Surprise Ultrasound–Edited to Add PICS

Quick Summary: There’s still two, and they are Just Fine.

So, we had another doctor’s appointment today to see how the hyperemesis is going.  Basically, I’m still throwing up between 15 and 35 times a day, on 8mg of Zofran every 6 hours(this is the max dose).  The zofran dose just got raised yesterday, so we’re hoping for a better day today and a better weekend.  Dr S says if I keep vomiting like this, I’m going to have to have an NG tube–where they stick a tube down my nose, into my stomach, and run liquid nutrition through it.  He doesn’t want to do TPN(IV nutrition) unless we have to, and neither do I–though I’m not sure I’d be able to keep the NG formula down, either.  Next appointment is next Friday and we’ll see how things are going then.

Preface to the next story, which I am quite embarrassed about:  I am extremely easily freaked out, and very fearful that we’re going to lose one or both babies.  So, earlier in the week, I was..umm…struggling on the toilet, and mid-push, I feel something come…slipping out.  Of my vagina.  Something large and gooey.  Now, the rational part of me goes, “Hey. You’ve had increased cervical fluid/mucous, it was probably that, so don’t freak out.”  The completely irrational, and thus in control, part of me goes, “Oh my god, I just pooed out one of the babies.”  I couldn’t look in the toilet.  I just spent the week FREAKING OUT.

So, I decided, pride be damned, I’m going to say something about it to Dr S, and ask for an ultrasound.  The guy is a saint–he didn’t even bat an eye, just filled out the ultrasound requisition and got me in for a scan before I could even leave the office.  So, woo, surprise ultrasound.  And the (not so surprising)news: they’re perfect.  There’s still two of them, they’re both measuring 7w5d(spot on), and we got to hear the heartbeats! (once I calmed down enough to hold still)  Baby A is ticking along at 152, Baby B at 155.  We even got a DVD with the videos, which I will link to as soon as CJ gets them uploaded.

I cannot tell you how relieved I am.

Edit: Here’s the babies!

Edit 2: Argh, can’t get the videos to embed.  Here’s links:
Baby A   Baby B

So. Much. Better.

Thank god for IV Zofran and fluids.  I still feel a little nauseated, but no vomiting so far today, and no headache.  Haven’t had anything to eat yet, but I think I’ll try some grapes now(I’m a fruit craver).   And some tea–now that I think about it, that sounds really good.

The nure came out last night around 730, and we got my mediport accessed no problem, got the zofran running in, and started the fluids.  They started me on just 4mg a day of Zofran, but when Amy called the doc, he said I could go up to twice a day, but to call them if I needed more than that.  Getting two liters of D5LR a day, and adding an amp of multivitamins to one of them.    No more nasty prenatals that I just throw up anyways!  We’re also checking my weight at every nursing visit(they’ll be back tomorrow), and checking my urine for ketones every day.  I had a small amount yesterday, haven’t checked yet today. 

Since I’m feeling so good, I think we’re going to go out to Babies R Us and have a look around!  I haven’t really left the house in a week, so that will be nice.  Hoping that the nausea stays away and that Miss W and family can come over tonight.

ETA: Damnit, spoke to soon.  Finished posting this and immediately started vomiting.

Good MD appt

Met with Dr Sanko at RGOA today; had a very good appt.  He’s not a warm and fuzzy doc–but as Miss W says, warm and fuzzy is for puppies.  And the very good thing: he’s actually going to treat my hyperemesis according to protocol!  A nurse is coming out tonight to start the IV and the meds/fluids, yay!  It’s been a miserable day–I’m down 5 pounds, can’t pee, dizzy when standing, and my blood pressure was 84/50.  Not good. 

He’s concerned about my history of TIAs and so is running a bunch of blood to figure out if I have a clotting disorder.   Results back tonight but I probably won’t get them until the next appt, next Weds.  I’m  not worried there.   When I had my TIAs, they said it was just a vessel spasming, not anything clot related, so…

The midwives called this morning and told me I have a UTI.  Couldn’t prove it by me, so Dr S is running another culture, just to be sure.  I’m betting antibiotics are in my future. 

