Progression picture

I am trying to see if this works---towards the end of the pregnancy, I would love to make something that shows the changes in my body---let's see how this works:

17 weeks

19 weeks

23 weeks

24 weeks

Week 24

I am back from my OB appointment. Everything went great. Baby A’s heartbeat was 155 and Baby B’s heartbeat was 160. Everything looked good for me and it was a very fast appointment. She said that the next time she wants to see me is May 3rd. So I will go back then to see both her and the Maternal Fetal Specialist. We are currently 24 weeks pregnant and she said that from here on out, if the babies were to come early, while there could be complications, they most likely would survive outside of the womb, which means this is a very important time in the pregnancy. The babies are both kicking and moving up a storm.

 

 

 

Also—at my next appointment, I will have to do the glucose testing, which is to check for gestational diabetes. I have never had issues with it and don’t expect to now either. Everyone at the clinic is VERY excited to see you guys in a few weeks and finally meet the daddies of these two little men.

Here is a few belly shots for 24 weeks: don’t mind the stretch marks---they are battle scars from the last three pregnancies...I haven’t really gotten any new ones so far, but I am sure that will be changing over the next few weeks!

 

 

The first major milestone is 24 weeks: the threshold of viability. Babies born this early will likely spend at least three months in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), and a third of them will survive with no long-term problems.

By 24 weeks your twins are proportioned like newborns but thinner - their "baby" fat hasn't yet developed. Although they're getting heavier every day, their skin still appears wrinkled because they need to gain more weight. Their lips are distinct and their eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas and the thyroid, adrenal and pituitary glands, essential in the production of hormones, are developing steadily. Tiny eyebrows and eyelids are now visible.

Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum line. Before you know it, your twins will be born, and soon after, their first teeth will come through.

 Your twins' lungs continue to develop and mature to prepare for breathing. They're swallowing but they normally don't pass their first stool (called meconium) until after birth. Your babies are making breathing movements. They have no air in their lungs yet but it's essential practice for when they are born.

More than half of twins are born before term (before 37 weeks). If your babies were to be born before 24 weeks, they would only have a small chance of survival (less than 10 per cent) even with the right care. Every day in the uterus makes a difference at this stage. Their chance of survival rises rapidly after 26 weeks, and from 32 weeks they should survive if they are growing normally.

 

 

Week 23

We started week 23 on March 30th. On April 2nd we had our next appointment with the Maternal Fetal Specialist in Sioux City. The appointment went amazing!!! 

So---first----and most importantly for me---my cervix is VERY high and very tightly closed and is measuring 4cm. This is VERY important because if it was short and coming down, it could mean preterm labor or other complications. The dr was VERY pleased with that and he hopes it is a sign that we are going to make it very far in this pregnancy. He also said that having it measure 4 cm is a very good thing and that we should be very happy that my body is cooperating in that way because if it goes shorter than 2, then it is automatically bedrest because it can cause preterm labor. So he said 4 is a perfect number. 

 

 

Second---Baby A and Baby B are in the EXACT same position. He said not to be worried about it, that they can turn or move. And that it really doesn’t matter because they are planning a csection anyways---but both babies are sideways instead of being vertical. Both of their heads are on my right side and both feet are on my left side. Baby B is on top and Baby A is on the bottom. He said they are pretty much butting heads with each other. LOL And did so a few times on the ultrasound screen. It was funny. He said that if we were planning on a natural delivery, then it would be an issue because they both need to be head down for that to happen. But since it is a planned csection, he isn’t concerned at all and actually thought it was funny that they were laying like that.

 

 

Third---both babies are PERFECT. No issues, nothing to report that caused him concern at all. Baby A is measuring 1 pound 7 ounces and had a heart rate of 161. Baby B is measuring 1 pound 5 ounces and had a heart rate of 157. He said that it is amazing that they are so close in weight because sometimes, in multiples, one baby tends to out grow the other. But he said that it is perfect that they are measuring so close together and that he anticipates they will be nice and healthy at delivery. He took plenty of pictures for me and I will send those in the next few emails with descriptions. He even made fun Easter ones for you to share with your family and friends. 

 

 

He is having me come back in 4 weeks, May 2nd just to keep an eye on the babies as we get closer to delivery. He wants to make sure they stay healthy and that I stay healthy as well.

My next OB appointment is next week on April 9th at 1:30pm.

Movement has been so amazing to feel and watch. I can finally see my belly moving around when I am laying down. 

As for how I am feeling---SUPER tired. If I could lay in bed and sleep all day, I would. I get winded easily and there are times it feels like I am a beached whale struggling to catch my breath. But I have to remind myself to SLOW down when I walk, and just slow down period. I am such a fast person that I forget that I am carrying two more now!
 

