Progress Isn't Always a Good Thing!

Well, I went to my doctor today and got some disappointing news. Though I still have a cervical length of 1.3 cm, I am dilated 2.3 cm. The last three weeks have shown consistent progression towards delivery, so it appears that the babies will be arriving some time in the next two weeks.

We're not sure exactly what has caused things to change so much, but my doctors aren't surprised. This is not too uncommon with triplets, given all the weight and other stressors. My contractions haven't been any more frequent; however, I did have a lot more pain on Monday. I woke up with severe back, side, and stomach pain that persisted throughout the day. By evening, it had localized in my stomach, but they gave me some pain medicine to help. This, like most of my other symptoms, has been attributed to a "normal" triplet pregnancy.

My body is acting up a little bit, but the babies are very well behaved. They're safe and sound in my big oven. I gained 7 pounds last week, putting me at 12 total over the last few weeks. The babies are also gaining, with their most recent measurements putting them each at a weight of approximately 3 1/4 pounds.

On a positive note, we have reached Week 30. This provides us with a little bit of comfort, but we probably won't be satisfied with anything less than 34. I also received one last steroid shot today as a "rescue dosage." This means that it will help reinforce the last dose - to help give the babies one extra helping hand toward developing their lungs before they are born.

Keith left work early today and came to the hospital late morning to help comfort me during this stressful time. In the afternoon, my sister-in-law, Negeen, brought her two daughters here to cheer me up. Though I had to lie down the entire time, it definitely lifted my spirits and provided a pleasant distraction from the day's, otherwise, unpleasant events.

Avery arrived with a gift in hand and said "Here. To help make you happy. You are sad." She was so sweet and her words warmed my heart. Later, when I stood up to use the restroom, we got a quick shot of her kissing the babies. We also have a picture to put the size of my belly in perspective - me hiding behind Keith with nothing but my stomach showing. Crazy!

We're hoping to make it a couple more weeks for the sake of our new little Melkers. Please keep us in your prayers over the coming weeks as I try to stay rested and hold in these babies.

Growing and Shrinking

Tuesday's appointment showed healthy growing babies. Unfortunately it also showed a shrinking cervical length. Up to this point I was trying to spare you from too much detail but it is difficult to explain the situation without going more in depth.

With a cervix measuring 1.8 cm in length, we are somewhat concerned that things are progressing more quickly than we'd like. However, a month ago it measured around 2.2-2.5 and managed to increase back up to 3.5 cm so it is hard to tell what is really happening as the cervix is dynamic. I am praying to make it to 30 weeks which is this Sunday and will be anxious for next Tuesday's appointment to see if it was just the timing of the measurement or if things are progressing.

My doctor says that cervix alone is not telling enough to know when these babies will arrive and he wouldn't be surprised if I did make it another 4, 5 or 6 weeks. I was not too surprised to see the change as I am certainly feeling the weight and the pressure, however, it was kind of surprising since my contractions haven't increased in number and we thought that it was going to be the contractions that caused us the most trouble. That being said, I do have 2-8 contractions an hour every day and that could certainly be affecting things. At this point I am doing all I can do to keep these babies in so we just have to wait and see what happens. In regards to my many discomforts, it seems like almost every night I say to Keith, "I just don't know" and he always understands what I mean and replies, "You can do it."

On a lighter note, Keith's sister and her family moved back to Oklahoma after 3 years in Thailand. We are thrilled to have them back. Though it was getting late we decided we need to snap a picture for the blog. You can see from our sleeping nieces in the picture on the left that the jet lag has not yet worn off.

The babies have discovered my ribs and seem to have no problem fighting against them for more room. Our little Baby Boy "B" now has his head next to Baby Girl "A"s head after spending a few weeks snuggling with his other sister. He has relocated to the very surface of my stomach allowing me to feel his every move (previously I felt him the least). I spend a lot of time on my left side as I should mostly because of the location of the TV and to use my right hand for writing, typing, etc. And because of this I often rest my right arm against my stomach and Baby Boy "B" is sure to kick or bump me to let me know that he wants his space too. This week he gave us a good view of his face as did his sister, Baby Girl "C", who has her hand near her cheek in the top left corner of the second picture.

Week 29!

This weekend my sister-in-law, Negeen, did the "29 Week dance" for us. Last weekend the on-call doctor, who happens to be Negeen's doctor, did the "28 Week dance." So, be careful if you visit us on a Sunday or you may be called upon to do the honors.

