Pregnancy
November 30, 2010: 4 weeks
On my 25th birthday (spent in the ER of course, everyone knows how dramatic I am, duh!)...we received the news that we are pregnant!!! *Starting weight= 100lbs*
December 14, 2010: 6 weeks
1st ultrasound. As the doctor slowly turned the screen towards us, "Well, these are your twins..." I know everyone wants to know our reactions but I assure you it wasn't as exciting as TV would have you believe, honestly we were both stone-faced and silent. It wasn't until we got to the elevator that it really sunk in and we hugged and sort of just stared at each other...lots of staring and lots of silence is the best way I can describe what finding out you're having twins is like haha. *We also got to listen to both of their heartbeats at this appointment but we were still in shock so it's kind of a blur*
December 21, 2010: 7 weeks
2nd ultrasound and yes there are still two in there! Both measured at exactly 7 weeks.
January 4, 2011: 9 weeks
2 doctor appointments in one day! This is pretty much going to be the norm for us so we need to start getting used to it :-)
January 18, 2011: 11 weeks
Fantastic ultrasound appointment. Got to see both babies very clearly and watch them move around. *Weight=104lbs*
February 10, 2011: 14 weeks
4D ultrasound confirms 2 GIRLS
February 17, 2011: 15 weeks
Always dramatic, I passed out in Marty's Flooring in Valencia...paramedics, EMTs, firemen, the whole nine yards! Spent all day in two different emergency rooms but finally got to go home when CT scans, x-rays, and ultrasounds showed all three of us were perfectly fine. ER tech says they are definitely girls as well :-)
18 weeks
2 big ultrasounds this week that show 2 perfect, absolutely healthy, 100% GIRLS. *Weight=110lbs*
March 22, 2011: 20 weeks
At 20 weeks I'm starting to feel the weight of these ladies! I've gained 15 pounds and they are each weighing about 10 oz so where that other 13.5 pounds has gone is a mystery to me. I've also learned to manage on about 5 hours of sleep a night. These two kick and poke so much that I'm only able to fall asleep for 1-2 hour stretches...it could be another long 20 weeks...
March 28, 2011: 21 weeks
I stared in disbelief at the scale in the doctor's office...118 pounds...I was literally 115 pounds last week?! In other news, Emma has finally gone head down and Olivia is currently breech (feet down) sort of sitting on poor Emma's head.
April 21, 2011: 24 weeks
And now the complaining begins...I'm more uncomfortable than ever: I hardly sleep, eating has become a challenge (I have to lean back when I eat, what's that about??), my frequent bathroom trips have returned with a vengeance, and the girls' kicks and hits have become quite powerful (enough that some are painful and I can scare a whole room full of people and my violent stomach can be seen from 10 feet away). I truly feel like Bella in Breaking Dawn (my die-hard Twihards know what I'm talking about lol). However, I try to remember all the things I'm thankful for: I ALWAYS know my girls are fine because they NEVER stop moving, I can still fit behind the steering wheel, people let me cut in lines, and Alex pretty much lets me say and do what I want :-) We are both looking forward to our Dr.'s appointment next week and seeing how much I weigh (I refuse to weigh myself in between appointments) AND getting another sneak peek at our girls :-)
April 25, 2011: 25 weeks
Had a good but sobering Dr.'s appointment today. Girls look great, Emma is still head down and Olivia is still breech. Discussions started about our birth-plan, which to be honest I wasn't ready for...it finally hit me that I actually have to deliver them to get them here lol (to paint a more accurate picture of how not ready I was: after our appointment we went to Islands for lunch where I proceeded to cry in front of an entire restaurant like a baby, yaaaaa pregnancy is fun). We talked about the pros and cons of both a vaginal birth and a c-section, we both seem to be leaning more towards a c-section based on the girls' positions (I have lots of concerns about having to deliver Olivia breech if she doesn't flip), but we still have lots to discuss :-) I was surprised to learn that in 4 weeks I only gained about 4.5 pounds--I feel like I've made the biggest size change in these 4 weeks so I expected a much bigger jump! We were also informed that if my Braxton-Hicks contractions ever seem to become more regular that we are not to call and are just to come in to Labor & Delivery. This caught me off guard a bit just because I've been having them since 20 weeks and when I've called the nurse hotline they are much more nonchalant about it, so now I feel like I have to pay more attention to them, eeek. *122.2 lbs*
26 Weeks
Had another ultrasound this week :-) We absolutely love getting to see the girls. We also got some good news--Miss Olivia has finally gone head down! She does still have some room and there is a possibility she could flip again but for now I'm very excited and hopeful she and Emma will stay this way :-) We figure Miss Olivia made this move a few nights ago when I was in such pain and discomfort that I almost had Alex take me to L&D...glad I toughed it out because I would have been super embarrassed when they told me it was a baby moving haha. We've also been switched to check ups every two weeks instead of 4 and those start this Monday.
