Squishy Baby

We got to see our cute little baby girl on ultrasound today. Yep, she's still a girl, no doubt about it. Shmuel got the eye of doom when the ultrasound tech showed us the tushie shot. I went "yeah, that's a girl" and gave him a look. The ultrasound tech was like "yep, it is...you have a girl already?" and I nodded. She asked "do you have only girls?" And I shook my head...one lonely boy. Poor Dovid. Well, he will just have to remain outnumbered for now.

She is definitely a cutie, though. I think she has the Chana B pouty mouth going on here. Can't wait to see who she looks like!

While the main part of the ultrasound at 18 weeks is usually to check growth and structures, our ultrasound had all that plus an in-depth look at baby's heart. A week or so ago I checked her heartbeat with a doppler. I had done a lot more exercise that day than I usually do - out shopping and cooking. When the day was over and hadn't felt the baby as much as I had the previous days, I was worried and used my doppler to find the heart rate. I could tell that the heartbeat was somewhat irregular and incredibly fast - somewhere between 210 and 240 bpm or so. I made sure to rest extra and then retested in the morning. No longer irregular, but still definitely over 200. So I checked again that night, same thing. At that point I would have sworn it was going above 250. The next morning it was regularly irregular. Like going beat, beat, small pause (repeat) - almost like a missed beat, but maybe not quite enough time for one. But this time it was super slow - like 110.  The day after that I was finally able to go to the midwife's office, and it was around 150 but still regularly irregular (beat, beat, beat, pause, repeat). Since we already had this ultrasound scheduled, and since there's nothing they can do about it so early, we waited the week to see what her heart looked like structurally and to determine what (if anything) was causing this irregularity.

Fast forward to today, B"H her heart looks structurally normal. We could see that it was beating irregularly, and everyone from the ultrasound tech to the MFM doctor agreed that her heart was having what's known as PAC's (premature atrial contractions). The doctor explained that most likely it's because all of this baby's "wiring" is brand new and hasn't matured enough yet. So, we're going to keep a watch on it. I'll have another ultrasound in two weeks to check that and also check my cervix again. (Cervix was looking fine today.) I was also given permission to go back on the beta blocker I was using to control my migraines before pregnancy. This might even help the baby get her heartbeats on track, but the big side effect that they want to check for is IUGR (growth restriction). I use the lowest dose, so hopefully it won't affect her, but they need to make sure anyway, and I'm not going to turn down a perfectly good ultrasound opportunity.

In other news, I just started my last clinical rotation of nursing school, and it's on the maternity floor at the hospital I go to. So far I've only been on the floor one day, but I actually got to participate in a birth (and hang with the mom postpartum). It was pretty sweet, and probably the best clinical day ever.

Final Ultrasound

I made it! We had our last ultrasound today and everything looks perfect. The baby is measuring exactly 3 lbs, which is about 5 days behind schedule. My cervix is also fantastic, still measuring over 3.5cm. WOO HOO!!!! My cervix is officially competent. Here's our final ultrasound picture...it's a profile shot.  You can see her nose around the middle of the screen with her lips just below.  And her hand is to the left of that.

Ultrasound Update

The ultrasound yesterday went really well. My cervix is holding out at 3.15cm with no funneling, which is fantastic. Yippee!!! The baby is still measuring about a week behind, but at least she hasn't lost any more days of growth. She's measuring in the 28th percentile, and as long as she stays on her curve then the doctors aren't worried. I actually *really* like the MFM doctor I saw yesterday...so much better than the other two. He was smiling, he explained everything and then suggested I come back in 2 weeks for another check without me asking for it. Finally, someone who will keep checking me without thinking I'm nuts!! :-) Sorry that there aren't any pictures, but the baby is breech with her face towards my back...so the only pics we got were of her feet (legs crossed like a lady) and the back of her head.

I used this chart (at the middle of the page) that shows the survival rates, among other things, for preterm babies during my last pregnancy, so I figured I would post again during this one. Now of course there's no reason why I'm not 100% confident that this baby will be born full term (unlike with the twins where I had no idea when I was going to deliver and knew I'd never make it to 37 weeks), but it's fun for me to see every week just how much better of a chance my baby has of coming home healthy.

