Non-Stress Test??... Almost.

     So today I had my first non-stress test (NST).  It seemed really basic and relaxed when the nurse was explaining it to me.  I had to sit in a comfy recliner with a heart monitor on my belly for each baby and a third monitor to measure any uterine contractions...simple.  First an ultrasound nurse came in and did a very quick ultrasound to check the amount of amniotic fluid in each sac.  Mav had a 7 and Z had a 6.5.  Those numbers don't mean anything to me except that the nurse said they were perfect... yay.  Next she told me that both boys are head down...yay!! They may not stay that way, but I am crossing my fingers.  Finally, using the ultrasound they located each baby's heart and the ultrasound was done.
     The NST nurse was really nice and we were chatting while she got things set up on my belly.  She put me in a very reclined position so I was pretty close to flat on my back.  I didn't think much of it, but after about 5-10 minutes of monitoring the heart rates I started to get really nauseous.
     I asked if I could have my water and after downing nearly the entire 32 ounces I literally started to drip sweat.  The nurse told me I was getting really pale and I said the room was going black.  It sounded like I was underwater and I could barely understand what she was saying.  I kept repeating that I didn't feel good over and over again.  The nurse started going in and out of the room grabbing things.  One trip was ice packs that were put on my head, back of my neck and chest.  Another trip was for a puke bowl and ice chips.  A third trip was for a glass of coke and a doctor.  The nurse had taken my blood pressure when I first got to the office and it was normal for me... 95/ 68.  I've always had low blood pressure, but have been told it is fine for my body type.  The nurse took my blood pressure a few times during all the craziness and my blood pressure had dropped to 70 something/30 something... no bueno!
     Once the doctor came in she rolled me on to my left side and put an oxygen monitor on me.  Over the next 5 minutes the room went back to normal lighting and I could once again hear things normally.  All it was,was the fact that the babies are getting heavy enough that if I am on my back they will put too much pressure on the huge vein that goes to your heart and slow the blood circulation...drastically in my case.  Simple fix :) After that fun 10-15 min everything was fine.  I will have an NST every week until I deliver.  I will always lay on my left side :)
     Even during the craziness the boys heart rates remained in the "normal zone".  Maverick's rate never left the 140's, but Zayden's dropped slightly into the 130's but went right back up to the high 140's once I was back to normal.  I have some strong boys :) love them!
     A few random things:
***I talked to my doctor about my birth preferences today and gave him a list I had put together.  My list will be put in my file so that no matter which doctor I have for delivery, they will know where I stand.  He made sure though that in case of an emergency that I was willing to trust their judgement and 99% of it I am.  I am learning that some doctors do things just because it is what they have always done without having an actual medical reason behind it.  Those moments I will trust my judgement/research/birthing coach to make the best call for the babies.
*** I think it is funny how many people, complete strangers, ask when I am due or say, "Any day now.".  I even had a complete stranger offer his help if I needed it when it came time to delivery...ODD.   I haven't really had anyone I didn't know start rubbing my belly, but I have a feeling that is not too far off.
*** Two good things about being this prego for today are that I stopped at a random hair salon and asked to use their bathroom.  They said of course without even a funny look.  Trying to hold your pee at this stage is seriously painful.  The second thing was that no one looked at me funny when I simply stood in the walk in dairy fridge area at Costco.  I got the eggs I needed, but then stood there, in the middle for a few minutes... It felt sooooooo good :)
     Last, I was able to take maternity pictures this week.  I am waiting for the disc with all the pictures, but the ones I have seen so far I am happy with.  Of course it is odd when you are the one in every picture, but I am trying to not be too critical :)

Rochelle Larson of Pointe Digital Photography & Video took my pictures... look her up :)!!! 

I am hoping to keep these little guys cooking for another 4-6 weeks... keep us in your prayers :) 

No More Stories Please...