May 9, 2011: 27 Weeks
Great doctor's appointment today :-) Got the results from the girls' comprehensive ultrasound last week and for however little most people think I am...these ladies are both measuring in the 50th percentile for size! This is great news considering twins can be smaller and be in the lower percentile but both our girls are perfectly average (and of course I'm taking average as a huge accomplishment, just this once, after this I want above-average milestones, grades, you name it hehe). This also make us feel better if they do decide to come a little early because we know they aren't measuring too small. Next task: child birth and care classes begin this week as well as our maternity ward tour and pre-registration with the hospital next week! *126.6lbs--> over 4lbs in just 2 weeks, eeek!*
May 15, 2011: 28 Weeks/7 MONTHS!!
Well we are officially in the third and FINAL trimester! Of course we kicked it off in our typical style...with a trip to Labor & Delivery :-) A few days ago I woke up at midnight feeling pretty sick (I'll spare you the details but let's just say I spent the night losing my food every which way). By 7AM I thought I was better and ate breakfast, which I promptly lost :-( By 9AM I was beginning to think something wasn't right and this wasn't morning sickness. By 11AM my back was aching and my contractions felt different. I called Alex, my mom, and L&D, all told me to come right in. So my poor mom had to drive me 30 minutes to the hospital with my eyes closed and clutching a Ralphs grocery bag in the event I had absolutely anything left in me. Long story short...something made me sick, so sick that I became extremely dehydrated, to the point that tests showed my body was starting to break down muscle. ANDDDD fun fact-- the leading cause of preterm labor issssssss DEHYDRATION. Unfortunately, for an unknown reason, my heart also started acting up. My pulse was so high that they couldn't give me the medication to stop my contractions. So I got to experience contractions about every 5 minutes from 12PM to almost 6AM the next day. They tried everything to get my heart rate back to normal and nothing was working. I had EKG's, echocardiograms, etc etc. All they could tell me at the end of the day was I had a heart murmur and a pulse over 135. Meanwhile, my cervix started shortening and they started running tests to see if I was actually going to go into full labor. By 7PM that night we learned that the tests showed with 98% certainty that I would not go into full labor but they still couldn't stop my contractions or get my heart rate stabilized. Let me tell you, it was a LONGGGG night (Alex faithfully slept by my side of course <3). In the morning, after lots of different medications, tests, and rehydration, my heart rate got down to the 110-120 range and my contractions spaced out to every 30 minutes and were much less intense. At about 1PM everyone was convinced I was back in the safe zone and ok to go home-- I couldn't get out of there quick enough! I'm happy to say we're all home and the girls are still cooking! I'll have to have this special enzyme test every 2 weeks to make sure I'm still not going to go into labor but I'll take an uncomfortable test every 2 weeks instead of visiting these girls in the NICU :-)
May 25, 2011: 29 Weeks
Girls are still looking good and both are still head down. Longggg doctor's appointment but we left there feeling a lot better than we had over the last 2 weeks :-) Didn't make a big weight gain but given how sick I was for a while there I'm not all that shocked lol. Before we left our doctor informed us he just found out he and his wife are going to have twins AND they are both GIRLS!!! What a crazy world!! Their "second baby" didn't show up on an u/s until just recently--she'd been hiding behind her identical twin sister (as they share a sac). We apologized for our twin girl magical dust brushing off on him but he is very excited as they have a son already. We knew we stuck with this doctor for a reason haha! <128.6 lbs>
June 1, 2011: 30 Weeks
Nothing too exciting to add this week, except that my homepage informs me the girls are now each the size of a squash...I found this fitting since we are all SQUASHED. Not my best humor but I'm trying to find the silliness in things these days . I've hit that wall that all pregnant women do (I think? I hope?): I AM OVER BEING PREGNANT. Don't get me wrong, I love these girls and I want them healthy, but mannnnnn am I beat. This week also brought with it some "bummer moments" that didn't help to improve my mood- 1. I can no longer fit behind the steering wheel :-( 2. My size 14 bridesmaid dress for Shanyne & Daniel's wedding is too small, 5 days before their wedding 3. I can also no longer reach the bottom rack of the dishwasher, load laundry into the washer or dryer, put on my own socks or shoes, shave my legs, see the "cup" when I have to give a urine sample all the freaking time at the doctors (sorry for the TMI but this one is especially upsetting and those who have done this know what a hazard it is lol), I can't tell if my underwear are even covering all the important parts, and on and on. I think it is safe to say the list of things I can't do has quickly overwhelmed the list of things I can do haha. We're almost there, we're almost there.
