Week 27 - Making it to the "Safety Point"

Week 27

Week 27 often is the benchmark that marks when babies in-utero are usually "safe." Although everyone wants the babies to make it until at least 33 weeks or more (keeping in mind that 37 weeks is full term for twins and 40 weeks for singletons), if for some reason they are born now, especially in a hospital with a Level III Newborn ICU (called a NICU - pronounced Nic-U), they have a very good chance (some hospitals will say up to 90% chance) of staying alive. Of course, they will likely stay in the NICU for a long time - perhaps months - which will run about $100,000 per child and may contribute to lifelong complications with respiration (asthma, etc). None-the-less, it is encouraging knowing that, in all likelihood, even under dire circumstances, you may still be able to keep your child/ren.

It is an appropriate time, then, to take your tour of the hospital where you plan to birth. Paul and I made that trip on Wednesday. The timing was also coincidentally appropriate as our friends Ralph and Tiffany were there having just given birth to their son, Dean, the day before. We went to visit them before our tour. Paul was amazed at how small Dean was, although Tiffany was quick to point out that he was considered big at just over 8 pounds. That's almost 4 times what our babies weigh now and will be, if we're lucky, 33% bigger than our babies at full term. Even though I look huge and they feel so big in-utero, it's amazing how little newborns really can be!

Paul and I were impressed with our hospital tour. California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC) has labor and delivery rooms that are by far much larger than fancy hotel rooms. Once you are admitted, you spend your whole labor and delivery in this room. The room comes equipped with TV's, VCR/DVD players, showers, 2 bathrooms, and some even have jet bathtubs (I made a mental note to ask for room #5 - one with a jet tub - should they send me here first). The nurses can bring you balance balls or all kinds of props that are helpful during labor (you don't have to bring your own). The bed is a normal bed with stirrups that can come out during your delivery. They have bassinettes and all sorts of equipment to check the baby right there in the room and, if all goes well, the baby doesn't need to leave the room or the sight of mom & dad at all.

If you birth via planned C-section, however, you don't use those rooms - you go straight to surgery. Not as glamorous of a room, but certainly a faster process. The NICU is located just next to the surgery rooms. A happy, colorful mural, reminiscent of Beatrix Potter illustrations, covers the walls. There were about a dozen babies there in the "clean environment". No visitors but mom and dad and their parents are allowed.

Next we saw the post-partum rooms, where you go about 4 hours after birth. Almost all of these rooms are private. They are sunny, good-sized rooms with a decent pull-out bed for dad. Although the maternity ward nurses are trained to help in breastfeeding, CMPC staffs 10 lactation consultants as they are big believers in breastfeeding. The normal stay for vaginal births is 2 days and for C-sections is 4 days. Regardless on the manner of birth, the hospital treats you to a fancy in-room celebration dinner complete with white linen tablecloth, chocolate torte and rosebud service for your last night. We saw Tiffany and Ralph's dinner set up and it looked pretty darned good!

We start our repotior of birthing, breastfeeding and multiples classes this weekend. We start out with the general birthing class this Saturday. It's an all-day class. Each week until May we have some other class, but the rest are shorter in lenght.

The Girlfriend’s Guide to Pregnancy Props

Now that I'm "officially" in the third trimester, and thus sage and wize, I thought I'd pass on a couple of things I’ve learned along the way that would be incredibly helpful if you or someone you know is just starting down this pregnancy road – there are a couple of items that will become your best friends besides your best friends. I’m sure that every girl will have some that are different, but I’ve listed a few I could not, now, ever live without:

