Sigh of Relief

Everything looked great at today's appointment! I don't know why I was so nervous, but I was. Both babies are looking great and I'm in pretty good shape too. Here are the highlights.

• Each baby has its own placenta
• Both placentas are in a good spot.  Baby A is on my left side and the placenta is attached at the front.  I think this explains why it has been harder to hear the heart beat on the doppler because the sound has to go through the placenta.  Baby B is on my right side and the placenta is attached at the back.  Although Baby A is called Baby A because it looks like this will be the first baby out, they told me today it is close.  Looks like they're going to compete for the first trip through the birth canal.
• Blood flow through both placentas and cords looks good and both cords appear to be placed appropriately (in the main part of the placenta and going into the belly).
• Both babies weigh about 5 ounces right now and are measuring about 3 days ahead of schedule.  This is really good news for twins.  They like to see them grow at the same rate.
• Both babies had a heart rate of 150.  Normal is 120-160.  We watched one of the babies have the hiccups or some kind of rhythmic jerking while listening to the heart beat.  This is quite common because their nervous systems are just forming.  You could see the movement along with the spike in the sound from the disturbance.  Pretty cool.
• We saw two hands and two feet on each baby.  Too soon to count fingers and toes because they generally are all curled up at this point (although you'll see from below, we did get one shot of a spread out hand on Baby A).
• We saw a nice nasal bone (the nose) in both babies.
• We saw stomachs and bladders full of fluid.  This is a good sign that the babies are swallowing amniotic fluid (as they are supposed to) and it is making it through their whole digestive system.  We also saw two kidneys in each baby.
• Nuchal folds were both within normal range for this time frame (<5).
• My cervix is nice and long (I think over 6?).
• I have two fibroids (an extra has grown since January), but they are small and shouldn't interfere with the babies at all.
• My blood pressure is still very low at 112/56.
• No protein in my urine.
• My uterus is now above my belly button and I'm measuring at 21 weeks.
• My weight is up to 129.5, so I gained 8 pounds since my last appointment (about 3.5-4 weeks ago).  I'm psyched about this.  It seems like it took forever to start gaining weight.  I'm officially the heaviest I've ever been in my life and couldn't be happier!  (I know 130 doesn't sound like much, but I'm only 5'1").

They sent us home with a bunch of pictures (some of which are below) and a dvd!  We were able to play the dvd in our dvd player, but I can't get it to play on our Macs.  There goes my idea of trying to post the video.  Oh well.

We did agree to draw blood for the quad screen today (tests for risk of Trisomy 13, 18 and Downs) since it was recommended (no particular reason) and insurance apparently pays for it.  Results should be back in about a week.

Next appointment and U/S in 4 weeks.  All in all, we couldn't have asked for a better appointment.  I still don't know quite how to react when everything goes perfectly!  Other than the perma-grin attached to my face, of course.  Just not used to that.

Here are three pictures for your viewing pleasure.  The first shows both Baby A (right) and Baby B (left).  Baby A looks like a freaky skeleton in this picture.  The shot is taken like the camera is right above Baby A looking straight down.  Baby B looks a little more normal and is shown looking towards the camera.  You can see the nose, mouth and one of the eye sockets.

The second picture shows Baby A stretching out the left hand.  You can count four fingers and a thumb in this picture.

The third picture is a 3D/4D picture of Baby B, which is why it looks different than the others.  Cool, huh?  They look better as you get further along and they have more flesh on their bones.  We cracked up when we saw this picture because it really looks like Baby B is flipping us the bird!

Awake

It's 4am and I'm wide awake. I don't know whether it is nerves about tomorrow's scan or just pregnancy keeping me awake. I peed and had a snack and still I'm awake. We toured two hospitals yesterday and got a ton of information. Now it is all swirling around in my head making me crazy. I think it started to occur to me yesterday that I'm actually expected to somehow get these babies out of my belly at some point. And then we're expected to actually take them home and care for them! Both ideas seem like ridiculous concepts at the moment. But then again, most things seem ridiculous at 4am.

As far as the hospital decision goes, I'm leaning towards one of the hospitals (the newer one) with just one concern at the moment. It has a level II trauma center, as opposed to level I. This would seem to matter if something goes drastically wrong with me (as opposed to the babies). I don't know if this is something to really be concerned about or not and plan to ask the doctor tomorrow.

