Sixteen Weeks!

August 30



Last night, Josh and I went to a cloth diapering demo by Do Good Diapers.  We have both successfully diapered a doll, so we’re totally ready for twins, right?   Has anyone reading used cloth diapers? What do you think?  We’d appreciate your insight!

Two Little Heartbeats

In the last couple of weeks, we've seen both a midwife and the OBGYN who will see us through the rest of this pregnancy.  At the first appointment, the midwife pulled out the measuring tape for the first time, and we learned that, at 14 weeks, I was already measuring at 19 weeks.  Apparently, the twins are growing!  After that appointment, we said goodbye to our midwife and moved our twin pregnancy on to an OBGYN.  With Josh out of town, my sister accompanied me to meet the new OB, where we got to hear two little heartbeats.  I was surprised at how easy it was to distinguish between the two heartbeats.  One baby was scooting around with a heart rate of 141, while the other was relaxing with a heart rate of 137.  There is an old wives' tale that says a heart rate over 140 means you're having a girl, while a heart rate under 140 means you're having a boy.  Something to think about. . .

Our next appointment/ultrasound is at the end of September.  We hope to find out the sex of the babies at that time, so stay tuned! 

Fourteen Weeks

August 16

Things I've Learned

When the ultrasound technician turned the screen so I could get a good look at Babies A and B, I went into a state of shock that prevented any logical questions from forming.  I did manage to say, "so there are two in there?'"  After that, nothing. . .  Other than alarm bells going off, there was absolutely nothing going on in my head.

So, in the couple weeks following this news, I've tried to gather some information about twins.

I found this list of factors that may increase a woman's chance of having twins at whattoexpect.com.

• You have twins in your family.
• You're African American.
• You're 35 or older
• You've been pregnant before
• You've had twins before
• You're undergoing fertility treatment
• You're overweight
• You're tall

You may have noticed that the only category I even remotely fit in is "you're tall," and I don't think 5'8" is considered that tall.  The moral of this story - Josh and I having twins is a HUGE surprise!

Other things I have learned: 

• When it comes to twins and family history, it is the mother's side that really counts. Since there is absolutely no family history of twins on my side, we can safely say that family history did not lead to these twins.  
• Our twins are in their own sacs, but we have no idea if they are identical or fraternal.  Fraternal twins always have their own sacs, but this also occurs in 20-30% of identical twin pregnancies.  Unless we eventually find out that we are having both a boy and a girl, we won't know if they are identical or fraternal until the day they are born.  
• An average twin pregnancy lasts 35 weeks, so it is likely these babies will be arriving at least a few weeks early.  

Next week, Josh and I are meeting with my midwife one last time.  After that appointment, she will refer us to an OB, who I will see through the rest of my pregnancy.   I'll make sure to post updates after all of my appointments.  

Twelve Weeks

Here's a picture of me and the start of my bump at 12 weeks!

August 2

Baby A and Baby B

As many of you know, Josh and I are expecting twins in February!  I wanted to start this blog so anyone interested can keep up on the craziness coming our way.

On August 1, I went in for my first big prenatal exam.  When my midwife asked if I had any concerns about my pregnancy, I said that I had just one completely irrational fear - twins.  I told her that I had no family history, but it was still something I was worried about.  She calmly told me that my chances of having twins were somewhere between one and three percent but promised me an early ultrasound if she found any symptoms of multiples during my exam.  Needless to say, later that afternoon an ultrasound technician introduced me to Baby A and Baby B.

Without further ado, here they are:

                                                       Baby B                         Baby A

Baby A (who is not very camera friendly at this point)

Baby B  

Both Heads