*twin mom inputs desperately neededIt has been a fast and furious couple of days. Yesterday I went to see a doctor about a blood blister. It is on my palm, an awful spot because it keeps breaking open (in the shower, at night, while doing the dishes) and then it bleeds like a puncture wound. It started to look a little grosser and bigger, so Nicole made an appointment for me with her doctor. I went in with the expectation of some advice like “There, there, silly, worried girl, keep it clean, put on some Neosporin and try not to pop it.” Instead, I got panic-y doctor who said it had become cystic and needed to be removed immediately. So I had to go to a dermatologist right away, who said it was now an ulcer or sorts and that it didn’t need to be removed, but needed to be treated with antibiotics immediately to prevet infection.
Flash forward to today, when I go to meet the one doctor in my practice who I haven’t meet (my first of three appointments today), and I check with him to see if it was okay to take the antibiotics that were prescribed for me. He said absolutely, and to start them immediately, because if this thing becomes infected, it will infect the babies and that would be “bad news.” I pressed him on what that meant, but he just repeated that I need to start the pills and cream. Ugh. Now I am worried that it is infected. They took some blood so I will know in a week if an infection has started. But, the general consensus I got was that it didn’t look infected *yet* to the two doctors who examined it at doctor appointment No. 2 yesterday. So that is Drama No. 1.
And then today. First I had the non-stress test and both babies passed. That should be reassuring, but in light of Part II of the day, I am concerned. Then I had a growth exam, and this is when things get a little strange. I am 34 weeks and 4 days and Baby A weighs 5 pounds 2 ounces and Baby B weighs 6 pounds 7 ounces. (By the way, average for a singleton right now is about 5 lb. 9 oz.) This struck me as quite strange, as it is such a w-i-d-e difference between the two babies. At 32 weeks 2 days they were 4 pounds 12 ounces and 4 pounds 11 ounces. In fact, each time these two babies were weighed they were within an ounce or two of each other. And now, this.
Right now, Baby A is in the 50 th percentile and Baby B is in the 80th percentile. My doctor came in and told me she doesn’t *think* it is an issue because they are both well within a normal range, but, at the same time, she said we need to keep an eye on this and make sure there isn’t a problem. I asked what it could mean/what kind of problem/what is the worst that would happen and she wouldn’t fall into that trap. (Foiled again.) Is this IUGR? Or something more serious like the beginnings of placental abruption? Is it normal for one baby to have a growth spurt and the other to lag behind? After all, they are not identical and why can’t they be different weights? Nothing else seems to be wrong.
They have their own feeding stations (placentas, umbilical cords) so it would seem that they might have moments of one getting more than the other. I just don’t know. And while my calm doctor isn’t too concerned, she seems concerned enough to want to monitor this. So anyone out there who has hosted two babies at once (you know who you are), did this happen to you at all? Am I being my typical nervous self? Should I calm down?
I know I am too nervous for my own god and that I tend to worry worry worry no matter what. My doctor, I am certain, would have been much more aggressive had she thought that there was a big issue going on here. That is what I keep telling myself. But my next weight measurement is 14 days away. That is so long from now.
Pictured above...three leaf clovers with maybe a four leaf clover in the mix? I still need all the luck I can get.
9 comments:
Deep, deep breaths. You need to stay calm for the babies.
At our appointment this week our OB told us to really not pay attention the weight we were given by the U/S tech. She said in their trimester they can be off by 3 weeks! There are four different measurements they use to give the estimate. Since the babies are so cramped in there they can't always get exact measurements. So, most likely, the measurements are off!!! Probably why the doctor isn't too worried. They passed the NST so take a big deep breath and relax. If the docs were worried about the babies for any reason they would move up your delivery ASAP.
Big hugs!
Here is something I wrote in my pregnancy blog:
Nov. 4 (33 w 5d): They were estimated at 4 lbs. 5 oz. two weeks ago. ...But now Baby A is estimated at 5 lbs. (still with a gargantuan head) and Baby B is estimated at a whopping 6 lbs!!