June 9, 2011: 31 Weeks
Really? Again? After what started off like any other doctor's appointment, we were directed by our Doc to go over to the hospital to do a "no big deal" fetal non-stress test. Basically they hook all the babies up and monitor everyone for a half hour or so. He informed us we would have to do these twice a week from now on in addition to seeing him. Cue my annoyed grunt. Before we headed over he checked my cervix which had shortened since the last check two weeks ago- it went from 2.9 to 2.3 but he didn't act concerned. Got over to the NST Clinic (Non-Stress Test), got all hooked up, everything seemed fine, but boy was I wrong. After the nurse tore off the chart from the monitor she said something about my contractions and I said, "Oh yaaaa, I've gotten use to them." She told us to go wait in the waiting room and then said under her breath "I'm glad I'm not a doctor and don't have to make these decisions." Hmmmmm I thought, what a weirdo. As Alex and I sat waiting to get the ok to go home something came over me, panic maybe? I turned to Alex and blurted out "I'm not going home am I? Am I?" Alex just stared at me but I think we both realized what was going on. Sure enough the nurse comes out and says they are going to admit me to Labor and Delivery for "more observations." I made it all the way into the room but fell apart when changing into my hospital outfit. Alex kept telling me it was ok but no amount of ok made me feel better. Unfortunately because my cervix had just been checked they couldn't do the fetal fibronectin test for another 24 hours (the test that predicts labor). The doctor informed me I was contracting-a lot-AND my cervix was now 2.1. I was given medication to lessen the contractions but would have to be observed for a while to make sure me and girls tolerated it. After 6 hours in Labor and Delivery we were finally released but we have to go back tonight for the fetal fribronectin test (that will really give us the information we need), we also have appointments scheduled for Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday of next week :-( With all said and done though, I have to say this medication is amazing!! Lol. I've been experiencing contractions since 20 weeks and for the first time last night I slept well. We are keeping our fingers crossed for the test tonight- a negative result buys us 2 more weeks of worry-free sleep...a positive result on the other hand means labor is imminent and my time is limited. At that point I'm not sure what their plan is-hospital bedrest, steroid injections for the babies, who knows? <133.6 lbs>
June 14, 2011: 32 Weeks
After a few more trips to L&D in the last week, it's become official--I've been sentenced to bedrest for the remainder of this pregnancy :-( After attempts at doubling my medication did not stop my contractions, my increasing anemia leading to concerns about transfusions during delivery, rising blood pressure, and low levels of toxemia beginning, the doctor feels I may deliver in about two weeks. It was a little upsetting to hear he thought it would happen so soon because I've dreaded since day one the girls having to spend time in the NICU, but with the way everything is progressing I'm sorta on a downward spiral :-( I'm still hopeful the girls can make it to 36 weeks instead of 34 weeks so I'm trying to take this bedrest thing seriously but man I'm already bored lol! We were also already scheduled for our "maternity photo shoot" this Friday so that will really be my last event before being confined to the house (except for my 100s of doctor's appts of course haha). I'm excited to meet the girls soon but terrified of not being to bring them home with us right away. I will be on my best behavior here on bedrest and hopefully these ladies will be able to cook a few weeks longer.