So, without further ado...at 24 weeks a baby born has the following chances of complications:

Survival: 40%
Respiratory Distress Syndrome: 70%
Intraventricular Hemorrhage: 25%
Sepsis: 25%
Necrotizing Enterocolitis: 8%
Intact, long-term survival: 5%

So yeah, 24 weeks is not the best time to be born...obviously. Even though the survival rate is ok, the intact long-term survival rate is abysmal. Also, since my little girl is measuring a week behind it means that she'd be smaller than the average 24 weeker. Good thing I'm not planning to deliver for at least another 13 weeks!! (And more preferably 14 weeks since I need to get through finals first...)

I'll make sure to post my belly pic later...

Newest Belly Pic

This won't be a long belly update post, since I don't think it's really changed much in the last two weeks.

We have 20 weeks on the left and 22 weeks on the right.



If anything, I think I shrunk a teensy bit! lol What can you do...at least maybe now I'll take some time to catch up with my twin pregnant self.

In other news, Dovid is sick again...fever, vomiting, the works. Poor little dude! And I had a great appointment with the midwife. She agrees with the MFM doctor that my cervix length is normal and that every baby grows differently, but she agrees with me that we need to keep watching it just to make sure everything really is 100% ok. Honestly, I hope this midwife (Lila) delivers me, because I love her!!!! She's even supportive of me doing placenta encapsulation. In fact, she was excited that I'm doing it. Honestly, my old OB would have probably vomited on the floor and here's my midwife doing jumping jacks because I'm doing this. Awesomeness!!!! My next appt will be with the OB again because the last appt with the OB got cut short, and I'll also have my GD test as well. Fun times!

Today's Ultrasound

I had an interesting ultrasound today. My cervix is shorter than it has been in previous weeks, now holding out at around 3cm (when it was previously 4cm). But, it's not funneling and the MFM doctor isn't worried. I personally want to keep watching it even though the doctor isn't concerned. I mean, it changed a lot in 10 days, and it's better to be safe than sorry, you know? I'm hoping it's nothing, because I really can't afford to go on bed rest, and I REALLY don't want to get another cerclage.

The baby is doing great, but still measuring behind (and even lost another day of growth). She's about 7-8 days behind due date at this point, which is up from being 6 days behind at our last scan. Honestly, I can't even imagine why she's not growing fast enough because I'm sure eating for two. lol The twins never measured this far behind...ever. Very bizarre, but again the MFM doctor isn't concerned. I'm not really pleased about this as I'd much rather prefer an MFM doctor who investigates when things aren't quite right. She's been losing growth at every scan, so why is he ignoring this fact?

Anyways, I have an appointment with the midwife on Thursday, so I'll talk to her about it and see what she thinks about both my cervix and the growth of the baby. Wish me luck!

(Sorry, no pictures...they didn't print me any.)

Who Likes Ultrasound Photos?

I do!!! Here are five profile shots for your viewing pleasure. Not much, but it's something! The baby is still a girl, but measuring almost a week behind. *sigh* My cervix, however, is being awesome and still just about 4cm!!! That was the most exciting part, really. I have another ultrasound a week from Monday where they check everything out once again, and hopefully the baby won't be measuring even farther behind. Ugh! Anyone know how to make a baby gain weight in utero (while not making me gain too much at the same time?)

Ultrasound!

I had my first cervix check ultrasound today, and everything looks great. My cervix is holding at 4cm (woo hoo), and the baby is growing, too. The baby seems to be measuring on target or maybe a day or two behind, which isn't a problem. He/she already weighs about 4oz and had a heart beat today of 151bpm. So far, so good! And, without further ado, the pictures.

Cute, eh? Silly baby's foot was hiding "the goods," so no idea about sex yet. *sigh* Well, at least I'll be back there in 2 1/2 weeks for the "big" ultrasound. Maybe baby just wanted Daddy to be there when we find out.

Bad Dreams

I had the most awful, terrifying, horrible nightmare ever last night. You know how pregnancy can make dreams more intense? And you know how dreams play on your subconscious feelings and fears? Yeah, well this nightmare was a nightmare to end ALL nightmares! Thank G-d it was just a "dream". Ok, I know you're all curious now, so I'll tell you, but first I'm saying a big "pooh pooh" that this should never, ever happen (G-d forbid a million times over) and just because I dreamed it doesn't mean anything.

