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Babies Pregnancy

Postpartum Body Issues

So, I mentioned weeks ago that I was diagnosed with Bell’s Palsy at my two week postpartum appointment. I thought I’d do a quick update on what elset my body has been through in the last seven weeks since the babies were born.

As you can imagine, & see thanks to me keeping up with belly photos, my uterus was very stretched. That means that my postpartum bleeding has lingered too. I kept meaning to purchase pads before the babies arrived. Instead I’ve been buying them at each Target run. {Remember friends to stock up before.}oo. At my six week check though, my MFM said the Ute was back to prepregnancy size. My stitches from my second degree tear have also all healed. I have to say, thank goodness for that spray bottle from the hospital!

My body & belly. Not what it used to be. I gained about 50 pounds in 34 weeks. As of last Monday, I’d lost 35 of those pounds really without trying. I eat every four hours or so {usually right before, during or after pumping}. I’m hoping the remaining pounds are helping me produce the necessary breast milk, so I’m not trying to lose. I would like the sagging belly to get tighter eventually but no rush for now. I’m still a bit in awe that my body made two babies & I’m not going to fight it to go back so soon. I’m also coming to terms with my stretch marks. It took them awhile to show up, but they’ve definitely left their mark- on both hips & my lower belly which I didn’t see until the day before delivery. I haven’t tried any trick to make them less noticeable. Yall have any ones that work?

The last body issue is the craziest. Well maybe tied with bells palsy as craziest. Starting a little bit after the babies got home {& I was done taking the steroids}, I started getting boils on various parts of my body. Painful, infected ones that I didn’t have time, energy or knowledge to handle. So I dealt with them by doing warm compresses & taking ibuprofen. The worst one popped up on my left shoulder/back & got bad enough that it hurt to lift my arm & I was running a mild fever. Yes, I know I should’ve gone to Dr that week, but I waited few days until my 6 week appt to show my Dr. I ended up having ‘surgery’ as he called it to lance open the boil. He prescribed me antibiotics & a antimicrobial body wash to hopefully keep new ones from forming {its been a week & so far so good}. What are the boils from? Nurse said probably staff infection picked up at hospital, Dr said could also be postpartum hormones &/or a reaction to the steroids. Either way, they were painful & not something I wanted to deal with on top of everything else.

The heartburn & swelling that plagued me at the end of the pregnancy are thankfully gone. I’m back to wearing my normal shoes {yay for my summer staple Jacks!}. Although I did have swelling the first week or so in my feet after the babies were born. This feet swelling was almost worse than while I was pregnant & I was kinda shocked by that.

It appears my biggest postpartum body issues are almost over. I’m sure as time goes on & breastfeeding comes to an end, I’ll focus & discuss work out & toning plans too. But hopefully that’s months from now.

Categories
Pregnancy

Thirty Four Weeks

So as this is posting, I’m having labor induced & today will hopefully be the babies’ birthday. Jason took these photos of me Saturday afternoon.

{hospital bracelet, Kohls maternity gown}

How far along? 34w1d by my calculations, but the hospital considers the week switch on Sundays instead of Saturdays so they call me 34w this morning.

Maternity clothes? Yes, although all I’ve been wearing for past week is comfy maternity gowns. Since all are also nursing friendly, I think I’ll be in those & chill maternity bottoms for a while. {Big thanks to Seraphine for sending me this pretty nursing/maternity gown this week! & yes, my boobs are getting pre-babies huge!}

{33w6d in Seraphine gown, Target nursing bra}

Weight Gain? I was up 45 pounds as of Thursday two week ago’s doctor’s appointment. I’d guess I’ve gained some weight in the hospital & the belly does look bigger. I’m okay not knowing exact weight now though. 🙂

Stretch Marks? Yes, on both sides & I don’t care.

Sleep? Ambien works. The nights I’ve gone without it in the hospital, I’ve tossed & turned vs sleeping through the night.

Movement? Saturday the babies were so active ~ Zach had hiccups doing the morning monitoring & Lucy was kicking away all morning then again through the night monitoring. So  yes, lots of movement even though they’re running out of room.

Genders? Baby A, Zach, is a boy & C, Lucy, is a girl.

What I Miss? Right now, my house, my cat, normal clothes. But I’ll see all of that soon.

Food cravings? Not a ton. Luckily I have had a lot of choices here in the hospital. My SIL did venture out to Trader Joe’s to get me Greek yogurt & hummus. So maybe that was this past week’s craving. Also cupcakes.

the Carolina blue icing was unfortunate though 🙂

The hospital ones aren’t quite Gigi’s but they’ve satisfied that craving {my friends B & K brought a Whole Foods cupcake when they came to visit Friday too}. Oh & the first food I order from the hospital menu post-babies is a big cold turkey sub!!

