30 weeks pregnant with Twins

30 weeks

I'm feeling quite good at the moment and seem to have some energy from somewhere! I guess my nesting instincts have kicked in and now I'm on a mission to get everything ready in the house and start preparing for their birth!

Still having moments of real anxiety about birth, mainly at how immensely painful it is at the end and just the 'unknown' of how it's going to go (I'm a control freak). I really need to let this go before birth as I'm worried how it will impact it. So I've been looking at getting a Hypnotherapy CD. Hopefully this will take my focus away from the anxiety and come birth day I will be cool as a cucumber!

I've been looking into ways of relieving the afterbirth pains, this is also something that is playing on my mind. I was in complete shock after I birthed Charlotte and they started straight after, I remember asking what was going on and why I was still getting contractions?!! "It's afterbirth pains my dear" It was very painful and even more so when breastfeeding. I used Mag phos (from the helios childbirth kit) and I felt it helped and managed on Paracetamol for one night (the pains lasted around 3 days). I've had a look around to see if there is anything else and Motherwort kept cropping up so I'm going to look into trying that this time as I have a feeling if I'm going to get them again they are going to be worse considering the extra stretching my wombs had to do (and still doing!).

Well I have a bedroom to gut now so will update again soon :)

Natasha

28 weeks + 1 Growth scan and consultant appointment

28 weeks

Everything went well with the babies, Twin 1 - 2lb 5oz and Twin 2 - 2lb 3oz so I'm really pleased about that! Twin 1 was head down too (I already knew that.......... rib pain lessened and I'm super on the ball! ha ha) She's very low in my pelvis and Twin 2 little man has his head right next to her shoulder. I got to see his face too which was really nice :)

I also had their sexes confirmed again and she said quite confidently boy and girl.

I also did a very good deed while waiting for the consultant, my Dad's friend was there and his wife who was 32 weeks and her baby was breech, so I directed her to spinning babies :) She didn't know she could do anything to help turn the baby. I find this sad, women are just not informed enough about ways they can help themselves and babies just by doing a few very simple things! But I guess it would cost too much to tell them all............... *roll eyes

I found spinning babies when I was desperate to make sure I did everything I could to have my second at home, I was absolutely amazed at the information and was gutted I didn't know before.

Although there is a small amount of information at Antenatal classes, it's later in the pregnancy. Which is sad as the info could be given earlier and if more women were aware of Optimal fetal positioning (and it was emphasised how important this was) then surely more women would have more 'straightforward' births and avoided the unnecessary traumatic induction from simply rolling their hips round on a ball and sitting correctly............ (referring to my own experience of labour with the added pitocin, this was not something I ever want to repeat again!) I understand other factors come into it of course but I do wonder!

Right well the consultant appointment, it went ok. When I say ok it's because I wasn't shouted at! ha ha. I think it was down to the fact it wasn't Mr W who I saw the first time it was some other guy. My Dad was there also so I think his presence helped (he has the head nutting look so people just assume he will if the say the wrong word, when he isn't like that at ha ha).

The consultant asked how the scan went (why? did you not read the info or talk to the sonographer?!) and how I was, he told me I need my T4 checking and was asking why it hadn't been checked (I'm not the effin doctor?!) I have been having the TSH checked (I had over half my thyroid removed a few years ago due to a non cancerous tumor) so I have to tell them to check that next time and that I also had glucose in my wee (noooooo) but I had weetabix with a little bit more sugar than I should of had along with saltanas before doing a wee (as well as lots of fruit juice in the night) so I hope it was that! He asked me to get it checked next with the midwife and if it shows up again I need to have a GTT, which I really hope I do not have to have!! I would be so unwell not eating for length of time! I can't go 1 hour without feeling sickness hunger, I get up in the night to eat as I can't sleep because of hunger pains and feeling unwell so god knows what I will do if it's advised to do that.......

He then went on to ask if I had spoke about the 'birth options' (ha ha what a joke!) I said that I was having a Home birth.

