because I've never been a big meat eater. Needless to say, I'M TIRED OF EATING! I hope it all pays off!

22 week shot. I'm measuring as big as a 30-week singleton pregnancy! I haven't grown out as much as I've grown in width this past month.

21 Week Report

Saw my specialist yesterday for the regular three-week appointment. Nothing too exciting to report but I need to report nonetheless...otherwise I'll never remember. The fluid accumulation has now resolved which was great news. The babies were VERY squirmy so he had a hard time getting the measurements he needed or profile pictures. Sorry, nothing to show. The unofficial weights from the appointment are:

Mom: 27 pounds heavier! I have 2.5 pounds of baby so obviously the rest of it has gone straight to my hips! I currently have gained the normal amount for a singleton pregnancy and am only 20.5 weeks. I have a feeling I'll be passing the husband's weight by the time this is over. :)
Baby A (girl): 12 ounces
Baby B (boy: 15 ounces
Baby C (boy): 15 ounces
The boys are totally ganging up on our girl and stealing all the nutrients! Figures. Hopefully the weight discrepancy doesn't get any bigger.

New pregnancy symptom: Heartburn. Apparently 50% of pregnant women get this so the odds are not with me. Let me tell you, never having had this before...it is horrible! It really feels like someone burned me with a curling iron right there.

Nothing seems to be able to cool me down from these hot, Texas days. I sleep with two ice packs just to cool my feet and hands. The bathroom at the hospital yesterday was so cold I just hung out in there for a while before my appointment. Ha! We did just buy a small swamp cooler that I'll just use at nights since it doesn't cool down here at all. Hopefully that will help. Seriously, I don't remember what it felt like to be cold...

In good news, the babies are much more active and I can feel lots of kicking. Mostly from Baby C on my left side but it's probably just due to his position. It's kind of fun knowing that what I'm feeling isn't stomach rumblings. Baby A's head is RIGHT on my bladder so I definitely feel her moving at times. Baby B is very quiet over on the right. He's still breech and will occasionally roll around but that's it.

I feel more tired everyday and just hope these babies are getting what they need. Things are fine though and are looking good for me to be able to attend the movie Eclipse on opening weekend! YES. Keep your fingers crossed!!

xoxo

P.S. Had my baby shower last week. Very fun! Pictures are on my other blog.
P.S.S. I got a fortune cookie yesterday that said, "A thrilling time is in my immediate future." I have a feeling that might come to pass....

Multiples Lamaze

I called this a Sympathy belly last time. My mistake. It's an EMpathy Belly. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture with Clark in it. He was in front of a class so the picture taking opportunity was a bit awkward. HOWEVER, he said that as soon as he sat down he had to go to the bathroom! FINALLY....a little bit of empathy for all my bathroom breaks. :)

I wanted to record a little bit about the lamaze class we attended. This class was only for mothers of multiples and surprise, surprise...we were the only triplets in there. Everybody else was expecting twins. We got special treatment though so no complaints.

The class took place two Saturdays in a row at the hospital where we'll be delivering.

~We talked about pre-term labor which I'm at high risk for. How to recognize the signs and what to do.

~We practiced breathing and relaxation techniques during labor. Although I'm set for a C-section, we still participated in the exercises because that meant shoulder and back massages for me! YaY! Only problem was that Clark wanted to be the one laying on the ground and getting a massage.

~We talked in detail about the process of C-sections and what to expect. Our instructor even found a C-section for triplets which was really interesting. Brought tears to our eyes. We're still unsure if the tears were out of excitement or fear! :) Those babies were out in less than two minutes though!

~We talked about preemies and some of the complications that can arise. Our babies will be small so we're expecting to be driving back and forth to the hospital for a little bit.

~We toured the NICU and got to see the PODS where the babies stay. There are 48 beds in the NICU which is huge and our hospital has the highest ranking of care for their NICU. That's reassuring and the tour was so helpful in giving us an idea of what to expect.

~Of course there was talk about epidurals which I purposely tuned out. It will all be done behind me so no reason to watch it be done to someone else. Enough said. I did meet a girl at the Doctor's office who said she LOVED her C-section because she literally could not feel one thing. So....that's comforting, I guess.


Clark even admitted to being grateful for the class. I think we learned enough to be prepared but still hold a bit of ignorance so as not to freak us out. All I have to say is that I am SOOO glad it is June and one more month is in the record books. Some other records in the books is the weather here and my weight. 100+ degree weather all summer just isn't going to cut it. I will die. It also doesn't help that I've gained three pounds a week for the past three weeks. Hmmmm...maybe I should choose low fat ice cream. ;)

I would highly recommend this class to any person pregnant with multiples. I have never taken a singleton class but the multiples class, I assume, covers preterm labor and c-sections in more depth. Being able to recognize preterm labor is super important and we spent the majority of the day on this topic. Well worth the time.

Belly shot: 20 weeks.