Pregnancy
Despite a very short pregnancy and bedrest from week 18-25, we were still able to get a couple of upright photos of pregnant Mommy along the way.
20 weeks — Our Christmas present, a card containing the genders of our twin babies that had been sealed and under the tree for a week.
After learning the news, Mary felt inspired to write a little poem.
pregnancy timeline and brief details
9.5.04
learned we were expecting!
(EDD 5/17/05)
9.29.04 (7 weeks)
learned we were expecting twins!
12.15.04 (18 weeks)
At a routine appt., discovered Andrea's cervix had softened and shortened to 1 cm (should be 4cm). She was immediately scheduled for a surgical procedure that afternoon -- a cerclage. Despite the cerclage, she was still prescribed home bedrest for an indefinite period of time to help prolong the pregnancy. At this time, her care was transferred from Sutter Davis to a team of perinatologists in Sacramento .
12.25.04 (20 weeks)
learned we were expecting boys!
1.25.05 (24 weeks)
At a routine 2-week checkup to check Andrea's cervix, we learned it had shortened further (to a mere 3 mm) and the membranes now protruded past the cerclage. This meant Andrea was transferred to hospital bedrest at the high risk maternity ward. She received steroid shots for 2 consecutive nights to help give the babies a boost in lung development in case they were to come early.
1.28.05 (24.5 weeks)
A routine monitoring of uterine activity in the evening revealed that contractions were coming 5-6 minutes apart. Andrea was prescribed Indocin to stop contractions. She took this drug for the required 72 hours and had almost no uterine activity during that time.
2.2.05 (25 weeks)
Andrea started running a fever in the middle of the night and found herself waking to contractions. She asked to be put on the monitor to see how often they were coming. They were nearly five minutes apart. Andrea was then put on magnesium sulfate which initially slowed down the contractions. At approx. 11am, a vaginal ultrasound showed her cervix was completely effaced and only the cerclage was holding it closed. Apparently, the fever and a blood test to check white blood cell levels all pointed toward a uterine infection. At this point there was little we could do. The contractions quickly returned, becoming stronger and longer with each one. By only 1:30pm, the cervix had already dilated to 4cm and the doctor could feel the head of "Baby A." Without much contemplation, we opted for an emergency c-section to give the babies a fighting chance. At almost 3pm, the baby boys began life outside the womb. They were immediately rushed to the NICU and put on life support. We were fortunate that only mommy was infected; both babies appear to have avoided it.
2.5.05
Andrea was discharged from the hospital after receiving triple antibiotics and maintaining a normal temperature for 24 hours. In between visits to the NICU and pumping breast milk, she's currently healing at home, while reading her growing stack of books on preemie babies, breastfeeding, and raising multiples ... not to mention, updating this website to keep her focus on something creative dedicated to Mason and Avery.