The ultrasound nitty gritty!

Thursday started off like every other ultrasound appointment. I'm up, showered and ready to go by the time I take the kids to school (which is a big deal now that I generally come home and nap for 4 hours instead of showering). I had a bowl of cream of wheat before showering and after dropping the kids off decided a taco before leaving seemed like a good idea. I also took a 30 oz cup of hot milk on the road with me.

I arrive downtown for my 10 appointment. Melissa met me there as I was being taken into the waiting room. (For those unaware, Melissa is how STE and I met and she comes with me to virtually every ultrasound appointment. She was waiting for STE & S to become parents almost as badly as they were. She's been my surrogate IM when STE can't be here for things, she's been my agency if I had one and she's been a true friend and support for over 3 years). We probably got into the ultrasound around 10:30.

The scan went like it usually does. Heart rates look good, 136 for A and 141 for B I believe. Little girl is measuring ahead this scan, 37 weeks 4 days (which she's never really measured that far ahead before). She is still head down with her back along my left side (same position for quite awhile). Then it's little boys turn. He's as active as ever and apparently flipped again. At 11 he was head on my left side and body lying transverse (just 2 weeks ago his head was on my right side). Little boy seems to be measuring about 35 weeks 1 day (which is also on par with how he was measuring last month). Basically all of his measurements were fine except his femur bone. It's the one that was measuring small. But if anyone remembers, they had to remeasure him last time as well and it was decided that he may just have short legs (which is totally normal).

However, they call my OB and since I didn't have a follow-up appointment with him until next Thursday it was decided that I would be sent to Labor and Delivery. The ultrasound tech didn't know why, just that they were sending me. (Frustration #1-My OB should've known that I'd want to know why on earth I was being sent to L & D!-and yes he will hear all about it next week). The good news is my cervix is still nice and long and closed. Estimated weights were not mentioned, nor was amniotic fluid levels.

So we head a few blocks over to the hospital. At this point is 12:00 and I haven't eaten since 8:45. I also just spent the last two hours on my back or slightly on my side being pushed and prodded with the ultrasound wand on my sensitive belly. I'm slightly irritated to begin with since I had no intentions of having babies at 36 weeks!! At L & D no one seemed to know why I was there either, plus it was a busy birthing day and there were 2 other ladies waiting for a spot in triage. So, we waited and waited. After nearly 2 hours they took us into triage. I still haven't eaten anything since 8:45, nobody seems to know why I'm there other than they'll 'hook me up to the monitors, review the ultrasound and make a decision from there' ???

First of all, they technically could've reviewed the ultrasounds and CALLED ME!! Make a decision from there? I had no intention of birthing that day anyhow, I'll come back tomorrow when it's not so busy! If we're really here because B is measuring smaller than A, even I can tell you that his leg was measuring smaller a month ago, if they'd bothered to ask (or even to read last month's ultrasound report-I'm sure it was mentioned).

But I decided that we'll just get in there, do what they ask and then we can get out. I'll just suck it up and get through. I change into my gown, which is fine. But then I'm supposed to put this elastic 'girdle' on to hold the monitors in place. Technically, the girdle is not leaving marks, but does anyone remember that I can't stand anything on my belly or my back. That's why I had to make my own belly band, the bella band is just too tight for me to be comfortable (and the girdle was tighter than my bella band). But that's alright, I'll suck it up, how long can it be? Get in and get it done. So I climb on the bed and it's instantly clear that although I'm reclined, it's not going to be comfy and there's that gap in my back and the bed that sure could use an extra pillow! We make due by putting my rolled up pants there and I'm able to close my eyes and try to relax for a bit.

They did take my blood pressure and it was fine, as well as my urine and a 1 lb weight gain since last week.

After waiting an hour Melissa pops her head out to see WHEN someone is going to come see me. "Nobody's been in there yet?" Uh, no! Seems like it should be someones job to make sure that everyone is seen, but then we're not there for labor, we're just there for who knows what! So a second nurse comes in and looks at the monitoring strip (which we'd been hoping someone had been monitoring outside). It looks as though it's only picking up 1 babies heartbeat and we need to reposition the monitors.

