Twins' pregnancy update!!!

Time for an update!!! Know it’s been some time since I updated on my pregnancy – so this would be a loooong one. Have been very busy trying to clear work so that I could rest at home or at the very least, work from home, you see.

Dr Ang my gynae has been clamouring for me to stay home since I was in Week 25. At our last visit on 1st Dec 2009 which would have me at week 32 by the end of the week, she absolutely insisted on putting me on home rest immediatelywhen she realized I still wasn’t resting at home yet. She wanted me to last till the end of this month, which would have us complete our 36th week, and said that after that, if I wanted to go back to work, I could! Hahaha…

Well, in other words, she is saying that she would let me deliver if my body wanted to (that is, if I go into labour) after I completed the 36th Week. Anytime before that, she would give me injections to stop the labour from proceeding, if possible.

Also, from 1st Dec onwards, she put me on medication to stop premature contractions, if I was having any. Interestingly, it was a small little purple Salbutamol tablet that I had to take once a day, every morning. Interesting because we were very familiar with this medicine – it was Isaac’s medicine that the paediatrician would prescribe him every time he has a cough! Hahaha…

I was to take the tablets once a day in the morning, and warned that it would cause me heart palpitations. And if I did have contractions, I was to take one tablet every 4 hours or so. Wow. That would cause me lots of heart palpitations, that’s for sure, I thought! As if it wasn’t bad enough already.

This third trimester has been very trying for me. As I mentioned earlier, by second trimester this time round, I’d already felt like it was my third trimester of when I had Isaac. Now, in my third trimester for the twins, I feel like I am due anytime.

I feel so heavy all the time. With everyday that passes, I have more and more difficulty walking. So, I am walking slower and slower everyday. The weight is one thing. Then the crotch hurts, back hurts. When I get up from being seated for some time, I would have to start walking very slowly, and gradually gain momentum to walk at a slightly faster speed.

My colleagues have been very sweet and considerate to me. Carefully overtaking me by the side, holding open doors for me, letting me sit when there are limited seats in meetings, and always offering me the front seat in the car when we all squeeze in one car to go out for lunch. Though, I have to be careful myself now, and have taken to “checking for traffic” whenever I come to a “cross junction” in office that I have to cross. People walking in a rush now are a big hazard to me, for any slightest brush against me could throw me off balance.

Walking short distances now leave me quite breathless and my heart palpitating. It didn’t used to be so bad – I could walk for longer distances without getting exhausted, albeit very slowly indeed. But now, even walking from my bedroom to my living room, could make my heart gallop.

Or shall I say, my three hearts. Dr Ang says that how fast my heart beats, affects the kids’ hearts. Sometimes I worry if I make their hearts work harder than necessary since this heart palpitating business has been increasing in frequency by the day. At times when my heart is beating very fast, I place my hand on my tummy, and I think I can feel the kids’ hearts beating as quickly too.

Speaking of which, in recent days, I realized that sometimes, my heart would start palpitating even when I was seated. Not sure why. Is it because of the medication? Or is it coz I was sitting on some vein and hence restricting blood flow to my heart again? Or what? I don’t know, but it’s quite irritating.

Which brings me to my biggest complain – I can’t breathe! My heart keeps going bom bom bom, and I can’t find a comfortable position to place myself. Especially when I am sleeping, or rather, trying to sleep! Whether I am on my back, or on either side, I would be crushing some vein or the other and restricting blood flowing to or from my heart. I get breathless, and my arms and hands go numb.

Dr Ang looks at me sympathetically and tells me to sleep sitting upright, or at least inclined. Sighz. So it has come to be, that for the first few hours of the night, when I am exhausted, I would sleep lying down and be partially breathless, enduring numb limbs. Then when I can no longer ignore bring breathless and my numb limbs, the next few hours would usually be spent sleeping in an inclined position, which helps the breathing a lot, and the numb limbs not so much – but isn’t as ‘restful’ as sleep flat. Ah well.

Oh yeah, my tummy’s huge. Since I started my third trimester, strangers or people not familiar with my due date, have all asked me if I am “giving birth soon” or ‘due anytime”? And all their eyes widen in surprise/terror when I say I have a few more months to go – till January 2010. Until that is, I tell them I am having twins. Then they all go “Oh no wonder you’re HUGE!”

My colleague Pei Teng kept urging me to take measurement of my waistline, like a month or so ago. It was 45 inches then. “I bet you could hit 50 inches by the time you deliver!” she exclaimed. I just measured – and I’m 48 inches now. Guess she’s about right. Geez, 50 inches. I’m praying that with the 3 kids that I’d have to take care of in a month’s time, I better lose a lot of weight by the time I go back to work. I’m aiming for a svelte 49kg when I am back at work. Wish me luck, or best – pray for me! Don’t laugh! Stop laughing, you!!!

So, we have set the caesarian date already. Yes, we’re c-sectioning… coz one of the kids is head up – breech. But anyway, Dr Ang says that even if both are head down, if and when one comes out via natural birth, the other one can still turn upside down, and then we’d need an emergency c-section. And in any case, for twins, it is definitely less risky to go c-section than by natural birth. And anyway one is breech now. So, that’s that.

So, the big date is 6th January 2010. That week would put us at 37 Weeks, which is very good for carrying twins already. Isaac was born on the 6th as well (but in August), so that’d be nice, to have all of them born on the 6th.

Okay, that's all for now, hope you didn't nod off while reading this post. Hahaha... Well... stay tuned!!!