17w0d Pray for amniotic fluid

Gestation: 17 weeks 0 days
Weight: I weighed in on our scale today at 181.7 lb. But I was kind of tilting to see the number and my docs scale had me heavier last week. Of course, they weigh me at the end of my day and I weigh myself at the beginning when I just wake up.
Appearance: Big boobs (for me)....belly is big. Kind of freaks me out when I look at it. No stretch marks although I think I see two on my boobs. Keep forgetting to get that cream from my sister although I'm convinced I'm doomed by genetics.
Symptoms: Mild bouts of nausea. Food tastes strange to me. I'm struggling to find food I can eat because some of my consistent faves have distinctly strange tastes to me. Big turn-off. I'm peeing a lot...my bladder already feels like something is pressing on it. Arthritis of the hips, when I am lying down for a while, it hurts to turn over or get up and start walking. And still a big of motion sickness if I walk too fast. And I'm waddling already.
Countdown: 11 weeks to viability. (Babies have a 95% survival rate at 28 weeks). Actually since Baby A is almost a week behind, let's say 12 weeks to viability.

So. I haven't blogged in two weeks. Last week was crazy. The hubby was gone for almost two weeks, I was having trouble sleeping and I ended up getting sick. At first, the cold didn't seem too bad and I was so thankful since I can't take medicine...but the cold just wouldn't go away and every day was just a struggle. Then my sister had a crazy clot and I had to take her to the hospital. I had to burn a sick day (which we know is so precious at this point) because of the lack of sleep and sickness. Thank God, my sister is home and she seems to be slowly regaining her coordination back. And Scott is home (well, for a week) before he leaves for yet another stupid trip. Pbbbt. I'm still coughing occasionally but I'm finally regaining use of both nostrils. Amen.

My stomach has definitely swelled and everything just feels tight. I had an episode where I think my uterus was contracting a lot...I had to start counting. I had 2 in the span of 20 minutes and the next forty minutes were the longest ever...since I read that you have to go to the hospital immediately if you get 4 contractions in an hour, even if they don't hurt. I read that online. I think a lot of the discomfort is just from everything expanding so quickly, my stomach muscles feel so stretched. At first, I was scared to stretch it out. I haven't had any contractions in a few days so I'm gingerly stretching.

Today was our ultrasound with the specialist. Dr. O. The first thing out of his mouth was "Have you been leaking amniotic fluid?" I immediately said "Oh, I might be, I noticed a lot of discharge this past week but I thought it was incontinence." So embarrasing, but I've always had a problem with my bladder and some leakage when I exercise or just out of nowhere. At work, I noticed my underwear had these huge wet spots and it was way more than ever. I figured, my bladder was just getting weaker. He asked if I wear a pad, and I said ,No, I just have wet underwear. So, it seems that the new issue (there's always something different at each visit) is that the amniotic levels for the identicals are lower. Not dangerously low, but lower. So, new thing to pray about. Today I felt pretty good because I was dry and hopefully it has passed, but just now a trip to the bathroom has revealed another wet spot. Please, Lord, no more. Keep it all in. I took a quad screen test last week but my doc laughed and said that it's invalid for triplets. Oh, boy, I have a big fat bruise on my arm from the blood draw for nothing then.

Now for the good news. The triplets are all growing steadily, even small little baby A.

Baby A: (smallest identical twin)
16 w 3 d (so four days behind gestational age)
5 oz
everything looks good so far

Baby B: (biggest identical twin)
17 w 2 d (2 days ahead)
7 oz (ooh fattie)
everything also looks really good

Baby C: (fraternal twin)
17 w 2 d (2 days ahead)
6 oz (doc says that Baby B and Baby C are pretty much the same size)
she's our star. lots of amniotic fluid. saw her moving around. lots of room and everything looks really great.

the identical twins were squished again as they are bigger and they have lost some amniotic fluid. I'm going to have to go in every two weeks now especially since we have to monitor their amniotic levels. That's fine with me. Three weeks is just too long for me to go without seeing that they're okay. i still get nervous when he starts scanning. I wish he could just verify that their heart are beating and they're alive. I guess he doesn't know that I worry about that and I may have to get over my pride and just ask him to do that for me. The great great news. Baby A is still chugging along, still a week behind the other two but the gap isn't growing so that seems to indicate that her growth is steady. Their bladders and blood flow are good so no indication of TTTS (twin to twin transfusion yet). Woo. Best news, he tried to find that growth on the bottom of Baby A's spine and he couldn't even find it. True, Baby B's big head kept getting in the way but he tried and tried. At the end, he said he saw a glimpse of something but it was so tiny that he thinks it was probably a skin tag. Hallelujah!!! We'll keep praying that the growth is completely gone and never comes back.

And he confirmed...all girls. hee hee. Scott and I just shake our head. He showed us the crotch shots and even I could see there's no peepees anywhere. I'm getting a little better at recognizing things on the ultrasound, plus, they're a little bigger so things are much more defined.

I'm officially halfway through and today's visit...seriously the best I've felt about this pregnancy. Scott and I agreed that this was the best news visit we've had the whole time. I hope it continues this trend but I'll enjoy the moment now no matter what. It's starting to feel a little more real. I'm still shocked each time I go in and they're all still alive and they're all still growing. I'm starting to gain confidence that come this fall, we're going to have three little girls in our arms. So, I brought up the pains and aches because I've been wondering about the babies moving. Apparently, you can feel it as early as 16 weeks but most newbies can't recognize it and won't know it until 18-20 weeks when it becomes to obvious to ignore. Stupid websites refer to it as a feeling of gas bubbles or butterflies. Um, only time I feel gas bubbles is when I have painful doubled over cramps. And I can't for the life of me recall what it feels to have butterflies. I do feel occasional swishes but I'm telling you, my abdomen is a field of strange new feelings. So, I'm just being patient because it's only a few more weeks and then there will be no question.

Praises Recap:
Babies alive
Babies healthy
Baby A keeping up
Baby A lost that weird spinal thing
Baby B showing all normal measurements despite that high nuchal fold

Prayer Request:
No more amniotic loss
Keep growing, we go back in two weeks
That spinal thing be gone FOREVER