Great news!

So Mina had another NST/BPP today, both boys once again did great (Charlie certainly dislikes being monitored and kicked the monitors a LOT during the NST!). Dr. Downing did another cervical check, and the great news is, since Mina is still 2 cm, she did not need to be admitted!! She's back at home, resting and happy. She is battling a bit of an ear infection, but Dr. Downing gave her a prescription for eardrops so hopefully it will end up clearing up soon!

Next appointment is Thursday, we are bringing Mina's hospital bag just in case, but hoping to hold out until Monday, when Mina is scheduled to have her c-section. We will update on Thursday! Thanks for the love and prayers!

35 Weeks!

Today we had our NST/BPP/Growth scan/cervical check appointments at WHC. NST and BPP were fantastic! The boys were having a party in there. The growth scan was alright - they get more inaccurate as the boys grow, because they are so squished in there. However, they each only grew about half a pound - they should have grown a pound since last time. So while we're not TOO concerned, we certainly are a little concerned. Cervix was unchanged, which is wonderful.

So the game plan is now as follows - Mina will go in for her NST/BPP on Monday morning, and follow up with Dr. Downing afterwards. After that, she will probably be admitted to the hospital for the remainder of the pregnancy, and we will deliver the boys either on April 26th or 27th (unless they decide to come earlier).

It feels very good to finally have a game plan. We are praying the boys are willing to stick to this plan :) We will be sure to update everyone on Monday.

Echo & OB Visit

Hello! Today we had Charlie's monthly echo as well as another OB visit for Mina. The echo went fantastic - Charlie's heart function continues to look good, and his foramen ovale is actually still open. Dr. Donofrio explained that she had been anticipating it to progress to closing, which is why she had wanted to deliver at Children's - but at this point, she feels comfortable delivering at Hospital Center. Great news! Dr. Donofrio stated that Dr. Downing was beginning to feel more comfortable with delivery next week, but she wants to hold off a little bit longer to allow the boys' lungs to mature a little more.

We then went over to Hospital Center, where Mina had her NST and BPP - once again, both babies are doing great. Heart rate tracing was reactive on both children, and they both got an 8/8 on their BPPs.

Lastly, we stopped by Dr. Downing's office just to check in with him. He seems to be comfortable with the idea of holding off on delivery and being put on hospital bedrest next week if need be. He then checked Mina's cervix, and unfortunately she is now 60% effaced and almost 2cm dilated. Not exactly the news we were looking for. We are going back on Friday, where she'll be checked again, and we'll have a better idea of the game plan then. Until then, Mina is off her feet and desperately trying to keep the boys cooking!

It's finally real now, though, that within the next two weeks, these two little boys will be making their debut. We are so excited to meet them, scared of what is to come, but hopeful that it will all turn out alright. Thanks again for the prayers, and we will update everyone again on Friday after the next appointment!

34 weeks!

So the boys have finally made it to 34 weeks! How very exciting! Mina is still laying low, keeping her feet up, and so far, that seems to be getting the job done!

She went in for her BPP/NST today, and mentioned that she has been feeling a lot of pressure. Dr. Downing did a cervical check, and while things are mostly unchanged, Noah's butt seems to be pretty low, indicating he's dropped and moving into position. We're hoping he's not trying to make an early escape, so now more than ever, Mina needs to take it easy. Every week that we make it is another hurdle crossed. So bring on the 35th week!

Next week, we have our next echo at Children's, we can't wait to see how Charlie is doing. We also have a growth scan on Friday. We will be sure to keep everyone posted!

32 Week Update

So Mina's monitoring has been going pretty well so far. Last week, she had to go to Labor and Delivery for observation because of contractions, but her cervix remained unchanged and her fFN was negative, so she was sent home. So far babies are growing as they should (each weighing in at over 4 pounds now!) and doing very well in utero - aside from beating each other up from time to time. :)

Yesterday was the OB appointment, and unfortunately when he checked Mina, he found she was dilated to 1 cm (but not effaced any more than before). Her blood pressure was also 134/89, which is pretty high for her. So now, Mina's modified bedrest has turned into full bedrest. She can still take showers and use the bathroom, and station herself on the couch instead of the bed if she wants, but she needs to spend most of her time laying down.

We need to make it to at least 34 weeks to give Charlie his best chance possible, and Mina will be 33 weeks tomorrow. So lots of prayers that she just makes it at least one more week, if not the full 5 more weeks we had planned on! Thanks everyone :)

NST/BPP

Not much new, just a quick update. Yesterday's non-stress test and biophysical profile were good, both tests were reassuring. Next NST/BPP is on Thursday.

Had the baby shower this weekend, and we are overwhelmed with the amount of things we've received. It's becoming real now - just in case all of the nudges and kicks haven't made it real yet!

30+ Weeks, Updates

So the past few weeks have been quite busy for us, between moving, the arrival of a new niece, and lots of doctors' appointments for Mina. We will try to keep it all together!

So far, Mina herself is in good health. Her contractions have slowed down. She was having a bad reaction to the Procardia she was on, so her cardiologist switched her to a different medication called Cardizem. It was a little rough for a couple of days, where the contractions picked back up, but now everything has settled down again. She passed her gestational diabetes testing, she is gaining weight appropriately, and aside from typical aches and pains associated with pregnancy, she's doing well.

The boys are both growing appropriately. They are both over 3 pounds each, and effectively making mom unable to breathe in certain positions :) It's hard to imagine how big Mina is going to get in the coming weeks.

Now for Charlie's update. According to the echo today, most of his heart function looks great. However, there is an opening which is present in fetuses, called the foramen ovale, which closes after birth. Unfortunately, Charlie is going to need his to stay open after birth. Even more unfortunate, it is starting to close already on its own. Beginning next week, Mina will be having bi-weekly biophysical profiles and non-stress tests to check on his wellbeing. Along with that, it is now being recommended that Mina deliver at Children's Hospital so that immediately after delivery, Charlie can be taken for cardiac catheterization where his foramen ovale will be reopened. It is not customary to deliver at Children's; in fact, there will be a lot of paperwork involved in this process. However, it is felt that it will give Charlie the best chance possible.

So for right now, Mina will be at Washington Hospital Center 2-3 times per week monitoring the babies until delivery. C-section is tentatively being set for May 6th, at Children's Hospital, so long as Mina does not go into labor before then, and so long as both children continue to grow as they should.

Please, lots of prayers for Charlie and Noah, and that we can make it just 7 more weeks and they will grow as much as they possibly can. We are keeping as positive as possible, and trying to remember that everything happens for a reason, and that we can make it through this. Thanks!