Big babies

My family has a history of big babies.

I was 3 weeks early, and weighed something to the effect of 8 lbs., 5 oz. The older 2 of my brothers were both in the 9 lb. range, and my littlest brother was the runt of the litter, 1 week early and also 8 lbs.

Then we have Oliver. My nephew popped out at 11 lbs. even.

So, we've been watching these babies grow, and measuring them at every ultrasound. 4 weeks ago, they were right about at the 50th percentile, and I was happy to see that it looked like I was going to be birthing more or less small babies.

Well...

The babies grew.

They were supposed to gain about a pound in those 4 weeks. My boy gained 2 pounds, and my girl gained about 1.75.

As of yesterday, I had 7 lbs., 12 oz. of baby in my uterus.

If the babies remain this high above average, I will hit 36 weeks (my earliest safe delivery time) and have 15.5 lbs. of baby in there.

They need to slow down on the whole growing thing. Sheesh.

On the bright side, even via a 2D ultrasound, I could see my little girl already has the chubbiest cheeks, and the plushest lips! So, I guess a little extra weight gain is worth it.

I got hospitalized!

I settled down on the exam room bed, my stomach bare and slathered with warm gel. The doctor rubbed an ultrasound monitor over my belly, and I watched excitedly, hoping to see more of my little girl. Just a few minutes before she had been sucking on her own toes and tasting the amniotic fluid, smacking her plush lips around. My little boy was less exciting, grasping his head and hiding his features from the monitor, like he always does. The only interesting thing he'd done so far was kick his sister in the face.

"Have you been having any contractions?" the doctor asked, moving through the various measurements of the twins.

I shrugged. "Well, my mom was here over the weekend, and she noticed I was. It's funny, when I felt my stomach I could feel how firm it was, but I'm not really sure how to recognize them on my own."

She nodded. "Your uterus typically starts getting ready for the babies about now. Are they regular or more sporadic?"

"I'm not sure. Like I said, I don't know how to recognize them, but my mom was pointing them out to me every few minutes or so. She was really good at it. She could just look at my stomach and see them happening."

That was what I said. What I meant was, "Can you give me some training on how to recognize these things, so that I can track them, and if they become regular I'll call the doctor and get it checked out?"

What she heard was, "I'M HAVING REGULAR CONTRACTIONS EVERY FEW MINUTES AND VERY MOST DEFINITELY GOING INTO PRE-TERM LABOR!!!! TEST ME!!! TEST ME NOW!!!"

After the routine ultrasound had finished, I spent the next 2 hours undergoing a Non Stress Test, followed by a cervical exam and a second, much longer Non Stress Test, during which I got to lay in a bed in the labor and delivery area of the hospital, dressed in an open-backed gown while a nurse shoved various and sundry things up my girliness, and a student from UVU watched with fascination.

They even shined spotlights on my feminine regions. I felt like a star.

The first Non Stress Test showed that the babies were fine, but there were the tiniest of bumps in the contraction monitor, and right when they were about to take it off my belly, I had a large contraction.

Well... sort of large. I actually felt my stomach move under the monitor, but I still didn't feel any shred of discomfort over it, so it actually must have been very small.

Anyway, between the big one and those teeny, tiny bumps at regular intervals, they decided I required further testing.

The results?
 
My babies are not stressed, and I am not in labor.

Now we wait for the bill...