Archive for High risk specialist appts.

Doctors’ appts.

{ May 4, 2009 @ 1:10 pm } · { High risk specialist appts., Obgyn appts. }
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This post is a little late.  My doctors’ appointments last Friday went well.  My ob-gyn was out so I saw the other doctor in his practice.  The good news that made me so happy is that I only gained ONE POUND in two weeks.  Yay!  I’ve gained 48 lbs total.  I’m hoping I don’t go too much over 50 lbs.  She listened to the babies’ heartbeats, and everything seemed fine.

Later that afternoon, I had my full sonogram at the high risk specialists’ office.  The girls are growing as they should.  Abby is now 3 lbs, 14 ou., and Izzy is 4 lbs, 8 ou.  I’m pretty sure they’re supposed to gain a half a pound each week from here on out.  They are both head down, and the sonographer said that their heads were really low in my pelvis.  She didn’t have to tell me that, I could feel them. 

Again, no date has been set for my c-section.  I go back to my ob-gyn in two weeks.  I’ll be 36 weeks then so I’m pretty certain he’ll schedule it at that point.  I can’t believe I’ll be 35 weeks on Thursday.  Doug and I are going to have our daughters this month…wow!

Appointments

{ April 17, 2009 @ 1:09 pm } · { High risk specialist appts., Obgyn appts. }
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My appointments went well today.  This morning I saw my ob-gyn.  I have gained 2 lbs since my last appointment two weeks ago…right on target.  I’m hoping to only gain a pound a week until the girls come.  So I have gained a total of 47 lbs.  My blood pressure and urine were normal, and the girls’ heartbeats were also normal.  Again, nothing was set in stone as far as my scheduled c-section date, but he said that we would most likely schedule it for 37 or 38 weeks.  I also asked him about my swelling and if it was something to be concerned about, and he said no.  This afternoon I had my nonstress testing, which I go to twice a week.  The girls are active and are looking good.  I can’t believe we have anywhere from 4-6 more weeks left.  I’m starting to get nervous.

NST and stuff

{ March 20, 2009 @ 4:32 pm } · { High risk specialist appts., Pregnancy }
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It was a good day today, but I’m exhausted now!  My piggies are screaming for relief!  I picked up my mom today and hauled her around town with me.  First we went to the high risk specialist for my first NST (non stress test) appointment.  I now have to go to these twice a week until the babies are born.  I basically sat in a lazy boy recliner while they put straps around my belly…three of them…one for each baby, and I’m not sure what the other one was for. 

The funny thing is…the girls did not want to cooperate.  The tech had to bring in another tech girl to help her.  They spent about 15 minutes trying to pin point their heartbeats.  As soon as they found one heartbeat, the baby would move.  They were very active, and on a couple of occasions when the tech would push down hard on my belly, the girls would kick her.  Too funny.  Once everything was in place, I sat there for about 20 minutes while this machine recorded their heartbeats.  They took my blood pressure, which was fine, and then I had a quick ultrasound. 

Next it was off to my ob-gyn’s office to pick up a doctor’s note so I can take next quarter off of school.  My doctor’s nurse informed me that she was planning on calling me today.  I guess my results came back from my three hour glucose test, and they are abnormal.  She said that the doctor would have to look at them and determine what steps to take next.  However, she thought that I would have to see a dietician and take medication.  When asked what kind of medication, she told me it depended on how serious the doctor thought it was.  So I’m assuming I have gestational diabetes, which I’m going to read more about in my book tonight.  I didn’t think that my diet was that bad.  Yes, I do indulge myself with fast food and sweets here and there, but I also eat healthy on a weekly basis (salmon, rice, steak, veggies, bananas, avocados, etc.)  The nurse said she would call me once my doctor looked at the results. 

Then it was off to Olivia’s for lunch…yum!  I had El Torito about a week ago, and it just was not good (fake Mexican food) so I had been craving Olivia’s to make up for it.  After that, we went to the mall, and I was able to use a $50 gift certificate at Motherhood (thanks, dad!) and also use the money that my in-laws sent me for new maternity clothes (thanks, mom and dad II).  I got some really cute clothes, which always makes a girl feel good!  I was able to stock up on some makeup from Lancome and Mac, too.  Yay!

