We are almost to 32 weeks which was our biggest goal to start with. We will be 32 wks on Monday. My appt with Dr. Benson on Wed. went really well. He did the test on my cervix again and it was still negative which means we should be able to make it at least to 33 1/2 wks. I have still been having a lot of contractions but they don't seem to be doing anything but driving me crazy. My cervix still had not changed. It is still closed.
Dr. Benson has told us that he would feel comfortable delivering the babies at 34 weeks in Watertown but so far we are too scared to take him up on the offer. But we have decided when we see the Dr. in Sioux Falls on Monday we will ask him if he would consider delivering at 34 wks. We feel that Sioux Valley is much more prepared should something go wrong. They also have a very good lactation department to hopefully get me started in the right direction regarding breast feeding. Yes, I do plan to attempt to feed as many as I can. I am not setting my expectations too high but any is better than none. So we will see what the Dr. says. From what I've read 34 wks is considered full term for triplets and I have also received one dose of steroids (I get the other dose today) to help the lungs develop. Usually at 34 wks the lungs are developed on their own but we didn't want to take any chances. The babies should weigh close to 4 lbs now and should be around 5 by then so we feel pretty confident that they would do well if born at 34 wks.
Now I come to the whining section of my post. I will try and keep it to a minimum because I just read about a mom who is 29 wks with triplets and has been in the hospital for 2 months. She can barely breathe and says it is excruciating to even move from the bed to a stretcher for her ultrasounds. They are praying to make it to 32 wks. As for me I am still somewhat mobile. I moved my bed to the pull out sofa in the living room because for some reason it is more comfortable than my own bed, plus I can lay on it all day instead of trying to fit on the sofa itself. It is getting harder to walk due to so much pressure on my pelvis and my hips feel like they are falling off. I actually drove myself to my appt in Milbank yesterday but I think that will be ending soon since it is getting harder to reach the gas and brake because my belly gets in the way. I also think I will be resorting to a wheel chair on outings soon which I have been too embarrassed to do yet. The motorized carts at Wal-Mart have caught my eye a few times but I'm afraid I would run into something, or someone, so I haven't fired one up yet. I told my mom that I hadn't used one yet because I was worried people wouldn't look hard enough and realize I was pregnant, and they would wonder why I was using one. She said, "Oh, I think they can tell". So I don't really have much to complain about but that doesn't mean I won't complain. I found a book that had the weights of everything you gain during pregnancy (placenta, water, baby, uterus, etc.) and I added them all up (I didn't even add the fat) and took it times 3 but used the weights of our babies, not the full term 7.5 lbs. It came up to 33 lbs. I have so far gained a total of 35-40, so basically I am carrying around a 30 plus pound belly. The rest I attribute to water since my ankles and feet are starting to look like tree trunks (and my cheeks must belong to the chipmunks living in them). I do have good days and bad days, though. Some days I even still love being pregnant. Other days I feel like Lance should hide the cutlery (because I would perform my own c-section, not slit my wrists). Actually I can't even mention a DIY c-section to Lance because he would be all too willing to try it. He has told me several times that he has gutted plenty of deer in his life, it can't be much harder than that. My anesthesia options would be either whiskey or biting a stick, or both if I really needed it. I think I have convinced him that the surgical team of 30 or so at Sioux Valley would be much more experienced but that depends on how desperate I get. Right now adding 2 weeks is about all I can handle. If they try and hold off too long I may be sharpening the knives myself.
The babies seem to be getting pretty squished. Usually if I stand up I can feel lots of arms, legs, elbows, knees, and whatever sticking out. I think they are all still head down but we will see for sure on Monday. Baby C still feels most comfortable with it's butt under my rib cage. We are getting anxious to see them and finally see what the sexes are. They still don't have any names but we are the kind of people who like to see them before we name them anyway.
I am still amazed that we have made it this far without any major problems. We are very grateful and are hoping that it will continue. Dr. Benson said at my last appt that he was worried since I have been so "lucky" that eventually my luck would run out. I wouldn't call it luck, myself. I feel it has more to do with all the love, prayer, and support we have been surrounded by. So thank you, once again for helping to keep our babies healthy and strong.
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