It took place in a hospital. I noticed that I was bleeding, like heavy, and I was quite freaked out. I kept wandering the hospital going from place to place as the doctors were trying to figure out where I would have an ultrasound. (You know how dreams go...they don't make much sense.) Anyways, I got in for the ultrasound and you could see the baby floating around in there. There was no heart beat (pooh pooh!!!) but for some reason it looked to me to still be moving (bouncing around, flailing arms, etc.) In my dream I was screaming "NO! NO! NO!" And then I woke up. You know how sometimes you wake up all of a sudden and you feel like you fell into the bed? It was like that...and I was in a cold sweat. I knew it wasn't real, but I was still pretty freaked out. I went to the bathroom (not actually to check for bleeding...it's because my bladder was full!) and then went back to bed. I did have a "part 2" of the dream where I was back in the hospital, but I can't really remember anything from that one.

In any case, even though I knew all was ok, I still checked the baby's heartbeat when I got back from school. And there it was, beating away like usual at 153bpm. I know that the miscarriage risk for someone at almost 15 weeks is pretty low, but I guess deep down the fear is always there, especially when you have a history of cervical issues. Thank goodness I have an ultrasound next week so we can start checking up on that. Wow, does that bring back memories... :-)

Midwife Appointment

I saw the midwife today, and it was awesome! My hubby got to come along, too, which was cool. I talked to the midwife about doing a VBAC. She had read the surgical notes and 100% agreed with me that VBAC was the way to go. (Yipee!) She said that the prior C-Section was totally fine and that the placental abruption was probably a "twin thing". (That's what I thought too.) She also assured me that we would do ultrasound cervical checks for as long as I wanted to, since we don't have a clear idea of whether or not my cervix is truly incompetent and when it might start to funnel (if at all). This way we will catch something if it happens early. Luckily, I don't have any history of pre-mature labor, since I didn't even really go into labor with the twins...although I might have been at 35 weeks, it doesn't count since that's in the normal range for twins. Also, the fact that I had no cervical change from 33 - 35 weeks with the twins (while holding out at 2 cm dilated) is a great sign. We also got to hear the baby's heart beat, which was a perfect 155bpm. All in all it was a fantastic appointment, and I am *so* glad that I'm switching over to the midwife practice.

Results

I finally got the results from yesterday's blood tests (well I got some of them). In any case, I still have the antibodies and my K blood type is still negative (of course it is...that kinda thing is genetic and doesn't change, you know.) But the good news is...my hubby is also Kell negative!!!! That means that all of our babies (including Chana & Dovid) are and will be Kell negative, so I don't need to worry about killing their poor little helpless red blood cells. *whew*!!! So that's a relief. Now we just need to make sure that this fistula isn't going to be a problem (and that I don't have an incompetent cervix), and we'll be all set.

Holy Moley

One of my fellow bloggers just got an incredible unexpected BFP. Chicklet has been trying for 3 years and has 3 failed IVFs under her belt (there's more to this story, but I don't know all of it). Anyways, she was on a "medical intervention" break this past month and just got her BFP this morning. Go leave her a big congrats comment and pray that this baby sticks!!! WOOOO!!!

In other news, I am going home! No change to my cervix--still 3cm and paper thin, Baby A is at a 0 station. Doctor says come in when I'm in labor. :-)

Hospital Again

Well, here I am, back in labor & delivery. I came in Friday morning for my scheduled non-stress test and haven't left. The babies did great during the non-stress test, but the doctor didn't like that I was contracting so much, so they admitted me for longer monitoring. The contractions continued--not painful, sometimes I didn't feel them at all--and eventually the doctor came in and checked me. 1cm and 90% effaced...oops! The doctor was a bit concerned about my cerclage and decided to keep me overnight until my OB was in the next morning.

Saturday morning my OB came in and decided to take out the cerclage and start me on IV fluids. She checked me right before she took it out and I had progressed to 2cm...oops again...and the cerclage was basically hanging off, not really doing much. I don't even think she needed scissors to cut it, so she just pulled it off. It didn't hurt at all--I've had pap smears that were worse--and I only bled a teensy bit. She checked me again and now I was 3cm and 90 % effaced...big oops. She and the nurses were convinced that I was just going to go into labor, so they moved me to a bigger room. They were wrong, though. After getting the fluids my contractions basically stopped. When they checked me later on in the day I was still 3cm. :-)

So, I'm still here. Amniotic sacs are both intact (yay), and I believe my mucous plug is still hanging in there, although I don't really know how... The doctor says she may send me home if I reach 34 weeks (on Tues) and haven't progressed at all. So, I'll be in the hospital until further notice. We spoke with a neonatologist yesterday and he reassured us that babies born at this point do very well (especially since I got the steroid shots last week). The babies would have to stay in the NICU until they get released from the hospital, and that usually happens between 36 to 38 weeks gestational age--most likely closer to 36 since they're not *so* early. As the neonatologist said, "There's preemie and there's really preemie." There's also a difference between pre-term and premature.