Our last stop was USA Baby, a baby furniture store.  I found a really good deal on two cribs there…the cheapest I’ve seen so far.  I’ll have to talk it over with Doug, but it looks like we’ll be able to go and buy them tomorrow.  The cribs are nothing fancy.  There are such gorgeous cribs out there in beautiful finishes like espresso and cherry, but of course they’re like $500 – $600 per crib.  Insane!  The ones we’re looking at buying match a dresser that we already have (another money saver).  They are honey pine, which the sales lady tells me no one ever buys anymore and will eventually not even stock.  I think it’s a pretty color wood, and for $250 you can’t beat it.  It’s not cheap looking, it’s sturdy, and even converts to a toddler and full bed.  And because we’re having twins and buying two cribs, we get the second one for 10% off.  Yay!

Now, instead of relaxing, I’m doing laundry and blogging.  After this, it’s couch time with my Willow bear.  I’m super excited about tomorrow…our 4d sonogram.  I can’t wait to see these little girls.  I’ll update the blog with pictures from the sonogram soon.  Thanks for checking in on us.

Ob-gyn/high risk appts. and stuff

{ March 6, 2009 @ 8:22 pm } · { High risk specialist appts., Obgyn appts., Pregnancy }
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This morning I had my ob-gyn appt.  It went well.  I’ve gained 41 lbs to date.  I’ve gained 7 lbs since my last appt. a month ago.  Mantra: “These little girls are worth it.  I won’t be this big forever.”  The protein and sugars in my urine came out negative.  I asked Dr. Ojeda about scheduling my c-section.  He said that I would have a scheduled date, but he wouldn’t schedule it until I’m at least 30 weeks.  I have to go in next week to have a glucose test done to test for gestational diabetes. 

This afternoon I had my high risk appt.  The girls are growing at a good rate.  Abby (baby A) weighed in today at 1 lb, 14 ou., and Izzy (baby B) weighed in at 1 lb, 15 ou.  They were both positioned head down, Abby on the right side of my tummy, and Izzy on the left side of my tummy.  In two weeks when I’m 28 weeks, I have to start going in twice a week for nonstress testing.  In one of the ultrasound pictures, Izzy’s head was directly under Abby’s chin.  They are already touching each other and forming a sisterly bond.

Doug is finishing painting the nursery this weekend.  His friends, Dave and Chris, helped him last week.  He took the day off and worked on the second coats of paint today, and tomorrow he will finish up with the base boards and some final touches.  He is such a good daddy already getting everything ready for his little girls.  And for those of you who will see the room in the future, let me just say for the record that he picked out the shade of green.  I wanted to go with sage for the top half of the walls and brown for the bottom, but Doug wanted something more vibrant.  I gave in.  And though I don’t hate it and it wasn’t my first choice, he really likes it.  I’m sure once all the furniture is in it and the decorations are up, it won’t look so bright.  Doug says the color reminds him of a new blade of grass.

Next weekend we are having my maternity pictures done.  Doug’s friend Mark’s wife Rachel is a professional photographer.  And bless her heart, she has offered to take my pictures for free and discount her prints as a gift to us…such a blessing!  We are driving out to the OC next Saturday, and I can’t wait.  She has some really awesome ideas.  We’re bringing Willow with us…we couldn’t leave him out of the pictures.  We will do a variety of pictures…some family pictures, some belly pictures, and some intimate (but classy…very Demi Moore/Britney Spears in Vanity Fair).  I want to frame one of our favorties to put up in the nursery.

The following weekend, we’re planning on having a 4D sonogram done.  There’s a place downtown that seems really cute.  You get so many pictures printed out, the 20 minute sonogram is put on a dvd to music, and you can bring up to 15 people to watch it go down on a 135″ screen.  My mom would get a big kick out of it so we’re planning on inviting her, her boyfriend, my grandma, Larissa, Christie, and Cayla.

