Just as suddenly as it started at bang on 6 weeks, the minute I hit 13 weeks the morning sickness left the building. Thank goodness! Although I think I escaped fairly lightly, I was never actually physically sick, it did leave me very drained and tired. I didn't realise how much it would affect me if I wasnt actually being sick all the time. Eating was a huge challenge, breakfast especially, I didn't want to eat as the thought of it made me feel sick, but I also knew that if I skipped breakfast then I would feel even worse than I normally would a bit later in the day. Being at work in the early days presented a few challenges as I couldnt snack during the day as I would at home. I very quickly learned that I needed to eat every 3-4 hours if I was to avoid the nausea. Food was beginning to play a pivotal role in this pregnancy (not that it wasnt pivotal before!). At 13 weeks things changed. I went from having to eat to stop myself feeling ill to 'I must eat constantly or I will die'. The Food Monster had arrived. It felt so good to be able to plan in advance what we would have for our dinner, or even venture out for a meal. Not surprisingly I started to expand around the middle a little too...
The weeks between our 12 and 16 week scans seemed to go in reverse, 5 weeks has never felt so long. At our 12 week scan we were told we would be under the care of a consultant at Burton, and would receive a letter confirming our appointment. 10 days before our appointment we hadn't heard anything so I phoned the antenatal clinic. And then the fun began. My notes, scan results and blood test results should have been sent to Burton, but they had not arrived. After being on hold for 15 minutes while the Sister hunted for my notes I was told all they had on my file was my name and unit number. Interesting. Because they hadn't got any data from the first scan I was booked in for another scan (no problems for us!) so they could attempt to determine whether or not our twins were identical (which may have caused problems) or fraternal (which would be a lot easier). We now had 2 appointments rather than one, as we had to see the consultant as well, so we would have a chance to discuss any concerns and get any questions answered. At least now we knew what was happening and when.
November 12th dawned with the usual apprehension and worry; would the babies be ok? Would they find a third? Would we find a parking space within 2 miles of the hospital? What would happen if we got lost in the miles of corridors within the hospital? Thankfully we got there in time, and we didn't get lost, but we did end up having to sit in the waiting room of the antenatal clinic for about 25 minutes before we were called in to our scan. Again, as I had with our first venture into the maternity unit in Lichfield, I felt a little out of place as most of the other mums to be had very definite rounded bumps; although I did have a bump I sort of felt as though I was 'playing' at being pregnant. We were called through by the sonographer a little earlier than we thought, and similar to our earlier scan I asked her to confirm there were just the two of them in there (I had been getting increasingly concerned they would find a third as I seemed to be expanding very rapidly). On went the scanner and the gel (its always freezing) and as before there they were, only this time they wouldn't both fit on the screen at the same time. (And yes there was absolutely without a doubt only 2 in there). Both hearts were checked and beating away furiously, and their little bones glowed white on the machine. Measurements were taken around the skull and the length of the thigh bone, they were too big to get a crown to rump measurement like before. Twin A (on the right) was behaving very well and let the sonographer take the measurements (we think they were asleep) while Twin B was performing all sorts of acrobatics and giving the sonographer a hard time! Thankfully they were both growing very well and were measuring at 17 weeks gestation which considering I was only 16+2 was rather a surprise. We managed to get 4 pictures to add to our growing scan pic collection (see the end of this blog for pics).
After the scan we saw our consultant. She was really lovely, and took the time to go through our huge list of questions and answer them as fully as she could as well as going through the scan procedure for the rest of the pregnancy. A few of our questions couldn't be answered such as 'would a Caesarian be necessary' and 'when will they arrive' as they depend on factors such as the size of the babies at 36 weeks and also their position in the womb at the same point. If the leading twin is head down at 36 weeks the a natural birth is most likely. If they are breech then a C-section may be needed. Here's hoping they behave and get into the right position! I was also given the results of my haemoglobin tests (which I didn't know I had had) and was told my oxygen saturation level was 100%, which considering I'm carrying twins was very surprising, but reassuring as it means I don't need iron supplements. Yay!
So after a number of weeks of uncertainty and worry, everything has gone more or less to plan; we met our consultant, we have been given our scan dates up until march and most importantly we have seen the babies who are happy and very healthy, which is more than any parents to be could ask for. And as one countdown ends, so the next begins. Roll on Wednesday 8 December...
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