He said it was my choice of course but I will find no OB in the country who would support that, and was I aware of such and such risk and what can happen if this and this happens............ I told him it was all ifs and buts at the moment as I might not even get to term but I was aware of the risks I have done my research and currently still feel happy to birth them at home.

He made it quite clear that he would not discuss Home birth with me and as it was my choice to not follow their advice they won't talk about it and won't get involved. Which I knew. Although he seemed keen to point out that we would need to discuss hospital birth options nearer the time but I'm hoping I can talk about that with the Head of Midwifery (on the basis of needing to go or not feeling happy with a home birth). I asked him to contact her (ha ha his face) as I wanted to speak to her, he asked me why (what do you mean why?) and I said that I needed to discuss the birth and again he pointed out that as it's not supported there's only so much she can say/do etc (did he forget that she attended and facilitated a Twin home birth in the NHS?!) He said I should hear within the next 4 weeks as I had wrote to her as well but just wanted to get him to realise I was serious.

I have my next appointment on the 20th Feb at 1.30 and I will be 32 weeks (scary!), I think I might cancel seeing the consultant (unless there is something wrong with the babies) as there was no point, I have found out far more and done far more than what they have given or done for me so it's just a waste of time.

Totally moving on from that I bought some Motherease rikki wraps XS (from 5.5lb) and they still look too big! I haven't got time now but in the week I will put some pics of my little collection!

Natasha x

25 weeks - Twin Pregnancy Blog - Whinge

25 weeks

Well I feel massive already. Measuring 30 weeks and feeling slightly fed up.

My stomach and ribs constantly feel sore, I'm burping a lot and to top it off the worst heartburn I have ever experienced. I am sure this is because little miss has her head wedged up there somewhere and as she and her brother are squashed together it is only going to make it feel worse............ poor organs.

They are both wriggling a lot and pressing on my bladder, I am weeing a lot but thank fully haven't needed to in the night yet.

I am looking at buying a pregnancy support belt, I have read how helpful the can be so I think it's worth a go! Will update when I get it.

Oh on a positive note I found a weight chart that was based on average weights in singleton pregnancies. Little man and little miss are around the average for a singleton's development so I am even more pleased! :)

Here is a link and a copy of the chart.

http://www.twinstuff.com/twinweights.htm

Gestational Age Weight (gm) Weight (lb/oz)

8 weeks 1.0 gm 0.035 oz
9 weeks 3.0 gm 0.11 oz
10 weeks 5.0 gm 0.18 oz
11 weeks 12.5 gm 0.44 oz
12 weeks 20 gm 0.7 oz
13 weeks 40 gm 1.4 oz
14 weeks 60 gm 2.1 oz
15 weeks 90 gm 3.2 oz
16 weeks 120 gm 4.2 oz
17 weeks 170 gm 6.0 oz
18 weeks 220 gm 7.75 oz
19 weeks 275 gm 9.7 oz
20 weeks 330 gm 11.6 oz
21 weeks 395.5 gm 13.9 oz
22 weeks 460 gm 1 lb
23 weeks 555 gm 1 lb 3 oz
24 weeks 655 gm 1 lb 7 oz
25 weeks 750 gm 1 lb 10 oz
26 weeks 850 gm 1 lb 14 oz
27 weeks 975 gm 2 lb 2 oz
28 weeks 1100 gm 2 lb 7 oz
29 weeks 1260 gm 2 lb 12 oz
30 weeks 1420 gm 3 lb 2 oz
31 weeks 1585 gm 3 lb 7 oz
32 weeks 1750 gm 3 lb 14 oz
33 weeks 1915 gm 4 lb 3 oz
34 weeks 2080 gm 4 lb 9 oz
35 weeks 2250 gm 4 lb 15 oz
36 weeks 2420 gm 5 lb 5 oz
37 weeks 2660 gm 5 lb 14 oz
38 weeks 2900 gm 6 lb 6 oz
39 weeks 3075 gm 6 lb 12 oz
40 weeks 3250 gm 7 lb 2 oz