Week 13 (April 6): The week started off with an appointment for a big ultrasound and a nuchal translucency test. This is a test they do to measure the space between the skin and the spine at the back of the babies’ necks. Matched with the bloodwork I had done last week, this can give us a ballpark idea about the possibility of chromosomal deficiencies. Because of the complexities of triplets, they couldn’t give us the answer right away, so I went back on Friday. Friday morning I had my “blood pressure teach”, where I learned about signs of pre-term labor and how to take my blood pressure, which I’ll do twice a day until sometime after delivery. Then I went to see the genetecist to get the results of Thursday’s tests. It all seemed good. With two of the babies, the chance of Downs’ Syndrome is only about 1/950 or better. With the third (“baby B”), it’s 1/411, which is riskier, but is still less than a quarter of a percent of a chance. For other chromosomal problems, the chances are even slimmer. So, that’s encouraging! That plus my good results mean we’re sticking with the triplets!
At the Giants on Thursday we started telling people – just that we’re pregnant, not that it’s triplets. Everyone was very excited. We did share with both Lila and Chris Filippi the “rest of the story” – and got notes back from Lila and Alanna asking if we were really having triplets or of it was an April Fool’s Day joke – maybe we should’ve taken that into account when we decided to start telling people for the first time!
On Sunday we told people at KCBS. We told Joe Rogers and Phil Handler the “big” news…everyone else just got the pregnancy update. J
I went back to school on Monday and started telling people. Kate, Mozy, Martha and Belén knew already, but that left everyone else at school. I had to make sure I told Laurel before anyone else, because I knew she’d be upset to hear second-hand. Then I went down to tell Bonnie – she was in a meeting with Patty Crespo but let me interrupt. Turns out when I was exhausted before Spring Break, Bonnie had asked how everything was going and my response (“OK”) led her to think that the IVF had not worked. So it was quite a surprise to her that I was in fact pregnant – and with triplets no less! Everyone I told at work was really supportive, if totally shocked. The most often asked question (after “you’re kidding!”) seems to be, “So, do triplets run in your family?”, which I think is code for, “So, did you do fertility treatments?” Oh well, I’m not hiding anything!
Week 14 (April 13): My appetite seems to have returned, though I feel like I haven’t gained any weight, or more like I’ve lost weight. On Thursday (4/8) I had my first pre-natal massage – at Avant Garde with Martha and Belén. From there I went to book club at Dianne’s where I shared the news. Pam and Gretchen already knew. Everyone else seemed excited. Carol wondered why “everyone” was having triplets – apparently she has just heard from one other person who is expecting a threesome! In other news, my cravings have been for cheeseburgers and ice cream sandwiches (at least I’m through the Spaghetti-O’s phase). I’m not tired as much as I was in the first trimester. That said, I’m also not experiencing the “burst of energy” or “nesting impulse” that’s supposed to come with the second trimester. What I am experiencing is HEADACHES…low-grade dull headaches, piercing/throbbing headaches, and all the ones in between. Ugh.
Week 15 (April 20): The cravings now include salt and vinegar chips! Nothing new or exciting to report other than that everything is going according to schedule and everyone has seemed really happy for us.
Week 16 (April 27): 4/21 – I had a doctor’s appointment today. Thinking it was just a consultation, Joe didn’t come with. But it turned out we did have a quick ultrasound to check how all the babies were doing. This one was with Dr. Tran, and there was also a doctor from Labor and Delivery there. Dr. Tran talked about on of the twins having shifted into “pole position” at the birth canal, with the other two on either side. This was really strange, but she said we should wait until the next u/s to verify that. I told them I was worried that I hadn’t gained any weight (in fact, I’m about 8 pounds shy of my pre-pregnancy weight at this point) and Dr. Tran said it’s probably not a problem, since the babies are “little parasites” and getting everything they need. But she suggested I up my calcium intake and take an iron supplement to make sure I’m covered, and the other doctor made a recommendation to meet with a nutritionist. On 4/25 we made the Facebook announcement about the triplets – “resting for four”. People were pretty overwhelmed, but entirely supportive.