Otherwise, both hospitals have a level IIIB NICU (not sure why the ratings are opposite for trauma versus NICU, but I is highest for trauma and IV is highest for NICU). I think there are only two level IV NICU's in Denver (neither are convenient to us) and all the other hospitals transfer care there to the extent a preemie needs cardiac surgery, etc. The NICU in the older hospital is currently under construction for expansion and our tour guide was unsure about timing for completion and didn't think it would be before the next year or so. I can't imagine construction noise is good for preemies.

The newer hospital also has "family rooms" attached to the NICU where you can spend the night (if you are discharged but the babies are still in the NICU). The guide suggested that this is used for when the babies are close to coming home and you can gain confidence by staying the night with them, but still having the back-up care. The tour guide at the older hospital didn't say whether they have similar rooms. In fact, she didn't say much at all about the NICU, even when asked.

Both have only private rooms, although one hospital has some rooms with private showers and others that share showers. Both have similar amenities in the room (tv, vcr, dvd, wireless internet, etc.). We clocked the trips and both are exactly 18 minutes from our house with no traffic. We've heard good things about both hospitals from mothers who had their babies there, so I think it is probably difficult to make a "wrong" decision here.

Those are the major points I can remember at the moment about the hospitals. Mom came with and took notes for us, so I'll have to look those over for anything I'm forgetting.

I just hope the scan tomorrow shows two healthy babies. Please. Pretty please.

15w2d Belly Shots

Happy Saturday.  B got out the camera today to take some 15w2d belly shots and Molly just couldn't resist being part of the action.  She had to say hello to Apple and Banana.

Doppler Mania

That's right.  Posting two days in a row!  Maybe I'll actually be back to my old blogging self soon.  I have officially begun my self-imposed 4 day weekend.  I was trying to save up vacation time for when the buns come, but I decided that I need a little mini-break for my own sanity.  I don't know if it's the hormones or completely justified, but I find myself overly frustrated at work lately.  So a break seemed like a good idea.

On to the doppler.  I bought a cheap one made in China after reading Spicy's post.  I mean, who can resist a pink plastic doppler?  I decided to splurge and order the version with the lcd screen where the heart rate would show.  Upon opening the package, I was relieved to find that there were instructions that appeared to be in English.  That's right, appeared to be in English.

When trying to put the batteries in, here are the instructions I read:

Build in Battery

1. Use pollex backwards to undraw the battery (what's a pollex?)
2. Swith away the battery cover (I might start using this phrase, it seems whimsical, "swith away!")
3. Build in the battery according anode and eathode with batter AAA
4. Up with the battery cover

Number 4 is my favorite.  Except I picture a superhero in a cape pointing to the sky "UP with the battery cover!!!"

Fortunately, I still have enough brain cells left to figure out how to put the batteries in.  Next came trying to actually work the doppler.

Operation Procedure

1. Indicator light No. 3 is shining when open the volume button LCD screen state hint area show digitalls1
2. Apply coupling gel to unit probe as shown in diagram (this sentence is actually coherent, although they could have used a term other than "coupling"-there will be no coupling going on between me and my doppler)
3. Make the probe stick to the belly.  Move it slowly, until hear the fetal.

The directions then go on to advise on listening to music (yes, it plays music! why would you want anything to get in the way of hearing the heart beat?), and recording as follows:

Soft music was stored in instrument, first open volume on-off knob, press function key, LCD screen state hint area show digital is 2, and play the soft music at the same time; once again press function key, then LCD screen state hint area show digital is 3, and enter fetal heart demonstration state at the same time, instrument play standard fetal heartbeat sounds of clinic record;  Thirdly time press function key, LCD screen state hint area show digital is 4, instrument enter preparation of fetal heart recording state, press recording key, the instrument begin record fetal heartbeat sounds and hold itself in the machine inner part; once again press function key, LCD screen state hint area show digital is 1, instrument return to fetal heart monitoring state.

Computer Recording:

We will be able to record the fetal heartbeat sounds by computer (we will?), keep it for memory, operation step as blows (okay maybe this part is my favorite, "as blows" hee hee!):

1. First, put a head of route that the random machine provides to headphones socket of instrument, another head of route is jointed to microphone of computer, careless contection (what the heck is a "careless contection?").
2. Install related software of recording in the computer, open software interface of recording
3. Find fetal heart, point the computer software and start recording sounds when you listen clear of fetal heart sounds.

Does anyone speak this language?  Because it sure doesn't sound like English to me.  Actually, it sounds like some kind of robot English that a faulty voice recognition software made up.

