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! :)