1. Get a nice big Nalgene water bottle and keep in full and with you all the time. Hydration is one of my short comings, I’m sure, but, if properly hydrated, one will avoid (or at least suffer less from) many pregnancy maladies (see “Sitz Baths” below) and will also lighten Braxton-Hicks contractions. Note: ease up on the water intake sometime around 7pm so you don’t spend all of what should be your sleeping hours making quick stops to the bathroom.
2. Get a “C”-shaped pregnancy pillow. An ordinary body pillow will not do. If your girlfriend kindly lends you her ordinary straight body pillow, thank her, but invest the $40 and get the “C” shape. This thing will curl around to support your neck & shoulder on the top and your growing belly on the bottom while propping up your hip as it sits between your thighs. This is definitely the most comfortable way I found to sleep. And, if you’re a stomach sleeper like I am, and your shoulders have just “had enough” of side sleeping (they get sore!), try curling your “C” pillow into a doughnut. Stick your belly in the hole and, at least until the 3rd trimester, you can once again sleep comfortably on you stomach.
3. Get a laptop computer. This suggestion was actually given to me at my first OB doctor’s appointment from the doctor herself! Just after the ultrasound and congratulating me on the twins in week 8, she said, “If you don’t have a laptop computer now, get one.” She also suggested wireless internet connection, although we have just been using a really long cable. Our computer thankfully was already a laptop. I was glad because, just based on the pregnancy alone, I doubt that we would have bought one. However, I love the fact that we do have one as it has made all the difference to me allowing me to also be productive (and creative) rather than just watching Oprah on TV.
4. Get a bed-tray. Paul and I got a breakfast-in-bed tray from some friends as a wedding present. I have used this as a computer table as well as a breakfast/dinner table while in bed and it’s been very helpful. The one suggestion I’d make: get a tall one. Ours has perhaps 8 inch legs… this is too short. As your belly grows, you’ll need a taller table. I’ve “made do” by propping the legs up onto the “C” pillow which gets me 4-5 more inches, but doesn’t make the table as steady.
5. Prescriptions: Ask your doctor for prescription pre-natals with stool softeners. Trust me! Take them and your Nalgene bottle with you wherever you go or you might forget. Hopefully, the combination will prevent you from having to use the next suggestion.
6. Inflatable Sitz-Bath: You might be within the 50% of pregnant women that don’t have to deal with this subject. I found out quickly (week 16) that I wasn’t. My first bat with this purposefully un-named issue resulted in necessary out-patient surgery (not fun! In fact, my doctor told me if I can live through that, labor will be a cinch!). Hardly anyone gets it that bad, but the issue returned in a more normal way around week 24. Not wanting it to progress, I became diligent in following all doctor suggestions including Sitz-Baths 3-4 times a day. Filling up and sitting in the bathtub that often became cumbersome and time-consuming. My sister-in-law, who’s involved in physical therapy, told me about these little inflatable toilet-topper Sitz-Baths. After 15-minutes with eBay, I found out just how easy it can be! (Sometimes it’s worth talking about the unmentionables!) Also note: your doctor can also get you prescription-strength topical cream that will help tremendously in this area as well.
7. Get a belly-band. Although this suggestion came from the maternity store, it is not a gimmick – especially if you’re expecting to get very big (like if you’re having twins). A belly band is just a lycra band (which can be purchased in many colors – I got basic black), sort of like a tube top, that fits around your lower belly. It is especially necessary in transitional times (maternity clothes just a little big but regular clothes too small) or with below-the-belly pants. It is very helpful also when your belly is so round that your blouses no longer cover the bottom few inches between your belly-button your pants. It’s a drafty situation, unless, of course, you remember to wear your belly-band. I use mine way more than I expected to.
8. Get the fridge ready. In the middle of the night, you will wake up famished and unable to fall back asleep without a snack. My suggestion: stock the fridge with easy to eat foods. The best snacks are the ones you can eat/make without having to fully wake up. Also, ones that combine carbs with a protein will work the best and last the longest. My favorites: celery sticks or apple slices with peanut butter, yogert ("Gogerts" are ideal as you can still lay sleepily in bed without spilling), cottage cheese on toast, or bagels with cheese.

Spring Showers!

Cake reads: "Diaper Pins, Baby Oil, Two are Coming, For You to Spoil"

Not only was March 20th the first day of spring, a day that brought some rain, and Palm Sunday (when Christians celebrated Jesus's arrival to Jerusalem), but it was also a day we had a celebration in anticipation of the Curletto twins' arrival into the world.