Food aversion? None really. I’m not always an Asian food fan, but as you can see from this photo, I’ve enjoyed General Tso’s chicken three times this week. Maybe the spicy food old wives tale works?!

{Sat dinner: Tortilla soup, General Tso’s chicken}

Labor signs? We learned Saturday night that Z is in -1 station super head down & that my cervix is thin/soft/effaced & between 2-3 cm dilated. It’s on y’all!

Belly button in or out? I might have to take a photo of the ‘after’ belly button. It’s so close to being out that I think I can say it’s out.

What I’m Looking Forward to? Babies! Today or tomorrow!

Symptoms? This week has been fairly symptom free {besides the near constant leaking fluid when I move, of course}. No swelling. The hospital meds have kept me heartburn free. Just a few contractions that I actually noticed.

Weekly Wisdom? Enjoy time with family. Be grateful for all the help offered &/or given. Focus on babies & your health first. Stressing does nothing to help.

Milestones? Making it to 34 weeks! Baby Center says 34w old babies usually weigh 4.75 pounds {the weight of a cantaloupe}, close to 18 inches long, & are getting fat layers to make them rounder. We’ll see what L & Z actually are really soon.

Categories
Pregnancy

Potentially my Last Pregnant Day

Later today I’ll do a 34 week update, but I feel like there’s more to be said than answering those weekly update questions.

I’ve been pregnant for 34 weeks. Some bittersweet, but mostly happy weeks. Weeks filled with new bliss at being pregnant; what couldve been called naive faith that our triplet pregnancy would be a smooth one; being rocked when we lost Baby B; adjusting to a pregnancy with two growing babies; slowly getting used to & even saying ‘I’m having twins’; then ending with almost two weeks on hospital bedrest.

The ‘twins’ word hasn’t come out of my lips easy. But it’s what the world already does & will think when they see Zach & Lucy. I’m not one to focus on loss. To pull down myself & others by choosing to only see what’s missing instead if the gifts God has given us. So in that light, I’ve added ‘twins’ to my vocabulary where there was once ‘triplets’. I’ve even purchased a TW INS onesie for them to wear when they’re big enough. I’m looking forward to that photo op.

But tomorrow, I’m going to give birth to all three of my babies. And I’m so excited. And a little scared. And nervous at what my reaction to Baby B will be. Should we have named her? Made other plans for post-birth? I’m standing now by the decisions Jason & I have made. Made for us & for Zach & Lucy.

I have loved being pregnant. Every moment. Every ultrasound. Every kick, punch & head butt to the vag or ribs. Every bit of food to add close to 50 pounds in order to make them as big as possible. Every second of the last two weeks of bedrest. I will honestly miss the big belly. I’ll miss wearing the cute maternity clothes (but don’t think I’ll be giving them up for a few months)!

Today I’m rubbing on extra belly lotion & taking it pretty easy. Enjoying time with family & babies’ belly attention before the big day tomorrow.

Categories
Pregnancy

Hospital Bedrest: 10 days in

Can you believe it’s been ten days since my water broke? I can & can’t. The days pass both quickly & slowly.

I’ve been so very blessed to have had a family member stay every night with me. Jason last Monday, Dad Tues-Thurs, Mom Fri & Sat, Jason Sun, my SIL Beth this Mon & Tues & my Nana came today to stay til Fri when Mom &/or Jason will stay through the weekend. Also friends & my aunt have stopped by to pepper the days with other fun faces.

The mornings are busy starting with 6am heartburn & thyroid medicines, 7am blood pressure/temp/finger tip oximeter checks, breakfast snack, 8amish doctors visiting, 9amish babies’ heartbeat & Suz contraction monitoring & then ordered breakfast. Things quiet down around 10 am & are pretty chill until 7 or 8 pm. That’s when shift change occurs which means meeting the new nursing staff, a new round of checks on me coupled with dinner, prime time TV & the nightly monitoring. I think some people must not like the babies heartbeat monitoring, but I love it. It super relaxes me to hear their hearts beating away. & I think it’s interesting that while I have felt few contractions, there are some showing up on the monitor.

I feel like the babes are growing good thanks to the fabulous room service-like meals here. We’re also watched over by wonderful, caring nurses & checked in on by kick ass high risk doctors like my MFM & his residents. I feel her pretty frequently here- kicks, punches, rolls, head butts to the ribs- she’s letting me know she’s happy. He’s more calm, at least from what I feel. But the doctors have assured me that he’s fine- just a mix of him being so low plus having little water accounts for his smaller activity levels.