As far as the twins go, he said the ultrasound pics look great, he’s not concerned about baby A’s slightly slower heart rate(115, compared to baby B’s 120).  I’ll have another ultrasound in about 4 weeks, then the nuchal translucency and 1st trimester screen between 11-13 weeks, and then u/s’s every 4-6 weeks after that.  The average gestation for twins is 35 weeks, he said if I got that far, the babes should be fine. Because I’m tall, I don’t think I’ll have a problem carrying that long–there’s lots of room for the babies to grow into, as long as I don’t have an undiscovered incompetant cervix or anything like that.  We didn’t really talk about my wishes for the birth–just that there was a possibility of a c-section–but we’ll get there.  Let’s get through the first trimester first!

He said the trip we were planning to take at 3o weeks–to Switzerland–is definately out.  That’s a bummer, but I was expecting that, so…and it’s worth it.  Chris’s parents want him to go without me, since it’s a family reunion, but as far as I’m concerned, he is NOT leaving his 30-weeks-pregnant-with-twins wife to go galavanting around Europe!  Am I being unreasonable there?

I’m still just amazed that we’re having twins.  It makes everything so worth it, seeing those heartbeats on ultrasound.  I will vomit for weeks, as long as those heartbeats remain strong.  I’m really starting to feel connected to them, ya know?  Seeing them made a big difference.

Wow.

Fraternal twins.  I’m amazed.  And blessed.

Midwife Issues

So, I saw the midwife yesterday, and all was well.  They were getting me set up with home IV fluids and zofran, just had to run it by the covering doc and all would be fine. 

Today, I get a call from the VNS nurse who would be coming out to see me.  She tells me that the referral got cancelled.  I called into the midwive’s office to see what was going on.  Spoke with a midwife who I’ve never met before, but who has decided that a 3 pound weight loss in 1 week is insignificant, that the fact that I can’t keep anything down doesn’t matter, and that if I need fluids and/or zofran, I’ll have to go into the hospital.  Again.  Furthermore, they won’t be seeing me anymore, as I’m “too high risk.” 

I don’t understand why I have to get worse before they’ll treat me–why can’t we prevent me from getting worse?  I asked this, and she told me I had an unrealistic expectation of what the meds could do for me.  Bullshit–I’m a nurse, I know the potential side effects and the fact that it might not work, or that it might just take away the vomiting and leave me with nausea, but  I’d at least like to try it.  She gave me some ideas to manage it with diet–basically, I’m to live on applesauce, hard candies, tea, gingersnaps, and jello.  And not take my prenatal vitamin, unless I can tolerate flintstones vitamins. 

SO anyways, I set up an appt with a new doc, one recommended by the hyperemesis website.  I see one of her colleagues Friday.  Let’s hope that goes a bit better. 

Today has been a fairly good day, with minimal vomiting.  Iguess if I’m taking it one day at a time now, I’d better just be thankful for today and not worry about tomorrow.

First Midwife Appointment

Spent last night in the ED again–the midwive’s nurse told me to go in and that they(the ER docs) would set up the Zofran pump and whatnot.  So we spent 10 hours there, five of them in the waiting room, and were sent him with…nothing.  That sucked.

But, I was able to get into my midwife’s office today for what was originally slated to be a hyperemesis eval.  When I got there, they had decided to do the whole first prenatal exam, including pap smear, labs, etc.  I hate the suprise pelvic exam!  You need time to prepare for those things! 

Anyways, they have put the call into the Visiting Nurse Service(which, incidentally, is where I work too, so this could get ackward) and they should be out to see me and set up the pump either tomorrow or the next day.  Since I haven’t heard anything yet, I’m assuming it’ll be Thursday, which is ok.  I can last two days. 

Currently doing around the clock Zofran ODT and phenergan suppositories.  Just took my latest dose at 8pm, so I should be sleeping soon.  I’ve been snowed all day today–can barely stay awake.  Hopefully once I get the pump I can stop the suppositories and be able to go back to work–while a little break is nice, we need the money, so…

Oh!  My ultrasound got moved up!  Instead of being on Thursday at the RE’s office, it’ll be tomorrow at the Midwife’s office.  Can’t say I’m not happy about that! 

More updates tomorrow after the ultrasound…

Sleepless…

Of course, with the first trimester exhuastion, all I do is sleep lately.  Except for now.  3:00AM and what am I doing?  Ugh…

Someone tell my husband to get off my side of the bed!