Long-time girlfriends Liz, Lisa, and Jodi hosted a wonderful shower for the twin girls at the Orinda Country Club. We were lucky enough to have all sorts of friends and family attend. The longest traveled was my paternal Grandmother who came from Salem, Oregon. I am number 5 of her 12 grandchildren and the twins will be great-grandkids numbers 9 and 10. Many others drove in excess of one or two hours each way to attend. We were blessed by such active support and love. The twins were truly showered with all sorts of gifts (many of them pink and matching), including 2 handmade quilts which will be made by their Great-Aunt MaryAnn and 2 handmade heart-embedded blankets knit by their maternal Grandma, or "Gigi" as she prefers. Gigi also pulled out an outfit that was received at her baby shower 35 years ago when she was expecting me. A pretty pink jacket and pants set I remember seeing in my baby pictures and using to dress up my little doll "Julie" when I was young. The set brought back many memories!!

In week 26, Braxton-Hicks contractions came more steadily, but still no outrageous cravings or aversions (although I'm never quick to turn down ice cream!). For the first time in my life, my notoriously large chest finally looks small when matched with my big belly! Paul and I laugh at what I would look like if I had "normal" sized-B boobs with my current belly. They'd probably call a police escort to get me to the hospital everytime I touched my belly.

Since the babies are big for their age, we're guessing that they will come earlier, too. I thought it would be nice to have Gemini twins (is that a redundantancy?), but they may end up being Tauruses. We'll see if they can make the May 23rd deadline which will make them twins in two different ways. I've decided that I'll work another week and a couple days, but that's it. I hope the rest of the waiting game will run as smoothly.

Week 25 - Above Average Meetings with the Doctors

Well, the only disappointing thing about week 25 is that the printer at the sonogram appointment was jammed and not working. No pictures in-utero this month, but that might not be a bad thing!

We did learn that the babies are still doing great and are, in fact, quite big in size. The normal singleton (one baby per pregnancy) weights about 1.5 pounds this week and is about 7.5 to 8 inches from crown to rump (top of their head to, well, their rump). Multiple babies are expected to be a bit behind those numbers. Our babies, however, are ahead in their weight, even when compared to a singleton. This time, "Baby B" is the chubba-lub weighing in at 1 pound 13 ounces - which is only 2 ounces more than her sister. So, they are nearly a half-pound more than the average singleton baby each.

This puts me measuring in at where most of my peers would be at week 32. I look 7 weeks (or almost 2 months!) bigger than I really am. I've gained 40 pounds now which has taken form as an increasingly large shelf just below and in between my boobs. Some of my maternity clothes, especially those I got early-on in pregnancy, don't fit me any more. Braxton-Hicks contractions (painless "warm-up" exercises for the uterus) have started and I am also knocked down to just 4-hour maximum work days. As we turn to week 26, we begin to realize that the single-digit week countdown is just around the corner.

Musical Babies

Niece Alisia Plays Music for her Expected Cousins

My cousin Holly lent me a contraption that has helped us lately have a lot of fun. It's a triage of three different microphone/speaker mechanisms which allow you to: 1) listen for the babies' heartbeats, 2) play music for them and 3) talk or read to them.

Paul and I tried listening earlier in the beginning of the 2nd trimester and couldn't hear anything but underwater sounds (which apparently is the sound of ambiotic fluid). It wasn't very interesting. However, on Sunday, Alisia and I took it out again to listen. And, surprise, we did hear the rat-ta-tat-tat sound of at least one of the babies' hearts.

Spurred by excitement, Alisia then took out the microphone and proceeded to introduce each member of the family to them in typical Oprah Winfrey interviewer style. Then she told them the story of the 3 Little Pigs before playing some nice Chopin piano for them.

They are just 25 weeks old today and apparently can hear quite well. We will have to ask them later what they remember about Alisia's introduction to the outside world!

Week 24 - Some Frustrations Develop

I have learned a lot about the limitations of pregnancy this week. I have mostly learned that I am no longer in control. I guess this is part of “motherhood” that I need to start getting used to!

