05/08/09 OB Appointment

I just returned home from my 34-week OB appointment!  I feel so blessed by each passing week of pregnancy and more beautiful the bigger I get.  I find myself smiling at my large baby bump as I think about the reasons for its size.  I even caught myself smiling as I looked at the newly forming stretch marks on my tummy this morning.  I never thought I would react that way to stretch marks--and granted, they really aren't very bad--but now that they're there they seem to me a sort of testimony to the goodness of the Lord in strengthening me to carry my babies long enough to get stretch marks! :-)

Even my doctor expressed joy in my progress, exclaiming, "Thirty-four weeks!" as he walked through the exam room door this morning.  He then went on to say, "You know... most twins deliver between 34 and 36 weeks."  Praise God that I have reached the point at which most twins deliver!  Although, I pray I might go even longer!  May God bring these babies forth only when they are both truly ready to greet this world!

In other praiseworthy news, I gained only 1.2 lbs. over this past week!  They say twins will each gain 1/2 to 3/4 a pound a week at this point in pregnancy, so I think I can claim that only the babies gained weight this time around. :-)  My blood pressure has remained steady at the elevated but normal level it's been for the last couple weeks, and I'm still having no issues with swelling.  The doctor (the same one I saw last week) measured my uterus at 38 cm, 1 cm larger than last week.  I think my normal doctor would have probably measured me bigger; but regardless, growth did occur, and for that we praise God!

As for the babies, they seem to be happy and thriving in their safe and peaceful environment.  They have been passing their daily kick count test with flying colors, and their heart rates remain good (Baby A at 148 bpm and Baby B at 145 bpm)!  We'll check in on them again tomorrow with a routine non-stress test and on Monday with a routine ultrasound.  I look forward to seeing how much they've grown in the past couple weeks!

At next Friday's OB appointment I will find out the results of today's Strep B test and will possibly get my cervix checked.  I have mixed feelings about that--part of me wants to know if I've started to dilate at all, but another part of me wants to decline the check and not risk stirring things up.  After all, I'll still be only 35 weeks along.  I guess I'll be praying for wisdom to make the right decision!

I have to tell you, this pregnancy (and all the circumstances surrounding it) has been an amazing and beautiful thing.  I feel like every detail of it is evidence of God's hand at work in response to the many prayers that have covered us.  I am so excited to watch as this story unfolds; and I pray that no matter what, God will receive all the glory for the things He has done!