Last nights monitoring went really well, both stayed steady at their normal rates. Got my steroid shot too which wasn't so bad. I'll get my second round in a little while. I didn't sleep very well, tossed & turned & finally decided to get up at 5:15 am.
Mom is here to visit through the week so I got to see her today which was refreshing, mommy always makes me feel better :). Monitoring went really well today, all 3 times so that was a relief. I go into them pretty anxious just not knowing what will happen. My OB on call for the weekend came today to talk to me about yesterday's events. She told me that if the kids continue to have days like yesterday, that if they have decelerations like they did more than a few times in one monitoring then we may have to look at delivery. Ideally would like to get to 28 weeks because the success rates are closer to 100% survival rate. She says its hard to tell if it's more likely to occur since they've already had the decelerations. They will have to just decide when the time comes for the best option for the babies.
One of the NICU doctors came to see me & give info on stats & processes in the NICU. All a bit scary but honest & factual. 28 weeks is definitely a huge milestone we want to reach as everything is more mature & their success rates are much better.
More updates to come, please continue to keep the babies in your prayers.
Philippians 4:6-7 says "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Saturday, November 30, 2013
Friday, November 29, 2013
25 weeks, 5 days...a little scary today
I've now been a resident of Presbyterian Hospital of Plano for 10 days...
Most days are uneventful. The girls take some time to be found on the heart monitors, we'll Bits is usually the squirmy one that's hard to find & keep on. I have to stay on for 20 min once they are both on & stay on. These are called NST's (non-stress tests). Sunday Pieces has some deceleration so her her heart rate but they came back up pretty quickly. The nurses & my OB tell me this is normal for their size because they can grab or lean on each other's umbilical cord since they still have a lot of space in there. As of Tuesdays sonogram, Bits (baby B) weighs approx 1 lb, 12 oz & Pieces (baby A) weighs approx 1 lb, 10 oz. they are approx 12" long. Their typical heart rates are Bits; 140's-low 160's, Pieces: 130's-140's.
Today was a bit of a different story! This afternoon for my routine 2nd monitoring of the day, my nurse had a really hard time finding Bits. She called another nurse in to help, which they often have to do. She found Bits heartbeat but it slowly started decelerating into the upper 80's-90's. It's was staying low for a few min & I slowly noticed more nurses coming in, repositioning of me, requests to call the doctor, bring in IV supplies & a hospital gown. I was put of oxygen & a pulsox was put on me. The nurses let me know what was going on & they remained very calm. I was crying, scared, praying. They said everything was just a precaution. The OB on call told them to call my Perinatologists office to get a sonogram. She didn't want to deliver 25 week babies if she didn't have to. We needed to see what was going on. At this point I had 4 nurses & a patient care tech in my small room. I called Bryan to have him come but couldn't get the words out so my nurse talked to him. Bits heart rate began rising & was back to normal in no time. They both stayed stable & steady for the next 40 min. Bryan arrived & calmed me, things looked good at this point. I had a sonogram & both babies looked fantastic. It was likely just some compression on Bits' cord but with repositioning me & getting more oxygen in me helped a great deal. Shout out to my fantastic nurses; Olena, Jane, Cyndi, Sylvia and to our friend Drew for watching our other babies so Bryan could be here!
I should be put on the monitor soon & have to stay on for an hour tonight. I also have to get a steroid shot tonight and tomorrow night to help speed up their lung development. Please keep our girls in your prayers!
Most days are uneventful. The girls take some time to be found on the heart monitors, we'll Bits is usually the squirmy one that's hard to find & keep on. I have to stay on for 20 min once they are both on & stay on. These are called NST's (non-stress tests). Sunday Pieces has some deceleration so her her heart rate but they came back up pretty quickly. The nurses & my OB tell me this is normal for their size because they can grab or lean on each other's umbilical cord since they still have a lot of space in there. As of Tuesdays sonogram, Bits (baby B) weighs approx 1 lb, 12 oz & Pieces (baby A) weighs approx 1 lb, 10 oz. they are approx 12" long. Their typical heart rates are Bits; 140's-low 160's, Pieces: 130's-140's.
