On Wednesday the 30th we had our appointment for a growth scan and another check of my cervix.
The good news:
The boys are both measuring well, estimated at about 1.5 lbs each. The OB seemed pleased with this, and I was, too.
The bad news:
My cervix is still short. I had fantasized that it would have lengthened in its time off, but apparently not. The OB I saw did not seem overly concerned given its fluctuation over the course of the ultrasound, but of course my bedrest continues. He said to come back in two weeks for another cervical check.
I also received my first shot of steroids at the OB's; Eric gave me the second shot this morning. He is an old pro from my IVF cycle. I told him he should be a nurse in his next life, he gets that needle right in there and no pain, nothing. I have had experience with doctors and nurses who are so much worse! I hope that these shots do their job. I read somewhere that steroid shots are most effective in the two weeks after they are given, and I'm not sure what that means, exactly. Will my boys' lungs become less mature after two weeks? That doesn't make sense... In any case, I am hoping we have weeks and weeks to go and won't have to investigate further.
Wednesday night I began having more frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions a little after 6 pm. I started timing them and they were coming about 20 minutes apart, at one point two were 30 minutes apart, then 25... This is not normal for me. I am accustomed to having a few a day, generally hours apart. So I decided to just call the doctor. I would rather have the OB paged for nothing than ignore something serious. He called me back almost immediately and discussed my contractions. He said:
1) In a twin pregnancy, it is normal to get up to 6 BH in an hour
2) Contractions are more frequent from 6-10 pm at night
3) Steroids increase contractions! Now, wouldn't it have been nice if someone would have let me know that beforehand?
In any case, he assured me that I was fine, and said that I should come in next week for another cervical check for my own reassurance. I do hope it is for my peace of mind and not because he thinks that I am in big trouble... But I like the structure of weekly appointments, in the meantime I tend to just sit here and dwell and worry.
I went to bed early, hoping to just feel better and less worried in the morning. Today I am 24 weeks, which is considered the point at which a baby would be viable outside the womb. Now, the survival rate is still only about 50-60% for babies of our boys' size, so that is not impressive. And it comes with a whole host of long-term problems that no one wants to think about. Regardless, it is a pregnancy milestone, and when I was first pregnant, it was something that seemed so far off I couldn't fathom it. I am happy to be here, and sincerely hopeful that I have many more weeks left of pregnancy.
I feel the babies move frequently, which is nice. Although I feel A a lot more than B... Well, as long as things are moving in there, it relieves some of my anxiety about their well-being. Eric has yet to feel them from the outside. The few times he's been around and they've been going crazy, they stop completely the second he puts his hand on my belly. I hope he gets a chance to feel it soon, because I think he'll find it very exciting!
You can see in my belly picture that I am growing. I think I actually look better than in that photo. In that photo I look like boobs and a belly with a tiny head on top... I swear I'm in better proportion than that! Or maybe not, which means it is good news that I don't go out in public anymore.
Happy New Year! More to come about our guests and celebration.
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