Well, that's all for now. Back to watching Harry Potter weekend on ABC Family. :-D

Doctor's Appointment & Ultrasound

I saw my OB today. She checked my cervix and says that it's completely thinned out. :-) But somehow the cerclage is still holding and not strained...I have no idea how that is possible. She doesn't want to take the cerclage out until I'm either in labor or the cerclage starts pulling at the cervix. Because the cervix is so thin and Baby A's head is so close to the other side, if she were to go in there with scissors, she might nick the amniotic sac or the amniotic sac might rupture on its own much quicker. She's very proud of me for making it to 33 weeks and hopes I can go a few more. I, on the other hand, am so ready to be done. :-)

Then I had an ultrasound. The babies are sooo big, measuring in at a hefty 4 1/2 lbs each. Baby A is actually a teensy bit bigger than Baby B now, which I think is really funny. :-) Baby B also decided he's going to be a good boy and is now head down!! WOOOO!!! Baby A's head is so far down into my pelvis they nearly couldn't measure it. heh They also confirmed that my cervix is pretty much non-existant (ie fully effaced), but not really dilated. The doctor noticed that Baby B's umbilical cord blood flow was a bit sluggish, so she sent me down for a non-stress test. Both babies passed that with flying colors, so they sent me home after about an hour. Unfortunately, they want me to repeat the non-stress test on Friday morning. urgh!!

I posted a new belly pic last night, so go take a look!

Too Much Excitement

Sorry for the lack of updates, but I've been lazy the last few days. :-) On Friday evening I went to bed pretty early (like 9:30pm) and then woke up about 2 hours later. I got up and went to read for a while, and the whole time was having contractions (annoying and a teeny bit painful, but nothing I couldn't handle) about every 5 mins or so. Now I wasn't really worried that I was in labor, but with having frequent contractions, I was nervous that it might be affecting my cervix and therefore my cerclage. So, my hubby and I packed up and went to the hospital at 3AM. We got there, I was put on the monitor and checked. My cervix was closed and my cerclage holding steady, but we were watching the contractions on the monitor (and I had the pleasure of feeling them). They told me to try drinking more (even though I honestly had had a ton to drink the night before) and let me try to get some sleep. Shmuel (sort of) slept on two chairs that he made into a makeshift bed and I (sort of) slept on the bed. At 7AM we both woke up, so they checked my cervix again and it hadn't changed. YAY! My doctor came in and told me I was good to go, but she wanted me to get a steroid shot to help the babies' lungs just in case I went into labor. After much debate, my husband and I decided to forgo the shot because my fetal fibronectins were all negative (which means there's a very low chance of labor in the next 2 weeks) and because the shot really only makes a difference if the babies are born from 2-7 days after the shot is given. With my chances of delivering in the next week being so low, I didn't feel the shot was really necessary. Besides, after talking with the neonatologist from the NICU, it was obvious that if the babies were born at this point respiration is not the biggest issue. Their stay in the NICU would really be for other things, like temperature regulation, putting on weight and figuring out how to eat via mouth. For the first 24-48 hours they might have some trouble breathing, but after that it really shouldn't be an issue. We then went home, had lunch and then pooped out completely. I've had plenty of contractions since, but not with the same frequency. And THAT was my weekend. :-)

Grosgrain has another adorable skirt up for a giveaway. Check it out here: Blushing Buttercream Pettiskirt

Ultrasound Update

The ultrasound went pretty well this morning. Babies are still cute. :-) My cervix is holding up, although I must've been having a contraction when she first measured because it was REAAAALLY short (like .65cm), and I couldn't see the cerclage knots. But after about a minute it went back up to 1.7cm and you could see the knots just fine. Neither the doctor nor the tech were worried, so I'm not worrying either. :-) I've also graduated! No more cervix checks! I'll still be going in to check the babies' growth, but that's it. Wooooo!!

I did get some decent pictures today, so I'll share them with you.