Today was a bit of a different story! This afternoon for my routine 2nd monitoring of the day, my nurse had a really hard time finding Bits. She called another nurse in to help, which they often have to do. She found Bits heartbeat but it slowly started decelerating into the upper 80's-90's. It's was staying low for a few min & I slowly noticed more nurses coming in, repositioning of me, requests to call the doctor, bring in IV supplies & a hospital gown. I was put of oxygen & a pulsox was put on me. The nurses let me know what was going on & they remained very calm. I was crying, scared, praying. They said everything was just a precaution. The OB on call told them to call my Perinatologists office to get a sonogram. She didn't want to deliver 25 week babies if she didn't have to. We needed to see what was going on. At this point I had 4 nurses & a patient care tech in my small room. I called Bryan to have him come but couldn't get the words out so my nurse talked to him. Bits heart rate began rising & was back to normal in no time. They both stayed stable & steady for the next 40 min. Bryan arrived & calmed me, things looked good at this point. I had a sonogram & both babies looked fantastic. It was likely just some compression on Bits' cord but with repositioning me & getting more oxygen in me helped a great deal. Shout out to my fantastic nurses; Olena, Jane, Cyndi, Sylvia and to our friend Drew for watching our other babies so Bryan could be here!
I should be put on the monitor soon & have to stay on for an hour tonight. I also have to get a steroid shot tonight and tomorrow night to help speed up their lung development. Please keep our girls in your prayers!
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Hospital stay
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Today is day 2 of my inpatient hospital stay & so far so good. I was admitted yesterday morning for monitoring of the girls 3 times daily. I still go to see my Perinatologist (high risk OB) & have sonograms weekly. It's refreshing to hear their heartbeats so often during the day. I had a sono this morning & they look great. They seemed to have switch spots. How do I know...well, I've learned to tell them apart by their habits & heartbeat. Bits has always been more active and Pieces is pretty laid back. Bits heartbeat has always been a little higher, usually in the 150's & Pieces is typically in the 140's. Today I learned why I haven't been beaten up in the last few days-they moved. It looks like Pieces is in a spot with a lot more room (on my left) & Bits is cramped up on the right by my ribs. She doesn't have as much room to move so that's why she's been quiet.
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I've been resting a lot, took a 3 1/2 hour nap yesterday which felt great! TV watching has been fun but boy it stinks to have to watch commercials & be without my DVR to power through them. I'm saving my projects for later in the week or next week-just working on hanging out for now with no agenda. I had the luxury of doing my glucose tolerance test this morning, didn't get to eat until 10:30 this morning. Good thing breakfast was really good & worth the wait! Can't wait to see B & my babies tonight when they come to visit. I'll keep posting the link to the meal calendar since I have gotten many requests for it. Thank you again to everyone for all of your support!!!!
https://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=TUIC1732
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How to find me:
Rachael Tonn
Presbyterian Hospital of Plano
6200 W. Parker Rd., Room B366
Plano, TX 75093
972-981-7366 (direct room phone #)
Weight loss/gain: +25 pounds. My appetite is fairly normal these days but I do have to eat small portions multiple times/day.
Maternity clothes: Duh!
Symptoms: I feel like I have a little more energy but still get tired easily. Now that I'm in the hospital, I am taking full advantage of napping mid afternoon & will hopefully be able to sleep in a little.
Sex (of baby): Girls!
Sleep: Better! I still have to get up 3-4 times/night to go to the bathroom but can easily fall asleep after. I've been waking up hungry around 3 or 4 am & have been snacking on spoonfuls of peanut butter with chocolate & whole milk. Delish! Bits has moved to my right side & has been calmer at night which allows me to catch some shut eye.
Best moment this week? Spending some time this weekend watching Ani & Brody sleep. They look so precious & I know in all the craziness of day to day stuff-I take them for granted. I have been talking to them on the phone since I got here & they sound so precious. Can't wait to see them & Bryan tonight.
Movement: A lot! They are active little girls. It has mainly been Bits who is a mover & a shaker but since they've switched spots, Pieces has been showing her gymnast skills more. While it is great to feel their movement, I really want them to jab & kick while staying in the same spot.
Food cravings: I reallly like eggs & bacon lately, cherry coke & really anything covered in cheese.
Belly button in or out? In
How the kiddos are taking it all? Brody has come to terms with 2 more girls & smiles when asked about them. He still likes to talk about them swimming in my tummy in the pool too. Anika is still so happy to be having girls and can't wait to meet them. They both love to hug & kiss my belly, Brody expecially loves to give them "fist pooms".
What I miss? Right now I miss seeing my other 2 babies, although am enjoying the quiet of my room & ability to do whatever I am up for doing. I'd really like a Blue Moon too, but it can wait :).
Weight loss/gain: +25 pounds. My appetite is fairly normal these days but I do have to eat small portions multiple times/day.
Maternity clothes: Duh!
Symptoms: I feel like I have a little more energy but still get tired easily. Now that I'm in the hospital, I am taking full advantage of napping mid afternoon & will hopefully be able to sleep in a little.
Sex (of baby): Girls!
