Going to Nest These Babies Out

Someone, please explain to me, why I took pills daily for 5.5 weeks to keep these babies cooking inside?

Yes, they are still there cooking, to everyone's amazement.  And yet, somehow I'm not amazed.  I'm so not surprised that children of mine have taken up residence in my womb and refused to leave. Don't get me wrong, it is great that they will be considered "term" babies.  Wow! Who could have imagined that?! What a wonderful blessing.

I'm scheduled for an induction Friday morning, which actually really freaks me out.  I would so rather my body go into labor on my own.  It seemed reasonable last week to schedule an induction for more than a week down the road.  Now I'm not so sure.  On one hand, an induction insures that both my doctors will be available for the delivery.  On the other hand, I've NEVER been induced before.  I don't want a c-section and what am I doing? Scheduling the one thing shown to increase your chance at a c-section in a situation where a vaginal delivery is highly unusual.

I do still have a doctor's appointment tomorrow before going in Friday and will discuss these things with her. I'm hoping she will have some words of comfort - beyond her words last week, which were that it will go fast.

In the meantime, I'm running around the house, trying to take care of all of those things no one would let me do for weeks.

Yay, laundry and toy organizing! How many things do you think a person can do in two days?

For my next post (unless I manage some Halloween cuteness post tomorrow) expect to see babies! They are coming, ready or not!

35 weeks, 6 days

I always had a goal of 36 weeks and 5 lb babies, and, here we are, about to reach that goal.

On Monday the babies measured 5 lbs 1 oz, 5 lbs 6 oz, and   5 lbs 11 oz. I'm a bit concerned that they are no longer tightly bunched at the same growth rate. A is falling behind and even though the doctor didn't mention it, it makes me worried about growth restriction. I have another appointment tomorrow so I will ask then. it may effect my delivery options. I just don't know. The MFM also seemed concerned about getting accurate monitoring of the babies during labor, just due to their positions.

He did make me mad by implying that the only positive to a vaginal birth is not having a scar. I kept my mouth shut. But really?

No matter how it comes, tho, the end waits just ahead.

Baby items in almost every room mark their impending arrival.  Yet even among all the gear and freshly washed clothes, I cannot begin to wrap my mind around bringing home three babies. Three!

Part of me can't wait for their arrival! To hold them and know each face.  To have room on my lap for  Frederick. For movement to no longer be a monumental decision. For the end of every threefold pregnancy woe.

Yet the end of anticipation brings us three newborns. A minimum of 24 feedings a day.  36 diapers. 10-12 pumping sessions. Unknown possibilities for outfit changes. Long, sleepless nights.  Two older children who craving our time and attention as we adjust to this new life as a family of 7.

For all the amazing things, for all of the unpleasant things, we find ourselves on the edge of a great adventure. The only thing left to do is jump.

Oh, Baby Weight!

Today I am 32 weeks 5 days pregnant with this trio. They could realistically come at any time, which is crazy to consider!

It's been two weeks since I first showed signs of preterm labor. The first week following was difficult for me. I couldn't sleep at night 1)for thinking about soon being a mother with triplets in the NICU and 2) because my stomach all of a sudden felt as though it was constantly in my throat. Even water was difficult to drink!

At some point each and every day the contractions picked up to 6 in an hour. Yet each time we were ready to leave for the hospital the contractions suddenly slowed back down.

Then, after my doctor's appointment last Monday I decided that these three may NOT be coming at any moment. I settled to myself that they'd hold tight until 34 weeks. And a crazy thing happened - or rather stopped happening. The contractions stopped coming with such frequency. Once I stopped stressing, so did the bulk of the contractions. Mind over matter!

I'm still on medication and still must spend a good portion of my day resting with my feet up, but things seem doable now. Prevacid allows me to sleep at night. I think about the big strong babies I will have if we can hang in there for a few more weeks.

Big and strong they are growing, too! At the MFM yesterday he estimated their weights. A: 4 lbs 2 oz B: 4 lbs 3 oz and C: 4 lbs 4 oz. They are not very big for gestational age, but hover squarely at the 44th percentile - always just below the 50th which is exactly where Frederick and Charlotte always measured. The trio are all just as large as my singletons at the same gestational age! I couldn't hope for them to grow any better.

So, for now, these kiddos just keep on baking and we wait for their arrival - either sooner or later. :)