35w update (longish, x-post)

The babies are doing well, both were head down(!) and they weighed in at 6
and almost 5 lb for the girl and the boy respectively at the 34w u/s. The
girl is taking after DS and DH, the boy seems to have the build of my male
relatives: tall and very skinny.

I am feeling well, except for the fact that I cannot move since my back
has surrendered to the growing weight of the babies. I'm very stiff and
sore and can only lie down. I was quite mobile, but this changed in a
matter of hours last saturday, during my afternoon nap. The pain was so
intense that I didn't know what to do with myself. We called emergency
medical services, who told me to take a tylenol and keep it warm. There
was nothing else they could do, considering the pregnancy. Luckily, most
of the pain has subsided since then, but I'm still virtually immobile.

To be safe, they also tested for gestational diabetes, since I've been
feeling very tired and was drinking lots of water last week. The test came
back negative, but still, I've put myself on a low-carb diet with small
bites every two hours. It does help with the exhaustion, actually it feels
like my mind has switched on again. Or perhaps that's due to the bedrest
;-)

Only a few more weeks to go. We have settled well into our new home, it
is good to have a place for ourselves again. At the moment I am quite
enjoying the doing nothing. I've started to read a book for the first time
in 2 months! Moms and MILs are helping out and it is good to see them so
frequently. If I still cannot move next week, we will get subsidized home
care (yay for the Dutch medical system!). I already have a bunch of things
here to help me function, like a bedside table to put my laptop on :-D

I am ever so grateful that DS is as easy as can be. He is 99% potty
trained and obeys oral commands about 95% of the time. But mostly, he is
perfectly happy playing by himself and doesn't need all that much
attention. He had a most wonderful 3d birthday, with loads of visitors
and presents. It was great to see him enjoy the attention. If there is a
balance of such things, the twins must be monsters at his age... ;-)

--
--I
mommy to DS (July '02)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)
expecting twins (boy/girl) in August

how fab that they are both head down, though with your immobility being
mobile in labour isn't suddenly going to happen, but at least the
babies are in the right starting position.

I'm really sorry to hear that you are now immobile, but very glad to
hear that you are mostly painfree, I think what really distressed me
towards the end of my pregnancy was that I wasn't even painfree when I
lay totally still.

You are so lucky with the possibility of home care available, even
though I was in hospital for the last week of pregnancy, I didn't get
any care, just IV and IM painrelief, sometimes DH would arrive close to
lunch time to see me and find I hadn't had any breakfast because I
couldn't make it to the day room to serve myself :-(.

Hang in there for 2 more weeks, the you can pop anytime!

Good Luck to you

Anne

On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 06:03:54 -0700, Anne Rogers wrote:

how fab that they are both head down, though with your immobility being
mobile in labour isn't suddenly going to happen, ...

Probably not. And one thing I will discuss with my GYN is what to do about
pain management should labour start while my back is still this sensitive.
I would like to have the option of an epidural in that case, but the major
downpoint of the Dutch system is that that is not always possible. The
anaesthesiologist who is required to administer it, is only on duty on
working days between 9 and 5. And by definition there is no hospital that
gives epidurals after 5cm dilation...

--
--I
mommy to DS (July '02)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)
expecting twins (boy/girl) in August

Wow, I can't believe where the time has gone. I remember when you initially
posted that you were pregnant with twins and I was so hopeful that
everything would work out for you, and now here they are almost here. I'm
sorry that you are having such pain and immobility and I hope it gets
relieved well for you.

Is it just my imagination, or was it originally believed that you were
having 2 girls and then it got changed to one of each?


"Ilse Witch" wrote in message
news
The babies are doing well, both were head down(!) and they weighed in at 6
and almost 5 lb for the girl and the boy respectively at the 34w u/s. The
girl is taking after DS and DH, the boy seems to have the build of my male
relatives: tall and very skinny.

I am feeling well, except for the fact that I cannot move since my back
has surrendered to the growing weight of the babies. I'm very stiff and
sore and can only lie down. I was quite mobile, but this changed in a
matter of hours last saturday, during my afternoon nap. The pain was so
intense that I didn't know what to do with myself. We called emergency
medical services, who told me to take a tylenol and keep it warm. There
was nothing else they could do, considering the pregnancy. Luckily, most
of the pain has subsided since then, but I'm still virtually immobile.

To be safe, they also tested for gestational diabetes, since I've been
feeling very tired and was drinking lots of water last week. The test came
back negative, but still, I've put myself on a low-carb diet with small
bites every two hours. It does help with the exhaustion, actually it feels
like my mind has switched on again. Or perhaps that's due to the bedrest
;-)

Only a few more weeks to go. We have settled well into our new home, it
is good to have a place for ourselves again. At the moment I am quite
enjoying the doing nothing. I've started to read a book for the first time
in 2 months! Moms and MILs are helping out and it is good to see them so
frequently. If I still cannot move next week, we will get subsidized home
care (yay for the Dutch medical system!). I already have a bunch of things
here to help me function, like a bedside table to put my laptop on :-D

I am ever so grateful that DS is as easy as can be. He is 99% potty
trained and obeys oral commands about 95% of the time. But mostly, he is
perfectly happy playing by himself and doesn't need all that much
attention. He had a most wonderful 3d birthday, with loads of visitors
and presents. It was great to see him enjoy the attention. If there is a
balance of such things, the twins must be monsters at his age... ;-)

--
--I
mommy to DS (July '02)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)
expecting twins (boy/girl) in August

"Ilse Witch" wrote in message
news
The babies are doing well, both were head down(!) and they weighed in at 6
and almost 5 lb for the girl and the boy respectively at the 34w u/s. The
girl is taking after DS and DH, the boy seems to have the build of my male
relatives: tall and very skinny.