We have been able to find the babies heart beats (we think we found both, but it is a little difficult to tell). The sound is way inferior than the doppler at my OB's office, but that's to be expected for a cheap toy like this.  It did take awhile the first time.  I'm proud to say that we've only used it once the night it arrived on Tuesday.  I will probably pull it out again tonight though.  Although I consider myself a relatively smart person, I really don't think I'll be able to figure out the recording function.  No "recording software" came with the doppler, so I'm not really sure how this is supposed to work.  Maybe I'll just connect it to the computer, press buttons and see what happens!

I'll be sure to update if I figure it out.  Let me know if any of you speak or read robot English and can translate for me!

I'm Sorry

I have become the world's worst blogger. Infrequent posting and all I can think to write about is pregnancy.  Blah, blah, blah.  I'm sure I still have a brain in there somewhere, right?

So here's the quick version of the update:

• Still having bouts of bad nausea, but they are shorter and less frequent (yay!).
• Which means I'm starting to feel better.
• Thinking about trying to wean myself off the zo.fran, but afraid to do so.
• Can't wait for the next ultrasound on Monday.
• Is it Monday yet?
• Got the doppler yesterday.  It is cheap and the instructions are laughable (this is a whole separate post that I'll try to get to this weekend).
• Picked out cribs, but haven't ordered yet.
• Starting to look into daycare, nanny, and doula options (thanks to Mom's help).
• 15 weeks tomorrow.
• Is it Monday yet?
• Today is our 4 year wedding anniversary!

This is a bit belated, but below is the latest belly shot from last Sunday (14w3d).

Look at how the belly bulges over the panel in my maternity shorts.  No wonder they're not that comfortable.  I've been living in dresses the last couple of weeks.  Maybe I should invest in a couple of mumus.

Things I'm Noticing

I no longer have a face. At least, no one seems to be able to look at it. When talking to people this week at work, I've been noticing a distinct difference in that they ALL stare at my belly while they're talking to me. It's a weird feeling for me because I've never been one of THOSE girls. You know, the ones whose boobs seem to attract the eyes of men like magnets? Sure, my boobs are nice (if I do say so myself) and they match the size of my 5' 1" frame, but they don't tend to attract that kind of attention. So I can't relate this experience to anything else. It is actually kind of nice because I don't really want anyone looking at my oily, teenage train wreck of a face right now!

The other thing I've been noticing is the different reactions you get when you tell people you are having twins. The question I usually get first is whether twins run in the family. When I say "no, they don't," many people ask if I had fertility treatments (or another variation of this, "did you take drugs?") or if they were conceived "naturally." I honestly don't mind when people ask this and I always tell them we did IVF, but it is just interesting to me that people feel comfortable asking this. It is something they would never think to ask if we were having a singleton. I've even gotten this question from total strangers.

I know it is pretty obvious from the last belly pix, but the belly has definitely been getting more attention at work this week. I was just commenting to my mom today about how I look like I'm 6 months pregnant already. Not 10 minutes later, I ran into a coworker who I hadn't seen in about 2 weeks.

Me: Hey, M! How are you?

M: Good. HOW ARE YOU? I don't think I've seen you in...ummm...(stares at belly)...about 6 months?

Me: Uh, yeah, it seems like that long doesn't it?

M: I guess congratulations are in order! (stares at belly some more)

Me: Thanks! We're really excited.

M: Is this your first? (still staring at belly)

Me: Yep. Our first TWO!

M: Wow! Do twins run in your family? (staring at my belly like it's about to talk back or something)

Me: Nope!

M: That's so cool! Congratulations! (still staring at belly)

M didn't actually ask about fertility treatments. I'm sure he was wondering.

On a slight change in topic, I gave in to the peer pressure (thanks Nancy and Spicy Sister!) and ordered a home doppler. I am looking forward to its arrival (in 5-11 days) and I hope I can maintain some sort of will power and not use it obsessively or freak out if I can't find both heartbeats. It's good to have goals, right? I did get one that you can record the heartbeats in the hope that I will be able to figure out how to post an audio file here. I'm sure Apple and Banana's future grandparents, great grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins would love to hear their little hearts swooshing away. I'm not making any promises, but we'll try. And if not, maybe it will be loud enough to hear over the phone!

At my last OB appointment, the doc said that we could do as many ultrasounds as we wanted to because insurance doesn't usually hassle you about paying for these with a twin pregnancy (i.e. there is always something to be concerned about at any stage, so you can always justify taking a peek). But when I went to make my next appointment, the woman would not schedule an ultrasound for me (after putting me on hold and checking with the doctor). It didn't make any sense.

