30 weeks

This Friday I'll have made it to 30 weeks!! It has been a huge challenge to get in the protein, calories, water, and sleep needed to grow these babies. I had a little bit of preterm labor a couple weeks ago and I totally attribute it to trying to do too much. I'm the size of full term but my brain keeps saying, oh you're only 6.5mo you can do much more. As of this week, no more meetings, teaching, or other responsibilities.

At 30 weeks, I'm measuring 39cm. Gained over 32lb. Totally healthy though tired. The stretch marks from my first pregnancies are filled out and I've noticed a tiny bit more...it's only gonna get worse! I'm also so much wider this time. I can find both babies heartbeats easily with my fetoscope. I'm also thinking both are headfirst, but it's still a little early since they have some room for moving around. And the names are picked out! Nope, we don't share until after the fact.

I went to a local hospital and lined up a backup/emergency doctor. Did not tell him our birth intentions, just that I have babies fast (true), my regular OB is far away (true), and that I'm not happy with my options there (true). I'd still prefer to birth at my regular hospital if I have to go at all. The backup hospital is so so old-fashioned. No food or drink, in the bed with monitors, no spouse allowed, no active labor at all. Yikes, but good for emergency.

While there I asked for my iron levels to be tested. At 28 weeks, the iron should show a huge drop. Not for me!!!! At 28 weeks, my iron levels were HIGHER than 20 weeks. I attribute it to taking lots of Floradix, a natural, herbal iron supplement.

We hired a fulltime nanny/maid about 3 weeks ago. The kids like her, we understand each other, she lives in our apartment complex, and she would love to work for us a long time. She's my age which makes it enjoyable too. She speaks no English which is fine for me since I'm doing great with the language and the kids will learn from her.

Isaiah has been so so "I want mommy" the last couple weeks. He doesn't understand that I'm pregnant other than a very prominent belly button he likes to poke at. But he must sense that things are changing. No one can comfort him like I can. Makes me just a little bit scared about how I'm going to be able to comfort him when I've got my arms full of newborns! He's just so tenderhearted I hate to see what it's going to do to him! And he won't be my little baby anymore.

My Babies, My Body

I just wanted to share a paragraph from Sheila Kitzinger's The Complete Book of Pregnancy & Childbirth. It's the last paragraph on the Expecting Twins chapter, under "Your Babies, Your Body". She's a world famous writer about birth and homebirthed her twins by herself. Anyway, this has been my "mantra"

(Italics are mine)

Bear in mind that a multiple pregnancy may increase your blood pressure, cause aches and pains and varicose veins, and put stress on your pelvis, simply because there are two or more babies bouncing around in there and being nurtured by your body. Yet there is no reason that the whole experience of pregnancy should be medicalized. It can be an exciting and happy experience in which you are in charge. Examine the evidence, weigh the advice the professionals give you and come to your own decisions about the birth.

This really reinforces my belief about birth and backs up our feelings for how and where our babies will be born.