Week 22

We are 22 weeks pregnant, which makes us "in" our 23rd week.

I've been having Braxton Hicks contractions since about 16 weeks, but in the last week or so they've become more frequent - every hour or two for a minute or so. It's just the uterus contracting, kind of like a practice session, or in response to being so much more stretched than it's used to, and is completely normal. It doesn't hurt, it's just a little uncomfortable and odd feeling.

The baby books and sites say that the uterus should be just above my navel by now...ha!! It's about two fingers away from my rib cage! Those who haven't seen me since the gender unveiling have been surprised at how much I've grown in that short time. Hopefully it means the girls are taking off like the weeds in my sorely neglected yard.

Right now they're supposed to be about a foot long, which could be either a spaghetti squash or a package of Oreos, depending on your point of reference, and around a pound each. They have eyelashes, eyebrows and fingernails. ("Your baby has a beating heart… it can feel pain… and it has fingernails!" Well, not until week 22 or so, Su-Chin.) The nerves in their fingers are advanced enough that they're testing out their hands by touching their faces, umbilical cords and, probably, each other!

Baby growth is a bit of a concern in the back of my mind because I still haven't put on any weight since getting pregnant. I fit in the obese category (which I hate about the whole BMI system) because I have a lot of muscle, which weighs more. According to the experts "Women who are in the obese category should gain approximately 15 pounds. Women carrying twins should plan to gain about 35 - 44 pounds." I have gained... zero as of the 5 month mark.

I blame it on a combination of:
1) Losing 8 pounds from morning sickness, which I just barely have gained back;
2) Losing muscle tone from stopping my weight training classes. Once we found out that they were momo, the perinatologist and midwife both said that with cord compression possibly already in progress, its more important than ever to have the maximum amount of blood flow to the placenta and weight training steals that blood and directs it to the extremities; and,
3) Never feeling hungry and always filling up too quickly. The girls have been up against my stomach for some time now and don't leave me a lot of room to eat anything. I've been trying really hard though, I swear.

It kind of feels like the end of Thanksgiving dinner when you're positive you couldn't possibly have another bite to eat and then someone insists on filling your plate again. You take a deep breath and power through even if it's not the least bit desirable. Eating used to be fun. Now it's a chore. I never thought I'd feel that way! Sean picked me up a case of Ensure and a case of protein drinks because taking in fluids is a lot easier than a meal, so that helps. And I've been planning a lot of foods that are quick and easy here at work, like an apple with a side of peanut butter or a Ziploc of fresh pineapple. But still, it takes a ton of effort.

Tomorrow we have another ultrasound and an appointment with our OB/GYN, whom we haven't met yet. We had been seeing the midwives, and then got our referral to the perinatologist right away, but the OB/GYN is the one who has to decide to turn over our care to the perinatologist and he won't make that call until he's actually met with us. I asked his nurse if he could just review our case file because it feels like a waste of time to be meeting with yet another doctor, but she said he wants to meet with us. It's frustrating (yet again) because we can't plan any timelines (again) until he makes this decision. I can't get a letter stating my ability to work on a laptop while I'm in the hospital, can't establish a definitive date to plan around for leaving work or my home, etc. We're playing the waiting game. And then our follow-up appointment with the perinatologist is this Friday, when we'll have another ultrasound and do this all over again. Not that I'm all that eager to go to the hospital, mind you, but I would like to have a game plan more than a week in advance.

The girls have gotten big enough that I'm now feeling their little taps throughout the day, even when I'm sitting or standing, so that's fun. Every once in awhile one of them will do a giant movement of some sort that takes me off guard and even makes me a little sea-sick. Sean has felt it once, but they're not yet often or reliable enough for him to sit there with his hand on my belly waiting around for more.

This weekend I went out and about with 2 specific goals: find a bra that fits and will be comfortable in the hospital, and get some baby bedding so I can move forward with the color scheme for decorating. I was brutally disappointed on both counts.

I'll start with the bedding. Although they have a decent selection online, both Target and JCPenney were practically bare when I arrived. Is there a sudden baby boom of girls coming? Should I set up dates for our daughters now in anticipation of a shortage of eligible males at some point? Babies 'R' Us was a little better, but you can't buy separate items, just the whole kit. Due to safety, the quilt would go on the wall anyway, and the bumper would only be used at the very beginning and once they're toddlers. But you can't buy a bedskirt or cute sheets all by themselves. I left empty handed and more stressed about getting this done in time.

I'm a unique size bra, and I need one without underwire if I'm going to be wearing it at the hospital, so I headed for Nordstrom and the maternity store. Maternity didn't have my size at all. Nordstrom had one (ONE) and it was black with white polka dots. Seriously, what kind of clothes am I supposed to be wearing where that wouldn't show through like I'm under a black light? I know women want to feel pretty during pregnancy, but whatever happened to simple nude? Who decides these things and how can I get their address? When she told me she couldn't fit me, I teared up a little. What am I supposed to do now? Invest in ACE wraps?

Ok, so maybe my patience for problems is inversely proportional to my waist size. As one grows, the other gets infinitely smaller. In a future post I'll address the ways that the twins and hospitalization have a brighter side and hopefully that will help compensate for all of my whining.