So today, I gave in and called the nurse line. I told the nurse that I was concerned about my fibroid, that it hadn't been measured in a long time and I wanted to check it out on ultrasound to make sure it wasn't going to interfere with this pregnancy. Of course she had to discuss it with the doctor before giving me an answer. Five excruciating hours later, she called back and gave me the green light. The doc told her that with a twin pregnancy, she prefers to do ultrasound every 4 weeks and even though it has been more than 4 weeks since my last one (at 8.5 weeks), it is okay to wait until my next appointment (July 28th). Given that and with the fibroid (which the doc wanted to check out too), it is a no brainer. Not sure why the scheduler I spoke with to make this next appointment had such an issue with it, but I'm sure glad I called back!

So, we are scheduled for an ultrasound along with my next OB appointment in less than two weeks! The ultrasound will take a full hour (I guess there's a lot to look at with two). Hopefully Apple and Banana will cooperate and give us a peek at the goods (if it isn't too early to tell)!

13w2d

Belly pix taken yesterday at 13w2d are posted below. I posted two this time because after taking the first picture, I realized I've been trying to stand up straight, the effect being that I was sucking in (as much as I could). So the second picture shows the belly fully relaxed. Scary how much I've grown in one week, eh?

What's really strange to me is that even with the belly, I've not gained any additional weight since last week and I have only gained a couple of pounds in total. Yesterday morning I was two pounds heavier than I was when I left for Baltimore, but most of it disappeared by this morning. So, if the belly gets bigger and I don't really put on weight, where does it come from? My legs, arms, and ass don't seem any smaller to me, so it isn't like I'm losing elsewhere. To make things stranger, my boobs have definitely gotten bigger (although you can't tell from these pix because they are dwarfed by belly!) as well. Baffling.

Oh, and if you have any advice to offer on twin strollers/car seats, please see my last post to join in on the great stroller debate of 2008.

Travel and Baby Gear Thoughts

I spent 4 days in Baltimore this week for training for work. I was pretty nervous going into it about how I would feel traveling and being away from home. All things considered, it went pretty well. I managed to eat more normally than I have in months and even stayed out late two nights in a row! I went to a baseball game Wednesday night and then met my friends A and W (ha-like the rootbeer!) out after dinner Thursday night. They drank and I had NA beer. First time I've been able to even be around alcohol due to the smell! I was really quite proud of myself for behaving like an almost normal person for a change. It was refreshing. Apple and Banana (as I have started calling the buns) must have enjoyed their first trip out of the state.

B was at home with the dogs all week and I don't think he thought it was fair that I was starting to feel normal again when I was away from him. After all, he's been dealing with the first trimester me and, let me tell you, she is no pleasure to be around. I think I'm starting to move into the second trimester me and she is much easier to handle. First trimester me will likely still make some appearances here and there, but hopefully she'll be kicked to the curb permanently soon! I'm still taking the zo.fran and will not try to wean off of it until I feel better more often than I feel bad. I need to be careful that I don't push myself now that I'm having chunks of time of feeling better. I wouldn't go so far as to call them spurts of energy yet!

My next appointment isn't until July 28th when I'll be 15w4d. They haven't scheduled an ultrasound, so I might call and beg for one. My doc told me at the last appointment that we should have no problem getting our insurance to pay for multiple ultrasounds with a twin pregnancy-there's always a reason to peek inside. If I can convince them to schedule an ultrasound and Apple and Banana cooperate, it would also be possible to find out the genders at the next appointment.

We are also starting to think about the baby registry and baby gear. There is a lot to think about, especially with twins and it all seems so overwhelming. There are so many options for everything that it almost makes it harder to figure out what you need. We have been starting with the big items. We think we have decided on the cribs and dresser/changing table. I think we've also decided on two pack'n plays because we didn't hear very positive opinions about the double one. We've settled on keeping Apple and Banana in one room versus separate bedrooms and we've decided which of the two bedrooms will be their nursery. Progress! We don't want to fully decide on decor and bedding until we know the genders.

The big thing we're struggling with is the stroller and car seats. There are two options we see here. The first is getting this snap'n go stroller. It is basically a bare bones stroller frame that you can strap an infant car seat into. They claim you can fit most major brand infant car seats, but in the store, none of them seemed very sturdy in it other than the car seats that are the same brand and made for this stroller. The big pro to this option is that it is really light compared to full strollers (much easier to get in and out of the car). If we go with this option, we will need to purchase a double stroller later when the babies are able to sit upright in a stroller as opposed to using their car seats.