June 24, 2011: 33 Weeks
Every week I'm still pregnant feels like an accomplishment and a deterioration all at the same time! I'm happy for each day I gain because it's all the more better for the girls but with each day I become a little more worn down. After only a short time of bedrest my back already feels like it has given up on supporting me and these two lol. I can honestly say I've never felt back pain like this in my entire life--I didn't even know it was possible for it to hurt this much and not mean either A. I'm in labor or B. I have a rare medical phenomena where my spine is slowly detaching from the rest of me. I'm certain it's not A because of all the monitoring they do on me but I'm still hesitant to rule out the B option yet :-) Enough complaining though....the good news is everything was still stable at yesterday's multiple appoinments: my contractions have stayed the same on double the medication, my blood pressure is at a stable and consistent level, and with my feet continually up most of my swelling is gone. My anemia is still a concern and I really hope I won't need a transfusion during labor but this one seems to be entirely out of my hands. The girls always perform beautifully on the monitors so even with all the things that seem to be going wrong with me they are just fine! <135.8 lbs>
34 Weeks: June 30, 2011
Spent nearly 6 hours at Kaiser today...it sorta makes "bedrest" a wash when they require me to come in all the time and then have me walk all over the place for different appointments. However, at the end of the day the girls look good and things are progressing. I'm 1cm dilated and the doctor said she could feel Emma's head (I'm not sure if this creeps me out or just confirms what I've been telling everyone-it feels like these babies are ready to fall out of me lol!) We have lots of appointments next week (pending me making it until then): more monitoring appointments, an u/s to find out how big the girls are, and all our regular check-up appointments. Everyone at L&D is surprised that I'm still pregnant and can't believe how well the girls are doing given how I myself am doing. I just keep telling myself "Every day they are in me is one less day they will have to spend in the NICU." <138.8 lbs>
35 Weeks: July 6, 2011
Fun day at our diagnostic ultrasound! I think it is safe to say Alex and I don't make bitty babies :-) We were informed (with approximation of course) that Emma weighs 5 lb 7 oz and Olivia weighs 5 lb 11 oz!! At 5 weeks short of full term!! How crazy is that? That puts them right around the 45th percentile which is great considering they are twins and the percentile measurement is meant for singletons. Clearly these girls are taking after Alex and not me because I was a 6 lb baby and my little sister was 5 lb 13 oz at FULL TERM haha. Hopefully they aren't too much like Alex though because he weighed 10 lb 10 oz, eeekk! Things are moving right along and hopefully at tomorrow's 2 appointments we will find out if I've made anymore progress.
36 Weeks: July 12, 2011
Well, here we are- the average number of weeks a twin pregnancy makes it to!! Who would have thought? Certainly not our doctors and nurses (who reminded us of this yesterday at all our appointments). That being said, I reminded our primary doctor of exactly how uncomfortable I am hehe. After checking me out and discovering that even though I'm still only 1 cm dilated I AM 80% effaced or in the doctor's eloquent words "Wow, your cervix is barely hanging on, there is almost nothing left! And baby A's head is right there!" So after much discussion it was decided that I would come off my medicine by this Friday, oh happy day!! Even though we have spent much of the last 10 weeks on pins and needles from being told "labor could happen at any moment" now it finally feels like it will AND that it is finally a GOOD thing :-) Alex is beyond over-joyed and spent all last night talking to the girls and telling them that they can finally come out now and to please hurry up. He also has this bizarre fascination with wanting to be there when my water breaks and constantly talks about how bummed he will be if it happens when he is at work...that man is an enigma haha. On the flip side of all this excitement is the fact that I'm slowly coming off my meds and feeling my contractions for the first time in about 5 weeks and let me tell you...it was a longggg night. However, this morning when I got up, and felt like I'd been hit by a bus, I took a long look in the mirror and said "Good-bye belly, hello babies!" <139.6 lbs>
37 Weeks: July 20, 2011
