16 weeks... could be the halfway mark?!

We're 16 weeks along now. If bubs decide to come early we are halfway through already. Spooky! I think I'll get to 35 weeks before I pop, or at least I hope I get that far. Here's my belly today:

Note my belly button - nearly all the way out already!! I swear each morning I wake up and can see a difference in my girth...

The morning sickness is becoming less now which is great, but I am still struggling with low blood pressure fairly regularly. We have had something of a heat spell the last few days too which hasn't helped. So now I have to take additional iron supplements to my hardcore pregnancy vitamin. Asti checks each time I have them that I am not sick and it isn't Maxalon (she is very empathetic and checks I'm ok when the morning sickness does it's thing). She's a gorgeous mother hen when she wants to be - lets hope it lasts when the bubs arrive.

We finally have a date for our next ultrasound too - the 14th of April. Fingers crossed the bubs are co-operative and let us check out their bits! Absolutely busting to found out if we are having brat boys/girls or both, and to make the job of name finding half the task.

Some Interesting New Facts...

We have found out some very interesting information - firstly, our radiographer at the ultrasound told us the wrong thing (that we were having frat twins) - we in fact have no idea if the twins are fraternal (DZ) or identical (MZ)! Please read this absolutely fascinating page to see what I mean:

http://www.twins.org.au/index.php?page=66

So now we have to wait until our next ultrasound to see if there are a boy and girl in there: then we definitely know they are fraternal. If they are the same sex, we will have a surprise on our hands!

First Hospital Appointment Today

We had our very first appointment at the hospital today to see a midwife. Asti was her usual charming chatterbox self and insisted on giving Julie, the midwife, drawings of her birthday cake (It's Asti's 3rd birthday tomorrow). We somehow managed to get through all the paperwork with much "help" from Asti, who by the way is very proud of the fact that her Mummy has TWO babies in her tummy!

Then the good ol' sphygmomanometer - one thing I knew would not be too brilliant. My blood pressure has been a little low a fair amount of the time lately, and I have spent a fair bit of time making sure I don't faint. Today I have been feeling pretty good though and my blood pressure was 90/50. Not too bad...

I asked if we might try to hear the bubs' heartbeats and the lovely Julie was most obliging - she thought she would try to find them with a hit and miss tactic. It kept only getting the Swoosh-Swoosh of my pulse, until I suggested that I thought Bubba B was up the top left and Bubba A on the bottom right. The last few days I have been feeling their little flutterings, and low and behold, exactly from where I thought they were came two beautiful strong Swish-Swish-Swish heartbeats! Perfect!!

Julie could not give me an enormous amount of information on twin caesarean births, this is information I will get when I see my Ob in two weeks time. As a twin pregnancy is considered "high risk" all my prenatal care will be through the hospital, and on a pretty regular basis. I'm going to miss having our wonderful GP doing all my checkups this time lol. So unfortunately, all the information I wanted to get about how my hospital will likely run this show will have to wait two weeks. Lucky I'm patient. Pfffft!!!

I'm feeling pretty good I must admit, and love the fact that now I can feel our little bubbas swimming around in their watery cocoons. Before I know it I will be feeling like a boxing ring!

Sharing This Crazy Journey

WOW! So we are having twins...

We found out on the 28th February (my brother's birthday) at our 12 week ultrasound that our 'last' baby in fact is going to be two. Two whole bratties that share our genes, thrust upon the world at once!

The last few days have been an insane rollercoaster ride of emotional ups and downs, coming to terms with the panic and excitement all at once. I found this morning when I woke up I was a little more at peace with the idea, so my subconscious has been plugging away at it pretty hard in my sleep! There is so much to consider: finances firstly, but then practicalities of space in cars and bedrooms, nappies, prams - I'm sure you can imagine! We have been researching and researching, and are getting pretty close to having at least short term needs planned. So now I feel I am at the point where the thought of cuddles with two gorgeous babies/kids is becoming pretty damn exciting!!

Two heads, two placentas, and two very distinct amniotic sacs. Cool huh?!

Twin A crown to rump length measurement, with a bit of Twin B on the right

Twin B crown to rump length measurement - check out the cute nose and hand in the profile!

Apparently with twin pregnancies you are incredibly closely monitored, and have ultrasounds every couple of weeks or so. It's going to be very cool seeing them grow so regularly - can't wait to find out if we are having a boy and girl, boy and boy or girl and girl. So much excitement!!!