13w6d Update!

Well, I will be 14 weeks tomorrow so I am officially in my 2^nd trimester! I thank God everyday for the little blessings growing inside of me. I was blessed to see the babies on Friday at my cousin’s OB clinic. She snuck me in the back to take a quick peak. All three babies were moving around and we were able to see fingers and toes. What a miracle! My first official OB appointment with the high risk specialist got moved from tomorrow to Thursday so I will be updating after that appointment because that is the day I am going to learn so much (and the day I have been waiting for for 6 weeks now). I have been doing a lot of research about triplet pregnancies and I’ve learned that at this point, I have an 85% chance that I will bring home three babies. Let’s pray I am not in that 15%! I am in that small percentage with so many other things baby-making related. First, I was in that small 5% category of infertility in my 20s and then 1% category for conceiving triplets through IVF.  I so badly want to bring home three babies! I wanted to share my gestation goals:

1)      24 Weeks. At 24 weeks the babies have a 50/50 survival rate. I read that multiples mature faster in the womb so it may be even better for triplets. The youngest baby to ever survive outside of the womb was 22 and a half weeks gestation. Before that, the doctors will not even attempt to save the babies if I go into preterm labor. Many babies that survive have long-term disabilities like cerebral palsy.

2)      28 Weeks. 90% survival. Most babies will not suffer long-term disabilities. A friend of mine has a friend who delivered triplets at just 26 weeks gestation and all three survived and had no long-term disabilities.

3)      30 Weeks. Many triplets are born at 30 weeks and most survive and are fine.

4)      32-33 Weeks. Full term for triplets. From what I’ve read, after 32-33 weeks, the placentas start to deteriorate. Some women make it to 34-36 but it is rare.

5)      My goal is to have babies greater than 3lbs 6oz. Babies below that weight are more likely to have disabilities.

Right when we learned I was carrying triplets, Tim, the awesomely supportive husband that he is,  bought me the book “When You are Expecting Twins, Triplets, and Quads.” It is supposedly the “Bible” for when you are expecting multiples and it guides you through to ultimately bring home healthy babies in the end. I can’t wait to see if Dr. M agrees with the recommendations that this book makes.

Other than the agonizing wait for this upcoming appointment, I have been doing pretty well. I do feel a lot of pressure, but I am assuming it’s because I am carrying triplets. I’ve also had a lot of ups and downs the past week with my emotions on whether or not my body is suited to do this. I had a hard time getting comfortable last night in bed. My belly feels huge! I think Dr. M will help calm my worries, and I know God will use him as a vessel to get me through this.

13w5d

My fortune the other day. Most people know that IVF is usually not covered by insurance and is an expensive procedure. Three for the price of one, baby!