   I am writing this post probably at a bad time.  I should probably wait till I am calmer and not as overwhelmed/fired-up as I am, but oh well.
    First let me make it clear that I appreciate and LOVE all the support I have received for myself and these babies.  I have been blown away by the amount of friends and family that are praying for us, thinking about us and are excited for us.  I can't thank you all enough.
       With all that has come MANY stories and I feel like I did when I couldn't get pregnant. The stories and millions of scenarios I hear almost daily are getting to me.  They are of someone else's journey and this is my journey and my story.  To this point, it has been unlike anyone else's journey (I feel) and my delivery and subsequent raising of twins will be MY journey as well.  That is not to say that I don't appreciate or want advice.  I don't know all the in's and out's of what I am going through or am about to face, BUT I am one that does my research.  I have made informed decisions about having a natural birth.  I have made informed decisions on how I will breastfeed.  I will make informed decisions along the way as I am sure not everything will go as planned.  I do things based off how it feels to me, not how others think it should be done.  If you would like to offer positive support than by all means please do.  If you are going to tell me that I am a new mom that is just clueless than please keep that to yourself.  If you have a twin birth story, please just share the advice portion and leave the story out.
    I will never put my boys in danger.  I will do everything in my power to protect them.  Through my research and faith I feel that that is exactly what I am doing.  I am not opposed to or think that modern medicine is evil, but rather the contrary.  It is a gift from God, but so is my natural body.  I plan to use what God has already given me in nature first and than if needed use what He has given me on earth to supplement a natural process.
    I am blessed to have an amazing man by my side that continues to support me in all my choices.  He trusts me to make decisions based on what is best for our babies.  I ask that other's do the same.  Thank you and the end :)

On a happier, less stressed note... the boys are doing great.  I start my Non-stress Tests on Monday and will have them weekly till I deliver.  I am overall doing great.  Each day I find one more little activity that has become much harder to accomplish.  I get TIRED very easily.  The nursery is almost done (I'll post pictures when it is).  I count my blessings daily of how well things are going.  I truly do appreciate all the support!  It takes a lot of stress/worry out of the equation.

The Boys are GROWING... and So Am I!!!

     I am now 28 weeks and had an ultrasound today... I am a happy mama.  My boys are doing so well and it is such a relief to see them.  Maverick has his head right above my cervix looking up and is in an L shape along my right side.  Zayden is in the fetal position taking up the space on my right.  Z is literally sitting on Mav's head and Mav's feet are kicking Z's head.  I've been able to feel them moving for the past 2-3 weeks.  Based on the last ultrasound at week 20 I thought I knew which one was kicking or punching and I thought I had their personalities figured out...WRONG.  They've moved and grown a bunch.  I thought Z was constantly kicking me and was the rowdy one, but it was Mav the whole time.  Z is much more relaxed than I thought.   Right when we started the ultrasound we were able to catch Mav yawning... so cute!!! Mav also had is hand up over his head pushing on Z's butt :) haha.
    Mav is 2 lbs 6 oz.  Z is 2 lbs 8 oz.  Both boy's weights are awesome.  They are the same weight as a single baby would be at this point, which makes me super happy.  Their length is 3 days ahead of my gestational time, which puts them in the 47-49 percentile.  I wish the Dr would tell me inches, I'll try to get inches on my next appointment.  Mav's heart rate was 149 and Z was 143, both great.  Basically, ALL GOOD NEWS :)

This is a side profile of Mav yawning :) LOVE IT. 

28 weeks @ 170 lbs!!! I've gained 38 lbs!!! I was told that is good though, Yikes!  I am measuring the same as a 36 week single pregnancy.

