The BIG News

So everyone already knows that we are having two little girls.  If you look back over previous posts, Mya Alyse is Baby A.  She has been a little bigger all along and will be the first born.  She is currently head down, which is where she needs to stay.  She was always our more active little lady and is not shy at all.  Each ultrasound she is all stretched out and has her legs wide open.  Stella Grace is Baby B.  She is our peanut.  She is normally all curled up and has her hand up by her face.  She took a lot of coxing for us to find out that she was in fact a little girl.  She has less room because Mya is a bit of a space hog in there.  She is currently breech, but apparently that is okay as long as Mya stays head down.  She can be moved after Mya is delivered.

We went to the doctor last Thursday (3/26) and Mya weighed in at exactly 3 lbs. and Stella was 2 lbs. 12 oz.  They are both still ahead  of schedule which  I am thrilled about in case they decide to come early.  Their heart rates were identical at 154.  Everything with the girls looked great.  However, they found that my cervix was shortening and funneling.  Because of this my doctor said that for the next week I needed to sit as much as I can at work and then go home each day and put my feet up.  She wanted to see me in a week and she said that I should be prepared for her to take me off of work.

One week later we went back to the doctor.  At our appointment today they found that my cervix had shortened only slightly more and that the funneling appeared to have stopped.  However, I have also been having an increase in number and some intensity in Braxton Hicks contractions.  They had me do a non-stress test to monitor the contractions.  I only had one in that 20 minute period and she was satisfied with that.  I notice them a lot more frequently at the end of the school day or in the evening after having been on my feet all day and that test was at 10:45 a.m.  She decided to take me off of work for the remainder of the school year because she likes to be extra cautious with twins.  I am still in a safe place with my cervix and she wants it to stay that way so these little ladies don't come early.  I was put on modified bed rest, which means that I have to be laying on my side for 3-5 hours a day in the afternoons.  

I have to go back next Wednesday and they are going to check my cervix again and decide from there if the amount of bed rest is sufficient for now or if she wants me laying down even more.  I am doing whatever she wants me to do because I do not want them to spend time in the NICU.  The longer they stay in my belly, the bigger and healthier they will come out.  If it were up to me I would want them to stay until 38 weeks (which she said is my cut-off) and that means 9 weeks.  I at least want to make it to 35 weeks, which is 6 more weeks.  I will probably go out of my mind with all of this time off but I plan to spend some of it at my sister's house once she is on maternity leave with Sophia.  I also want to organize my photo albums and recipes.  I plan to read a lot of books about multiples and watch a lot of movies.  Planning for next school year is also going to be a priority because I am going to take off the first semester, which means no work for me until January.  While it will be wonderful to be home raising my daughters, it will be in my best interest to be organized for when I have to go back to work, breastfeed, lesson plan, and grade papers.  If anyone is up for phone conversations during the day, I'm sure I'll be available!