Monday, July 6, 2009

Pregnancy Update

Yes, update...not announcement.

(I've noticed my blog is getting an awful lot of hits lately...presumably from folks checking to see if anything has happened!!!)

Well, tomorrow I hit 38 weeks.

Did you know that by now over 80% of twins have been born?

Shocking that I'm not one of them. Especially if you remember this post.

I had an OB appointment last Wednesday...and after telling me how great I was doing and how she couldn't believe how wonderful everything was looking, the midwife then said:

"So, let's set a time for your induction on Monday..." (Like, TODAY Monday...)

Huh????

Long story short, the doc "prefers" to induce twins at 38 weeks. I'm not so keen on induction...and besides, I had been told by the other two midwives that we would talk about induction at 39 weeks, not 38. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would ever make it that far, so I never really pushed the issue. Long story short, she talked with the doctor and he said that 39 was fine with him. Weird, didn't realize I needed your permission...

Why don't I want to be induced? Well, basically, I want to avoid a c-section as much as possible. Unfortunately, if your body isn't ready for labor, it won't respond to the drugs/procedures. Doubly unfortunate is that if the induction doesn't work, they don't send you home for a couple days to come back and try again...nope, do not pass go, do not collect $100. You WILL be having those babies. Hence the reason that your c-section rate jumps to 50% anytime you are induced. Thanks, I'll pass.

Ironically, however, I am miserable. The discomfort has turned into downright PAIN. You would think I would JUMP at the chance to be done. And to add insult to injury, I think I have PUPPS. PUPPS is a pregnancy related rash (occurring in 1% of all pregnancies...sigh...) that is harmless to you and babe, but is EXCRUTIATINGLY itchy. I cannot even BEGIN to describe to you how badly I itch. Last night, I was up every hour slathering my belly in Vitamin E oil. And now this morning, I have the little bumps on the backs of my hands too. (By the way, the photo in that link is a really severe case...mine doesn't look THAT bad...yet...). PUPPS most commonly occurs in twin pregnancies and beyond high dosage steroids, the only "cure" is to deliver the babies.

I told Andy (between tears) this morning that maybe I should have let her schedule my induction after all!

I still really don't want to induce, but honestly, there is a part of me that worries...if I'm spending so much energy (emotional and physical) NOW and getting next to NO sleep for weeks on end, how on earth am I going to have the stamina to endure unmedicated labor???

Okay, I'll hang in there. They can't stay in there FOREVER right???

6 comments:

Mary Kay said...

I am so sorry you are miserable. Know that I am praying for your relief as well as a natural delivery for the girls.

Just think of all the guilt you can hang over their heads when they're teenagers!

Love you all -

joy said...

Oh, Jeannett--I am so sorry. That sounds so uncomfortable. I will pray for continued strength and sustenance for you. DD (delivery day) is coming! Every day brings you closer to holding those two little baby girls.

Rachel said...

I know you are against inducing, but I just wanted to mention that my very crunchy friend, Jenna, induced after 2 trips to the hospital that resulted in being sent home and billed. She had pitocin, but nothing else. No epidural, nada. She even pushed for 2.5 hours because her daughter had her head facing the wrong direction. She hopes to have a home birth next time around. :)

But, you can still avoid all the other stuff and just have the pitocin if you have to be induced. Praying hard for your water breaking as I type this! I can't wait to "meet" your daughters.

Lisa Lewis said...

Jeannett~I had only single births so I can't speak to the double of everything that you are dealing with, but we can all praise God that you have held those sweet girls in past all the milestones in development! I had my first one completely naturally and my second one via the medical model--induction because he was late; pitocin because I wouldn't progress; epidural because the pitocin was too strong and not gradual. The second delivery took literally twice as long as when my body did it on its own.
I am praying that God gives you this desire for natural on His timing birth for these darlings. Also praying for His grace to you through the suffering that you are enduring right now!

Jacquelyn said...

just so you know, For Eliot and Isaac I was induced and never made it past the servadil .. my body was ready and that alone threw me into labor. I'll be praying that you are so ready that the slightest thing they do to help things along would be successful!!

Serenity Now said...

okay - I think you just diagnosed the bad rash I had after giving birth. That picture is exactly what I looked like and I was in absolute AGONY. I had 4 doctors and 1 nurse practitioner stumped - and ended up having to take prednisone to get rid of it...but I swear, that article describes to a tee, what I was going through. Makes me wonder why nobody figured it out. THANKS for the info - now I feel like at least I know what it was!!
I hope it doesn't get any worse for you - I'm so anxious to hear that you've gone into labor, I'm checking your blog like a maniac.
Seriously praying for you...