Last week the babies were right on track, weighing in at:
2 lbs, 11 oz. - Baby Girl A
2 lbs, 10 oz. - Baby Boy B
2 lbs, 11 oz. - Baby Girl C

This week the babies should all reach 3 pounds, which will take them out of the micro-preemie range - oh, how great that is! We are still hopeful for a 2008 birth date and that this will not be our babies' first Christmas. We got a couple of good sonogram pictures last week. Baby Girl "C" proudly showed us her profile as usual and we found out that Baby Boy "B" and Baby Girl "C" have their heads together at the top of my tummy.

Keith and I refer to me as his "Big Girl/Baby" and that I am. I have some new equipment around my room to help accommodate my inability to accomplish everyday tasks and to avoid strenuous "activity." I now have an orthopedic trapeze above my bed to help me get up without straining or using my abdominal muscles. I also have a bath seat and now have foot pumps in addition to my usual T.E.D. Hose to help prevent blood clots. Two of my nieces visited today and had fun playing on the trapeze bar as shown below.

And the foot pumps that I wear, though not as fun as depicted in the image below, aren't too bad:

Week 28!

Today is a big day for us as we have made it to Week 28. Though still not an ideal birth week, 28 weeks is an important milestone in the triplet world. I have been on hospital bed rest for just over a month and hope to be in this bed 4 and even 8 weeks from now. It is not the lying around that's difficult, it's the pain and discomforts. As the belly picture to the left proves, our babies are growing and so am I. I've heard during my entire pregnancy that I'm "not that big" but surely no one would say that now!

As they grow Keith and I get to experience new developments with the babies. As of a few weeks ago I began feeling their hiccups which can be felt from the outside too. I was wondering what the rhythmic movement was and happened to read about it a few days later. It hadn't dawned on me but, duh, of course that's what it is! We can also feel their little limbs and body parts at times from the outside which is really neat. Last weekend the babies were having a party, moving like crazy, and Keith spent some time playing "You're It" with the babies. Not really but it certainly seemed like it with the way they would touch and kick back. The most vivid contact for Keith was when Baby Girl C softly but firmly brushed her hand against his.

Since I have been here five weekends I have met all of the doctors who are a part of my doctors' rotation group so come delivery day, no matter who is on call or who assists my doctor, I will know who they are. I am now taking an Iron supplement to prevent anemia and having daily Protein shakes to assist in the babies' growth but other than that my routine is the same.

As far as we know, things are relatively stable so the countdown thankfully continues. During Tuesday's sonogram we will get an update on the babies' weight and development and my progression, or hopefully lack of.

Amazing Husband

This week started out quite rough. I wasn't feeling well on Monday and that evening my contractions picked up a bit, were more intense and were accompanied by cramping, never a good sign. My doctor had already been considering giving me steroid shots at 26 weeks (which was Sunday) to help the babies' lungs development in case they arrive earlier than 28-29 weeks and with these changes she decided to proceed. Then, Tuesday's sonogram showed some cervical changes that were cause for concern, though still not telling of exactly when the babies would make their appearance.

I received a shot two nights in a row with Keith by my side to hold my hand. Yes, I am still a wimp. Tuesday wasn't much better but by Thursday I was feeling better. My uterus is now expanding into my ribs which can be quite painful. However, the babies aren't quite able to reach my ribs with their little limbs yet. My doctor said on Tuesday that the babies are each over 2 pounds, which is great! My stomach is now the size it would be during a singleton pregnancy at 37 weeks along confirming that my discomforts are legitimate.

Keith continues to be an amazing husband during this process, visiting me every evening, spending full days with me on the weekends, constantly getting things for me and making my time here easier. For Thanksgiving we had planned on having my mom over for a store- or restaurant-bought meal. I was truly content with this but Keith had another idea. He fooled me into thinking he worked late on Wednesday and slept in on Thursday. I quickly realized I was wrong when he walked in the door greeting me and my mom with a large bag and picnic basket.

He had spent all afternoon the day before and Thanksgiving morning cooking turkey, gravy, sweet potatoes, tabouli (a Melker tradition), cranberry sauce and apple crisp - all from scratch! He also brought stuffing and pumpkin pie. Man, were my mom and I spoiled! I truly feel blessed to have a husband that is not only excited about three babies all at once (I don't think all men would be), but is also loving and giving during my current helpless state. I am truly blessed!

The Melker Weigh-in

The babies and I were weighed this week and everyone is growing well. I am 161 pounds and still trying to pack on the weight for the babies. My triplet book said that it is important to gain most of the pregnancy weight by Week 24 because after that it is extremely difficult to meet the metabolic demands of three growing babies. And research shows that the weight gained before Week 24 has a greater effect on triplets' rate of growth than the weight gained later in pregnancy. Despite my smooshed stomach and complete distaste for most foods (I am so over eating!), I am still trying to get the calories in there and eat often. However, having three babies fatten up at the same time makes it hard to keep up!