You can tell from that entry that Baby B gained over 1.5 lbs very quickly. We were stunned. Even the doctor came in and double checked the technician because he didn't think it could be right. It was, and those were pretty much the birth weights of my guys, who were born 4 days later. If anything, it will probably mean that your docs will not want to do a vaginal birth because baby A might not make enough of a space for big baby B to be manipulated and slip out.
I would try not to worry- your doctors are experts. I do think it's good they want to monitor things. I always feel that Picchi, baby A, got the short end of the stick in terms of space at the end. Seemed like he wasn't moving as much as Pacchi (B), and he did end up being the one who had longer-term problems. Who knows why for sure, though. Also, my guys were more premature than yours will be, as every. single. day. is a big deal at this point, you know?
You're doing great. Gets a little scarier at the end, eh? Just make sure your docs are following through on the close monitoring of everything, and you'll be just fine. Look at my guys now! They're big and scrumptious! Email me any time- jbhovis@hotmail.com
I have told you before and I will tell you again :) my babies were supposed to be 8-9 lbers by ultrasound weights. At 35 weeks they were close to 7.5 lbs according the ultrasound. This was the ONLY reason my doctor agreed to induce me at 37 1/2 weeks.
They were 7 lbers when they were born. Not the whopping 8-9 lbs they were estimated at.
I think your girls are in a healthy range. If one was under weight and not gaining weight then I can see concern. Right now you have an average (for a singleton) baby and an over acheiver :)
You are going to have GREAT sized babies. You are doing SUCH a good job.
I can't WAIT to see these girls.
Only a couple more weeks girl. Can you believe it ?!
Stay calm....relax....lay down....eat. In that order.
DAMN I wish I was a doctor and could boss people around like that :)
Mostly I'm echoing what others have said.
First, u/s weight measurements are only estimates based on length and width measurements... they can often be wrong. So, if they're off by a few percent in one direction for one babe, and the other direction for the other, they are going to look very different. My babes were measuring similar to each other and were born a pound different from each other (which is a lot when the smaller is 3 pounds 13 ounces). It's definitely not like stepping on a scale.
Second, even if they are starting to diverge, it's really on a problem if they continue to diverge. My daughter (the smaller one) was diagnosed as IUGR in the end, but it didn't seem to affect her in any obvious way -- she actually did just as well as he did in the NICU (there because they were 5 1/2 weeks early). Now my theory is she is just genetically smaller (like me), and he is genetically bigger, like my husband.
If the doctor was really concerned, as you said, you'd be going back for a sooner scan. I know it's really, really hard not to worry, but do try to enjoy these last few moments when they're inside you. I hope, like me, you'll feel a bit calmer when you get to meet them and touch them and see them breathe etc.
OK - first off - that's a LOT of baby goin' on inside of you!
Secondly, I personally know of NO ONE who delivered a baby at the weight that a doctor said it was at. Seriously.
And lastly, I was born at 5 lbs, 11 oz, so it sounds like they are both at good, HEALTHY weights.
one of my girls was supposed to only be 2 lbs and she was almost 4. her sister was supposed to be 4 lbs and that discrepancy had everyone in an uproar for my smallest girl. And hell they came out only 5 ounces apart. I mean just five shots of ja.ck dan.iels was the difference. Just enjoy the end of your pregnancy. Stress will only upset the girls =) Remember, you are a baby hotel and you need to have the best customer service right now!!! =)
U/s measurements are notorious for being off, as others have said.
I do have an online pal who had twins of different (but healthy!) weights at birth - one was 6 lbs, 11 oz, and one was 8 lbs, 11 oz! They had actually measured close to one another on u/s, so it kind of shows how off those can be. And they were both quite strapping for twins, as yours seem to be!
Hang in there!
Oi, achei teu blog pelo google tá bem interessante gostei desse post. Quando der dá uma passada pelo meu blog, é sobre camisetas personalizadas, mostra passo a passo como criar uma camiseta personalizada bem maneira. Até mais.
yeah. what the previous poster said.
LOL
You've come this far so I have to believe everything will be ok.
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