Adventures in Pregnancy

Here are a few signs that you've been pregnant a long time:


1.) People look at you and either stare and don't say a word, or stare and then ask in a shocked and somewhat scared tone, "When are you due?" as if they're worried that they may be responsible for cleaning up some amniotic fluid.


2.) You're reading a book about twin pregnancy, and you are pregnant longer than the book has chapters. What do I mean? I mean that the book I read described pregnancy up until the 36th week and then started talking about "life with your newborn twins." I hit 36 weeks and kept on going.


3.) You go in for your weekly check-up and your doctor says, "Why are you still pregnant??!!"


4.) You end up being induced at 38 weeks.


You need to understand something about being pregnant with multiples. Depending on the number of babies you're carrying, "full term" means different things. For twins, 36-37 weeks is considered full term, when for a singleton (one baby) 40 weeks is considered full term. Triplets are "full term" even earlier, etc. So, when I say that I was induced at 38 weeks, understand that I was nearly 2 weeks overdue. Oh, and EVERYONE I knew that had twins had them between 35-36 weeks.

But truthfully, if my biggest complaint is that I had two, healthy, full-term, beautiful baby boys, well, then, I guess I don't have any complaints at all.

Now, that isn't to say that there weren't a few aches and pains along the way. But, for every ache and pain, I found a remedy.

I never had morning sickness, but I did get migraines in a major way. I actually ended up in Urgent Care because they were so bad. However, once I started counting my calories and measuring my water (I'd get really involved in work and forget to eat or drink) I had no problems. I actually felt really good! Then, when I felt a headache coming on, I'd eat something or gulp a bottle of water and *bam* I was all better. Talk about your quick fix.

Another issue I had came a little later in pregnancy. I was getting up a few times a night to use the bathroom (God's way of preparing you for interrupted sleep) and by about month 5, I could barely walk when I first got up. By month 6 I cried out in pain every time I tried to get out of bed and woke up not only to use the bathroom, but to roll over too. My hips and groin were so sore from stretching that I was in a lot of pain. I tried all sorts of things, and then, a month before George and Patrick were born, I found my $12 best friend: the wedge pillow. I'm telling you, the first night I used it, I didn't have any problems getting up. I only wish I'd found it sooner!

The only other "problem" with my pregnancy was really just a vanity issue. Don't get me wrong, it was scary, sad, and frustrating at the time, but really, it was nothing. I got something called Bells Palsy. Long story short, half of my face became paralyzed. There's really no rhyme or reason to it, but pregnant women get it more than anyone else, and I was "lucky" enough to be one of them. My face still isn't 100%, and I still feel a little goofy looking, it is so not a big deal. What was my remedy to this one? To get over it an wait it out. I should be back to normal in about 2 months (6 months total time).

Pregnancy was definitely an adventure and I'm still not convinced it's an adventure I'm interested in taking again, but we'll see. Hopefully the next time is just as easy (in the grand scheme of things) as this one.