20 week ultrasound pictures!

Today we had our 20 week ultrasound appointment. The babies now weigh a whopping 13 ounces each! Their hearts were both still strong at 150 and 153 beats per minute, and baby B had the hiccups! Everything else looked good and it was fun to see the babies make more intentional movements, plus a few 3D images. Everything looked so good that it wasn't even necessary for the doctor to come in and check over everything after the ultrasound technician was finished.

Also, they are both still girls!

Profile views.

3D images!

Week 20

Happy April! We had an introductory meeting early this morning with the Midwifery Center at Cooley Dickinson Hospital. When we woke up it was snowing! I hadn't slept very well last night, so Brett very sweetly brought me breakfast in bed. It was still snowing as we drove to our appointment, but shortly after we came home it had stopped. We got about an inch.

We woke up this morning to SNOW!

I'm glad we went to the meeting. The Midwifery Center doesn't feel at all like a hospital. The practice is in a beautiful old Victorian house (right next to the hospital) and is decorated inside in such a way that makes the space feel much more like a cozy home than a medical practice.

We met with Annie Heath, one of the four midwives in the practice. She was able to answer our questions and was very nice. She is a parent of twins herself, two 15-year-old boys!

Our feeling from the meeting was positive and as we discussed our options more after we got home, we realized that it really comes down to who we would feel most comfortable with if the birth DOESN'T progress smoothly. If things go smoothly (both babies are in the head first presentation, and I am able to handle the birth well without intervention) either Hampshire OB or the Midwifery Center would be fine.

I am pretty sure that I would feel more comfortable with the Midwifery Center if complications arise, because I think that the midwifes, rather than the doctors, would be more likely to thoroughly present the options available to me without pressure.

For now, we're going to continue with our next appointment with Hampshire OB (April 11th), and ask them some more questions when we meet the next doctor there. After that, we'll probably try to make a decision on whether to switch or not.

20 weeks! Half way!

Coming up on Monday, we have another detailed ultrasound at Baystate Medical Center in Springfield. Kathy is planning to come with us again, because she enjoyed the last one. We're not sure how much we'll learn from it, because it'll be the same as the last one except the twins are now a month older/larger. It's fun to "see" them, though, and have confirmation that they are still healthy.

Interesting things to check out

Here are some links that I think are worth sharing.

A really fascinating video of what happens to your body as your baby grows!

I've been searching the Internet for positive birth stories (especially with twins!) and I've found a few good ones. This site has some of my favorites. There are also others to read here.

Ever since I first heard about EC (Elimination Communication) years ago, the idea has fascinated me and I have intended to practice it with my children. I have a couple friends who have done it with their babies with great success, and it just seems like such a great idea. Now that I am expecting twins, I've had to change my vision of motherhood in many ways. I know that it is probably still possible to do EC with twins, it will just be different and much more challenging. Here are some good links to check out about ECing!

Diaperfreebaby has a lot information to get started.
An article in mothering magazine about one mother's experience with ECing.
Another site with some additional stories and information.

Week 19

I am glad to say that I have been sleeping a little bit better. Thanks to everyone who suggested things for me to try. Some nights are better than others, but at least I've been feeling slightly more rested, which is good.

A couple annoying things that happened this week are that I had one more leg cramp, and a few nose bleeds. These are not big things, but still, not so much fun to deal with.

An exciting thing is that I have been feeling the babies move around A LOT! I haven't felt anything that I'm sure is a kick yet, but definitely lots of movement. I don't think it can be felt from the outside, but I sure can feel them moving around inside! It's actually a very strange feeling, sort of as if something inside my belly is flipping around. Maybe there really are babies in there?

Week 19 belly picture!

I spent some time this week researching the possiblity of a home birth with twins. I spoke with many midwifes in the area and found out that there isn't anyone who does twin home births at this time. Out of the two midwife pratices who would normailly consider doing it, one is on an extended leave, and the other won't do it because they don't have the support of the hospitals in the area. There is one other midwife who would consider it, but she is based out of Worcester, which is about an hour away.

So at least now I know what options I have. I'm a little disappointed that a home birth will not be an option for me, but it's not such a big deal.

