24 June 08 - week 26 of pregnancy - after gynae appointment

Hi all!

Oops never got back to the blog....and that was 2 weeks ago!!! Week 26 and 27 flew by in a blurrrrr and now we are into week 28!!!!

But here is what happened during week 26: What's happening this week (once again each newsletter has something different to say)...but so as not to bore you to death, here's the shortest one ;)

Pregnancy Calendar - Week26

This week your baby opens its eyes, can blink and can move their head back and forth. The baby’s hair may also have started to grow this week, as will their toe nails. More weight will have been gained in the last seven days, along with the development of their brain tissue and nervous system.

Your baby weighs almost 2 pounds, measures around 14 inches from head to heel, and hears noises, responds to light, and is generally more aware of its surroundings. In the same way that you can see a flashlight if you hold it against your palm, your baby can see the light coming through your belly. You may notice increased activity when in brighter light and decreased activity in darkened rooms. Its hearing is fully developed, and as he or she reacts to sounds, it s pulse increases. Your baby may even move in rhythm to music!
Your baby's movements will become regular and you can monitor them. If you're expecting triplets their growth will slow down dramatically.

24 June 08 - week 26 of pregnancy - morning post

Goodday to you all :)

Hmmm well time is literally flying by, and I can't believe we are into the home-stretch already - well as far as a twin pregnancy goes!!

Saw Shannon at the fetal assessment clinic a month ago, and today have appointment with gynae. I'll see her every 2 weeks from now on....maybe....I'll find out why exactly as it's an expensive little time I spend there. I'll let you know the reasoning later....in my book really it's a waste of time and money....the girls are fine with no chance of placentas fusing (one is placed top and front and the other is placed bottom at back) and as they are supposedly fraternals, there's not even a remote chance of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome?

They are both thumping about much better and it's an amazing and wonderful feeling. It looks like I swallowed a round watermelon...that's how my tummy looks anyway. Where these 2 little munchkins are fitting themselves, goodness only knows! Twins must surely be more flexible and double jointed than most ;)

My most worrying thing is can the skin over my tummy actually stretch anymore...and when they are out is it going to hang down to my knees? (I have thoughts of tucking my tummy into my pant, till it somehow magically goes back to the way it was..?...and will it ever?).
The second most worrying thing though is what has happened to all my internal organs? Where do they go? All must have taken a ride to different regions....like my stomach in my throat (for sure), a lung on each shoulder, etc, etc....ha ha ha....we're on vacation and will be back later!

The only downside at this time, is that I'm getting terrible bouts of heartburny-indigestion at all hours of the night, no matter what I've eaten...but have found that if I eat early enough in the evening, and not at 8pm-ish when Brad comes home, there's a better chance of it not happening. It's either that, or I have to sit up and sleep - which is not funny - and I'm loathe to disturb Brad. I've also finally got the loo thing right these last couple of days....get the 2-litres in before 6pm, so I don't spend the whole night getting rid of it ;) It was getting ridiculous - average 5 to 6 times a night!!!!

I'll be back later to let you know how the gynae appointment went.

Lotsa Love
L+2

16 June 08 - Monday - week 25 of pregnancy

Hello all!

Hope you are all enjoying the public holiday today, and managed to have a lie-in? Brad and I are really appreciating ours, because our days are numbered...haaa haaa! A fond memory I have is Marc (elder brother) saying to me (after I'd been kind enough to phone him at 9am on his birthday wishing him and saying hope he got spoiled rotten with breakfast in bed, etc etc) that he hasn't had a lie in since his eldest was born 7 years ago ;)

Brad is at the office today, as stadiums still have to be built. It's a miz cold day anyway, so it isn't a big deal at all.

Hmmmm well......I'm now 6 months pregnant, and into week 25 of the pregnancy. Babies are said to arrive anytime from 28-weeks (week of 7 July) to 36-weeks (week of 1 Sept)...and ideally full-term for twins which is at 38-weeks (week of 15 Sept). However all these factors remain a mystery. If this baby was a singleton, full term would be 28th September. I leave you to do the maths as my brain is fuddled! I just really have to get my bottom into gear and get sorted and ready just in case these two little babies come early. Tick tock!!!!

Anyway the crucial thing for these little girls to do from now is to put on layers of fat, so that they can survive outside the womb should they arrive early, as prem babies have difficulty in regulating their body temperature.
Our friend Cath who is pregnant with the twin boys (2-weeks ahead of me) had her scan last week...and in 2 weeks each of her boys had put on about 400-grams, and now weigh just over/under 900 grams! Wow!
My tummy is so huge now I wonder where I'm going to fit them both soon. Brad casually mentioned yesterday that they're now wrapping around my waist as that has got much thicker...so yes, my name is Linda and I have two beautiful spare tyres....ha ha ha! By now the two of them are aware of each other in the womb, as the space is starting to get a bit limited now.
I wish I could hook up at a scan machine on a daily basis to see what's going on inside, ie. how their limbs are pushing Mommy's insides about, and especially how they are interacting with each other.
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What 4 of the newsletters say:

a) Your baby weighs 1 1/4 pounds and is a little more than 11 inches long, about the size of a small bag of sugar. In the last third of pregnancy, she'll double and triple her weight. Your dexterous baby can touch and hold her feet and make a fist. Your partner may be able to hear her heartbeat by pressing his ear against your belly. Your baby has a regular sleep schedule now and active and inactive periods. You may or may not be able to discern what those periods are. Her nostrils, which have been plugged, open up.