Week 17 (May 4): Not much new this week. On Saturday I had an entirely too-busy day. First the CTA Leg Breakfast, then to Lullaby Lane with Daddy and Linda Plack, then to Sunnyvale to pick up the Peg Perego triplet stroller ($60 on Craig’s List!), then to Pam’s for Quynn’s makeover birthday party and photo shoot, then back to the City for dinner and the ballet with Sue. I really need to remember I’m pregnant and start taking it easy – that was TOO much… At the end of the week, I had a dream last night that the babies were born and we forgot what we were planning to name them! There was one boy - who ended up being named Elliot in the dream, though we couldn't figure out if we wanted to use one L or two...twenty minutes later, I dreamed that I was frantically trying to find the birth certificate to change the name back to what we'd planned in the first place! When I told Nathanael, he decided we should name one of the babies Eliot Theodore so that he could be Eliot T. S. – cute. It does point out the issues involved in not knowing the genders of the babies – we need to flesh out SIX possible names – 3 for boys and 3 for girls! Hopefully they can tell at the next couple of ultrasounds who’s who! In other news, I heard that Myda’s kids are collectively known as the “Winklets”. I think the babies need a nickname, so we have decided to call them the “Salvateenies”. J
Week 18 (May 11): Finally started getting ravenously hungry this week. Ate lunch, and half an hour later I was hungry again. Have to stash some better food in that drawer! 5/7 – big, long ultrasound! It is now official – the babies have switched position! The twins are now in “pole position” – one head down in the birth canal, one over to my right (kept switching from head up to head down) and the singleton baby was over to my left and up a little higher. The big news from this visit is that…the twins are boys! We couldn’t find out about the third one – completely uncooperative, even with a second check from Dr. Regenstein. The appointment went so long, I actually nodded off! On Mother’s Day (5/8) my mom and I went out to Lullaby Lane to start looking at stuff and register. It was overwhelming and I got exhausted before I was only halfway done. On Monday we made up for it by watching the movie “Babies” – an hour and a half of no dialog and adorable babies. But terrifying when they all started crying at once and we realized that’s what life will be like for us 24/7.
Week 19 (May 18): 5/13 – A quick ultrasound appointment to double check the fluid level around the babies – everything looks good! On Friday, I went to the Parents of Multiples consignment sale with Jayanthi. Again, totally overwhelming. Too much stuff, too many decisions. Exciting times! Since announcing my pregnancy, I’ve found out that Stacy Wenzel is just about as pregnant as I am, Sam Medios (now Rescino) is pregnant, and Myda Winkelman (nee Geraldo) is pregnant with twins, and now just found out that my friend Tania’s pregnancy test came back positive! On Monday I took my pre-natal vitamins (and iron) but didn’t eat breakfast. Halfway to work, they officially did not set well with me. I pulled over into an empty parking lot and threw up…luckily there was a soda machine with 7-Up on the other side of the lot! (and, yes, I splashed water on the ground and cleaned up after myself). Closest I’ve come to morning sickness and really glad for that! On Tuesday Martha and Belén threw me a staff baby shower. Very nice. A good time was had, I think, by all.
Week 20 (May 25): 5/21 – The longest ultrasound so far! Two and a half hours! They checked each baby and measured every conceivable spot on their teeny tiny bodies. And…the third “mystery” baby is…a GIRL! On Saturday, I had to go in for a glucose test – yick. I had to fast, get my blood drawn, the
n drink this icky sweet stuff, then get my blood taken three more times. Then, finally, I got to eat some food!
On Sunday night, I got to go to a second shower – the former students shower! Colleen and JoAnna
organized an outing (with Tony Pilara, Sam & Mike Rescino, Joe Rogers, Nathanael, and Joe) to LaLola, a tapas bar in North Beach. The girls went to a lot of effort, with decorations, and favors (felt pea pods with Lindt
Chocolate “peas” inside), and amazing chocolate cupcakes with fondant pea pods and peanut m&m “peas” on top.
Week 21 (June 1): I went to an appointment with a nutritionist and learned that I need to eat 93 grams (13 oz.) of protein a day! That’s a lot of protein! The best first step is to start drinking lots of milk, since each glass counts as about 10 g of protein and also counts as one of the 4 portions of dairy required each day. I also got my first maternity clothes in the mail – good timing as my belly is just starting to pooch out and make my pants uncomfortable. The babies are growing! The last Friday of the semester, the kids in my fourth and sixth period classes threw me baby showers – including games (baby bingo and pin the sperm on the egg) and food and presents. So sweet. I worked three Giants games over the weekend and my ankles were pretty swollen at the end of it. I hope this isn’t the start of a trend.
