27 Weeks

Let your spouse put an ear to your belly -- he might be able to pick up baby's heartbeat (no stethoscope required). Inside the womb, the formation of tiny capillaries is giving baby a healthy pink glow. Baby's also soaking up your antibodies, getting the immune system ready for life outside the womb. Eyes are forming, and baby will soon perfect the blink -- perfect for batting those freshly grown lashes.

Time for another update on how the babies are doing! Today I'm 27 weeks, 3 days. If the babies were to be born now, they would have over a 90% chance of surviving! Of course we're hoping they stay on the inside for another 10 weeks, but it's reassuring to know we're in the safe zone now, and survival rate is pretty high!

This week we had 2 baby doctor appointments. The first, on Monday, was just my regular quick monthly ob visit. Actually, it was my last monthly visit, because from now on we go in every 2 weeks. That appointment was pretty uneventful. The babies sounded fine on the doppler and blood pressure was good. I got my glucola drink and paperwork for the gestational diabetes blood test I have to do next week. Not looking forward to having to down that drink in 10 minutes. I remember it being pretty nasty with Lily! Cross your fingers we pass that with flying colors!

Yesterday we had our second appointment of the week, my monthly growth ultra sound. Both babies looked perfect! Baby A is still head down (please please please baby...stay that way!!!), but has moved over to my left side. Baby B is still transverse (please please please baby....follow the lead of your sibling and move head down!!) but has flipped so the head is on my left, feet on the right, still in the upper part of my belly. Baby A's heart beat was 156 bpm, and baby B's was 153 bpm. They have both grown a lot in the last month. Baby A is now 2lbs 9 oz! That's over a 1 lb gain over the last month!! Baby B is now 2lbs 1 oz. Still the smaller baby, but almost a 1 lb gain for this one too! I can't wait to see how much bigger they have gotten at next months ultra sound! It's so neat to be able to watch them grow like this...with Lily we only had 3 u/s's, the normal growth scan, and then 2 right at the end to check on position and fluid levels. I love getting extra u/s's this time! Lily was so cute at the u/s, she kept waving at the screen and my belly saying "Hi babies!" Unfortunately the pictures again aren't that great. I only got a face shot of each baby...and they are kinda scary looking! I haven't scanned them yet.

As for me, I'm feeling pretty good still for the most part, as long as I don't do anything! I get pretty tired out easily otherwise. Shopping, cleaning, and chasing after Lily have become really hard lately. The back ache is the worst, especially if I'm on my feet for a long time. Bending over is becoming a thing of the past. It hurts, and I definitely feel like I'm squishing the babies if I do have to pick something up off the floor. So I'm just trying to take it as easy as possible. Another reason I'm trying to take it easy is because some of my braxton hicks contractions have started to become a little painful. I'm still getting them fairly regularly, and for about the last week they have been coming with cramps and a lower back ache. I asked my doctor about it on Monday, because they are reminding me of the contractions I had the last 3 weeks of Lily's pregnancy....the ones that were effacing my cervix! She says they are probably just from my uterus growing faster this time, but to call if I get to many in an hour, and if they don't go away with lying down and drinking water. So it's definitely something I'm keeping my eye on. They didn't say anything about my cervix at the ultra sound though, so I'm assuming nothing has changed there.

As for the good things that go with pregnancy, I've been feeling the babies kick all the time still. I wasn't surprised to learn that they had changed position, because I've been feeling the kicks all over the place now. for about the last week or so I've been feeling this weird tickling sensation in my left hip...which must be baby A's head. Then yesterday before our u/s I laid down on my back briefly, and we could see a lump in my upper belly. After seeing how the babies were laying at the u/s, I believe the lump must have been baby B butt pushing out! It was funny to see! I love this part of pregnancy where you can feel every roll and see most of them too!