This last week was a big week. I performed a wedding ceremony and wrapped up with clients. In fact, I had just a few client sessions left for this coming week, but randomly and strangely, they all cancelled– 1×1– making Friday my last day of work as I have known it.
Heat Trouble
Turns out it was a blessing as I’ve been having a little trouble with the heat, even though I feel like I’m staying pretty cool. It’s been high 80’s here, sometimes 90’s and for us Portlanders who are not necessarily acclimated to that (and us pregnant women, apparently), that takes it’s toll.
Seeing Stars
First I was seeing stars for a day or so. I happened to be near my doc’s office so I popped in to get my blood pressure done and just make sure all was well. BP was low, but not lower than I normally am. They did a baseline blood draw for PIH (pregnancy induced hypertenion) which I SO do not have but they thought it a good idea to get a baseline. End diagnosis? The heat. Prescription? Stay cool, get up and down slowly and take it easy. Having over 600 quarts of blood pump through me daily just makes these things happen, I guess.
Belly Aching
Saturday I took it easy, stayed in all morning and lightly cleaned the house. Seriously, it was LIGHTLY! I was on the couch mostly, folding laundry or laying down. Every now and then I’d get up and sweep or unload dishwasher and then sit right back down. Later in the day, I took a short nap, a cool shower and headed out for a little ice-cream date and final “farewell” to a client who wanted to say good-bye and gift me something. On the way there, my belly started to hurt. Then, whilst there, hurt worse. It was like an all over aching and a pinching at the same time. When I pressed in my belly, it pinched more. Odd.
The heat was oppressive so we stayed in the shade as much as possible but I had to cut our time short as I was really starting to sort of cramp up and contractions were coming more than normal. I paged midwife and by the time I got home I was getting worried as the pain was intense enough that it was harder to breathe through. I didn’t *think* it was pre-term labor (as can often happen in high heat conditions) because my belly hurt even when the contractions weren’t there, too. But given I’m warned about this weekly at appointments and such, I had to consider that was what was happening. My midwife called back and in the end she said, “I think the heat is wigging out your uterus. Stay on the couch or bed and really take it easy. Even though you drink a lot of water, drink even more. Double it if you can. Do this until our little heat wave passes. Only get up if you need… just taking is super easy.”
And so, for the next few hours, while Gina was at work, I did exactly that. In about 2 hours the pain passed. Granted, I did pass some gas and have a few good er, um, “movements”. Which might have also been part of the problem. 🙂 Gina brought food home after she got off work and we relaxed all evening.
Still, after all that, I was wasted tired. Went to bed at 8:45pm. I woke up again at 3am hurting again. Of course, it dawned on me, I hadn’t been drinking water from 9pm-3am. So I got up for an hour and drank a jug of water with electrolytes. By 4am I felt better again. Moral of the story? Water is my friend. I thought I was drinking SO much… more than any of my docs recommend (I’ve been drinking the amount that Barbara Luke, the twins nutritionalist recommends). But in this heat and with twins, it’s just not enough. And so, here I sit and type and… you guessed it, drink.
The heat is expected to continue on through this whole week. Guess those clients canceling wasn’t so random after all, eh? If they hadn’t cancelled, I would have had to anyway. I continue to be amazed and surprised at how I/we are taken care of in this process. All is well. All is very, very well.
Ultrasound
Friday I went in for my 26 week ultrasound. Gina had to work and Pema is in SB so I went on my own for the first time. It wasn’t nearly as fun. BUT… I got to see my girls–ensure their hearts were beating strong and regular and that they were/are growing well. And, indeed they are.
Heart beats were good. Blood flow is good. Baby A caught up in size to baby B. Both are exactly 1lb 15oz (almost 2lbs each). I’ll find out more tomorrow at my next OB appointment but I think this puts them just around the 50th percentile.
I now weigh 172. I gained 4 pounds in 2 weeks! They say my growth will continue like this now for the next few months.
As I suspected, they had flipped; heads up (between my belly-button and my ribs), feet down (by my bladder). What I couldn’t tell though, was that they are both face down (looking at my spine if they could see). No wonder, I just feel these two big, hard bumps pulling and stretching my skin on top. Sometimes it feels so hard up there, it’s like a contraction except no where else on my belly is tight. The tech snapped a pic of them head to head. It’s really very cute.
