So, as far as the Lemonheads go, we had our 32 week scan today (they'll be 32 weeks tomorrow, so close enough.) We trooped in to that now too-familiar hospital, sat down, and waited. I brought my urine sample from home, which we have to bring to each appointment. It's incredibly difficult to wee into something the size of a toilet paper roll, but I managed to do so while elegantly urinating all over my wrist. Once I washed off and sealed the vial, I rolled the vial around, simultaneously grossed out and fascinated by all the bits floating in the liquid.

"Look!" I had called to Angus. "Look at all the floaty bits in here!"

He looked repulsed. I realized I may have just jeopardized any chances of sexual activity I had been hoping for today with one flash of a floaty-bit vial.

Once at the hospital I hand the vial over to the nurse and get called in to scan.

The babies are just fine. The boy remains cephalic (lying head down), his head resting very low. The little girl is breech, her head high up in my rib cage (which would explain why I can neither breathe nor bend over) and her feet aimed near her brother's head. Picture the yin/yang symbol and you've got it. Because the first baby out of the chute is cephalic, we are opting for a regular, non-Caesarean delivery, as it's got the easiest recovery time for me and is best for baby-apparently the act of birth itself helps their lungs and we think that's important, especially as twins can have immature lungs easier than singletons as they tend not to bake in the oven so long.

Both babies have passed a milestone as well-both weigh about 4 pounds 2 ounces, which is key. Babies get an automatic ticket to the SBCU here if they're under 4 pounds, and while this doesn't mean that if they come tomorrow they won't be in SBCU for their lungs, at least their birth weights are good.

Um...and they're large. Large babies. We're talking 95th percentile here. Angus and I are both tall and built like peasants, it appears we're passing on thsee trait to the babies.

We didn't get any pictures as there's just nothing to see anymore, the technician said the larger the babies get the less clear the scan pictures are. Considering Angus and I can't make a damn thing out anyway there was pretty much no point in getting pictures, and we weren't bothered that we have nothing to take home for the album (yes, I do have a baby scrapbook. Sue me.) We saw them ourselves. I feel them all the time. We know how it's going in there.

We met with our consultant as well. While we were waiting, I turned to Angus.

"I'm willing to offer him a blow job if he'll induce me soon, is that ok?" I ask.

I am only half-joking.

After dealing with my sleepless nights, my restless leg syndrome that causes me to kick him all night, and my wild moods (including the infamous "Helen Temper Tantrum" that was yesterday morning), I'm thinking he'd offer to blow the consultant to get me induced, too.

The consultant says that they want to get me to 37-38 weeks, and I won't go beyond 38 weeks as he's concerned about my infections and the fact that there is a risk the infections will start to impact the babies. Although I am on antibiotics and will remain so for the pregnancy, my urine still shows signs of infection (see: floaty bits. See also: utter grossness) and it looks like this is par for the course for the rest of the pregnancy.

The next few scans are key - if the babies stop growing then they're coming out. If my UTI/kidney infections flare up after 34 weeks, then they're coming out. Currently, it all looks good inside of me-babies look fine, amniotic fluid levels are fine-but the babies are indeed out of room. My consultant is sure that they won't turn before birth because there's simply no space for them to do so. The boy will continue to have hiccups against my cervix. The girl will continue to make it very difficult to breathe.

I love these kids already.

The next milestone is 2 weeks away, when I hit 34 weeks. At that point the consultant is confident the babies will be able to breathe on their own thanks to their size and the steroid shots. This is huge for me-since my first infection at about 26 weeks, the babies' lungs have been on my mind a lot. The relief at hitting 34 weeks and knowing that they may get to escape time in the SBCU (NICU) is enormous.

I'm trying to emotionally prepare myself for 6 more weeks. At least it means the nursery will be able to be addressed in time. We've been paring down the names list, and think we have some final candidates. I'm trying to get ready, if there really is such a thing.

So if they don't bust out on their own or if something doesn't happen, it looks like babies will be here anytime between October 10-20 thanks to the miracle of induction.

We can make it that long, right?

Right?

-H.

PS - I apologize for being quiet here - I haven't felt much like talking, and anyway we spent the weekend moving PCs, getting our "comms center" working, and I didn't really have access to the PC. I got a number of emails, none of them of the "you ungrateful bitch" variety, and the support and complete kindness in them overwhelmed me (in a good way, that is.) I owe you a reply and will hopefully be able to get some PC action today, so will do.

And thank you.

I mean it.

Posted by: Everydaystranger at 12:42 PM | Comments (21) | Add Comment
Post contains 989 words, total size 5 kb.

1 Great news on weights of the babies! It amazes me how these two just keep on thriving with all you have been thru. They are two very strong souls I think you will make it the 6 weeks but if the babes get impaitent it sounds like they will be healthy. I hope you are feeling better, no mention of yourself this time. Take whatever comfort you can in knowing how many of us are cheering for you all!

Posted by: Christina at September 04, 2007 12:26 PM (FXxJ1)

2 That's great news Helen! Having not had babies myself, i don't how know you're feeling about their imminent arrival but I hope you can take some time over the next few weeks for you and Angus. I have just got back from holidays in France and kept finding myself thinking about you, the lemonheads and if they were here and Melissa and Jeff. So, I will continue to keep you in my thoughts and keep on cheering you on, just like Christina said. Lots of love.

Posted by: Suzie Stacey at September 04, 2007 12:47 PM (YqqaU)

3 Hopefully you got mine - although I have suspicions on that "spam filter" you keep talking about... <3

Posted by: Jen(aside) at September 04, 2007 01:11 PM (bo6x7)

4 32w with floaty bits and you want sex? That's damned impressive.

