Week 30!!

I have been holding off on posting because so much has been up in the air the last few days.  It's been a bit stressful to say the least.  A week ago I posted that Alex was having decreased diastolic flow as well and they monitored her closely over the last week and it steadily progressed to no flow.  Friday morning my normally very calm perinatologist seemed concerned and started to talk delivery over the weekend.  Of course my OB went out of town this weekend Fri thru Mon and he is my calm doctor who always de-stresses the situation.  So the on call doctor, one of my OB's partners, and the perinatologist decided it was best to do my second round of steroid shots starting Friday.  I was wary after all my talks with my OB about when to do the second round of steroids.  I told them I didn't want to start them Friday.  The on call OB came back to visit me and explained why he and the specialist wanted me to take the shots now.  They both felt the progression of Alex from diastolic flow to no flow was fairly fast and the pattern looked to be heading to reverse flow sooner than later.  Even though we still can't predict the delivery date the steroids will assist in their bowel development and help protect them from brain hemorrhage.  While the steroids are most effective for their respiratory systems when delivered 72 hours prior to birth they are more effective for the other two issues no matter when given.  Even if we don't deliver until 32 weeks the babies should get the benefit in their bowels and brains from the steroids.  After this discussion I agreed to the shots.

Saturday morning the perinatologist came in again to do another sonogram.  Still no reverse flow, yay!  And he felt ok not doing a sonogram again until Monday.   We monitor heart rates 3 times a day for 30 minutes each time and that should be enough to detect any issues in the babies in between sonograms.  The goal is still to make it to 32 weeks.  Neither the specialist nor the on call OB feels this will happen they both predict this week.  My guess is my OB will still be hopeful for 32 weeks.  Of course that is our hope too.  I at least don't want it to be until Tuesday when my OB returns to work.  I picked him largely for his C-section skills!!  Plus I would just feel calmer with him making the decision.  The major factor for delivery is still the presence of reverse diastolic flow.  As long as neither girl develops this we can keep hanging on.  Everything else still looks great.  No decrease in anyone's amniotic fluid.  So far during monitoring the girls have very few variables or decelerations.  We even started monitoring them with the contraction monitor on to see if their blood supply is affected by contractions and it doesn't seem to do much.  All really good.  So we just need their darn placenta to hang on 2 more weeks!  The doctors also say they won't stop me if I go into labor at this point, however the way things are going that doesn't seem to be an issue either.

We started treating the choleostasis on Friday.  I took 2 doses of the medicine for it.  Stopped the itching but OMG the miserable side effects.  It did a number on my GI system.  I was so nauseated with horrible acid reflux and indigestion.  I could barely eat, had to not allow myself to vomit (didn't want to start labor) and sleep sitting up.  I was maxing out on Tums!!  Miserable, it was like having morning sickness again.  I talked to the doc and he said lets go to one dose a day.  Well, yesterday I didn't itch so I didn't take a dose and today I'm still at a place where I can tolerate what itching has returned.  So maybe I can hang on with 1 dose every 2 to 3 days.  It shouldn't be more than 2 weeks.  :)

I'm getting sad though as we approach delivery.  Even with the side effects of pregnancy, which aren't a blast, I love being pregnant!!  I love feeling the babies move and trying to predict their personalities based on how they are acting in the womb.  I love the way my body looks pregnant.  I love the feeling of carrying around life inside me.  I will miss this when it's over and I'm sad it's only going to be once.  Although I think 3 will be quite enough.  :)  I spend a lot of time each day just watching my tummy move and playing with the kids as they push a hand or foot out.  I feel bad there is nothing we can do to allow them to stay inside longer, I wish they could make it to 35/36 weeks.  It is so frustrating that their placenta gave out too early.  Otherwise they are all so healthy as am I.  Grrr.  Ethan is really getting the shaft too, he is not having any issues and just has to go along with the girls.  Guess he better get used to that.  Yuan and I are still grateful we made it to 30 weeks!  Each passing day decreases their complication risks.

Speaking of Yuan, he brought me beautiful Valentine's Day flowers this morning and home cooked Chinese food!  I have officially gotten sick of the hospital food.  I miss his cooking so much.  So all weekend I've had awesome food!  Some is about to arrive for dinner too.  We also finally got a chance to snuggle up in my tiny hospital bed and take a nap this afternoon.  It was so wonderful to sleep next to my husband again.  I"m sure we will have to play some Canasta after dinner since I soundly whooped him yesterday, he wants revenge.  He has been amazing through all this, you can certainly tell what your marriage is made of when you go through infertility and a multiple pregnancy!

As long as I'm not having babies Thursday is open for a visitor this week!  ;)  Looking forward to seeing everyone else who already told me they are coming other days.  I'll post my 30 week picture later.