And then it’s just buying the nursery furniture and decorating the walls with shelves, framed pictures, and some wall decals.  We’re thinking about putting a decal of a giant tree on the wall.  There’s a website that sells them, and they’re awesome.  Thankfully, Doug is excited and interested in decorating the nursery so we’re having a good time with it.  I’ll post more pictures as it progresses.  The picture below was taken at night with no light on in the room…just the flash from my camera.  The green looks a bit brighter in person.img_0649

Ob-gyn/high risk specialist appointments

{ February 6, 2009 @ 5:25 pm } · { High risk specialist appts., Obgyn appts. }
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My appointments went very well today.  This morning at my ob-gyn, I was weighed and the results are staggering.  I’m now 174 lbs and have gained 34 lbs in 22 weeks.  When my doctor saw me, he complimented me on the way I looked.  When I told him how much weight I had already gained, he assured me that my weight gain is normal for a twin pregnancy.  He told me that I should expect to gain double what a normal pregnant woman carrying one would.  The average is 30 lbs so I should expect to gain 60.  Goodness gracious!  That will put me over 200 lbs.  I’m clinging to the words of my once pregnant friends who tell me that I will lose most of it after the babies are born. 

They tested my urine for protein and sugar, and it came back negative.  My blood pressure was normal.  I was able to hear the heartbeats, which is always super fun.  Baby A’s was 162 while baby B’s was 152, which are normal fetal heart rate numbers.  On my last visit, I had blood drawn for the AFP (Alpha Feta Protein) test.  This test checks for down syndrome and any neurological diseases.  I hadn’t heard anything back from the doctor’s office so I was assuming that no news is good news.  They confirmed this morning that my results came back negative.  Whew!  What a relief.  My doctor told me that since I am approaching my 3rd trimester, I need to take it easy and make sure not to exert myself too much.

This afternoon was our appointment at the high risk specialist.  The ultrasound tech confirmed that we are having two little girls.  The measurements she took were all normal for their gestational age.  Both babies weigh in at 1 lb, 1 ou., which is great that they are growing at an even pace.  Towards the end of our appointment, she showed us an image of the babies.  They were head to head.  I think they are already forming a bond as sisters and friends.  Hehe!

I go back in another four weeks, and then starting two weeks after that I have to go in to the high risk specialist’s office TWICE A WEEK for monitoring.  I believe my ob-gyn appointments become more frequent in my 3rd trimester also.  Doug and I are debating having a 4D ultrasound done around 25 weeks.  It’s a little pricey ($150), but I think it will be worth it to have as a memento of their time in my belly.  I am just so happy and grateful that the babies are developing well and are healthy.

Sugar and spice…

{ January 9, 2009 @ 6:28 pm } · { High risk specialist appts. }
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and everything nice, that’s what little girls are made of.  And that’s exactly what Doug and I are having…TWO GIRLS.  My obgyn appt. this morning went well.  My doctor didn’t do a sonogram, but I was able to hear their heartbeats for the first time, which was really cool.  I also had some blood work drawn for the AFP (alphafeto protein) test to detect any birth defects such as down syndrome.  I will know the results in about two weeks.  Pregnant women carrying multiples usually get a “false positive” result from the test.  So if that happens, I’m going to try not to freak out.  If that happens, they’ll have to run more tests.  In the pamphlet I was given about this testing, it states “Please remember: most women with ‘screen positive’ results will have normal follow-up tests and healthy babies.”

Then it was off to the specialist this afternoon.  As soon as the ultrasound tech started my sonogram, she says “Wow.  The membrane between the babies is very, very thin.  This usually means they are identical.”  It’s funny because one of my best friends (mentioned in previous blog posts) Dr. Carnevale who is an obgyn in Texas told me the exact same thing about a week ago.  She said that because the ER tech and my obgyn initially thought they were monoamniotic (sharing an amniotic sac) and was later confirmed that the twins were, in fact, in two separate sacs was probably because the dividing membrane is so thin. 

Since an ultrasound can’t determine fraternal vs. identical 100%, we’ll have to wait until after the babies are born.  But her opinion was that they are identical.  Baby A is 9 ounces and baby B is 8 ounces…right on track.  Baby A was in a sitting position during the ultrasound and was totally relaxed.  She was barely moving.  Baby B was in a transverse (laying across my belly) position.  She was moving around like a crazy girl…arms and legs kicking.  One second she was face down, and the next she was face up. 

I know Doug had his heart set on a boy, but I guess that just means we’ll have to try for a boy in a few years.  These precious little babies will be daddy’s little girls though.  We are both thrilled that they are healthy and doing well.  Now that we know the sex, we can move forward with baby names, registering, and the nursery.  Wow…we’re going to have two daughters.

