Third Trimester Recap!

The boys are here! Below are the highlights from the last weeks of pregnancy:

28 weeks - First trip to labor and delivery at Evergreen hospital. Contractions would not go away, needed two bags of IV fluid and two shots of terbutaline to stop the contractions. No signs of preterm labor, so I was released after 5 hours of being monitored. Doctor advises me to slow down or will put me on bed rest. Growth scan at doctor’s appointment shows the boys are 3lbs each and in the 85th percentile for weight. Both boys are still heads down. Measurement of my uterus from the outside shows I am measuring to 36 weeks, no wonder I’m uncomfortable! My friends from Bunco host a suprise shower!

29 weeks - Total weight gain is 30 pounds. Gestational diabetes test was done and I passed! Boys are both still heads down, my doctors appointments are now weekly to measure my cervical length (3+ this week) and check on the babies – both are doing great! Officially working from home full time.

30 weeks - 8 weeks left until "full term". Stretch marks on the belly appear. Baby A starts to get hiccups everyday after I eat.

31 weeks - Cervix has shortened to about 2.3 cm from 3.3 in a week - doctor wants me to come back in in 3 days. Day after Christmas ultrasound shows my cervix is 1.5 cm and .5 with 'pressure' the doctor admits me to the hospital and says I'll stay until the boys are born (could be a month!) Heartburn is terrible and I'm prescribed a stronger drug to help - it works miracles and I can eat again.

32 weeks - Happy 2009! We're still in the hospital, contractions have settled down and the boys look great. So far bedrest isn't bad, and we've had many visitors. I'm given nifedipine every six hours to keep my uterus calm and ensure contractions don't progress labor, the drug gives me a headache and makes me light headed. I get a repeat ultrasound this week and am allowed to go home as my cervix is stable and the "FFN" test is negative. This means that statistically there is less than a 2% chance I will deliver within a week.

33 weeks - Cervix is still stable at 33 week checkup (Tuesday) and I'm allowed to stay at home. Two days later, Thursday January 8 at 1pm, my water breaks while at home, I'm admitted to the hospital at 2pm and after being checked find out that I am 70% effaced, 3 cm dilated and having contractions every minute. I receive pitocin to help regulate and strengthen my contractions and progress labor. I also get an epidural and two hours later at 10:45 pm I am ready to go as Baby A's head is "right there". After a brief session of pushing we welcome the little men into the world that evening at 11:06 and 11:24. The boys go up to the NICU right away, but are healthy and need no support breathing. I am allowed to visit them an hour later after recovering from the epidural, and am released from the hospital within 24 hours so we can all be together in the NICU.