Sleep: Better! I still have to get up 3-4 times/night to go to the bathroom but can easily fall asleep after. I've been waking up hungry around 3 or 4 am & have been snacking on spoonfuls of peanut butter with chocolate & whole milk. Delish! Bits has moved to my right side & has been calmer at night which allows me to catch some shut eye.
Best moment this week? Spending some time this weekend watching Ani & Brody sleep. They look so precious & I know in all the craziness of day to day stuff-I take them for granted. I have been talking to them on the phone since I got here & they sound so precious. Can't wait to see them & Bryan tonight.
Movement: A lot! They are active little girls. It has mainly been Bits who is a mover & a shaker but since they've switched spots, Pieces has been showing her gymnast skills more. While it is great to feel their movement, I really want them to jab & kick while staying in the same spot.
Food cravings: I reallly like eggs & bacon lately, cherry coke & really anything covered in cheese.
Belly button in or out? In
How the kiddos are taking it all? Brody has come to terms with 2 more girls & smiles when asked about them. He still likes to talk about them swimming in my tummy in the pool too. Anika is still so happy to be having girls and can't wait to meet them. They both love to hug & kiss my belly, Brody expecially loves to give them "fist pooms".
What I miss? Right now I miss seeing my other 2 babies, although am enjoying the quiet of my room & ability to do whatever I am up for doing. I'd really like a Blue Moon too, but it can wait :).
What I'm looking forward to? Seeing my family each & every chance I get.
Milestones: Made it to 24 weeks-huge milestone in the twin world!
What I'm nervous about: Every time they put me on the monitor or I go for a sono-if something is wrong.
Milestones: Made it to 24 weeks-huge milestone in the twin world!
What I'm nervous about: Every time they put me on the monitor or I go for a sono-if something is wrong.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Meals
I've had an overwhelmingly amount of support & offers to help out, so thank you so very much! It means so much knowing that while i'm gone, Bryan & the kiddos have such caring people surrounding & helping them. I've had questions as to when someone can bring a meal, likes, dislikes, favorite restaurants, etc. A friend passed along this site to help coordinate it all. You can sign up on specific days to bring meals if you are able or to send meals as well. Thank you again so much, you are all the best!!!!!
https://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=TUIC1732
https://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=TUIC1732
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Moving into the hospital...
I had an appointment yesterday with the Perinatologist. Babies look good, but continue to be very active which = tangling of their umbilical cords. Recommendation = hospital monitoring 3 times/day at 24 weeks. I am going inpatient in the hospital at 24 weeks for the rest of my pregnancy. I have to call my regular OB this afternoon to set a date but it will be right around November 17th. Yes, a week and a few days...so much to do! They are hoping I can go to 32 weeks, would be happy with 28. Babies are 1# 1 oz & 1# 2 oz right now, perfect!
Bryan is in Minnesota as I type this so I called him after my appointment to fill him in. He is optimistic and positive about it all, even though he will be a single parent for quite some time. Why Minnesota?? Ron, his dad fell on Sunday & broke his neck in 2 places. He had surgery the other day which all went well & has to be in a halo vest (basically a contraption to immobilize his head & neck/keep them in stationary) for 3 months. He is doing well, but will have a long road to recovery. Obviously Cynthia will not be able to come as planned for January as she will be caring for Ron so...we will be able to hang on to our nanny through January. Prayers greatly appreciated for Ron for a speedy recovery!
Bryan & I, well we'll take it day by day & take everything in stride. We have to do what is in the best interests/safety for the babies.
People keep asking how they can help. Ideally after i'm admitted to the hospital, any meals would be helpful for Bryan & the kids and/or any playdates with the kiddos to give him some breathing room. And-come see me at the hospital of course :). I'll be at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano (6200 W. Parker Rd, Plano, TX).
Bryan is in Minnesota as I type this so I called him after my appointment to fill him in. He is optimistic and positive about it all, even though he will be a single parent for quite some time. Why Minnesota?? Ron, his dad fell on Sunday & broke his neck in 2 places. He had surgery the other day which all went well & has to be in a halo vest (basically a contraption to immobilize his head & neck/keep them in stationary) for 3 months. He is doing well, but will have a long road to recovery. Obviously Cynthia will not be able to come as planned for January as she will be caring for Ron so...we will be able to hang on to our nanny through January. Prayers greatly appreciated for Ron for a speedy recovery!
Bryan & I, well we'll take it day by day & take everything in stride. We have to do what is in the best interests/safety for the babies.
People keep asking how they can help. Ideally after i'm admitted to the hospital, any meals would be helpful for Bryan & the kids and/or any playdates with the kiddos to give him some breathing room. And-come see me at the hospital of course :). I'll be at Presbyterian Hospital of Plano (6200 W. Parker Rd, Plano, TX).
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