26 week +1 Day Hospital Update

Just wanted to briefly update:
Not great news today. While my cervix is still 1.2 cm long and closed externally, it was even more dynamic internally at around 1.7 cm dilated. I will be in the hospital until delivery. I have to continue with the bedside commode and start showering with assistance lying on a cart in the shower (these girls better appreciate this one day! :) ). So worried about these bubbas, but giving it to God and doing whatever I can control. B and C have already started showing signs of breathing activity which is very good, though, for this gestation (normally not detected on ultrasound until 28 weeks) and FFN came back negative (meaning high likelihood I will not go into labor within the next 7-10 days. Many prayers appreciated!

Again, I would love visitors, just give me a heads up and/or knock first and wait for confirmation to enter please so I can be decent! Thanks!!

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Location:Cox PICU

26 Weeks: Back in the Hospital!

This Week's Developments:
*The girls can hear mine and Brent's voices now (and others I converse with) instead of just me!
* They are inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid to develop the lungs
* They continue to put on fat and probably weigh about 1.75 lbs each and are 14 inches long (about the length of an English Hothouse Cucumber- whatever that is!)

I will try to keep it brief as it is hard to blog lying so flat in a hospital bed! As I predicted in last week's blog, my cervical changes noted at this Wednesday's visit were enough to put me back in the PICU for at least a few days. My specialist was back this week and I was so happy to see her! While the length of my cervix didn't go down a whole lot from last week, it had significant dynamic changes meaning the inside part (where A keeps her head all the time) has increased funneling and some dilation while the external portion of the cervix remained closed. This concerned my specialist enough to put me on hospital bedrest at least until Friday to give them time to do 48 hours of toradol injections every 6 hours for contractions (I was having 6 the first hour I was admitted but since then only 2-3 an hour which is within the normal range, and still a lot of irritability as expected with triplets). I also had 2 doses of steroid injections 24 hours apart that are now in effect to mature the girls lungs if they come early in the next 30 days.

I will go back to the specialist's office tomorrow (hoping I won't see the new partner again and that my specialist will be there!) and they will recheck my cervix and determine if I should go home awhile longer or stay on at the hospital. I am almost scared to go home. It is so boring and uncomfortable here, but I feel it is a better place to be for the girls. I do trust my specialist's opinion, though (not so much her new partner's which is why I hope it won't be him!).

My uterus is pretty much measuring full term now compared to a singleton, so the changes I am experiencing at this point are inevitable and very common in triplet mommas. I have gained a lot of encouragement from my triplet groups online in that many women in this position still managed to keep them in there for many many more weeks (usually on hospital bedrest) and I hope that my body with the help of my doctors and your prayers will do the same. I really really want to get at least 4 more weeks to 30 weeks, and every week after that I will be counting my blessings!

The girls aren't too happy about the ultrasounds and dopplers and do not hesitate to kick back at the nurses pushing down with their devices! Here are some pics of the girls from Wednesday at 25 weeks 6 days:

Baby A: HR 138, Amniotic Fluid 4.2 cm (Normal= 2-8 cm)



Baby B: HR 150, AF 7.3 cm




Baby C (usual poor picture positioning) HR 138, AF 3.6 cm




26 Week Belly Shots






Not sure of current weight since I don't have a scale here!


Continued prayers much appreciated! If I am still here after tomorrow I would love visitors!! Please give me a heads up first or surprise me but make sure to knock first for entry conformation as I have been reduced to using a bedside commode for the time being! :)

25 Weeks: It's a Jungle in the Nursery!

This Week's Developments:
* Head to heels the girls should be around 13.5 inches long and weigh around 1.5 lbs each (the size of a rutabaga)
* The girls are starting to pack on some baby fat and growing more and more hair

This past week has had its ups and downs. Late Sunday night I felt that my usual contractions/uterine irritability grew stronger and closer together so we made a trip out to labor and delivery. They determined that I was having a lot of irritability but no more than 1-3 actual contractions an hour so were going to send me home without checking anything else. After some coaxing from a frustrated momma to be, they agreed to contact my specialist, who, as I suspected she would, wanted me to stay overnight for monitoring and do the FFN test and cervical check in the morning. The room I got wasn't nearly as nice as during my last stay and I was basically sleeping on what felt like a rock hard gurney. Morning finally came and thankfully my FFN test was negative, meaning there is at least a 90% chance that I will NOT go into labor within one to two weeks following the test. They do not have anyone in the hospital competent enough to do a cautious transvaginal ultrasound to check my cervix, so the nurse checked manually and it was still closed. The specialist wanted me to head home until my scheduled appointment Wednesday. I was SO happy to see my bed when I got home!