That said, I didn’t get to see much else of them. No faces, arms or feet. The bigger they get, the more crammed in there they are and the harder it is to distinguish body parts, especially whose is whose. Given their faces were down, I just saw the backs of their heads and slices of their brains (which look VERY intelligent, of course). See for yourself.
Head Kissing: 26 wks 2 days
I like to think of this one as a them "mind speaking"...
Social
Our friends are amazing. I’m being visited, gifted and all kinds of wonderful things. People come to me more often than not (especially now) which is different. For years, as the single person, I always went there… even in business it seems. So, I’m enjoying sitting back, cooking babies and letting karma do it’s thing.
Body
Unfortunately, I won’t get to the pool anytime soon, given the heat but hoping to get back there next week. For now, laying down takes some pressure off but it’s getting harder to get more comfy.
I went to the Physical Therapist about my pelvic pain and unfortunately I was not greatly impressed. She spent a lot of time being fascinated by the twin-dom on my little body and then much time on her intake. She told me what I have is called Pubic Symphysis Separation or also called Symphysis Pubic Dysfunction. She tried giving me a blow-up wedge to put under my back and lift the pressure off my pelvis but it only hurt my lower back. I’ll be trying her again this week (maybe, heat and body pending) but it’s likely that the only thing to make it feel better is to keep pressure off it. And in fact, I have noticed some relief when I rest more.
Not sure if it’s the heat or hormones but I’m throwing up and nauseas more again. Sometimes just out of the freakin’ blue, always lucky there is something nearby to hurl in. Makes my ribs sore, but all in all it’s not too bad.
Mostly, I’m just not hungry for much. Nothing sounds good… and I have to eat– a lot. I’m starting to grow weary of eating food and counting grams of protein. I have moments where I just want to not give a shit. Then I remember the girls’ needs and know that this is temporary. There WILL be a time when I like food again and I won’t have to feel like a goose prepping to be foi gras.
Still feeling grateful I don’t have heartburn, sciatica, worse edema (swelling), bleeding gums, carpel tunnel, more stuffiness (I have some but I can still breathe okay), or other common ailments that I seems to be skirting.
Mind, Heart and Spirit
Sometime last week, I was having a particularly rough evening… the day had been long, I was hot; naked with the fan on and just couldn’t get comfortable. Gina and I were watching a silly movie and when the corny ending came I started to cry. I immediately knew it wasn’t about the ending. Gina looked at me surprised and came over to hug me, mostly sympathetic but a slight little smile on her face knowing how easily my hormones can sweep me away.
Gina: What’s wrong, honey?
Regina: I just can’t get comfortable (said through tears) and I feel awful.
She hugged me.
Gina: Anything else?
Regina: Yeah, (head buried in Gina’s shoulder). But don’t tell anybody, k?
Gina: Okay.
Regina: Today, I really just don’t wanna be pregnant. I wish I had my old body back. And there is still so much longer to go… I don’t know how I’m gonna make it. More sobs.
All the smiles were gone and Gina was amazing. She knew instantly the right thing to say.
Gina: Oh, yeah, honey, I can so get that. Do you think it’s not okay to feel that way?
Regina: Yah.
Gina: Why?
Regina: Cuz we worked so hard to get here and I’m supposed to be so grateful and enjoy it all (more sobbing ensued, wet face and snot everywhere).
Gina: (asked soft and sympathetically) Yeah… and do you think you are super woman? No other women feel like this?
Regina: (still crying) Yeah, but they are weak and I’m supposed to be strong.
Whoa! Where’d that come from? Amazing how our deep subconscious thoughts play on us, eh? So lesson learned again. Toss out the strong/weak conversation and substitute it with honoring simply what is.
After more crying and a little peeing myself from blowing my nose and choking on my snot, I got up, went to bed and slept like a rock. The next morning, I felt lighter and better. Just taking it day by day– feeling particularly grateful for my incredible partner, Gina. I don’t know what I’d do without her. I never, ever want to find out.
Below are the maternity photos I’ve been promising to share. They were taken by Linda Brooks (high school friend and amazing photographer) about 2 weeks ago. None of them are yet re-touched so some may look a little raw but I love them that way. This was such an amazing day and an amazing gift. Enjoy.
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