22w2d

Here's a post I drafted over on the easyjournal site before it imploded.  I tried to submit it a handful of times, and no luck, so I've finally taken the hint and started a new blog over here.  Eventually, I hope easyjournal will be up long enough to import all of the old entries (I'm heartbroken to think that might not happen!), but for now:

 

I tried posting on Monday and the site was down. I tried posting yesterday and got an error message when I hit "submit." Third times a charm? Hopefully!

Today I had appointments with both my midwife and the maternal-fetal medicine specialist. The midwife appointment was first. We listened to baby boy's heartbeat right away, which was in the 140s. He kept running away from the doppler, though. I'm so amazed that she can touch my belly and know exactly where he is-- I sure can't do that! I'm gaining weight like crazy, but didn't get the wrist slap I expected. My fundal height is 25 cm. I'm still measuring a little bit ahead, but not as much as I was before.

Then I drove over to Dr. Berry's office (but not before stopping for some amazing chicken spinach enchiladas, weight gain be damned). The sonographer came in right away. The very first thing I saw on the screen were both heads. Iris is still the presenting twin and right at my cervix, which should change as time goes on, but I'll have to go back 6/2 (28 weeks) to make sure baby boy has claimed that spot.

Baby boy looks great. He weighs 1 lb, 7 oz (measuring 23 weeks) and is head-down. Dr. Berry explained that the highest risk to him was in the first 2-3 weeks after demise and we've cleared that hurdle, so Dr. Berry expects a full-term, normal singleton pregnancy and delivery. I have to get another clotting study done (blood test) in two weeks, to rule out the one remaining potential complication, but he doesn't expect anything to come of that. Nor do I, for whatever that's worth.

I think Dr. Berry is the most experienced person we've seen in midpregnancy twin loss (by far), so that was comforting in and of itself. I noticed on the bill that my case is considered "moderate" complexity-- not low, but not one of the two higher categories either!

All in all, everything looks great. Baby boy was quiet most of today, but had a little dance party after dinner tonight.

I just looked around at pictures of babies born at 1 lb, 7 oz. I don't think we're *anywhere* near delivery, but it is encouraging to know that we're right at the brink of viability already. Babies this size can survive-- he's already more than twice the size of the smallest surviving babies. In just another month, we'll be looking at 90+% survival rates. This baby boy is going to be just fine.

Comments

[Cara]

Yay!