here we are at 25 weeks. the internet tells me this is a huge milestone because of the 'viability' of our boys. yes, they are tiny, but they are strong and beautifully formed and (with the help of the NICU) could survive being born this early. of course that is not our goal or our hope at this time, but it does make mama feel a little better knowing that life outside of the womb is now officially doable. (my goal is to carry the boys to at least 33 weeks.)
at the 24 week ultrasound we found that baby A (I can't wait to tell y'all their names) had an increase in amniotic fluid in his sac. he's always had more than his brothers, but this jump was enough to cause some concern. the increase in fluid could be nothing or it could be a huge problem - only time would tell. my mom and I (can't wait till J is in Michigan with us) were briefed on the treatment option that may be necessary if the fluid kept rising or if any of the babies showed distress because of the high fluid level, and the bi-weekly ultrasounds were changed to weekly. monitoring is key, and I am happy to oblige. I happen to love seeing those little buggers as much as possible anyways. my mom and I both noted that there was not a hint of worry or concern in my midwife's voice as she discussed baby A's fluid levels or the possibility of having fluid tapped at some point. I cannot sing the praises of my MFM office more, you guys. we left feeling calm, cautious, and confident in both God's sovereignty and the badass-ness of our medical team.
week 25 rolled around and it was time for another ultrasound. this was yesterday. my sister joined me this time (love my family), and the ultrasound tech immediately went to work measuring the largest pocket of fluid in baby A's sac. sighs of relief and "thank you, Jesus" could be heard down every hall of the doctors' office. Baby A's fluid was back down to where it had been resting stably for the many weeks prior, and his brothers' fluid levels were just as consistent as ever. strong heartbeats, visible bladders, and strong blood flow were noted for each of our sons.
since our TTTS scare at 18 weeks, I have been chugging Boost like it's going off the market. I'm sure their stock has sky rocketed and Amazon is wondering why they are shipping 24 packs to Michigan every two weeks. drinking a high protein supplement is one of the things the TTTS Foundation instructs mamas to do when TTTS is a concern. even though we've been told by my MFM that there are no signs of TTTS on our radar, I haven't let up on my Boost-chugging.
and so, with this good news carrying us up to cloud 9 we say: thank God and thank Boost.
