Week 9 - August 18, 2011

Today we had 2 doctors appointments - first, I got to meet my new obstetrician, Dr. Russo.  We liked her right away and felt really good about the appointment.  To briefly summarize what we found out...with triplets we WILL deliver at Central DuPage Hospital which has a level 3 NICU, we WILL be referred to a Maternal-Fetal specialist, and we WILL deliver by c-section.  All of this was news that we expected to hear, so that was very reassuring.  I should be hearing from the Maternal-Fetal specialists shortly to set up an appointment, but won't see Dr. Russo again for another 4 weeks.  The M-F specialist is an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancies.  They've had an additional 2-3 years of specialized training, and they're the ones who will perform the majority of my additional testing.  It's a relief to know that throughout this process, we'll be closely monitored and well-taken care of...in more ways than one - “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9


In between appointments, we also stopped at a Toyota dealship for our first look at mini-vans.  I was definitely impressed the Sienna...they don't call it a "swagger wagon" for nothing (watch the video below)! We've got more research to do, but it was a good starting point.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ql-N3F1FhW4


Our second appointment was quick & routine - but fun!  We went back to the RE for another ultrasound, and saw that all three babies are healthy and growing!  Heartbeats have increased to 179, 174, and 179 which is right where they should be.  They're measuring between 21.2 and 24.2 mm which puts their "age" between 8 weeks 6 days and 9 weeks 0 days.  They have my due date calculated as March 25, 2012, but of course I won't make it that far.  The average triplets are born at week 32, but they're considered full term at 35-36 weeks.  If I can make it to Valentine's Day, that will be the middle of week 35, so that's my goal.  Maybe we can hold out even longer and hope for leap year babies (as if we need to make things any more complicated!)

The ultrasound pics are amazing - they've grown so much is just 2 weeks!  We were able to see two of the babies moving which was pretty incredible.  We'll have one final appointment with them in two more weeks.