23 wks

I'm 23 wks  and feeling so much better than I was. For the most part my severe morning sickness let up around 18 wks. I'm still getting sick some mornings and sometimes later in the day if I do too much and get too tired. But it's a big improvement. I'm still taking my meds after a recent attempt to come off of them was a disaster, so will keep going for now. 

My belly finally popped about 3 wks ago and I actually look pregnant and not just chubby! It probably coincided with being able to eat more. At 20 wks I made it back to my pre-pregnancy weight and have pretty much moved into wearing maternity clothes now. 

Once I started to feel better I realized that the prenatal care I was getting isn't working for me. I went to an appt where the dr hadn't read my notes and didn't even know I was having 2 babies. She measured my belly and proceeded to freak me out by commenting that I was having a 'little peanut.' When I asked her if something was wrong, being that I was already worried about my weight loss, she pretty much brushed me aside. She was far more concerned with time management and sending me off for yet more blood work, than with me personaly. The thought of getting her for delivery was pretty scary. 

Then when I went for my 20wk scan the tech didn't know I was having twins either. That bothered me less as we had already decided to switch and I wasn't surprised by that point. J was practically out of her chair ready for a fight - it's not the first time we've had issues with this tech either. 

I called up the wonderful midwife J used when we were expecting N and asked if she would take me on. She was happy to hear from me and said she would, but because I'm technically considered 'high risk,' I'd have to use a dr too. She recommended the dr that she works with and said that they would manage my care between them. 

We met with the dr the mw recommended and while I can't say I'm crazy about him, he at least knew that I was having twins! I've come to the conclusion that I don't like drs or hospitals so getting these babies out is going to be a challenge. J is going to have to drag me to the hospital when the time comes! It sounds like the delivery will be a circus, so far from the calm, quiet delivery I'd hoped for. I have to deliver in the OR and the dr says I have to have an epidural in case he needs to 'help' baby b out. So along with J, me and our midwife there will be the dr, nurses and a NICU team for both babies. I'm hoping that having the mw there will ensure that the babies aren't whisked away before we get to really see them. She'll also help with skin to skin time and nursing. 

Changing drs had also meant switching hospitals. Instead of being 20 mins from home we will be 45 mins away. It's definitely a better hospital and has a better NICU if we should need it, but it does put us further away from N. The babies birth will be the first time we have both been away from him overnight and I'm nervous about it.  We haven't got our plan for him totally sorted out yet. We have lots of possibilities and are still trying to figure out what will be best for him. Depending on how I deliver J may only stay with me for one night and be home with him the others. I'm still hoping to avoid a c-section and a long hospital stay. 

Anyway, the ultrasound I had at 20 wks turned up some concerning news that had me on edge for the the last couple of weeks. The scan showed that baby b has a 2 vessel cord, instead of the usual 3. I was referred to a mfm for fetal ekg's. Despite being told that all looked good and it happens in 1% of pregnancies I was still freaked out by it. 

We went on Friday for the longest ultrasound ever. It took 1hr 45 mins and was definitely detailed. We even got to see the babies in 3d which was cool and weird all at the same time! Both babies were declared to be healthy and weighing in at around 1.5lbs. Exactly what a singleton would be at this point in pregnancy. This is what baby a thought about all the poking, prodding and scanning..... 

I'm feeling so much relief now that I know they are both ok. The tech we had was amazing. She explained everything she was doing and took the time to show us all the ins and outs of each babies' heart. Now I'm scheduled for regular scans to check on the babies growth and have appts booked all the way to Boxing Day. It seems hard to believe that I'll still be pregnant then, but who knows!! It all depends on the babies I guess!!! 

Now that I'm feeling better and N is back in school I hope to get back to blogging more often!