b) Most of your baby’s development from this stage onwards will be largely weight gain and focusing on nervous system development. The good news is that even if your baby is born prematurely from now on they have a good chance of survival without too much trauma. This is because your baby’s lungs have begun to produce “surfactant” which means that its respiratory system is getting stronger. Your baby may also start to change its position in the womb, moving out of the breech position and into the better position for delivery with its head down towards the birth canal.

c) Sixth Month

Your baby is about 11 to 14 inches long (head to toe) and weighs a hefty 1.5 pounds. His or her eyelids begin to part and the eyes are open for short periods of time. Her lungs are continuing to develop and she is practicing breathing - she may even have her first case of the hiccups soon. He or she has fingerprints, eyebrows, and eyelashes.

d) your growing baby

your baby's sense of hearing is now highly developed as the ossicles of the ear are already adult size, and she'll be startled by loud noises. Your baby will really be in her own waking and sleeping pattern by now. Her movements are strong and easily felt by you. You can start playing kicking games with your baby. Prod the area where your baby kicks and watch as she responds. Move your prods around the abdomen and she will probably follow your path with her kicks.

tips for dad

If your partner doesn't have a decent pair of sandals, buy them for her now. They'll cost, but it's worth it. She needs a lot of rest and pampering now, so try to be patient if she tosses and turns all night. A back rub may work wonders here.
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I must say I had a good chuckle at THAT one.....what exactly are sandals going to do to make me feel better? The mind bogges ;) Can just myself in the maternity ward refusing for them to remove my pretty sandals..ha ha ha. Now that backrub sounds like a real-deal to me!!!!

Bye for now and have a great shorter week!

Lotsa love
L+2 & B = love squared

all in a row

• 16 weeks as at 17 April
• 20 weeks as at 12 May
• 24 weeks as at 11 June

11 June 2008 - week 24

Hellooooo from a cold, rainy and blustery typical Cape Town winter weather that just screams for rib-sticking food and self-saucing chocolate puddings ;)))))

Brad is to thank for the dvd's below...amazing stuff...and so cool that we can share it with all of you :)

"What's happening this week....By week 24, your baby - who is now about 8-10 inches long and weighs 1-3 pounds - has already begun her main project for the rest of your pregnancy: putting on weight. You’ll notice now that what began as gentle wiggling will become poking and even sharp kicking. Some women experience shooting pains and backaches if the baby puts too much pressure on the sciatic nerve, which runs down the back of the leg."
From another newsletter " Your baby weighs about 1.2 pounds and is just under 12 inches from head to heel. His or her lungs have started secreting surfactant, the substance that keeps the moist, interior surface of the lungs from sticking together; and he or she is practicing breathing. Your baby's eyes are also watching for light and its ears are listening to your heart beat and your stomach growl."
from newsletter # 3 "Since your baby's inner ear is now completely developed, she can tell when she is upside down or right side up as she floats or moves in your uterus. She is still red and skinny, but will soon start to put on weight."

From my side....the movements are amazing and one is definitely more active than the other....or so I think anyway. I've nicknamed the one "Thumper" and the other "Dancer"...so we have a ballet dancer and a karate kid on our hands...ha ha ha. I wonder if they'll be similar or poles apart?
I also wonder if my cup of coffee every other morning and the occasional glass of red wine is doing them any harm? I feel lost in all the info out there (for and against) but have not gone overboard so that kind of appeases my guilt feelings a little.

The most amazing thing for me is seeing Brad's face as he feels the movements now. The baby on the right is not shy and is quite happy to show off to her Dad on how great she can thump Mom in the ribs with hands or feet. His eyes sparkle and the smile on his face reaches all round the world. He's going to be the most amazing Dad and is already as proud as punch :)

Brad and I had a sneaky little night away camping in Warthog on Friday night in Robertson, so he could ride the Whacky Wheels MTB ride on the Saturday morning. It was awesome to get away and spend a night in our little tent, next to the Breede River. Although admittedly reaching the bottom rung of the ladder took a bit of huffing and puffing :)

Brad rode the race in the pouring rain and came back covered in gooey mud. Luckily the race organisers had provided HOT showers, so he cleaned up nicely and we spent the rest of the day driving from wine farm to wine farm, enjoying the products of their hard labour. We were blown away by the hospitality of the farmers who had opened up the houses as tasting venues, and met some salt of the earth amazing people. A breathe of fresh air to the snootyness of the usual run of the mill winefarms in Stellenbosch, Franschhoek, etc etc.
Anyway we left the area at 6pm for the 2hour drive home, and woke refreshed and full of energy on Sunday. Amazing what one night away can do to one's mental health ;)

It was lovely to see Alan last night, who is Cape Town talking about the shares market....and then had a lovely dinner with Rod and Les at WangThai afterwards.

Today my Pilates class took a lot of energy and I was pooped. Bumped into my first boss at Biggie Best in Cavendish, Ruth Benbow-Hebbert - wow what a timewarp for the both of us! Came home and almost slept for 2-hours.....lovely with the rain pouring outside.

Brad's in PE for the night and the house is dead-quiet/boring and I'm lonely without him.....he says the more I'm getting on in the pregnancy, the more Mrs Cling-peach I'm becoming. He'll be home tomorrow night so at least not nearly as long as the San Francisco trip. That was a killer. Stadiums stadiums stadiums :))))))

As always.....lots of love from us all
xxxxx

01 June 2008 - High resolution

...and for those of you with lots of bandwidth, here is the high resolution dvd :)