Around this point I start to lose it. I STILL haven't eaten since 8:45, I've been lying uncomfortably for over 2 hours, I sat uncomfortably in a chair for 2 hours (with no lumbar support either) and the nurse is now saying that we have to got through this whole monitoring thing AGAIN!! We already know that I'm not contracting, the first hour of monitoring told us that. We KNOW that the babies have beating hearts-I CAN FEEL THEM MOVING NONSTOP the entire time I'm lying uncomfortably on the triage bed (which are those really beds?). WHY on earth do we need to monitor the heart rates, we're here because of size discrepancy, right? So she moves the monitors and leaves us again.

Shortly after a doc comes in and sees that we're still not picking up 2 heart rates, so she scans me to verify WHERE the hearts are (guess what, they are exactly where Melissa told them they were). While she scans me I have to lie entirely flat on my back with my legs flat as well. (There is no way this position is ever recommended to a pregnant woman, yet alone pregnant with twins). She takes her time and verifies what we've told her and then we try again with the monitors. She also takes a moment to check my cervix manually-STILL CLOSED! At this point I'm now in tears and STILL HUNGRY! They want me to hold off on food for a little bit longer, just in case. JUST IN CASE OF WHAT? Does anyone KNOW why I'm here!!

Then a 3rd nurse comes in and helps to get everything under control. She gets the monitors where they need to be. She LISTENS to what is wrong and bothering me! She cuts some holes in the death girdle and I instantly feel better with some of the pressure taken away. She gets some hot sheets to put behind my back and shoulders to ease the pain AND she gets me a wet washcloth for my forehead (which really does help take away the nauseous, hot feeling). Finally a 'snack pack' is brought in for me and I get to eat some graham crackers, carrots, pudding and grape juice. Since the babies were moving so much this 3rd nurse also stayed and monitored the heart rates and adjusted as necessary, rather than waiting an hour to realize that someone had moved away from the monitor.

FINALLY, after over 2 hours of what I'm now calling torture, the perinatoligist comes in to discuss why I'm there. She's spoken with my OB, reviewed all of the ultrasounds and doesn't really think there's much cause for concern. Baby B's stomach measurement is right on target (and that's the one they can really go by as far as growth). He just has a small femur measurement (again, we knew this LAST month). She says everything looks great, especially for 36 weeks, the babies look fine, my cervix looks great, no contractions, blood pressure is good. We are free to go.

It's now 4:45, traffic time. Melissa and I are both exhausted and hungry, but decide to get home and then eat. I give Brian a call and ask him to pick up pizza (or whatever, but I know if given the choice he'll pick pizza) so it's ready when I get home in an hour. I call him back a little later and ask for ice cream or Peanut M & M's also. If I was a drinker, I'm pretty sure I would've needed a drink after a day like this. Traffic wasn't too bad and I realize I'm going to be home early and pizza won't be there yet, so I stop at the Jack in the Box drive through for the curly fry craving that hit me while waiting at the hospital.

Dinner arrived home 5 minutes after I did. I had Brian take the weekly pictures real quick so I could undress for the day. I ate dinner, splurged on a can of fruit punch and headed for the tub. I noticed that there was some brown spotting (which is totally normal after a cervical check), so I opted for a hot shower over the tub (just in case). Then I headed for bed and a little Sober House. It just felt so good to lie down in my bed, supported by pillows where I needed support (Ciera counted them up, 8 pillows to make me happy) and a heating pad on my back. I even got a quick foot rub before bed.

Thank goodness Brian had Thursday off for Lincoln's Birthday. He was easily able to pick up the kids and I didn't have to worry about timing or who could do what. The kids were just happy to be home with their dad.

So the good news is I'm really not contracting, just like I thought. I do get an uncomfortably hard belly quite often, but I've been assuming it's the babies stretching out-and it is. My trip to L & D has me really doubting my ability to survive a vaginal birth. I'm sure it will be OK, but a scheduled c-section doesn't sound so bad after my afternoon in triage.

As for today, my hips hurt when I woke up, but a soak in a hot tub has already made a difference (no more spotting today). My back feels better and emotionally I'm in a much better place, although still irritated beyond belief! The kids are out of school, so we all got to sleep in and we have no plans until dinner tonight. We are headed to Brian's parents house to celebrate his dad's birthday over lasagna.

As bad as my day was yesterday, it's still wasn't quite as bad as STE's. Melissa was able to text her the whole time to keep her in the loop, but she was dealing with quite alot as well. I think at some point when she can process her week, she should record it for posterity. When she looks back on it in several years, it will seem like a hilarious week and it would've been totally fitting for her babies to be born on Friday, the 13th.