The second option we are considering is this double travel system. It also takes two infant car seats (same brand only-but it is at least a popular brand we've heard of), but can also be used when the babies are able to sit upright in the stroller. It is much heavier than the first option, but we would be set (I think) on the stroller front for awhile. The other issue to consider is that there was a recall on some of these strollers and I'm not sure if this particular model was recalled or not. Have to look into that.

I think either way, we are stuck having to buy new car seats when the babies grow out of the infant seats because it doesn't seem like any of the travel systems take convertible car seats. Please enlighten me if I'm wrong!

So, we welcome and appreciate any advice as we begin the great stroller debate of 2008!

New belly picture to come soon. It's growing by the day!

12w2d

Quick post to show you the latest belly shot-taken yesterday at 12w2d. It's funny, to me the naked belly just makes me look fat, like I have a beer gut. But in clothes, I definitely look pregnant.

Pine Beetles

Thursday afternoon we drove up to the mountains (about an hour from our house) to do nothing in a different setting. My parents joined us a couple of hours later. Thursday evening wasn't too bad, other than a rough patch around dinner when I decided I couldn't eat (like almost every other night). B and I both slept fitfully in a bed smaller than what we are used to and the dogs woke up at the crack of dawn. B let me sleep for a couple of extra hours, although I woke up every 20 minutes or so to roll over because my hips were aching. Not sure what that's all about.

Friday was a nice day. We went out to lunch (yay, Mexican food!), hit the store for groceries, and then just hung out on the deck for the rest of the afternoon. The weather was perfect-70's and sunny with a few high, white clouds and a slight breeze. We sat on the deck enjoying the fresh air and scenery. I'm always amazed at how blue Colorado skies are once you are away from the pollution of the city. Contrasting this and the warm weather with the higher peaks that are still spotted with snow, it all looks like a postcard.

The only thing marring the perfect scenery is the dead lodgepole pines that now seem to outnumber the healthy trees. The trees are dying off in record numbers because of a pine beetle infestation. If the infestation continues at its current rate, every lodgepole pine forest in the state will be dead in 3-5 years. It is dismaying and sickening to drive up to a place that should be full of dark green forest to find entire hillsides of red-needled dead pine trees.

They had sprayed around our house for pine beetles earlier in the week. It seems like a futile fight when you look at the extent of the current damage. But I guess they need to at least try considering the increased fire danger from millions of dried up pine needles and bark. As we sat there enjoying the day, I wondered what this place will look like when our kids are old enough to enjoy it. I pictured them running around the deck with the dogs, screaming and playing. Will they be surrounded by hillsides of dead trees? Or will the trees be cut down and they'll be looking at hillsides of empty stumps?

I know that there are people who think the infestation is just part of the life cycle and that it kills off the weak and vulnerable older trees, but it is still sad to see.

But even with the pine tree devastation, it is still a beautiful place and I'm glad we live so close and we are able to enjoy it.

Phew!

I won't hold you in suspense. Today's OB appointment was great. Everything is doing what it should. We heard two awesome heartbeats today (Baby A at 155bmp and Baby B at 160bpm). Baby B was a little more difficult to get a clear reading for and the nurse said that will be the one with attitude. If they take after their mother, they'll both have attitude!

They weren't sure if they would be able to find the heartbeats with the doppler as I guess it is still on the early side. The fact that they were able to find both was very encouraging and the doc thought it was a really good sign. Now that we've heard the heartbeats, she said risk of miscarriage goes down to 3%. To any normal person, this would sound great, but I know how quickly things can go wrong. I'm just taking a deep breath and letting myself feel relieved for now.

My weight is up to 121.5, up from 119 in early April when I had my annual exam right before the IVF cycle. I did lose a little bit of weight at first, so I'm relieved to be back where I started and up just a tad. I probably would have gained those 2.5 pounds at this point anyway even without being pregnant if I wasn't working out (which I haven't been). My blood pressure is still nice and low and there were no ketones in my urine, so I'm plenty hydrated. All good stuff.

My belly is measuring 18cm and you can already feel my uterus just above my belly button. The doc said this is what you would expect around 18-20 weeks if you were having a singleton and that this is a good sign for having twins and being 12 weeks (where I am). So now I can stop worrying that I'm growing elephants in there and be comfortable with how fast I'm growing. I'll have to post another belly picture soon. I swear I'm getting bigger every day.