     So life now consists of lots of heartburn/acid reflux.  I've resorted to using Tums, which are safe, but I am hoping to find a natural solution.  My neighbor said she had something, so I need to call her ASAP.  I don't make it through the day or night without Tums.  Sleeping is getting tricky.  I've tried the U-shaped pillow, the straight body pillow, and a tiny little wedge pillow.  I like the wedge pillow.  I place it under my belly with another regular pillow between my knees.  I feel like this set up allows me to switch sides constantly and easily through the night.  I have to switch a ton because my hips hurt and occasionally go numb... not fun.  My energy is getting less and less.  I am back to needing naps, but for now it is an every other day thing.  I have so many things I want/need to do before the boys come and it is getting harder and harder to get through even a quarter of my to-do-list each day.  Bending over sucks and totally random, but no one tells you that wiping after using the restroom also gets tougher and tougher!  My feet feel bruised on the days I walk around a lot.  This extra weight is for sure being felt!  BUT with all the "fun" stuff I just mentioned, I can't complain.  I am not on bed rest, I am not throwing up, I am able to still go and do fun things, my boys are very healthy and I feel great most days.  

     I was blessed on July 11th to have a baby shower planned for me by sisters and friends.  It was amazing to me to see and feel the amount of love and support there is for me, Beau and these little boys! It was chaotic, but wonderful and thank you to all those that were there and I missed you for those that weren't able to make it.  Our house is a mess with all the amazing gifts we received.  Its a good problem to have :) 

     I decided I wanted to see what all the Hypnobirthing buzz was about, so Beau and I started the Hypnobirthing classes this past week.  We are taking them from Launi Anderson.  She keeps it real and entertaining.  The philosophy behind the practice is basic yet thought provoking.  I think it should be called "Self Relaxation for All of Life's Challenges".  It simply takes labor back to the way nature intended it to be and not the way it is portrayed in the media.  It shows you how to fully relax your body and allow it to work the way it is designed to work...in sync.  In a very quick nutshell, think of woman in 3rd world countries or animals.  When they give birth they typically do it alone and in a very calm manner.  Most (not all) complications occur when tension or fear becomes present during labor, which causes a woman's birthing muscles to no longer work in sync.  Fear causes blood to go to areas of the bodies based on where the brain sends it (fight or flight kicks in with fear) and the uterus/cervix is last on the brains list.  Hypnobirthing is a good birth route for healthy woman with healthy babies.  There are of course circumstances where it wouldn't work totally, but the relaxation will help with whatever way labor goes.  I was surprised at how much Beau got into it.  He is happy we are using it.  I told my OB today that we would be using Hypnobirthing and they are totally fine with it.  They actually appreciate when woman learn about it because of how much the relaxation techniques help with any situation.  I am oddly kind of excited for labor to see how it all pans out. 

     Lastly, the nursery construction was finally finished about 2 weeks ago.  We had the carpets cleaned last week and finally have the cribs set up! They fit perfectly and I love them.  They are mini cribs and super cute.  We picked out my rocker/recliner and it is super comfy! Beau picked out our double stroller... it matches his truck :) haha.  It is a pretty awesome stroller though.  Things are coming together!!! 

Cribs and Rocker.  Now the fun part...decorating begins!! 

     

   

     

24 Weeks and All is Well

   I just had my 24 week appointment and all seems to be well.  They didn't do an ultrasound, which I hate because I simply like to see my babies!  But, heart rates were both good, so I am fine with that for now.  I made all my appointments from now till I deliver!!! That was weird.  My goal is October 1st, but I know I need to be prepared for anything after 32 weeks (yikes!).
     The latest pregnancy joys I've been experiencing are the common things.... acid reflux at night (sometimes all day), charlie-horses in my calves anytime and I try to stretch AND when I do nothing, hip soreness in the morning from only sleeping on my sides, itchy-belly skin, struggle to breath at times, more and more cellulite on my hips (I hate that one!) and the inability to bend over at ease.  However on the more positive side I am starting to have enough energy to get through a whole day.  Although I move a lot slower and getting 3-4 things done is considered a productive day as compared to my HUGE to-do list of pre-pregnancy times.  
     The Nursery is FINALLY, mostly done.  It just needs a little caulk along the baseboards and trim.  After that the carpets will be cleaned and cribs set up :) YAY!!!! I want to get it all done in the next month just in case I have to be on my butt, which I am praying I won't, but just in case.
     Last week Beau's wonderful, sweet mom threw me a family baby shower in Idaho.  It was a very quick trip up to Idaho and back, but it was a lot of fun.  I got spend time with my awesome in-laws AND I got to see a couple of my cousins, which I hadn't seen in years.