Wednesday morning we went in and I was not happy at all to discover that my cervix had shortened even faster than the previous few weeks and was down to 1.9 cm long (from 2.9 cm last week). My specialist was also out sick for the first time in 2 years so I had to see their new elderly partner who we had never met before and does not seem to be as up on things as my specialist. He said just to keep doing what I'm doing and they will see me back next Wednesday. Of course I am concerned about how much more length I may lose before then, but am praying for the best. I fully anticipate they may put me on hospital bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy at that point if it has progressed any further over this next week. As much as that will suck, I know I will feel so much better having things monitored 24/7 with immediate interventions ready if necessary.
On a lighter note, my husband, with the help of his parents have pretty much finished putting together my vision for the nursery. Praying that we will end up being able to continue living here for many months to come so that the girls can enjoy it! Here are some pics:









Pictures of the girls from Wednesday (24 week, 6 days)!
Baby A Face Shot, HR 141

Baby B Usual Profile Shot, HR 133

Baby C Usual Upside Down Backwards Shot, HR 131

Belly Pics
A couple from Wednesday Before my Appointment-Almost out of maternity clothes that still fit!


And a couple from today officially at 25 weeks!


Total Weight Gain: 41 lbs, uterus measuring 36 weeks!
We really really appreciate continued prayers for the girls to remain in place for many weeks to come and to arrive healthy and strong as well as for our housing and my job security as we get further along. Thank you all so much!!
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24 Weeks: Officially into the Realm of Viability!

This Week's Developments:
* The girls are about as long as an ear of corn (see blog for actual weights!)
* Their brains are growing rapidly and taste buds continue to develop
* Their lungs are developing branches of the respiratory tree and cells that produce surfactant that will help air sacs in the lungs inflate once they are born

Sorry for the delay on this post! Yesterday was a stressful day due to non-pregnancy related issues. We found out from our leasing agent that our rental home's owner is filing for bankruptcy and we may have to move out as soon as within the next three months. The details are still very shady at this point and we are waiting to hear more from the leasing agent. Talk about the Worst. Timing. Ever. We have no idea what we will do but are keeping faith that God (and a little help from family and friends :) ) will bring us through whatever happens. My mother sent me a message: "Be still and trust God to see you through...He has a way of making things better than you could even begin to imagine" followed by a verse she read yesterday: Psalm 62:5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him.Through prayer we are feeling more at peace about it today, and will try to take everything as it comes a day at a time.

Now on to happier news. As you know, my in-laws arrived last Friday and have been such a blessing to us. My Father-in-law loves to keep busy and has already reorganized our garage and is painting the whole nursery today (yes we realize the babies may never get to use it at this point depending on when we have to move out, but we will still set it up as it has been something we have been looking forward to for a long time!). Both of my in-laws have been waiting on me bringing me drinks and meals and my mother-in-law has kept up with all of our mounds of laundry and washed all of the girls clothes and is working on getting them all organized into their closet. We are so blessed to have them here while I am on full bedrest!

Also, on Saturday my two closest friends out here threw me an amazing baby shower at our home! I am so blessed to have them! They went above and beyond with their preparations, food, and hand made decorations!

Beautiful cake for my three little monkey girls!


Awesome handmade diaper cake formed with 93 diapers!!




Precious handmade mini monkey rattle diaper cakes each with one of the girls' names on it (there were 3 total:) )




Me with the 2 ladies who made it all happen!! (I promise I only got up for a few pics and bathroom breaks!)