I haven’t read as much as I thought I might. I’ve actually just finished two books (one of which I’m posting on tomorrow). I also finished Mothering Multiples which is a LLL book on breastfeeding multiples. I re-read through the multiples childbirth workbook from class too. Days pass quickly chatting with family & friends & nurses who’ve become friends, flipping through magazines, watching random TV (oh I do miss DVR) & the hospital movie channels too. Jason & I were entertained by clowns Friday & Mom & I were serenaded Glee-style by the university men’s acappella group Saturday afternoon. 🙂

Since there’s been no changes in the 10 days, my nurses & doctors feel pretty confident I’ll continue to stay pregnant until they induce me at 34 weeks. We’ll begin a few things Saturday night but my induction is technically scheduled for Sunday morning. I’ll try to do one last weekly update before hand!

Categories
Pregnancy

Thirty Three Weeks

Mom took these photos of me & the belly with my cell late Saturday night in my hospital room. I look tired, makeup free but happily still pregnant.

{hospital bracelet, Kohls maternity/nursing gown}

How far along? 33w2d by my calculations, but the hospital considers the week switch on Sundays instead of Saturdays so they call me 33w1d.

Maternity clothes? Yes. Beginning last Monday evening, I wore hospital provided attire. Then I learned mid-week that I could wear my own clothes if I wanted. While the Kohls by us didn’t have them, luckily Mom found a few maternity/nursing gowns with robes at her Kohls & brought them down Friday. We ordered another online so now I’m switching off wearing prettier gowns.

Weight Gain? I was up 45 pounds as of last Thursday’s doctor’s appointment. I haven’t been weighed since but think the belly might be a little bigger.

Stretch Marks? Yes, on both sides & I kinda don’t care.

Sleep? Sleep in the hospital at first was near impossible due to nurses checking in or giving meds every two hours. Now I’ve learned to ask for sleeping pill if I can’t sleep & they also don’t have to give me medicine over night.

Movement? I think just sitting here thinking about the babes has me hyper-aware of them. I feel her really often & he let’s me know he’s hanging out with a few kicks & punches too.

Genders? Baby A, Zach, is a still a boy & C, Lucy, is a girl.

What I Miss? Baby B {some of the nurses when they’re doing the heartbeat monitors will refer to Lucy as baby B; I’ve either corrected them or ignored it & said “her” or “Lucy”}. I randomly today told the husband I miss wearing jewelry. I took all mine off before we left for L&D Monday night. I think this is the longest I’ve gone without wearing a necklace/rings/earrings in years & years. I also miss Moekitty~ Jason’s been good about sending me fluffy kit photos though!

Food cravings? As you’ve probably seen from my instagram feed, the food here in the hospital is really good. But the Dairy Queen commercials are getting to me~ I’m sad there isn’t a DQ close by, but the hospital’s ice cream & milkshakes are hitting that spot. I was also kinda craving a Gigi’s cupcake yesterday. I ordered a cupcake with my lunch today & am hoping it tastes as good as it looks.

Food aversion? None really.

Labor signs? Zach’s water broke last Monday afternoon. So I’m now a PPROM {premature preterm rupture of membranes} patient on hospital bedrest. No other labor signs for the last week though {random little contractions but not active ones}. They’ll induce labor if I don’t go on my own by 5/20.

Belly button in or out? It’s popping more & more out but I’d still call it an innie.

What I’m Looking Forward to? A few more days of being pregnant {aka having ‘medically boring days’ as the MFMs wish me every morning}. Spending time with my SIL who’s on her way to hang out for a few days. Then a few days with my Nana. Then babies!!!!!

Symptoms? The swollen feet that have plagued me for weeks {months?!} disappeared being in a hospital bed. So nice to see my feet looking normal. The heartburn medicine they give me here has actually worked better than what I was previously on. I really feeling well.

Weekly Wisdom? A positive attitude really helps. A nurse told me yesterday, as I was mentioning how the days fly by & that it hasn’t been bad, how my attitude really does effect my bedrest stay. We open the blinds each morning, I brush my teeth/wash face etc & we’ve established a bit of a routine when it comes to showering & getting out of the room occasionally. I really think texting & social media {twitter, instagram, facebook & of course blogging} makes me still feel connected to friends too which really has helped.

Milestones? Still pregnant! Baby Center told me yesterday that the babies are about 4 pounds {weight of a pineapple} but we know they were that size over a week ago at our last ultrasound appt. Since they gain about a half pound a week, I’m guessing they’re more like 4.5 & 4.75 pounds now. Guess we’ll see for sure soon.