Twin Tuesday
I’ve been participating with Twin Tuesday entries for about a month now. Twin Tuesday originated out of TwinHappy blog and has a huge following on Twitter, using the #twintuesday hashtag. I’ve enjoyed connecting with other twin moms and sharing insights and highs and lows! As I’ve mentioned before, I have a large circle of local friends who are mothers to twins, or more. I was friends with nearly all of them even before Elizabeth and Emily were born. God was preparing me for twin motherhood. He knows I’m a slow learner!
Today’s question of the week is one that is still pretty fresh in my mind. Did you have any complications in your twin pregnancy?
I am happy to say that I had a fairly textbook twin pregnancy. As a matter of fact, I spent my entire first trimester and half of my second trimester assuming a singleton pregnancy. At my routine ultrasound at 23 weeks we discovered that I was pregnant with not one, but two little girls. We were overjoyed, and a bit worried. It is surreal to go into an OB appointment as “normal” and leave “high risk”. But, at that appointment, my OB and I laid out a “plan of attack” for the remainder of my pregnancy, with the ultimate goal being vaginal delivery of healthy twin girls at 38 weeks. He determined that I should quit work and be on modified bedrest from the time I measured full term (which was 28 weeks for me) until 36 weeks. I was very compliant with these orders. To be honest, I felt much better once I went on the modified bedrest. I kept plenty busy, I caught up on some movies, and I taught myself PhotoShop and started some digital scrapbooking. I read a lot!
My biggest complication was stress. Around Thanksgiving time our family hit a major job stressor, and it was all I could do to keep it mentally together so that the girls would continue to grow well. During this time their growth did slow a bit, which a was a cause for some concern, but since they were still growing, we did not worry too much.
At 35 weeks and a few days I had preterm labor brought on by a gall bladder attack. I spent a night in the hospital and four days on terbutaline. I have new respect for women who take that drug for up to 20 weeks to maintain a healthy pregnancy.
I went on to be induced at 38 weeks and delivered both girls, at healthy weights, Elizabeth was 6 pounds 11 ounces and Emily was 5 pounds 10 ounces. My delivery was like nothing I had envisioned, but I was able to avoid a c-section, and for that I am grateful.
Am I sometimes jealous of other twin moms who work up until the day they deliver? Yes and no. While it is possible that I would have had just as healthy of a pregnancy and babies had I not been on modified bedrest, I’m not sure I would have been comfortable taking that chance. Since having the babies, I’ve read about the hosts of complications that I could have had, and did not, and for that I am so grateful!
Please stop by my March for Babies post. I am donating to my friend’s cause per comment. I also have a giveaway for those who choose to donate!
Also make sure you check out TwinHappy. Jen is giving away a copy of her sweet book, Two Snowflakes.
Have you since had your gall bladder out? I was in pain for 2 months with no idea why, and finally found out it was my gall bladder. Apparently having babies can make it go kaput. Life is MUCH better without it! Like the post though. So glad you were able to have the delivery you envisioned.
Hi!I found your blog via TwinHappy's Twin Tuesday Blog Hop! Pleased to meet you! I'm now your newest follower.You did well to last to 38 weeks and deliver naturally. I was not advised to bed rest, but I wonder if I did, would I have had my babies so early!?I have 5 y/o twin girls, who were born 6 weeks early by emergency caesarean section. You can read about their traumatic birth on my Twin Tuesday post here:http://www.mammakerr.com/2010/04/twin-tuesday-complications-in-twin-pregnancy/Annette http://www.mammakerr.com
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