Yesterday I went in for an ultrasound and my first non stress test. We did the ultrasound first. It was quick and easy, all she did was look at the fluid levels in the amniotic sacs, the blood flow in the umbilical cords, and the strength of the hearts. Both babies are still breech position, pretty much exactly where they were a week ago. We also got to see both boys "practice breathing," and one of the babies had hiccups during the ultrasound, which was kind of fun to see. She did not do a growth scan, so I didn't get any estimation on the size of the babies, but I'm guessing that Baby A is close to 4.5 pounds and Baby B is over 4.5 now.
Then we did the non stress test (NST). Basically it's where I sit on a couch for 20-30 minutes with three monitors strapped to my belly. One monitor was for each baby's heartbeat, and the third was to measure for contractions. Both babies had fine heart rates for the whole time. I had one contraction that I could feel, plus a few more that I couldn't feel, during the time I sat there. The tech said there was nothing strong or regular about them, and that the reading was pretty typical for this stage of the pregnancy. The whole thing seemed like a bit of a waste of time to me, but what do I know, I'm just the patient.
Anyway, next Thursday I go back for another round of the same - ultrasound, NST, and adding in an appointment with the OB. That will be what I will do every Thursday until I deliver. I'm hoping I make it to next Thursday without going into labor, because now that I know I'm having a c-section, I want to ask my doctor what to expect from when I go into labor through the procedure and recovery. I have never researched a c-section before.
As far as how I'm feeling generally, this has been a pretty miserable week for me. The swelling and associated pain have extended all the way up to my mid calves. I had some swelling my last pregnancy too, but definitely nothing this bad. I'm also having a lot of round ligament and back pain. I am woken up with contractions at least once or twice a night, and the last few days I've been having them in the daytime as well. Each boy has his head pressing into one side of my ribcage, so when they move their heads or arms, I feel like I'm about to crack a rib. On top of everything else, I caught a cold this week, which just makes everything else so much more difficult to deal with. I'm hoping that once I get over the sickness the rest of it won't seem so bad. But I would say that I'm definitely ready for this pregnancy to be over.
I'm hoping to make it 2 more weeks, because 36 weeks would give the boys a good chance at no NICU time. With all these contractions though, I don't know if I can make it that long. But my body has surprised me before, and it very well might in this situation too!
34 Week pic:
Everyone keeps telling me I'm small for carrying twins. I tell them I'm making up for it with the size of my ankles:
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