28 Weeks

So, it's been about 4 weeks since surgery. Each week, there hasn't been anything super interesting to update the blog with, so we kept saying we'd just wait to see what happens at our next appointment. And now it's been 4 weeks so it's probably about time!

The first 2 weeks after surgery didn't show much change. Baby A still had lots of extra fluid (14-15cm) but Baby B was slowly getting more fluid (up to about 3.5cm, which was good because he'd had almost none before). The doctors had been hoping that changes would happen more quickly, but the babies hearts were fine and they were stable, so that was good and we just kept waiting for more changes.

The 3rd week was better. Baby B had suddenly jumped up to 8cm of fluid, and he had so much more room to move around! However, Baby A still had around 15cm. We were happy with the signs of improvement, and we really hoped that meant that Baby A's fluid level would change soon too. 

We had high hopes for yesterday's appointment, but nothing had changed. Fluid levels still 8cm and 14-15cm. On the positive side, Baby A hasn't gotten worse and his heart seems to be tolerating it fine, which is good. But still discouraging that it hasn't improved. We met with a new doctor and she said the excess fluid is still concerning, and scared us all over again about the continued risk of heart failure/ stillbirth. So, we're not in the clear yet, and probably won't be until they are safely home with us. But, fortunately we continue to be frequently monitored for any signs of distress, which is all we can do. 

So now, not only do I have all of Baby A's extra fluid, but Baby B's increased amount too. 8cm is actually on the upper end of normal amounts- almost too much. So my belly is pretty large, but for some reason I'm still not in as much pain as I was before surgery. And luckily, my cervix hasn't even shortened yet! This gives me some hope that we may make it a little longer- although there's always the possibility that we'd have to deliver them at any time if they are in danger. But we're past 28 weeks, which means much better chances for survival. Either way, I'm not pushing it. I am being careful to put as little pressure on my cervix as possible, which means a lot of lying down and resting, and avoiding picking up Collin.

We had 2 little incidents in the last week where I had to go in for extra monitoring. Last Wednesday, I had an increase in contractions. I'm supposed to call if I have 6 per hour, and from tuesday night to Wednesday morning, there were 3 hours where I had 6 per hour. Also, Collin had thrown up in the night and had a fever that day, so it was especially inconvenient to have to go in. We had a good friend come over to stay with him, and Rob missed classes to come with me. They tried unsuccessfully to monitor heartbeats for over an hour- the babies moved around too much to get a consistent reading. Then finally they gave up. My doctor did a cervical check and a test that's supposed to determine whether delivery will happen within 2 weeks, and we were happy that it was negative. And as for contractions, we determined that I will probably just keep having them at the same rate, and I'll only be worried if they change in frequency or intensity. 

Then, on Saturday, I noticed changes in baby movements. They have always been positioned side by side with A on the left and B on the right. But that day, I noticed I was feeling a lot of movement on the right, but none on the left. I spent the day paying close attention and by evening time, I was nervous enough to call. And of course they told me to go to the hospital. Collin was already in bed, so we had more of our great friends willing to stay with him. So we went up to labor and delivery and had an ultrasound. Apparently, the babies had suddenly completely changes positions. Baby A was now on the right, and Baby B was lying across the top, in a transverse position. So that explains why I wasn't feeling anything on the left- the baby wasn't there any more! 

Another little side-note: during the week after surgery, as I was laying on the couch one day, Collin was standing in front of me and he suddenly arched his back and flailed his head back really hard. It nailed me right in the face, on my cheekbone. It was so painful and left me with a black eye. I didn't think it was that noticeable, because no one had said anything. But at my next doctor's appointment, apparently my doctor noticed, because she had the hospital social worker call me to ask about it! (she didn't ask at the time because Rob was with me). Such awkward things that happen to me sometimes. 

Anyway, that's what's been going on. We are starting to feel the pressure to get ready for these babies, since we have no idea when they will be here. We have a long to-do list of little projects, like packing our hospital bag, gathering baby supplies, and replacing our car with a minivan. While I'm really limited in the things I can do, it's hard to keep up with the everyday tasks, much less these bigger projects, but we're really trying to prepare!