 

 

And... here is the 24 week belly picture update.  I feel like it is looking a little more torpedo-ish and moving past the cute round stage. I know it is probably just me, but whatever.

Let the Brother Fights Begin!

     Today was the day we got to see the boys to get all their measurements and check their vital organ growth...everything looked perfect! YAY :)  It was reconfirmed that they are, for sure, both boys.  Maverick (baby A) is 14 oz measuring and Zayden (baby B) is 13 oz and both are measuring the exact same in overall growth ( 20 wks and 6 days, which is exactly where I am at in duration!).  Maverick's heart rate is 152 bpm and Zayden's is 144 bpm, both are great.  I am sooooo excited that they are growing the same and they have all the blood flow and nourishment they need right now.
      They are laying horizontally across the bottom part of my belly on top of each other, just opposite directions.  Zayden is on top with Maverick squished underneath and... kicking each other in the heads!  It makes sense why I am not feeling them kick, they aren't kicking me...just each other!  

Zayden (baby B) is on top in the picture with his head profiled looking up on the right side of the picture.  His body is horizontal to the left.  Poor Maverick (baby A) is harder to see, squished on the bottom.  All you can see is the back of his head on the bottom left of the picture under Zayden's feet with a blurry little spine going horizontal to the right.  

     The ultrasound tech said this will probably be the last ultrasound picture we will get with both of them in the same shot...nice way to go out :) After this appointment they will be too big.  I am a happy mama-to-be knowing my boys are very healthy and growing the way they should.  They are already bonding as brothers and there is not much more I could ask for :) 

Picture Catch-up and Delivery Decision...

    So I thought that when I got prego I would take a picture every week to see the belly growth progress...well, I suck at it.  I take them on my phone sometimes when family asks about it, but then I forget to do anything else with them.  So here are weeks 16 and weeks 20.

Week 16... I think. 

Week 20

   Things have been pain free (besides normal prego aches) for the past 2 weeks or more!!! Hallelujah!! My friend Marray, that just had TRIPLETS, let me borrow her belly-band...greatest invention ever.  My belly is just barely to the point of feeling heavy and I think the boys are sitting really low in my belly, so the band is helping a ton.

     I am not sure why, but for about an hour or two a day my body feels like it is ready to give out.  My legs get tingly, I feel hot (but never sweaty), my arms feel like dead weight and I just want to collapse. I don't know what starts it or finishes it, but it is kind of sucky when I am attempting to finally be somewhat productive with my days.  

    I thought that the nipple sensitivity gradually went away during pregnancy, but mine are way more sensitive now than they were at the beginning.  It is not a fun feeling. 

     My appetite has started to calm down, but now it is hard to remember that I HAVE to eat.  I go too long between little meals right now, for the twins sake...working on it.  

     My hormones were going super crazy for a week or so, but have thankfully calmed down since last week (see below for why).  I would literally cry one second and then get pissed the next.  Beau patiently rolled with all of it.  I still cry at nearly nothing, but my brain is now clear enough to know when it is just because of pregnancy and when it is an actual reason...haven't come across a real reason yet :) 

     My next appointment is next week.  We are going to get all the measurements and I can't wait.  It will be about an hour long ultrasound appointment, which are my favorite because I get to just watch my little boys move and know they are ok.  Can't wait!!! I feel little flutters and a few sharp pains during the days and nights lately, which I contribute to the babies moving.  I did FINALLY feel/see a punch or kick the other day.  I was resting my hands on the top of my belly holding my phone while I worked and suddenly the phone bounced a little :) It happened twice and again later that evening.  I am excited to really feel them move or watch a foot go across my stomach :) 

     