14 week high risk visit

{ December 13, 2008 @ 5:11 am } · { High risk specialist appts. }
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The appointment today went well.  We were really hoping they would be able to tell the genders of the babies, but it’s too early.  The ultrasound tech said that she would be able to determine the sexes on our next visit for sure…January 9th can’t come soon enough. 

I think we were spoiled on our first visit there.  The ultrasound tech on our first visit asked us if we wanted to see the ultrasound in 3D and 4D.  So going in this time, I kind of expected the same thing.  Unfortunately, she didn’t offer…and we didn’t ask.  You usually have to pay extra for a 4D ultrasound so I think she was just being nice the last time.

Even though we only saw the babies in the normal black and white grainy ultrasound, it was still amazing.  They are getting so big.  They both weigh 4 ounces each.  Baby A’s fetal heart rate was 136 , and Baby B’s was 150.  After telling that to my friend Kim, she thinks it’s a boy and a girl.  It may be a myth, but supposedly boy’s heart rates are higher than girl’s.  That is what I am crossing my fingers for.

Of course, we’ll be happy no matter what they are.  But since Doug wants a boy and I want a girl, it would be ideal.  And then maybe we can stop right there, but I have a feeling Doug would be opposed to that.  The ultrasound tech also said that they are most likely di/mono (diamniotic and monochorionic), meaning they have separate amniotic sacs but share a chorion.

When I asked her, “Does that mean they’re identical?”  She told us that they can still either be fraternal or identical.  However, in referring to my book (Everything You Need to Know to Have a Healthy Twin Pregnancy by Gila Leiter, M.D.), the combination of diamniotic and monochorionic results in identical twins.  “All monochorionic twins are monozygotic.” 

Either the book I’m reading is wrong, or the ultrasound tech was misinformed.  And again, it was her opinion that they were di/mono.  I guess it’s not all that important to know whether they are identical or fraternal.  I guess a part of me is just really curious.  So far my time being pregnant has kind of flown by so I’m sure January 9th will be here before I know it.  Happy holidays to everyone!  Doug and I will be enjoying our last one as a married couple without kids (with the exception of Willow, of course).

1st high risk specialist visit

{ December 4, 2008 @ 11:00 pm } · { High risk specialist appts. }
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4D sonogram showing baby A on the right and baby B on the left.

4D sonogram showing baby A on the right and baby B on the left.

On Friday, November 14th, 2008, Doug and I had our first appt. at Dr. Brar’s office.  I was ten weeks at this point.  This appointment was awesome.  His ultrasound machines are state of the art, and we were able to have a sonogram done in 3D and 4D.  Although the babies were only the size of a kumquat at this point, they looked full grown on the monitor.  It was an amazing feeling seeing them on that screen.  Up until this point, it hadn’t really felt real.  But the second I saw both of them moving around, it made my heart melt.

We were given some great news…the babies are NOT monoamniotic.  They do have separate amniotic sacs.  This is a relief.  However, it was too early to determine if they share or have separate chorions and placentas.  It is a very confusing process and even after reading multiple times about it, it still makes my head spin.  Depending on whether or not the babies share an amnion, a chorion, and a placenta will determine whether they are fraternal or identical.  For example…

1 chorion, 2 amnions, 1 placenta = monozygotic (identical)

2 chorions, 2 amnions, 1 placenta = monozygotic or dyzygotic/fraternal  (can only be determined after delivery with a DNA test unless they are different sexes)

2 chorions, 2 amnions, 2 placentas = monozygotic or dyzygotic/fraternal (DNA test after delivery)

1 chorion, 1 amnion, 1 placenta = monozygotic (identical)

I’m hoping that on our next appointment, they’ll be able to give us more information on whether they share a chorion and placenta.  So now there’s a possibility that they could be fraternal.  The more I think about it, having a girl and a boy would be ideal. 

The babies were very active on the sonogram, moving and kicking their arms and legs.  We were told that we would visit the high risk specialist’s office once a month in my 1st and 2nd trimesters.  In the 3rd trimester, we would go in twice a week.  We were given four 4D sonogram pictures to take home with us.  The cool thing about having twins is that we get a sonogram done with every doctor’s visit.  Since we are seeing my obgyn and the high risk specialist each once a month, we get two sonograms a month…every month throughout my whole pregnancy.  We left the doctor’s office on such a high.

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