I did find out through all my phone calls, that the Midwifery Center would accept me as a patient! They are the other practice besides Hampshre OB (which is who I am with now) that is associated with Cooley Dickinson Hospital, which is where I am currently planning to deliver the twins. I set up a time to meet with the people at the Midwifery Center next week, to see how I like them. I think even if we end up staying with Hampshire OB, it's good to look into other options. The person I spoke with on the phone from the Midwifery Center seemed to think that it wasn't required in their practice that I deliver in the operating room. If that is really the case, I would be tempted to switch to them. We will see.

Twins in my family!

Over the weekend, I was amazed to see all the little crocuses and green shoots poking up from the ground! Today it is snowing. Happy Spring!

On Saturday, Aunt Anne came to visit. She knows a lot about my family's genealogy and while she was here I found out that there is one known set of twins in my family history: my great, great uncles! Roy and Norman Goff, two of my Grandma Boas' mother's nine siblings, were fraternal twins. Apparently they did not look anything alike.

Thanks for coming to visit, Aunt Anne!

On Sunday, Brett and I went to a Meet the Doulas and Birth Professionals Day at Cradle in Northampton. It was a good experience, though very overwhelming. We walked around the small room which was set up with many different tables and we talked to each person. It was loud in the room with so many people talking at once, so we took a few breaks, and I even got a free 15 minute massage! While I was getting my massage, Brett signed me up for the raffle and when I came out, I had won! I chose a gift certificate for a free session of prenatal thai yoga bodywork, and though I'm not exactly sure what it is, it sounds interesting.

I think we learned a bunch about what doulas do, and Brett gathered lots of business cards. I'm glad we had the chance to meet many different doulas who work in this area. There wasn't anyone who we met that I felt completely comfortable with, but at least a few seemed very nice and I wouldn't mind talking to them again to get to know them better.

While we were there, I was reminded yet again how lucky I am to have such a supportive and caring husband. Brett really is amazing and I am so thankful to have him as a partner in my life.

The first crocus to come up in our front yard this weekend!

Week 18

Ugh. Sleep continues to elude me. Sometimes I can't get comfortable, sometimes it's bad dreams that wake me up, and sometimes I just simply cannot seem to fall asleep. Amber suggested that I take something like Benadryl to help me sleep, but I really don't want to. Any other thoughts, anyone? I would be especially interested to hear if anyone has any ideas about how I could avoid having bad dreams.

Yesterday was the warmest day we've had in a long time. It felt like summer time! I wore flip flops when I went outside.

According to the baby books, this week the twins should measure about 5 inches long (head to rump) and each weigh close to 7 ounces! They can swallow now and they each have their very own finger prints (even if they are identical).

I think my belly is getting noticeably rounder and I feel like my belly button is getting, "less deep".

Happy Pi Day!

We had our monthly prenatal checkup this morning with Hampshire OB. This time we met Dr. Laughingwell, who is the newest doctor in the practice. He was younger than Dr. Sprong, (the first doctor we met) maybe in his mid-thirties, calm and knowledgeable, though without much personality. But we did like him, and he gladly answered our questions and listened to the babies' heartbeats. Both girls still have strong heartbeats and it was reassuring to hear them. I haven't felt any kicks yet (at least not that I'm sure of), so sometimes I wonder if they are still alright in there.

So far I've gained a total of 8 pounds, which they said was normal, and my blood pressure, glucose levels and protein are good. I also got blood drawn, for an AFP test, which is one of the second trimester screening tests. For the first time that I can remember, I didn't turn away when they stuck the needle in my arm. It wasn't actually on purpose that I looked, I just forgot to look away. I'm so much braver about needles than I used to be!

Dr. Laughingwell also told me that it really is fine to sleep on my back if it's comfortable, despite what all the books say (absolutely DON'T lie on your back after 16 weeks!). He said that the main idea is to not stay in any one position for hours at a time.

On Saturday, Brett and I took our second tandem ride of the season! Our first stop was the entrance to the bike path on Bates St., to help the Snow Squad clear the snow and ice off of the path, making it passable for cyclists from Bates Street to Damon Road. This section is a part of Brett's daily commute, so we were very excited to be able to help get it clear!

Our second stop was the Winter Farmer's Market and then lunch at Local Burger before heading back home. Our total ride for today was 9 miles.

Outside the Farmer's Market, Brett closes up our bag full of carrots, potatoes, spinach, and fresh bread. Our bike was longer than usual today with two snow shovels strapped on the back!