The babies are getting their fair share though and on Tuesday weighed in at:
1 lb, 12 oz.- Baby Girl A (50th percentile)
1 lb, 14 oz. - Baby Boy B (Our little basketball player?)
1 lb, 10 oz. - Baby Girl C (Our "baby girl?")

Both girls gave me a good yawn on the sonogram while our little boy was hiding and harder to see this week. He didn't feel like competing with the girls for attention!

A Day in Ante-partum Life

Everyone has been asking me, "What do you do all day?" So, here's what a typical day in the hospital looks like for me as an ante-partum patient:

7:15/8:15 - Wake-up and have my blood pressure taken
8:30 - Order breakfast and get "ready" for the day
9:00 - Eat breakfast and watch the Today Show
9:30-10:30 - The nurse monitors contractions and babies' heart rates for an hour, administers my meds
10:30 - Watch TV, read or talk on the phone, eat a snack
11:30 - More of the above and/or have visitors
12:00-1:00 - Order and eat lunch, watch Martha
1:00-3:00 - Internet, catch up on missed primetime shows online or read
3:00 - Watch Ellen, eat another snack
4:00 - Watch Oprah, take more meds
5:00 - Internet, TV or reading
6:00-7:00 - Order and eat dinner, flip through TV channels
7:30-8:00 - Keith arrives (hopefully)
8:00/8:30 - Another hour of my nurse monitoring contractions and babies' heart rates (miss primetime shows)
9:00 - Shower (if I didn't get to before monitoring) and get ready for bed, eat yet another snack (can you tell I'm not enjoying food these days?)
10:00 - Take more meds
10:00/10:30 - Keith goes home and I go to bed
4:00 am - Wake up to take meds

Throw in a bathroom break every 20-45 minutes and having my blood pressure/temperature taken every 4-6 hours and that's about it! As you can see a day of nothing can fill up pretty quickly. And my new best friends, Martha, Ellen and Oprah, help keep me entertained and informed about the outside world. The worst part of my day is at night because I am exhausted, achy, contracting a lot, frustrated, experiencing back pain and restless legs, etc., but it is also the best part of my day because Keith visits.

We are now taking belly shots weekly. For Week 25 we thought we'd get a shot straight on and it turned out looking a lot bigger than I thought I would. It may be hard to tell but my belly button is at least an inch off center to my right.

Here to Stay

My first day in the hospital was a stressful one though I may have hid that a bit in my last entry. I was first admitted to labor and delivery for monitoring and I was contracting more than the doctors would like to see. After a few hours of trying to get them to slow down using meds, Keith made a short trip home to pack up some things for me. During his time away, I had a visit from a neo-natologist (NICU doctor) about the risks and complications of having babies born at 23 weeks. I also had a visit from an anesthesiologist to sign paperwork. I just wanted to tell everyone, "We're not doing this now!" It was very scary and troubling to hear about having to resuscitate our babies, etc. though I know they just had to send everyone to speak with me as a part of their checklist. The nurse also monitored the babies' heart rates for a few hours and thankfully they looked great and showed no signs of stress.

My contractions eventually spread out enough to show I wasn't in pre-term labor and before midnight I was transferred to the ante-partum unit - basically the wing of the hospital where expecting mom's grow their babies until they are ready to arrive or as long as possible.

Today marks the first of what I hope will be many weeks at the hospital. What does my day look like? Well, I am monitored for contractions for at least 30 minutes twice each day along with the babies' heart rates. After a week of monitoring and an exam yesterday, my doctors have decided that it is best for me to stay in the hospital on bed rest until the babies arrive. At this point I am allowed to get up by myself to take bathroom breaks and can take wheelchair rides and participate in occasional ante-partum social activities (which happen weekly or biweekly). Even though I have between two and six contractions an hour, sometimes more, my exam and sonogram yesterday showed that they are not causing me to progress at this point which is very good. My doctor thinks I have 4-6 weeks before the babies arrive, if not more. We can't be sure and only time will tell. Sunday was a big day for us because we reached 24 weeks which is the point where babies reach viability and their chances of surviving go up significantly, though not without a fight and possible long-term complications. Each week and even each day is vital to their chances of survival and good health and the closer we can get to week 36, no matter how uncomfortable for me, the better.

I keep having to remind myself that their birthday is preordained and I use this scripture as a reminder to bring our babies and my worries for them to the Lord each day:

Then little children were brought to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them.
Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me… for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.
- Matthew 19:13-14; Mark 10:13-16

These precious preemie sleepers were given to us as a gift and I have them hanging in my room as inspiration to rest and eat so they can fill them out when they are born! Here's a picture of me reaching our first triplet milestone - 24 weeks!