Well, I've come to the conclusion that doctors don't really know a whole lot :-) I know they spent tons of money to go to school for a number of years to be able to say they are experts in their field but I'm seriously doubting that now haaa. Here we are...another week down and still no babies?! Our doctors are always surprised when we roll in for another appointment and none can seem to understand how I'm still holding these babies in. I'll tell you how: I have no other option! Alex and I have gone for tons of long walks, I've sat on that dang birthing ball for hours on end, I've cleaned every surface I can, and at the end of the day these girls are perfectly content with their environment. I know I know, that means they're not ready to leave yet, I get it. However, when you spent nearly 10 weeks feeling like they could come at any second and than you're given the all clear for them to actually come, AND THEY DON'T, you just feel stumped! The only change we made this week is that I lost my mucus plug (just as gross as it sounds lol) some days ago but still nothing :-( I'm now 37 weeks pregnant in 100* weather, with an awful rash on my belly that makes me want to claw my skin off, and I'm actually starting to lose weight! I'm literally throwing out every pregnancy book I own--I give up, it doesn't matter that women have been doing this for thousands of years, no one knows a thing about it still haha. <139.2 lbs>
The Girls' Birthday: July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 started off like every other day...I was uncomfortable and really beginning to wonder how much longer I could stay sane and pregnant! I was 37 weeks pregnant and had just had doctor's appointments on Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday night, after my doctor's appointment, I noticed I had some bleeding but had always been told after being checked you could have some spotting--so I wasn't too concerned. However, by Wednesday afteroon I was still bleeding and growing increasingly worried. I also just had this feeling, I can't really describe it except to say I just felt "yuck." I ended up not eating dinner and laid down for a couple hours. When I woke up I still felt the same "yuck" but no worse. Yet something told me something wasn't right. I looked at Alex and said, "We're going now. They have to do something for me. I can't stand another day this way." He agreed and off we headed to Labor & Delivery figuring they'd give me some medications and send me home. When we arrived at L&D we were ecstatic to learn our doctor was on call!! I'd been hooked up to the monitors and noticed my contractions were 3-4 minutes apart and growing stronger. When my doctor checked me he said, "Well guys, this is it." Me: "Whattttttttt?? Are you sure????" As he finished his sentence saying I was 2cm and 100% effaced, I had my bloody show. Ummmm not exactly what I was expecting. Let's just say I'm surprised Alex didn't pass out. Everything sort of becomes a whirl after this. We had arrived at the hospital at 7PM and by 10PM I was hooked up to a Magnesium Drip for my blood pressure and getting an epidural. *I am no hero...that epidural was my saving grace. While I admire women that go "all natural" it certainly wasn't for me* At 2AM I was 4cm and they broke Baby A's water. Unfortunately it was after this that everything started slowing down. I was informed that the Magnesium Drip was known to have this effect and so my contractions started to space out. I labored all Thursday and into the night before I was finally 10cm around 7PM. We were then wheeled into the OR to start pushing (twins are typically delivered in the OR in case of emergency csection). I started pushing and right away Emma's head could already be seen with TONS of hair. I felt optimistic and so did the doctors that this might go quickly. Except it didn't. At all. I had two things working against me: my contractions had really spaced out--to every 4 minutes AND Miss Emma was face up--not ideal for delivery. I finally just looked at the doctor and said "I feel like maybe I can hang in there to get Emma out but I'll have nothing left to get Olivia out." I was sad and disappointed that this wasn't going how I expected but after 2 hours of pushing everyone agreed with me and the OR staff jumped into emergency csection mode. Honestly, it was only a few minutes before they were starting the csection! It was an incredible process, we had a team of at least 10-12 people in there--a pediatrician for each girl, a set of 2 nurses for each girls, 2 doctors for me, 2 nurses for me, an anesthesiologist, and a few other helping hands. At 9:48PM Emma arrived with an amazing set of lungs, screaming her heart out. At 9:49PM Olivia arrived with an equally amazing set of lungs, screaming her heart out. When people talk about hearing their babies first cries you can't really comprehend it until you've been there. I have never in my life been so overjoyed to hear such blood-curdling screams! We were surprised by Olivia's size (4lb 9oz) since she had been measuring bigger in ultrasounds, and they took her to the NICU right away based solely on her low birthweight. I got one kiss goodbye while being sewed up :-( saddest moment of my life, hands down. Emma stayed with Alex and I (6lb 5oz). Over the next few days Olivia improved in the NICU and was able to join us on Sunday in our hospital room, we all went home together the following day, Monday :-) Their birth and subsequent days of life have been incredibly joyous, emotional, and difficult all rolled into one but we wouldn't change any of it because at the end of this journey we are home with two beautiful, healthy little girls.
Emma Rae McEwan
6 lb 5 oz 20 inches
Olivia Marie McEwan
4 lb 9 oz 18.31 inches
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