33 Weeks and Big Babies

Sorry, I am a day late on this post. Yesterday was 33 weeks, I am still shocked that we have made it this far. We had a growth scan yesterday at the Peri's office and we have a couple of big babies. Baby A (Noah) is 4 lbs. 13 oz. and Baby B (Aaden) is 5 lbs. 3 oz. I was extremely delighted to hear these weights. These are fantastic weights for twins, after hearing this I felt like this huge fear just floated away and I was all smiles. It was the first time in a long time that I truly believed things might just be okay.

Both babies are measuring ahead and were "breathing." The tech was so excited to see them "breathing" I still don't fully get it, but I guess it is a great thing, which shows that they are using their lungs. My cervix was still closed and my placenta was "mature", which is a sign that the end is near. Fluid levels on the babies are still great and my contractions and swelling have subsided a bit.

We were able to see Aaden's hair, and he has lots of it... it had to be almost as cute as the shot we have with the little feet. I was told to stop progesterone next week and to also discuss stopping the blood pressure medicine with my OB as well. Holy moly... stopping meds, this is the real deal. It seems most twins come around 35 weeks and the Peri seems to think we are "ready if it happens." I of course would like at least two more weeks. I was told that after 34 weeks many times the hospital will not try to postpone labor for twins, so it could be any day now.

I keep laughing about the Preemie clothes we have, which I was so worried about getting. Now it seems they have already grown out of a couple of them and wouldn't ya know it my scared butt just recently washed them and took the tags off. I also just stocked up on three packs of preemie diapers. Oh well, I am sure the preemie stuff will still fit for a week or so, even if some of them do say they are for up to 5 pounds.

I am still in shock at the news and both Gabe and I felt this big sense of relief, so much that we actually put stuff together. We put together the pack n' play with bassinets (that was a chore) and we put together one Boppy bouncy seat, couldn't go all crazy with two, but we did do one.

Next week will be the delivery discussion and a huge part of me is leaning towards the c-section route, but ultimately it is up to my OB. In the beginning he thought going straight to a c-section with twins was best, but then when Noah went head down, I was leaning towards a vaginal delivery. My fear is laboring for hours and hours and then going to a c-section or having Noah vaginally and having to do a c-section with Aaden. I would rather go straight to it if that is the case, but of course we don't know what will happen. The other reason I am leaning towards c-section is because I didn't get to take any of the labor, pain management, or breathing classes, so Ms. Prepared feels unprepared, but I am sure I could handle it.

Twin Mama's what are your thoughts? I know more than 50% of twins go c-section, and I know having it planned rather than an emergency is much safer. I am aware that the recovery is worse, but we will have help. My other thought is that my cerclage is set to come out at 36 weeks, and I was told this will be some what painful. Couldn't they just give me the spinal and remove the cerclage the same time as the c-section? Would they do a planned c-section at 36 weeks with babies measuring ahead?

This week your baby weighs a little over 4 pounds (heft a pineapple) and has passed the 17-inch mark. He's rapidly losing that wrinkled, alien look and his skeleton is hardening. The bones in his skull aren't fused together, which allows them to move and slightly overlap, thus making it easier for him to fit through the birth canal. (The pressure on the head during birth is so intense that many babies are born with a conehead-like appearance.) These bones don't entirely fuse until early adulthood, so they can grow as his brain and other tissue expands during infancy and childhood. http://www.babycenter.com/

Dear Noah & Aaden,

First off I want to thank you for cooperating through all of this. Thank you for holding strong, gaining weight, and tickling your Mommy. Thank you for the wonderful rib and bladder kicks, and thank you for making my dreams come true. I know I have been sad lately, but I really think it is because I love you so very much and I can't stand the thought that something may not turn out just right. You boys have brought a new sunshine to my life and I cannot wait to start our lives together. I cannot wait for You, Me, and Daddy to share new adventures and watch our world explode with love. I cannot believe that soon I will be holding and loving on you both. I cannot believe that soon my nights will be spent rocking and caring for the two most precious gifts ever. Please know that you are my miracles, you are everything we have ever wanted. We all can't wait to meet you. Keep holding strong for at least another couple weeks! Oh and if you could... please go easy on me. Lets get these feedings down pat, work on a nice matching schedule, and if you could sleep through the night soon that would be great too. I love you boys and your Daddy more than words could ever express.

Love,
Mommy