Posted by: BeachGirl at September 04, 2007 02:17 PM (RgeoX)

5 Hooray for good appointments and healthy, growing babies. Good to hear you're all doing so well.

Posted by: Lisa at September 04, 2007 03:21 PM (e8V7B)

6 I am really glad to here they are doing so well. I do think those last few weeks just drag on and on, but it is better they come as late as they can rather then sooner, no matter how tempting it is to offer to blow anyone who will get those babies out of there now. October 14-my son's birthday. If you can't do that, I will settle for October 11-my brother's. See what you can do...

Posted by: Teresa at September 04, 2007 03:34 PM (DbA9U)

7 Thank you for the update and news of the scan. I'm so glad the news is good. You have two very healthy kidlets in there: good growing, Mom!

Posted by: Margi at September 04, 2007 03:37 PM (pJtCa)

8 I'm so glad things are going well! Trust me when I tell you that once you set eyes on your dear little babies, all of the discomforts will melt away. They have that most amazing ability, they do. Hang in there! You're in the homestretch (which, everyone always says and I *know* it feels like each day is a year, so I'm sorry. Heh.).

Posted by: Margi at September 04, 2007 03:39 PM (pJtCa)

9 You're doing great. Hang in there. I won't say it will soon be over, but rather it will soon be beginning... the next phase of motherhood. Glad to hear things are progressing well.

Posted by: sue at September 04, 2007 03:43 PM (WbfZD)

10 Helen, You owe me nothing. I'm just glad that you and the babies are doing okay. Err, except for the part where you can't bend over or breathe properly, but you know what I mean. Stay well.

Posted by: physics geek at September 04, 2007 04:16 PM (MT22W)

11 My friend gave birth to her twins girls just last week - she went to 38 weeks. (Not what you wanted to hear right!) They were 6 lbs and 6lbs3 oz each. But Just to reassure you about the babies lungs if you do go early, another good friend had her baby last year at 29 weeks . She was only 2kg when she was born - but as my friend has got the steroids at 25 weeks her lungs were in good shape when she was born and was able to breath on her own. Obviously she spent time in the NICU but she was 1 last month as is perfect. I'm rambling! Anyway my point is if they do come early it sounds like they will be well able for life on the outside! Have enjoyed reading your blog over the last month or so... keep it up! Best of luck with everything. Have enjoyed reading your blog over the last month or so... keep it up! Best of luck with everything.

Posted by: M at September 04, 2007 04:38 PM (10+Jh)

12 YAYAYAYAYAY for a good scan. So happy to hear the bebes are both growing and gaining!

Posted by: caltechgirl at September 04, 2007 05:01 PM (/vgMZ)

13 Wonderful news (er, aside from the floaty bits, the not being able to breathe or bend over, etc.) Yay! I'm sure you're counting down the days.

Posted by: April at September 04, 2007 06:35 PM (xEWJq)

14 They DEFINITELY should be in good shape lung-wise at this point, especially since you/they've gotten the steroids. And yes, they are indeed HUGE!!! Are you sure you have their gestational age right? (haha - obviously you do - we got asked that about Miss S sometimes and we were like "Um, yeah, we're pretty damn sure that the pee stick said I was ovulating on the 13th of April, and even more sure that I didn't ovulate in the middle of taking my hallucination-inducing Clomid pills.")

Posted by: Sarah at September 04, 2007 06:48 PM (8wJYl)

15 38 weeks would be great indeed, but i hope that it'll go more smoothly for the next weeks...i'll burn a candle for that.. my grandmother does it too and it works everytime :-) I have the impression that you are doing this pregnancy thing very very good, even more because you have had already all those health problems. you are so courageous.

Posted by: roxane at September 04, 2007 08:10 PM (zU+Q9)

16 37-38 weeks? That would fall almost right on my birthday. Here's holding out for October 15th! That'd be cool. But it would be much cooler if you were to have them with no more complications whatsoever and for them to be perfectly healthy, regardless of when the oven decides to go "Ding!". That's what I'm really holding out for. And the inevitable baby pictures.

Posted by: diamond dave at September 04, 2007 08:33 PM (V+EB5)

17 Phew, so I have a few more weeks before the bubs are born to get my little project organised! (see, its all about the me, me, me here!) Great news all round, except the floaties of course. Ugh!

Posted by: Super Sarah at September 05, 2007 12:18 AM (WCDGg)

18 I am looking forward to meeting the Lemonheads, via blog, that is and on their own natural schedule... Four years of following Helen and then she gives birth soon. Fabulous.

Posted by: Marie at September 05, 2007 01:48 AM (vB1Mo)

19 I am so happy for you! All during my pregnancies, I might have offered something good to the doc to induce me early,but I didn't have to. The first one came 2 weeks early and the last 2 were induced without me having to ask. That was to keep me from having them in the car - or at home. Good luck, Helen. I can't wait to see the babies' photos!!

Posted by: kenju at September 05, 2007 02:32 AM (TiGru)

20 I hope you spend as much time as possible doing exactly what you want to do. We will entertain ourselves while you fix the nursery and get the shoes out of the kitchen. Hang in there! I feel like I have said that so many times, but it's all I know to say. You and they are tough, I have complete confidence. Sending all the relaxing, good weeing, good sexing vibes I can.

Posted by: sophie at September 05, 2007 05:37 AM (AY+fk)

21 Hi Helen, I come by every day, but I don't always leave a comment. I figure you get so many of them already. But I think you are doing a great job and I wish you all the best. Hang in there, girl. You'll be so happy once they are here and in your arms. Good luck with everything and tell Angus good luck too.

Posted by: Irene at September 05, 2007 06:46 AM (RL+iu)

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