This is Baby A's profile


Here's a cute 3D of Baby A's face


And another cute 3D of Baby A's face


Here's Baby B's profile


And here's Baby B (and umbilical cord) in 3D


Enjoy!

Numb Belly

I discovered the other day that there are numb patches on my stomach (really just the area surrounding my belly button). I asked the doctor about it today and she says it's normal because my skin is sooooo stretched out. I wonder if I get my whole belly numb if I won't have to feel contractions? :-)

Speaking of contractions, the Braxton-Hicks are really annoying. They're still not painful (on my stomach), but I am feeling pain in my back and bladder. Oh man, every time I have a contraction it feels as if my bladder was 150% full. Now that's pain... Thank goodness it only lasts as long as the contraction and then my bladder goes back to feeling "normal" fullness. :-)

So, the doctor says all of my various symptoms are normal (and many are to be expected). On very good notes, my Braxton-Hicks contractions aren't affecting my cervix at all, my blood pressure is great and there are no warning signs of anything else (i.e. no protein or sugar in urine and my fetal fibronectin tests are all negative). The babies are in the same positions as always--Baby A head down, Baby B transverse. I've decided that they're making a T for Tamakwa. heh (Tamakwa deserves it's own post if you really want me to explain, and no, it's not a Yiddish or Hebrew word and has very little to do with Judaism.) I also only have about a week and a half left of the progesterone and then I'm done! My hubby got all freaked out when I said I was stopping it. He's like "but it's so early!" So I told him that just because I'm done with it, doesn't mean I'll go into labor the next day. Besides, I'll already be about 33 weeks. The only thing the progesterone is doing is helping to keep the cervix closed, but really the cerclage is doing the hard work. If the doctor is going to take out my cerclage at 34 or 35 weeks, I don't think stopping the progesterone a week or two beforehand is going to do any harm. My cervix isn't just going to suddenly open up...although that would be a pretty neat trick and make the whole labor and delivery thing much easier. :-)

Ultrasound tomorrow, and I posted a new belly pic this evening!

Exciting Day

I had my OB appointment yesterday, and they started off with me on the tocometer (contraction monitor) for a while. I watched the screen & printout and noticed several little contractions...and even felt one or two (not painful, just annoying). The doc wasn't pleased with the frequency of the contractions and sent me to labor & delivery for fluids and monitoring. Now I've been REALLY good with drinking fluids, but yesterday I got up really late and only had time for a small glass of water. But, she thinks I was dehydrated (I probably was) and wanted me pumped with fluids. She also took another fetal fibronectin test, which came back negative. :-) Anyways, I then proceeded to spend the next 5 hours being monitored and pumped with fluids (3 bags, urgh). It was exceedingly boring! The doctor came in around 8pm and said she liked how the contractions had spaced out, so I could go home. She told me to expect Braxton-Hicks contractions because with my uterus already at full-term size and space at a premium, it's really just doing its job. For now it's not affecting my cervix, so she's not worried about it. She was only worried when they were coming like every 3-5 mins, regardless of whether or not I could feel them. :-)

As for my cervix, it's still closed and beautiful. :-) The doctor's scale says I only gained a half pound in the last week, but I think it's more because I didn't have time for a full breakfast before my appointment. When I got home (after the 3 bags of fluid), the scale showed I gained like 6 pounds from this morning. At first I was shocked and appalled, but then remembered the fluid intake. I asked my hubby and he said that sounded about right from the amount of fluid I had. It's slowly going back down to normal.

The doctor is SO pleased that I've made it to 30 weeks. She said that even though she's happy now, she'll be even happier at 32 weeks and then ridiculously happy at 34 weeks. She said she'll "shut up after [I] get to 34 weeks" (that's a direct quote). lol As for my cerclage, she said that if my contractions are starting to bother my cervix, she'll take out the cerclage around 32 or 33 weeks, but otherwise would leave it in until 35 weeks. She also said that after 36 weeks there's really no overwhelming reason to keep the twins in longer, because the space is so cramped and they probably wouldn't be growing as well as if they were on the outside. She said that they for sure would be here before Passover! :-)

Bathroom

When my father A"H was sick, he used to track on a piece of paper every time he went to the bathroom. He had bladder cancer along with kidney issues, so he used the bathroom quite frequently. Last night I woke up to use the bathroom at least 3 or 4 times, so it reminded me of this. And when I'm awake, with Baby A pressing on my bladder, I have to go every time I stand up. I guess my body is just prepping me for feeding every two hours once the babies arrive. Now I know how my mother felt searching for a bathroom at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier 30+ years ago. I think I'd freak out if I went somewhere and they didn't have a "public" bathroom. Good thing I'm on bed rest where there's always a bathroom nearby!

