Tuesday, August 30, 2016

24 Weeks Pregnant

I am six months pregnant as of Monday of this week and I really can't believe it. Wasn't I just finding out I was pregnant? All of a sudden, I'm experiencing moments of sheer panic. Our house isn't ready to bring two babies home... We have so much left to do in the nursery... Our current cars can't even fit three car seats... My anxious thoughts go on and on. Something about having twins makes me feel like I need to prepare absolutely everything way ahead of time.

I find myself having weird bouts of energy where I will clean the entire house in one evening or make multiple freezer meals in just a few hours. I guess I'm officially in nesting mode. I'm either feeling completely exhausted or I'm in hyperdrive, and there's really nothing in between right now. It must be kind of funny for Josh to observe.





Babies at 24 Weeks 

It feels really great to know I made it to the first viability milestone in my pregnancy that I mentioned in my last post. At my doctor's appointment last week, everything looked great. Baby A was estimated to be around 1 lb., 6 oz., and Baby B was roughly 1 lb., 5 oz. I was relieved when my doctor informed me that the size difference between the two is much smaller than in my previous ultrasound and isn't a concern anymore. Both babies are right around the 50th percentile for height and weight, which is great news!

According to my baby growth tracker apps, the babies are about the size of eggplants. No wonder my belly feels so huge already! Their faces are completely formed and they are developing hair. It also says they are gaining approximately six ounces per week each! No wonder the scale changes so much from appointment to appointment.


Weight Gain

At my last appointment, I was up another 3 pounds, making my total weight gain 18 pounds as of about 23.5 weeks pregnant. My doctor initially told me my goal for twins should be around 45 pounds, so this number seems pretty good to me. The multiples book that I've been reading, When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, and Quads - Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Pregnancy, has given me many pointers about how to gain weight in a healthy manner during a multiples pregnancy. I highly recommend this book if you're pregnant with two or more babies!


Eating

I don't really think I've had any new cravings this week or even been especially hungry. I'm still really into oatmeal for breakfast and have been eating it every day. I like mine with blueberries, almond milk, cinnamon, a little natural peanut butter and a pinch of brown sugar. I set a goal to eat more fruits and vegetables in general and drink more water.


Feeling

I mentioned this previously but I'm so incredibly tired. Way more exhausted than I ever felt when I was pregnant with Asher. I am sure having a two year old contributes to this but I never realized how physically draining a twin pregnancy could be. I find myself needing to lie down after active periods and needing to go to bed extremely early these days.

My SPD (Symphysis Pubis Dysfunction) is back and I had forgotten just how painful it was during my last pregnancy. It developed about halfway through my third trimester when I was pregnant with Asher, but it was far more manageable. I was able to rest often because I was on summer break from teaching and also didn't have a child to chase after. This time, it's more severe and came on way earlier in my pregnancy. I remember my doctor warning me that this could be the case in subsequent pregnancies but I hadn't even thought about it until I woke up one morning last week with a sharp pain radiating through my pelvic bone. It makes it difficult to put on pants, walk up/down stairs, pick up anything remotely heavy, walk long distances, stand for long periods of time, even sit or lie in certain positions. I plan to discuss options with my doctor this week, as some moms in my multiples group mentioned physical therapy as a coping strategy.


Sleeping

Asher is continuing to sleep soundly in his new bedroom which means that Josh and I have been getting 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep every night. Well, uninterrupted by toddlers, as I'm still unable to make it more than a few hours without a trip to the bathroom. I'm still sleeping really well, despite my strange and vivid pregnancy dreams which continue every night. A few nights, I've had a hard time falling asleep because I'm thinking about everything we still need to do before the babies get here. But I suppose that's to be expected at this point!


Something to Be Happy About

The one benefit of my nesting is that I am busy at work filling our deep freezer with meals for when the babies get here. (I'm using Pinterest to find recipes for freezer and crock pot meals.) Last pregnancy, I had the foresight to freeze about two weeks worth of meals and it was a godsend when we were deliriously exhausted from taking care of our newborn. With two babies on the way and one rambunctious toddler, I know this time I will need to do even more prep because I will have even less time to cook in those early days. In the last week, I have made four meals to go in the deep freezer! I'm hoping to have an entire month's worth of meals frozen by the time the babies arrive. I'm not sure if this will happen but I'm going to keep up with the cooking as long as I have the energy.


