19 Weeks

...and only FIVE weeks until the V-DAY! For those of you who think I am crazy for counting down until Valentine's Day in August, I am actually referring to Viability Day. Babies begin to have a CHANCE at surviving if born at 24 weeks, and since multiples can come earlier than most, it is more of a milestone. Although their chance of survival is about 50/50 then, it shoots up to almost 100% by 28 weeks. Of course we hope to be having big 35 weekers, to know that they could survive outside my body in a couple months (with lots of medical help) is amazing to me. Stay inside a long, long time Boys and stay closed and long, Cervix! (Yes, I frequently converse in my mind and out loud with my cervix.)

My husband and I took a "Life with Multiples" class at our hospital. It was so fun to be around other pregnant-with-multiples parents, although we were the only ones who already had a child. At one point, we had several couples sitting around us, taking notes about the newborn experience, car seats and breast pumps. The second half of the class was mostly about what to expect from the NICU and how to begin breastfeeding preemies. I learned much about how parents can be involved with NICU care, and what the reasonable expectations for them are depending on when they are born.

Out of 11 couples in the class, 9 had twins, and 2 (including us) had triplets. The other BBB triplet mom there was in "bed rest" chair which reclined, and she looked much more comfortable than I. Those chairs were BRUTAL and I am thinking at the next class in about 3 weeks, I need one of those, too. She is almost 28 weeks and looks miserable. She looked at me and said, "This is going to be you in 8 weeks. Get ready for it." She also sees Dr. K at our MFM and was put on bed rest 4 weeks ago when her cervix went from 3 to 2 cm in a week. She has held strong there and they are hopeful there won't be anymore changes to it. It frightens me how much it can change in such a short time. Frequent readers must know that every twinge or cramp makes me worry about mine.



And, the 19 week belly. Wow, is it growing. I am surprised at how much harder it is already to bend over, get up off of the couch or roll over in bed. My body is changing rapidly making yoga pants my favorite thing and it necessary for a new bra, STAT. The one I am currently in (already up from my normal size) leaves large indentations all over me. I am loving feeling the boys move more now, and laugh at how active Baby B is compared to his brothers. Baby C likes to snooze, and A is more of a sporadic mover, but B seems to move almost constantly some days. I have a feeling A is still kicking him in the head, poor guy.

My next appointment isn't until Tuesday (how DARE they make me wait 8 days? Don't they know about the neuroses in my head?) afternoon, so I will update then. Hoping to have more good news, with the twins sharing their placenta evenly, and my cervix still over 4 cm. I also need to talk to the substitute doctor about activity and bed rest since she is less concerned about it than my own doctor. I might start calling her the too-relaxed-for-my-taste-doctor but it takes a long time to type. Oh, how I miss my conservative Dr. P. I think she returns from Europe next week, thank goodness. She is not the hugging type, but I might just have to tackle her when she gets back.

Off to watch "True Blood". Nothing to take one's mind off preterm labor like sexy vampires and the Deep South!