good news is, my month of bedrest has been cut in half. the freaky news is, we're going in two weeks earlier than expected to get the boys. for those, like me, who are not quick with numbers, that means we're going in at 35 weeks. babyA is "weighing in" at 4 pounds 8 ounces, while babyB is estimated to be at 4 pounds 10 ounces. over nine pounds of babies at 33 weeks -- and no, i do not have toxemia or gestational diabetes.
for my more militant natural and vaginal birth friends, please rest assured that this is not a convenience or vanity elected c-section. we had a uterine rupture scare with gabby two years ago, and this pregnancy was "against medical advice" in the first place. of course, since a singleton pregnancy would have been risky and we're actually having twins in this saran-wrap uterus o' mine, well, you can imagine how skittish the professionals are.
anyway, i got THREE professional opinions before agreeing to do this. of course, the one that was most convincing came from the second doctor. the conversation went something like this:
smockmomma: i really want to wait out the 37 weeks. i want to give their lungs time to develop -- i really don't want N-ICU babies.
doctor two: you want funeral home babies?
i love a doctor who doesn't mince words. so, here we go.
i'm taking four rounds of steroids to increase babies' breathing chances and our prayer request actually remains the same. we're praying for healthy babies with full lung maturity at birth. as always, prayers are appreciated as well as reciprocated.
Hey, I just saw you on the news! You looked great! I was disappointed the interview was so short. Thank you for representing us Roman Catholics and SMV in a positive light.
I saw you at mass Sunday pm, also. I feel sorry for you with all this heat, I'm miserable and I'm not even pregnant.
Really, I'm not a stalker. I also attend SMV and I found this website last week.
Will definitely be praying for you. Don't worry, I had my first at 35 weeks and he was 4.2 I was getting toxemia. Anyway, took him home three days later when he barely weighed four pounds.
Definitely listen to the Docs. Special situations call for more precaution. I'm assuming this is your first c-section right?
Hey, I just saw you on channel 11. How'd that come aboout?
this will be the third c-section - first baby was emergency c, then we had two successful v-bacs, and the last was a c-section. no more v-bacs for this mama. alas.
mrs. borta contacted marc and i to do the news piece on mamaMary. she'd heard my conversion story a few years ago at a local church and remembered my change of heart about our sweet Mother of God.
Wow! That's cool.
Ok, so it's your third. Then I definitely have a ton of questions for you.lol
I'm trying to get used to the idea of c-sections every time. I'm sure a scheduled one is much better than an emergency one.
Maybe one day we will meet in the real world and I can get all the advice from you. I told dh I would seriously consider renting a hospital bed next time for recovery as the most excruciating thing for me was getting into and out of bed.
I will be praying for you and your wee ones!
Praying for you and the boys!
I'm praying, too. Hope everything goes smoothly!
Always praying for you & those baby boys. Two weeks!! That is kind of exciting. I'm sure the babies will be fine even if they do have some initial problems. Sometimes the medical intervention & early arrivals ARE necessary & it's important for us natural homebirthin' moms to recognize that.
oh & i missed the news, wish i had known about it. Although i was at work last night anyway so it wouldn't have mattered ;)
Will be keeping you all in my prayers... :)
I will continue to pray for you and your little ones! Thirty-five weeks really isn't too bad and I'm sure things will go well. Keep taking it easy - your babes will soon be in your arms. St. Gianna pray for us!!
Was thinking about you and the babies the last few days at work. We had to deliver a 34 weeker Tuesday for severe toxemia, and I was up half of last night trying to stop labor in a 32 weeker (she was still pregnant when I left at 0800 this morning).
Kimberly Hahn's book Life Giving Love is an excellent resource for a Catholic mom facing the prospect of repeated cesareans. Kim herself has had 6 cesareans....
I will get the kimberly Hahn book. I have heard her speak but I get the feeling she's of the opinion you should give until your body gives out and if you die, you died doing a great thing. That might be unfair but I think the question should be thought about from other perpectives than just the how many times can my body physically do this before my uterus ruptures and they have to remove it.
Now I've not read the book myself so I will have to and then I will have a more informed opinion. I'm only going on what a friend's impressions were after reading it.
I think the question should be thought about from other perpectives than just the how many times can my body physically do this before my uterus ruptures and they have to remove it.
i've been accused of having that mentality. often, in fact. it's so much deeper and more personal than that, i promise.
God bless you and your wee ones. All but one of my 5 kiddos were early, the earliest was 36 weeks. She had some small problems but now is a strapping 5'10", beautiful, almost 21 (she's counting the days), junior at the Franciscan U. in Steubenville and a member of the Little Flowers household. She has a wonderful devotion to St. Therese and it has been so beautiful to watch her devotion to God grow over the last couple of years. She's getting an education degree but really wants to be a Mama. I'd like to think she got that from me, but I actually think it was a gift from God.
My first, who will be 25 this year was a c-section and the rest were vbacs, although halfway through the 4th one who made it to term and entered the world at a whopping 8 lbs. 6 ozs., I was thinking how pleasant the c-section was, well except for the recovery.
Anyway, you and your family will be in my prayers, I'm pretty sure God knows who Smockmomma is even if I don't.
I am curious how 2 strong, Catholic women ended up in Texas where the Bible belt buckles. I went to a Christian college in Texas and I didn't know too many Catholics. Of course that was 30 years ago and now I'm a convert and know many Catholics of all shapes and sizes.
Take care of what you can handle and let God do the rest. In Christ, Kitty