Week 23

Thanks to our now fully developed inner ears, which controls balance, we have a sense of whether we're upside-down or right side up in the womb. We've already grown to about 1lb each (wow!) but our skin is still wrinkly because the fat has not developed yet. We basically look like a much thinner version of a newborn! 

Your babies' bodies are becoming more proportionate and gaining more weight.

Their pancreas are becoming functional and insulin production has already begun.

You will be going through a glucose tolerance test soon. Depending on the result, if gestational diabetes or elevated blood sugar is detected, you may have to monitor your diet or start insulin shots. You can read more about gestational diabetes at twin pregnancy complications page.

Please try to relax and rest as complications with twin pregnancies can start to show up soon.

Weeks 21 and 22

I am again doing two weeks in one as they have both been very uneventful as far as the pregnancy goes. I am feeling a lot more movement on the outside of my stomach now. It is so amazing to see it move with each kick and hiccup. I love laying in bed at night and just feeling the movement as they grow.

Here is some info at 21 weeks:

Twin Pregnancy Week 21

Your babies' arms and legs are becoming more porportionate to their body, and their skin is getting less and less transparent.

Your babies' white blood cells which fight infections are developing as well.

You are probably getting tired and need your rest. Put your legs up whenever possible to help with fluid retention.

Your uterus is probably measuring a few weeks larger than week 21.

Week 22:

Twin Pregnancy Week 22

Your babies' eyebrows, eyelids and fingernails are fully formed by now. Even though your twin babies have eyes now, their irises lack pigements at this stage.

They are beginning to look more like newborns but only weigh about 1 pound each.

Your babies' hearing is getting sharper every day. If you like talking to them go right ahead. It is amazing how they will recognize your voice once they are born.

Have you thought about names now? If you do not know the gender of the babies you need to come up with 4 lovely names. (Even if you do kow the babies genders, you still should have 4 names in mind in case of a mistake in gender recognition.)

Week 20

Week 20:

We started week 20 on Friday, March 9^th. I had my OB check up on Monday the 12^th. Everything still looked amazing. I am measuring at 30 weeks. The babies heartbeats were exactly the same at 154. We didn’t get to do an ultrasound, but in a way, I guess that is probably a good thing. We are finally to a point in the pregnancy where everything is going well, nothing really to worry about. And, I can’t believe that we are finally half way through the pregnancy. I know technically we did a few weeks ago, but a normal pregnancy is 40 weeks, so we are half way through!!!! I can’t believe it!! Movement is definitely picking up and I can feel them really moving around now. I haven’t had any real bad cravings, nothing that I haven’t been able to satisfy if the need comes up. I have noticed that I am definitely getting bigger now and I am completely in maternity clothing. I have tried to wear a couple of shirts that I have at home that are bigger, they just seem to pop more out now at the belly then they used to.

Here is some information on week 20:

Twins fetal development - 20 weeks pregnant

At 20 weeks hair on the scalp is sprouting and sensory development evolves rapidly. The nerve cells serving each of the senses - taste, smell, hearing, seeing, and touch - are now developing in their specialised areas of the brain. Nerve cell production slows down as existing nerve cells grow larger and make more complex connections. The smell of a newborn seems to be the most developed of all senses, enabling them to recognize you immediately.

You no doubt feel the kicking and somersaulting of your growing twins. At times, they may be so mobile that they will wake you up during the night. The next ten weeks or so will be your twins' busiest and most active time, until the uterus gets too crowded.

A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa will begin to cover your twins. It protects their skin during its long immersion in amniotic fluid and acts as a barrier against infection after birth. Your twins are swallowing an increasing amount of amniotic fluid, good practice for their digestive systems.

Until now your fetuses have been measured from crown to rump but from 20 weeks the measurement will be from crown to heel. And from crown to heel they are approximately 10.5 inches/ 27 centimetres long. Their eyebrows and eyelids are fully developed and fingernails cover the fingertips.

Your babies can now hear your conversations. If you talk, read, or sing to your twins, sound waves are transmitted along your spine to make them progressively familiar to your voice, helping them to recognise you after they are born.

Your twins can hear other sounds through the skin covering your belly, but they are distorted as they pass through your fat and muscle, the wall of your uterus and amniotic fluid. Only your voice will be clearly recognisable to them by the end of your pregnancy.

Most mums-to-be detect their twins movements (called quickening) between 18 and 22 weeks of pregnancy. If you've been pregnant before, you'll feel things earlier rather than later. What you may first think is a rumbling stomach may be your twins doing some back flips.