I caught a slight cold last week. No big deal, really, just a little sore throat, slight congestion, and a feeling that I should sleep it off. So, I took a day off of work, mostly to be proactive and, though I felt fine over the weekend, took it easy and slept a lot then too. I went back to work on Monday, a little later than usual since it was the first week that I was to cut back on my hours (again, just a preventive measure to make sure I was being very kind to myself). Monday and Tuesday didn’t feel quite right (dizzy and a bit nauseous), but what really got my attention was mid-week when I couldn’t handle Wednesday’s pre-natal yoga class. I could only do half the stretching before I’d start to feel "off," dizzy and like I should lie down. I even took a break and rested in the bathroom for a couple minutes to give myself a little pep-talk: “You can handle yoga… it’s just stretching and breathing…no big deal and hardly any exertion!” No use. The instructor also noticed I wasn’t feeling well and helped me get comfortable lying down while the rest of the class finished the stretches. I was a little scared and even more embarrassed.

I puzzled rational explanations during the ride back home and Paul was getting concerned as well. By morning, I still felt the same. I figured that I must be anemic (that would explain all the symptoms) and called my doctor who wanted to see me that afternoon. I figured that he’d just give me some iron supplements and, within a couple days, I’d be back to feeling normal again with additional “zip” and energy. After the “one-over,” I was informed I’m not anemic, just a little run-down from the cold and very big. Most women who measure my size, he reminded me, are in their 8th month. Breathing for me is like having a collapsed lung or breathing through a straw. He sent me home with a note excusing me from work (not kidding) for the next day and told me to cut back even further if I didn’t feel 100% by Monday.

Disbelief set in. I’m not ready to cut back any more; it’s too early. I’m already frustrated that I’m having to cut back on all sorts of normal activities: carrying groceries from the car, cleaning the car, lifting my dog into/out of the car (she has bad hips), putting away dishes in the higher shelves, etc. I can’t reach my sweater shelf anymore in the closet and need to ask Paul to get my shoes for me. Heck, I’m even having trouble getting in/out of the bathtub without Paul’s help. It's easier to justify the potentially physically straining cut-backs. There isn't much physically involved with this stuff, though. My job is not that hard; pre-natal yoga is not that hard. What’s hard is believing that I have to start cutting back on this easy stuff. What’s even more difficult is realizing that I still have 13 more weeks and I may have to dumb-down my activities even further. What does that leave me? A bunch of Oprah and web-surfing?

So, things are happening a lot faster than I expected. I need to create a paradigm shift in my thinking: It’s good that the babies are bigger for their age; it gives them an advantage. It’s good that I’m being forced to “let go”; it may be my last opportunity to “take care of me first” for the next 18-years. It’s good that I can’t do anymore household chores; Paul will get used to doing them for me (well, we know that won’t happen - that's a bit far-fetched, but perhaps I can get him used to a housecleaner??).

So, a Pregnant Woman Walks into a Hospital...

We get the good news Monday morning before we go off to work: our good friends Lisa & Cameron had their baby girl, Brynn, during the night! Mom and baby are fine and I am very anxious to go and see them.

I find parking across the street from the hospital and walk into the entrance to the information booth. Maternity is on the 3rd floor and the security guard there will tell me which room she's in. I find the elevators and easily find the security guard on the third level.

As I approach, he tells me, "You need to check in downstairs first." He adds some confusing instructions that sound nothing like I expected to hear and I stare back at him blankly. He points to my belly: "You're checking in to have your baby, right?" "No," I respond. "I'm just visiting Lisa Gallaway. I'm not due for another 13 weeks."

I laugh about it with Lisa after I get my "hall pass" and visit with her and her baby. Brynn looks tiny! She's 6 pounds, though and I marvel to think that mine will probably be tinier! Long fingers, but tiny palms, tiny lips and itsy-bitsy features. Perfectly beautiful.

Two-hours go by and I decide it's time to get to work. Walking past the nurses' station toward the elevator, I hear, "Looks like we'll see you back here any day!" A smiling nurse is changing the names on the dry-erase whiteboard. "For one thing," I'm thinking, "I'll be an entirely different city much less a different hospital. And for another,... (sigh!) never mind."

"You betcha!" is all the nurse hears.