It took us 2 shots to get everyone in the pics. Thank you all for coming!!







This is probably the only pregnancy pic I will ever have where I am actually dressed up!





Now on to what you have all been waiting for!! How was the anatomy scan on Wednesday (23 weeks, 6 days)???!!! It went very well! The girls all measured excellently. As you know, I was worried about A and C due to the marginal cord insertions, but they both weighed in at 1 lb 5 oz, and B weighed in at 1 lb 7 oz. As compared to a singleton pregnancy, they are within the 33-36th percentiles which is wonderful! My cervix did go down again a bit more than I would have liked this past week and measured in at 2.9 cm but still closed. I asked how short would it have to get for them to make me stay in the hospital and they said not until it is 1.5 cm or less or it starts to dilate. So I am hoping we can draw our time out at home at least another several weeks! As usual, C was not in position for a decent picture!

Monkey A: HR 156, 1 lb 5 oz




Monkey B: HR 163 (she was kicking up a storm!) 1lb 7 oz




Monkey C: HR 163 (also very active) 1 lb 5 oz




Belly Pics from Yesterday at 24 Weeks






Total Weight Gain: 37 lbs


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23 Weeks: A Lot To Look Forward To

This week's developments:
* The girls now have a well developed sense of movement, so too bad I can't dance around!
* They should be measuring around 11 inches long and weighing in at just over a pound each- the size of large mangos!
* We can see them move under my skin!
* Blood vessels in their lungs are developing to prepare for breathing
* Hearing is becoming much more keen and the inner ear is now fully developed

Yesterday, I had my first follow-up with the specialist since my release from the hospital. They are still happy with my cervix which was measuring 3.3 and closed today (anything over 2.5 is good). A is sitting closer to my cervix now so I had to pull up on my belly to get her out of the way for the measurements! At one point we saw her kick my cervix and I felt it, so now I know what it feels like when she does that. She did it twice last night so I picked her up until she left it alone :) Since I was meeting with my OB immediately following the specialist appointment, the specialist had me do the gestational diabetes 1-hour test so I could come back up and have my blood drawn after seeing him. I had not fasted that morning, but the NP said that it wouldn't matter so I chugged down the red sweet liquid and went on my way. After the blood draw she said she would only call me if the results were abnormal. Gestational diabetes is much more prevalent in women carrying multiples, especially with separate placentas, and we have three! After we got home I was woken from my nap by a call from a Cox number. Uh-oh. The NP said "Hey Paula, I know you were hoping not to hear from me." Ya got that right! Unfortunately I did not pass the 1-hour test. I had scored 166 and needed to score 140 or less. The good news is that most women who fail the 1-hour test do not end up having GD, but to make sure I will have to do a 2-hour test next Wednesday that will involve fasting and drinking a higher quantity of nastier liquids. I feel that I will pass, but appreciate prayers that we will not have to throw GD into the mix of other issues already facing a triplet pregnancy!

I am very excited for this weekend! My in-laws are arriving tomorrow and will most likely be able to stay through the beginning of January. It will be so nice to have some human company during the day when Brent is gone and some extra help preparing for the little ones as well! My mother-in-law texted my husband yesterday as they started out their journey from New York to Missouri, "Let Paula know that her maid and butler are on their way!" Also, my two closest friends I have made since moving out here are throwing us a baby shower at our place on Saturday and I can't wait to see some much missed faces from my life before bedrest while celebrating the 3 blessings growing in my belly! We are so blessed to have such amazing families and friends! I am sure we will have a lot of pictures for next week's blog!

We got some quick shots again of the girls during the specialist's visit. As usual, B is the model baby. A gave us a better shot than last week, but C is once again curled up with her back facing us! We have our anatomy scan next Wednesday which we always look forward to because we get to see the threelets for longer, and get an idea of how they are progressing growth-wise. Prayers for only good news next week!
Baby A, HR 133




Baby B, HR 147








Baby C, HR 156 (only showing us her spine as usual!!)




Belly Shots








Current Weight: 150 lbs
Total Weight Gain: 34 lbs
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