Over the last couple of weeks, we've told more people that we are having twins. By far the most common response is "but you're so small!" I'm 5'1", so yes, I'm short. But this response was starting to freak me out. Like, "hey, I AM small! How is this going to work?!" The doc assured me that short women do just as well with twins as taller women and it is nothing to be concerned about.

I asked the doc about the need for seeing a nutritionist and she said let's play it by ear and see how I gain weight. I guess that is incentive for me to try to pack on the pounds on my own because, honestly, I'm a little scared of seeing a nutritionist. I have a hard enough time finding things that sound good to me and that sit well. I just don't want to have to start counting servings. I obviously want to do what's best for these babies, but I want to also be able to relax a little and trust that my body knows what it's doing.

I am supposed to continue with my baby aspirin for the duration. The doc said it wouldn't hurt anything and it may have some benefits. I do need to add an extra 1mg of folic acid in addition to the 1mg I get from my prescription prenatal. So I'll be taking the baby aspirin, prenatal, folic acid, and col.ace (my best friend) for the near future.

I got permission to take baths! I know it sounds paranoid, but after so much time and effort to get here, I was just trying to be really cautious about everything. Apparently hot tubs are a problem because the water is constantly heated, whereas bath water, even if it starts out hot, cools off as it sits there, so it shouldn't raise your core temperature. The doc also suggested still laying low and not exercising other than walking and floating in a pool if I feel like it (as if I own a swimsuit that fits right now).

We also talked about hospitals. My OB's group practices out of 3 hospitals. One of them is out by CCRM, which is not very convenient to where we live. She also said that she wouldn't recommend the NICU at that hospital unless I made it to 32 weeks (which, hopefully I will, but you never know). Out of the other two hospitals, one has been renovated and has a much newer feel than the other. The nurse had told me that the NICU at the older hospital was better, but the doc told me today that she would be comfortable delivering preemies at either one. She said that the same group of neonatologists rotate between the two hospitals. I always thought we would deliver at the newer hospital, but once we knew twins were on the way, I just wanted the one with the best NICU. They both take about 20-30 minutes to get to from our house, but the older hospital requires going through lots and lots of stoplights and a road that tends to have a lot of traffic depending on the time of day. The newer hospital would just require highway (65mph) and a major road to get to, so we could speed (shh!) if need be. Knowing that the doc is comfortable at either one makes me feel good. I think we will tour labor and delivery at both and go with gut feeling, but right now I'm leaning towards the newer hospital.

We talked about doulas and the doc is very supportive of using a doula. They are actually trying to put together a list of local doulas that their patients have used and had good experiences with. If anyone has any good ideas for questions when interviewing a doula, I'm all ears (eyes?).

I was told not to expect to travel after around 24 weeks (at least if traveling by air). I am going to Baltimore for a work training from Tuesday through Friday next week, so that might be my last flight for awhile.

We also talked about what to expect with bed rest and work. My goal will obviously be to work up until I'm told I shouldn't anymore or until I just can't stand it anymore. I want to save as much leave as possible for after the babies are born, but I will still need to do what is best for them before then.

The doc also explained to us about how the position of the babies will be the biggest factor in determining whether I will deliver vaginally or by c-section. If both babies are head down, the prognosis for vaginal delivery is good. If the bottom baby (Baby A) is head down and the top (Baby B) is either breach or transverse (side to side), it is up to us if we want to try for a vaginal delivery. They will monitor both babies because sometimes Baby B goes into distress when Baby A comes out. If Baby A comes out and Baby B is still doing well, they can try to turn him/her, or grab him/her by the feet and pull out breach. However, if Baby B isn't doing well, then you end up with vaginal delivery for A and c-section for B. Not the best scenario in my opinion! If Baby A isn't head down, it would be an automatic c-section.

Overall, we got a lot of good questions answered and I'm starting to feel a little more prepared. We do still have to decide if we want to do any screening. There isn't really any indication for anything other than the Jewish panel, which we declined with CCRM. Given that everything seems to be going so well and I'm not yet 35, there is no reason to do any early screening unless we want to. Yet another thing to think about.

Sorry, this was a bit of a long post, but I just wanted to get it all down before I forget things. We are heading up to the mountains tomorrow for a couple of days of fresh, cool air. It is only an hour drive for us, so if I start feeling bad and want my own bed, we can always come back early. But I'm hoping I will do okay so we can enjoy a couple of days away. Hope everyone has a nice 4th of July (and hope my Canadian friends had a nice Canada day)!