Belly Slideshow

**Updated 11/25 to include pics up to 36 weeks**

If you want to see my belly expand in slideshow form, you're in luck. I made the video for myself just to try to comprehend my growth, but I posted in case anyone is interested. (I have no idea if the video will work for anyone else. It's .mov. I'm sorry if it doesn't).

32 Weeks

Bigger and bigger!

Twins at 32 weeks

Well this week was...challenging. But interesting! We went to the hospital twice because I was having lots and lots of Braxton Hicks contractions with pain. Everything is fine. They have a test that can predict whether you will go into labor in the next 2 weeks, and mine was negative. It's not 100% but still good news. I definitely learned what to look for better, and now we know what the procedure will be for the real thing.

Also this week I went through the most excruciating pain I've ever experienced. It was horrible for about 18 hours, then they got me into urgent surgery to cut out an external blood clot. Possibly partly explains the intense Braxton Hicks the next day. There was no other effect or possible effect on the babies, thankfully.

The final "challenge" of the week has been the continued deterioration of my SPD. I'm using crutches now, which helps to some degree. I just started seeing a chiropractor who specializes in maternal care. He is confident that he can help me, so here's hoping. My doula told me she has helped two women with the same condition. One was confined to a wheelchair by 30 weeks and one used a walker in late pregnancy. The one with the walker was able to have a drug-free birth still and the issue resolved post-partum, so that gives me hope.

Let's see, good stuff this week. Well one thing, the babies are still inside. Yay!! Every week and every day inside is so so much better than outside. They're also doing great. Everyone who has examined me/them has said something about them being particularly active, especially Baby B. (Usually they say they're going to be trouble :-P) The resident at the hospital (it was the same one both times) told us that their hearts are ahead of schedule - they accelerate when they're excited, go back to baseline, and don't decelerate. So basically all these BH contractions are giving them a great workout! As Kurt reminds me on a regular basis, all these "problems" I'm having may just be my body's way of having a great labor/delivery and great babies. Worth it!

31 Weeks

News in the last week...the doc measured me at 39 weeks. And yes I still have 9 weeks to go until full term. Five weeks to go if they come around 36 weeks as many twin moms seem to experience. I just thought of that yesterday and things felt a lot more real - 5 weeks isn't very many!!

My SPD got a lot worse in the last week. We've realized that I really can't do a single chore. All Kurt can do is treat me like a 4-year-old (daddy practice!) and attempt to include me in the chores. Bring me the laundry and I can fold on the couch. Give me ingredients for dinner and I can chop while sitting. Very difficult for me to accept, but as soon as I start to do more I get pretty bad pain that doesn't go away. Kurt has been amazing but still.

Ok not to end on a down note - the doc didn't think Baby B flipped back to breech. And in my mind, perhaps never flipped at all? Baby A is stalwart in vertex, which is awesome. And Kerry's surgery last week went really well. She may be back to walking faster than we thought. Which is great for her, but also, selfishly, great for us to have a mobile aunt!

30 Weeks

In which Alli decides she's just gonna have to change her picture outfit again. 

This was definitely a week of getting things ready for babies! My shower was great and we truly appreciate all the lovely people who are there for this soon-to-be family of four. So many cute clothes! I washed them all in Dreft as I'd been dreaming about (MOMMY BRAIN IS REAL) and folded them away and we're kinda pretty much ready clothes-wise.

I also interviewed a couple of pediatricians and found one I LOVE. She made me laugh multiple times in the interview, gave me awesome and positive advice, and I am just so happy to have found her.

Also I interviewed a woman who is working on her post-partum doula certification and decided to hire her within about 3 minutes of meeting her, she's that awesome. Post-partum doulas help with everything and anything after the babies are here - organization, light chores, bonding, nursing, just everything to help our family get off to a great start. Since they often work with families of multiples and thus need the experience, and she's training for her certification, she's offering her services gratis! We're so grateful.  

Oh I should mention that the doctor's name is Alison and the doula's name is Alli. Emails to the doula are funny "Hi Alli.....Thanks, Alli" (I know for other people this is not so strange but it's new to me). I swear that's not why I picked them!

We had another growth ultrasound as well. The pictures aren't so good - they're getting too big to be really photogenic. But big is, of course, good! Baby A is 3lbs 5oz and Baby B is 3lbs 4oz. Good because that's 51st and 50th percentile (that's my gal, out of those 40s!) and good because they're so close to each other. The doctor had basically nothing at all to say because "what more can you ask for" with 50th percentile and 1oz difference. AND Baby B flipped back to vertex! We're so happy and thankful that we keep getting good news. I have to repeat these things to myself when I start getting grumpy about STILL being pregnant. Haha and 10 weeks left to full-term...

I can't forget, we also are lucky enough to have a Pack n' Play tester in-house:

29 Weeks

Beware of the pregnant lawyer...she might...eat your lunch and claim exigent circumstances?

Baby shower tomorrow! Kerry is so awesome for planning it all and also for helping me clean the apartment. And by helping I mean doing it all while I went to a doctor's appointment.

Less fun news from the doc - she diagnosed me with SPD (Symphysis pubis dysfunction) - basically my front pubic bones are separating. They're supposed to separate somewhat during labor, to fit the baby (ies) through, but mine decided to jump the gun. No danger to the babies. Unpleasant for the mom. Nice that I have a diagnosis for the pain I've been feeling for awhile though.

She also told me that Twin B has flipped to breech. I was a bit disappointed but she reassured me that twins especially tend to flip a lot up to 36 weeks or so, and can even during labor. Also Twin A is the bigger one, and is "A", and they're still willing to delivery me naturally if she is head down but B is breech.

I'll need to take a "same clothes/pose" belly picture at some point for OCD completeness, but for now my sweet "yes I'm a lawyer no don't look too closely at my outfit" picture will need to suffice.

If anyone is reading this and hasn't filled out the baby pool, do it! It's fun! Link to the right --->
Also someone submitted their predictions but didn't put their name. No name = no prize. This is a tough pool, sorry.

Quick link

Forgot to add this to my update Friday - twins in the womb at 28 weeks:

http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-twins-images-28-weeks

(Compare to singleton at 28 weeks...looks so spacious in there: http://www.babycenter.com/fetal-development-images-28-weeks)