Something to Look Forward to

We are taking a family trip this week to Buffalo with Josh! Josh is going for work and has been asking forever if Asher and I can tag along on one of his trips. I've read that it's not recommended for women pregnant with twins to travel much in their third trimester, so I thought we should go while we are able and I'm still feeling well! Josh will be busy on Thursday and Friday with business meetings but Asher and I will be able to swim in the hotel pool, take long walks in the stroller, and hopefully find some local parks or playgrounds to explore. This will probably be our last trip we take as a family of three, so I want to try to make it special for Asher. On Friday afternoon, we plan to take Asher to Niagara Falls for the first time. On Saturday, we are making a trip to Canada to go to IKEA and a town called Niagara on the Lake. I am looking forward to a few days away!

Tuesday, August 23, 2016

23 Weeks Pregnant

I wish I'd done this a while ago, but I'm finally making it a priority to write about my pregnancy. During my first pregnancy, there was so much time to focus on the little life growing inside me. I always knew exactly how many weeks pregnant I was, approximately how big the baby was, and which fruit or vegetable he resembled each week.

With my second pregnancy, I'm so busy chasing after Asher that sometimes I forget to acknowledge that I hit a new week of pregnancy, let alone which produce these babies are supposed to resemble. I'm hoping that this blog allows me to take time each week dedicated to thinking about the changes occurring in my body as the babies grow and I get closer to holding them in my arms. The second half of pregnancy goes so fast and especially with this potentially being my last pregnancy, I want to document the experience.




Babies at 23 Weeks 

According to my handy baby growth app, my baby boys are now measuring in at over 11 inches and 1 pound each! I'm so eager to hit the 24 week mark next Monday when the babies are considered "viable" and would receive life-saving treatment if they are born early.

I'm feeling movement all the time, especially when lie down. I've read that a lot of twin mamas can tell which baby they are feeling but I honestly have no idea. I'm hoping that after tomorrow's ultrasound I will have more of an idea of where they are. Sometimes I think I feel kicks up high near my ribs. Other times, I feel movement way down low. They are still so small that they can change position often so it's hard to distinguish whether I'm feeling an arm or a leg, let alone which baby!


Weight Gain

As of my last appointment at 21 weeks, I was up 15 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight. I don't weigh myself between appointments because I already feel like I step on the scale way more often than I'd like. I do feel like my belly is growing pretty rapidly these days! My maternity dresses are all I fit in now and I'm starting to stress about what I'll wear with fall around the corner. Last pregnancy I was in Florida and never even had to purchase maternity jeans.


Eating

I feel like I am hungry and thirsty all the time. For the most part, I try to eat healthy but I definitely let myself indulge if I'm having a craving. Cooking at home helps me focus on getting balanced meals; this week's dinner menu includes Skinnytaste's Cheeseburger Casserole and Gimme Some Oven's Chicken Alfredo Baked Ziti. I've also been loving using all the organic veggies my parents sent me home with from their garden in Vermont. Random cravings this week have included: ice cream, all the pasta, eggplant parmesan, and oatmeal.


Feeling

I am really starting to slow down and realize my limits with my twin pregnancy. I feel exhausted all the time. I think I have officially gotten past the honeymoon phase of pregnancy and am just feeling heavier every day. I'm also having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions, especially when I'm active. My doctor isn't overly concerned but keeps telling me I need to take it easy. I'm not supposed to be picking up Asher anymore, which is hard at times but I know I need to listen to my doctor.


Sleeping

I still think I'm sleeping better this pregnancy than I did when I was pregnant with Asher. I have to get up several times a night but I'm able to fall back asleep pretty easily thanks to my glorious pregnancy pillow (that Josh jokingly refers to as my boyfriend.) I am still having the bizarre, vivid dreams that I always have when I'm pregnant.


Something to Be Happy About

We moved Asher into his new room this weekend and it went SO well! We had been nervous about how he would adjust and we tried to make it as fun and exciting for him as possible. We presented him with his new rocking chair, which was a birthday gift from his great-grandma Jackie. I'm happy to report that he has been sleeping through the night in his new room all week. I'm starting to think I was the one waking him up at night with my frequent bathroom trips. Overall, I'm happy it went so well! Hopefully Asher doesn't get possessive over his old room when he realizes that the babies will be occupying it in the coming months. The "mine" phase is a struggle.


Something to Look Forward to

Josh has been working hard at getting the baby room painted and I'm so excited to start decorating! After approximately 20 paint samples, we decided on a pale gray/blue and it looks so good on the walls. I think the white cribs and changing table will really pop against the color. My to do list includes deciding on a rug for the space, as well as crib bedding.

I'm also looking forward to my appointment tomorrow! I have an ultrasound to measure the babies' growth. One of the twins was measuring slightly smaller at my last ultrasound at 19 weeks, so I'm anxious to see how they are doing. I can't wait to see them wiggling all around on the screen!