Week 22 (June 8): SCHOOL’S OUT! This week involved a lot of cleaning and a lot of packing. On graduation day I begged off supervision duty because of the heat and humidity – luckily I chose June 1 as the official day to stop wearing my wedding rings because my fingers have swollen up. Another side effect of the pregnancy? Carpal tunnel syndrome. Apparently the swelling puts pressure on the nerve in the carpal tunnel – hence the tingling in my mid fingers. After packing up my classroom, I headed to an ultrasound appointment. Everything looks good with the ’teenies. The appointment took about 45 minutes but everyone checked out. Their little legs are long in comparison to the measurements of all the rest of their body parts – I wonder where THAT comes from? It shouldn’t be a surprise, though, that they kick! Over the past week or so they have started moving and I feel them mostly as little popcorn pops through my belly. But they’re getting stronger!
Week 23 (June 15): The belly is getting bigger and I’m getting more tired more quickly. We’ve pretty much decided Baby “B” (the one who keeps doing flips) is Max. And Max keeps kicking me! Daniel does the rhumba, Caroline wiggles, but Max? Kick, kick, kick! Right in
the ribs!
Week 24 (June 22): 6/18 – The big news from the doctor’s visit this week? The babies are officially “viable”. We obviously don’t WANT them to come this early, but if they did, they could survive outside the womb. All the babies measured well this time – and it was a pretty quick appointment. Max and Caroline measured right on at 23 weeks 2 days. Daniel is a tad bigger at 24 weeks 0 days. They caught a picture of all three of them with their heads stuck in a row, just like three little peas in a pod! The sonographer actually yelped when she saw it, telling us she’d NEVER seen that before.
The docs are a bit concerned about the pain associated with my carpal tunnel – radiating up to my elbows and down from my shoulders. They gave me wrist splints (which help not at all). On Monday I had an appointment in the injury clinic from which I got a referral for PT and for a visit to the spine clinic “just in case”.
Sunday was our big baby shower. Family and friends, hosted by Chris and Jayanthi. Joe’s sisters came up from SoCal and so many other folks came to celebrate with us. I think it was a great time for all, especially for Joe’s first father’s day. J
On Monday I also went for my “pre-term labor teach”. At this appointment, they taught me how to find the top of my uterus and monitor for contractions. They also gave me my “limited activity restrictions” – after any activity I’m supposed to rest for at least 30 minutes. No vacuuming, no heavy cleaning, no lifting more than 10-15 pounds. I could get used to this. J Tuesday was a support group meeting for “new and expectant parents”. There was a man there who is also having triplets – with a surrogate. Nice to know we’re not the only ones!
Week 25 (June 29): The appointment with the spine doctor reveals that there is no nerve/spine problem. The hand pain and pain radiating to my elbows is from the carpal tunnel and should subside after delivery. The pain in my upper arm appears to be from strained muscles – let’s hope a little rest and a nice massage will help with that! The problem with the CTS is that it makes writing thank you notes very difficult! And we have so many to write!!!
We also went shopping to find out how we can fit all the baby seats in Joe’s car. Scary. We can do two of the infant carriers, but we have to put a convertible seat in the middle. So we’ll need four car seats total, but on the other hand we won’t need a new car for a while (hopefully).
Week 26 (July 6): 7/2 – doctor’s appointment day. The sonographer says the babies are all doing excellently and growing on target. The nurse says my blood pressure is perfect and that my weight is progressing OK (I'm still about a pound or so under my pre-pregnancy weight, but I'm steadily gaining a pound to a pound and a half every two weeks). The doctor and the RN both made comments along the lines of "if anyone can avoid pre-term labor, it'd be you". So the plan is still to hold out for 34-36 weeks. The doctor says that many women are in wheelchairs by week 34, but we hope that won't be me. The doctor also says that her experience is that babies who come at 36 weeks tend to GO HOME WITH THE PARENTS and not spend substantial time in the hospital. So it's time to start clearing out that extra room and building the cribs! (We've gotten 3 hand-me-down cribs and 4 mattresses!)
So, everything seems to be going according to plan. We are off to Half Moon Bay tonight - fun!
Wow that was a lot to take in all at once! You're taking it like a champ though. I'm really impressed. I love the popcorn part. Aww!! These babies have so much personality already! And who knew they would have runway legs?? Amazing!
ReplyDelete