Week 18 and 19:

We started week 18 on Friday, February 24^th. I am choosing to do 2 weeks together again as it really has been uneventful and very relaxing the last two weeks. Everything has gone perfectly and I couldn’t be any happier with how things are going in the pregnancy. I have grown a bit more and can really start to feel movement during the day now. I can tell when they have hiccups and I can pinpoint when they are active during the night. Around 10pm every night they really move and kick. SO I am sure that the first few months at home will be late nights for sure!!!! Good thing one of the daddies is a night owl, so I am sure it will be fun for him! LOL

We started week 19 on Friday, March 2^nd. My appetite has slowed back down again and nothing major really has happened or changed. I feel full so much faster than I used to. And when I do over eat what I am used to, my stomach is not happy and I end up feeling like crap for a few hours. I honestly am to a point now where I loathe having to drink water. Though I continue to down it like I will be soon running out of it. I forget how much water you have to drink during pregnancy and it gets to a point where I never want to see it again! But, it is much needed, so I continue to drink and drink and drink. Which then makes me have to pee, pee and pee some more. And always at night when I am sleeping. I have always had a very strong bladder, and now, I am up every few hours peeing. It isn’t fun, but comes with the territory!!!

Here is some info on Weeks 18

WOOHOO! We have two more ounces of amazing baby this week!

Your super-cute uterus hi-jacker is smack in the middle of a growth spurt!

Oh and guess what? They're also all slathered in a greasy, waxy, cheese-like substance known as vernix caseosa.

Yeah, it sounds pretty nasty, but the mixture of fatty secretions covers your little swimmer from head to toe and protects their paper-thin skin from bruising, abrasions, and chapping caused by amniotic fluid exposure.

And then there's the birthing process, right? You know, where you have to push something the size of a watermelon out a hole the size of a grape.

Well, that adorable little greased piglet would have a lot harder time getting through the birth canal if they didn't have that greasy vernix caseosa slip-n-sliding them out of your hyper-extended birth canal.

Week 19:

Your favorite womb-hijacker is suddenly huge, at 10 inches in length!

Pick your jaw off the floor mama. Yes, your wee baby IS bigger this week, but only because we're now able to measure their little legs which have straightened out enough to be measured accurately.

Just in case the random medical details weren't confusing enough already, it's standard practice to measure fetuses from head to toe in the second half of pregnancy, rather than from crown to rump as we did in the first half.

Week 20 is actually when most people transition the measurement over, but we thought you'd appreciate knowing a week early.

This week your lil' fetus will start digesting the extremely appetizing diet of amniotic fluid and baby wee, as they are now capable of swallowing, digesting, and passing the fluid as far as their tiny "large" intestines.

Fortunately for you, the solid waste by-products will build up slowly into a tarry lump of baby-poop and won't be coming out while they're still in your womb.

Some time shortly after your tiny poop factory is born, this fun lump will become the first in a verrrrry long production line of baby poops.

What finally comes out - commonly known as "meconium" to the science world, will be black and sticky. By the time you're done dealing with their tar poops, you'll be relieved to see that first sweet-smelling-but-runny breastmilk poop.

WEEK 17

Week 17:

Baby A face and profile picture

This week was quite eventful. Week 17 started on Friday, February 17^th. On Tuesday, the 21^st, I had both of my appointments with my doctors. I first went to the Maternal Fetal Specialist. This guy is amazing. I not only love his sense of humor, but he is very good at what he does. It isn’t often that I am excited to actually go to the doctor, but with him, I am excited to go. He makes the appointment fun and really has enjoyed watching the twins develop as they grow. He constantly made comments about how perfect the babies are. He at one point even made a comment about how amazing their brains looked, which is FAB news!!! But of course, they have such brilliant daddies, so I expect they too will be very smart children.
 

 

We also found out that both babies are BOYS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was secretly hoping for at least one girl, just so they would have one of each. But, to have both boys is really neat. They both measured in at 7 ounces, which is exactly what a baby at this age should be. And for being twins, it was even better because that means they are staying right on track of growth, which is very good news.

Here are pictures from the ultrasound:

Baby A profile

Baby B profile and face

Baby A and Baby B feet

Baby B---ITS A BOY and sucking thumb

Baby B ITS A BOY and Baby A feet

He kept sucking his thumb, it was quite cute!

Baby A ITS A BOY

Then I went downstairs at the clinic to my regular OB appointment. I am finally having good blood pressure numbers, which is very good news as well. Everything looks great and the babies sounded perfect on the Doppler. They also measured me and I am now measuring at 30 weeks, which is weird, because I don’t feel 30 weeks pregnant. I am showing, but nothing huge. People comment all of the time on how small I am for carrying twins, but hey, I am okay with not gaining too much weight! I am right on track for all of that stuff, so all good here!!!!

Twin Pregnancy Week 17

By week 17 of your twin pregnancy your babies are capable of swallowing, blinking and sucking.

They are very active and you may feel them more now.

Your babies ears start to pop out. Their necks are getting longer. Their eyes are still shut at this time.

At this stage twins' heartbeats should be heard by a doppler. Some of your antibodies are beginning to get transferred to your babies.

Mothers better relax and take it easy. For a twin pregnancy, if you carry to term, you are about half way there!