I think I forgot to update you all on my cervix check. It's actually looking better than it has since I got the cerclage in--measuring between 1.9 and 2 cm. And that's even after decreasing my progesterone supplement by half (on doctors orders, of course). Go me! If it wasn't so slippery outside, I'd ask the doctor for permission to go out and do something fun, but I'm not taking any chances with snow and ice. It's good to have an excuse not to brave the cold.

I Failed

You heard right. The same person who never failed a course or exam (well maybe an exam once or twice) failed her glucose screening test...by 1 point. *sigh* They want to see a glucose reading under 140 mg/dL and mine was 141. Now even 140 isn't good, but 141 means I have to go for the 3 hour glucose tolerance test on Monday. It's going to be hell. I have to fast starting at midnight the night before and I can't eat until the test is over--which probably won't be until at least 1pm. I'm going to starve!! :-(

My hemoglobin is also low, but it's better than last time! At the beginning of December my hemoglobin was 9.8 g/dl and yesterday it was 10.8! Still below normal (which is 12), but at least it's going in the right direction. At the rate I'm going, it should be just about 12 when I deliver. Sweet.

Now for the really good news. I had another ultrasound today and my cervix is back up to 1.8cm! They want me to come in next week for yet another check, but the doctor says to keep doing whatever it is I'm doing. :-) I do have two great pictures that I want to post, but I'm having major trouble getting my scanner to connect to my computer, so I'll get those up when I can.

Last, but not least, my husband and mother share the same brain (oddly enough). This morning I awoke to find a box of Totally Light 2 Go sugar free lemonade powder waiting for me in the kitchen. And then the mail came. And there's a package from my mother with 3 packages of Totally Light 2 Go (different flavors) and hot cocoa mix. They bought the exact same brand (it's sweetened with Splenda, so it's the only sugar substitute I'm supposed to have) and it came on the same day. Go figure! It is delicious, and it's working. I've already had about 2 1/2 tall glasses of lemonade (and gone to the bathroom about 10 times) in the last 2 1/2 hours. I HIGHLY recommend this to all pregnant women who are having a hard time getting enough water. mmmmmm

26 Weeks & Doctor's Appointment

I had a great appointment with my OB today. First, I did my 1 hour glucose test (ewww). Then, the doctor checked my cervix & cerclage--which both look perfect. She measured my belly, which is currently 36cm (36 weeks), so I'm measuring 10 weeks ahead. No wonder I feel like a whale! She also checked the babies heartbeats and my blood pressure. So far so good! She also answered the gazillion questions that I asked. We discussed when the cerclage would come out & when I might go off of bed rest, and she said that most likely I could start increasing activity at 32 weeks and then maybe go off of bed rest at 33 or 34 weeks. As for the cerclage, if I make it to 35-36 weeks, we'd take it out then. If I go into labor before then, the cerclage obviously comes out when I go into labor. She also tried to convince me that a C-Section is a good option, but I want to avoid that at all costs, so it was no deal. :-) Obviously I want my babies born as safely as possible, so if there's a true medical reason for a C-Section I have no problem with that. But I am NOT going to plan a C-Section for any other reasons, and if I do have to plan one, it's going to be for like 38 weeks (so I can go into labor myself anyway). I'd also like to go epidural-free if possible, but because of the circumstances they would probably place an epidural w/ no medication or a very, very low dose (just to keep the line clear) in case something happens during delivery that requires an emergency C-Section. As much as I don't want an epidural, I don't want general anesthesia much more, and if they need to get either one or both of the babies out very quickly and there's no epidural already placed, they would have to put me under.

On another note, the doctor said I can drink as much herbal tea or decaf coffee as I want. So, I don't have to suffer through gallons of plain water to keep hydrated. Woo! She checked the results of the swabs that were taken after my ultrasound last week and I don't have any infections either. She also wants me to lower my dose of progesterone and then possibly stop it altogether if my cervix looks ok in a few weeks.

That's all! I took a new belly picture last night and posted it just now. It doesn't look so different from 24 weeks even though I'm a good 5cm bigger. Oh well, as long as it's growing!