I am feeling well, except for the fact that I cannot move since my back
has surrendered to the growing weight of the babies. I'm very stiff and
sore and can only lie down. I was quite mobile, but this changed in a
matter of hours last saturday, during my afternoon nap. The pain was so
intense that I didn't know what to do with myself. We called emergency
medical services, who told me to take a tylenol and keep it warm. There
was nothing else they could do, considering the pregnancy. Luckily, most
of the pain has subsided since then, but I'm still virtually immobile.

To be safe, they also tested for gestational diabetes, since I've been
feeling very tired and was drinking lots of water last week. The test came
back negative, but still, I've put myself on a low-carb diet with small
bites every two hours. It does help with the exhaustion, actually it feels
like my mind has switched on again. Or perhaps that's due to the bedrest
;-)

Only a few more weeks to go. We have settled well into our new home, it
is good to have a place for ourselves again. At the moment I am quite
enjoying the doing nothing. I've started to read a book for the first time
in 2 months! Moms and MILs are helping out and it is good to see them so
frequently. If I still cannot move next week, we will get subsidized home
care (yay for the Dutch medical system!). I already have a bunch of things
here to help me function, like a bedside table to put my laptop on :-D

I am ever so grateful that DS is as easy as can be. He is 99% potty
trained and obeys oral commands about 95% of the time. But mostly, he is
perfectly happy playing by himself and doesn't need all that much
attention. He had a most wonderful 3d birthday, with loads of visitors
and presents. It was great to see him enjoy the attention. If there is a
balance of such things, the twins must be monsters at his age... ;-)

--
--I
mommy to DS (July '02)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)
expecting twins (boy/girl) in August

hi ilse,

i know i dont know you from a bar of soap, but i read all your anguished
posts about your 4 tiny angels, so i sort of feel like i know you....
anyway, i am SO happy for you that this is working out. you have a lovely
attitude, i am sure you will make a great mum to the 3! good luck, hope the
rest of the pg improves a bit for you. looknig forward to hearing the happy
news

chris in oz

On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 12:06:05 -0230, Stormlady wrote:

Is it just my imagination, or was it originally believed that you were
having 2 girls and then it got changed to one of each?

I was hoping for two girls, but the u/s at 18w showed at least one is a
boy and a week or so later they confirmed the other is a girl. It sure
went fast, although I still vividly recall the first anxious months when I
was living from one u/s to the next, convinced they had seen it all wrong
and I would have another m/c...

BTW, the pain is virtually gone now, as long as I lie down. Walking is
also OK for about 15-20 minutes, only sitting is a total disaster...

--
--I
mommy to DS (July '02)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)
expecting twins (boy/girl) in August

On Thu, 28 Jul 2005 00:42:53 +1000, Mamma Mia wrote:

hi ilse,

i know i dont know you from a bar of soap, but i read all your anguished
posts about your 4 tiny angels, so i sort of feel like i know you....
anyway, i am SO happy for you that this is working out. you have a lovely
attitude, i am sure you will make a great mum to the 3! good luck, hope the
rest of the pg improves a bit for you. looknig forward to hearing the happy
news

chris in oz

Thanks Chris!! You made me blush... :-)

--
--I
mommy to DS (July '02)
mommy to four tiny angels (Oct '03 - Oct '04)
guardian of DH (age classified)
expecting twins (boy/girl) in August

Hi Ilse,

Yay on the heads down and on DS being so
cooperative! Sorry to hear about the back pain.
I hope the improvement continues apace and that
you're mobile again by labor time.

Any thoughts from the OB on how long you're
likely to go? (I know no one knows, but
twins tend to come earlier, right?)

Emily
--
DS 5/02
EDD Labor Day 9/5/05

"Ilse Witch" wrote in message
news
On Wed, 27 Jul 2005 06:03:54 -0700, Anne Rogers wrote:

how fab that they are both head down, though with your immobility being
mobile in labour isn't suddenly going to happen, ...

Probably not. And one thing I will discuss with my GYN is what to do about
pain management should labour start while my back is still this sensitive.

Congratulations for reaching this point Ilse. WRT your back. Have you
thought about seeing an osteopath or chiropractor? When I was 8 months with
DD I developed a muscle spasm. I swear I though she had kicked me in a
kidney or something. The only relief I could get was sitting up as
absolutely straight as possible with a pillow behind my back. I metioned it
at my appointment and they called in an osteopath to crack my back. The
pain went away. Or as much as it could being 8 months pregnant. I still
laugh about it. There I was 8 months pregnant and this doctor asks me to
roll over onto my stomach. I just looked at him. He turned a little red
and said said "as far as possible, anyway." Good luck and keep up the good
work. )

Angela

--
Oh, you can't help that," said the Cat."we're all mad here. I'm mad. You're
mad.""How do you know I'm mad?". said Alice."You must be," said the Cat,"or
you wouldn't have come here.".

how fab that they are both head down, though with your immobility
being
mobile in labour isn't suddenly going to happen, ...

Probably not. And one thing I will discuss with my GYN is what to do about
pain management should labour start while my back is still this sensitive.
downpoint of the Dutch system is that that is not always possible. The
anaesthesiologist who is required to administer it, is only on duty on
working days between 9 and 5. And by definition there is no hospital that
gives epidurals after 5cm dilation...


arrghhh, I think I would have ended with a c-section if I hadn't had an
epidural in my last labour, the combination of contractions along with
the generalised pain that I had was way to much, both me and baby were
distressed, my heartbeat was too fast, hers was too slow and my blood
pressure was doing wierd things, though all within the normal range. I
think my previous postnatal depression and the fear of that happening
again made me find labour emotionally very difficult, so I had less
resources to deal with pain. As it happened it was between 9 and 5 but
I was at 6cm.

Anne