     Delivery Decision:  Thank you all for your comments and thoughts.  It was helpful to get different perspectives, but in the end I took it to the Lord.  I went to the temple last week by myself... I NEEDED to go.  My hormones were CRAZY and I was ready to rip someone's head off, so off to the temple to find peace I went.  I gradually felt more and more calm as I participated in the ordinance I had gone to do.  After the session was complete I sat in the Celestial room and just thought for a bit before I started to pray.  I prayed for a lot of different things and then finally turned my attention to the delivery question.  I felt very peaceful and calm at the thought of going natural as long as vaginal delivery is an option.  I will ask for help if I need it, but to try and go without meds for as long as possible.  The best part was the clarity in which I heard the words, "I'll be there."  I know these babies are a miracle sent from my Heavenly Father.  I don't take that lightly and I know I am to raise them unto him.  I know he has been and will continue to be with me through each step of this pregnancy and I now am VERY confident that he will be by my side for the delivery.  

    I left the temple completely clear-headed, non-hormonal and calm as could be.  I have felt those same feelings since.  The confusion and overwhelming stress/worry I felt about what I should do disappeared  and I know I am heading in the right direction.  I am beyond grateful to know that I have a Heavenly Father who cares enough about my tiny-lil trials to grant me peace and answers.  I am blessed to know that he will ALWAYS answer my prayers... I just need to trust in his timing and his plan for me and put my own selfish thoughts/desires aside and things will always work out for the best.  

    So at this point I just need to focus on learning about natural birth.  I will still deliver at the hospital so that, as I mentioned, if medical assistance is needed for me or the babies it is there.  You can comment as you would like, but my mind is made up and I am moving forward with it.  If things change it will be because of the babies, not someone's opinion.  Thank you all again for your thoughts and concern... I appreciated it all and accepted it as words of advice and love.  

18.5 Weeks and Going Strong

     So now that things are starting to go a little more like normal pregnancy, I feel there is not much to share on here, but here's the latest...  Since my last post Beau and I spent the first weekend of May in Vegas with some good friends.  It was a blast, but I think between the crazy amount of walking, the heat and the loads of crappy (meaning expensive and tasted good, but not good for you) food I reverted a bit in the pain department.  Ovaries have continued to lay low, but hemorrhoids were in full effect again.
     For the week after we got home I stayed with the natural regiment that my neighbor had given me, which I do believe was targeting the source of the pain, but the symptoms were becoming too much to mentally and physically handle.  I finally asked Beau and our friend Dave to give me a priesthood blessing and in it I was told that relief was coming soon.  I had made a doctor's appointment for the following morning and was instructed to put a cream on my "hole" (for lack of better description) twice/day  and drink 8 oz of prune juice every morning.  Two days later and since then I have been feeling pretty good.  I am grateful the Lord has blessed us with the ability to cure ourselves naturally and, if needed, get a little quick relief from modern medicine.
     At my last appointment (2 days ago) I heard the heartbeats of both boys and both are in the "good" range.  Maverick has a 150 bpm and Zayden has 140 bpm.  The doctor also measured my belly and I am the size of a 25 week singleton pregnancy (reminder I am only 18.5 weeks!!! Holy stretching and FAST).  I have also officially gained about 13-15 lbs according to the doctor scale.  I don't know the exact amount because sometimes I have more clothes and my shoes on than other times.
    Lastly, I am still debating mentioning this as I am writing it, but here goes... I talked with my acupuncturist, Sue, and she suggested that if I am able to do a vaginal delivery that I do it naturally and let her "guide" me essentially.  I consider this woman a miracle worker for what she has already done for my health and I seriously trust her with my life, so I am considering the idea.  She is the mother of 10 and she delivered them in a variety of ways.  She has also guided/coached many of her children's deliveries.  She is holistic and strong LDS, so for my peace of mind I like that combo.   I am kind of curious to know people's thoughts and yet at the same time I don't care because the final decision is between me, Beau and the Lord... but opinions/thoughts may open a train of thought or research I may have overlooked, so comment away...YIKES.  If there is need for medical intervention I am completely open to that assuming I do decide to try natural...whatever gets these boys out and into the world the safest :)