Hospital Monitoring

Today I went to the doctor and there were some indicators that have been trending in a not so favorable direction, so I have been admitted to the hospital for monitoring. The babies are also being monitored and are doing well and do not show signs of being under any stress. They are watching me for contractions and at this point they are more frequent than we had hoped but not enough to be pre-term labor.

However, with this being a high-risk multiple pregnancy, they are being extra cautious to make sure that I do not go into pre-term labor. I am taking medication every six hours to help everything relax and hoping that it is enough to do the job and that I won't need anymore preventative treatment. This is all common with a triplet pregnancy but since everyone is so different it is difficult to determine what is "normal" and what is a cause for concern.

Please keep us in your prayers and we will keep you updated.

Baby Showers

We are so thankful for our friends and family who have showered us with love, support and such generous gifts to help us prepare for our little ones' arrival. Thank you to the hostesses and all who have so graciously supported us.

"House Arrest"

At yesterday's appointment, just before week 23, I found out that I am now to go on "house arrest" which is modified bed rest. This means that I am to stay at home and can only leave the house for doctor's appointments and short trips if absolutely necessary. I can still do things around the house as long as I am resting most of the time either sitting up or laying down. The doctors are not overly concerned, rather this is a precautionary measure and is standard with triplet pregnancies. I may also start using a home monitoring system so I can be watched more closely for contractions and signs of pre-term labor.

When my Perinatologist asked if I was ready for this, I told him that I didn't care if I was ready or not and that I will do anything necessary for these babies. Keith feels the same way and he is being very protective of us all and is taking great care of us.

We did get a great sonogram picture of Baby Girl "C's" face so I will be sure to post it as soon as I get it scanned in. We greatly appreciate those of you who are praying for us and our three little ones.

Babies' Nursery

Last week, Keith and I began the meticulous project of painting the nursery. I mapped out the design and picked the colors (green, pink and chocolate) and Keith and I purchased the appropriate paint. Friday evening we taped the back wall for stripes which was a very detailed task, using the measuring stick and level. I knew Keith was going to start painting after I went to bed but I had no idea he was going to paint all of the walls and majority of the stripes until 6 in the morning! He knew it was important to get it done so it could dry properly before he could re-tape and paint the chocolate stripes on Sunday evening. What a great husband!

I spent that evening and two of the next three evenings touching up and perfecting the stripes while Keith assembled the cribs, one each night. It was quite a process, but as you can see from the pictures, we succeeded at our mission. And since Keith had a few more sleep hours to spare (ha!) he decided to assemble his new Weber gas grill - a graduation gift from his parents.

Practice makes perfect

This weekend Keith and I attended our second of two full-day Multiples classes at the hospital where we will be delivering. Seven hours straight of learning about birth and babies is a long time but I do realize that it is not even a drop in the bucket to having them 24:7. We received some good paperwork and tips including everything from how to get gas out of your system after having a c-section to learning unique ways to hold your baby. We did receive a brief swaddling lesson and, as you can see below, Keith and I practiced our skills at home. Hey, they say that practice makes perfect and if you can swaddle a 140-lb pregnant woman then surely you can successfully and securely swaddle a baby.

I am growing quickly but I've now learned that it's not quickly enough. After spending time reading a highly acclaimed and recommended multiples book written by a doctor and nutritionist I have learned that I have gained less than half the weight that I should have gained by this time in my pregnancy and am drinking just over half of the amount of water that I should be drinking. This book recommends that triplet mother-to-be's eat a whopping 4,000 calories a day and drink 128 ounces of water a day! I'm lucky to get 2,500 calories and that includes eating a healthy bowl of ice cream each day too! The urgency is that, in a nutshell, after 24-28 weeks it is impossible for triplet mothers to eat the amount of calories to meet their babies' metabolic demand so it is crucial to have all of that nutrition stored up in your body. And a good nutritional program can be the cause for babies that are a pound heavier and babies that don't need much time in NICU. Needless to say, I am now stuffing myself appropriately and uncomfortably and should start expanding quickly. I've decided to include my last somewhat-slim picture of myself because, if all goes well, I will be expanding around the rest of my body too - not just my belly. The book even wants me to measure my upper-arm circumference to make sure it's expanding appropriately. Who knew there was ever a reason to purposefully try to make your arms fatter? Well, for healthy babies, I will do anything.

X-Rated!

This week's doctor's appointment confirmed the sexes and we have a picture of our little boy to prove it (left). Everyone kept me entertained as I watched them move in my womb. Baby Girl "A" gave me a good view of her little face while Baby Girl "C" showed me her face and profile even though she was preoccupied with hiccups. Baby Boy "B" gave me the best show of all. Proving that he is chilled out just like his daddy, he was all stretched out lying on his back with his feet in the air resting against the placenta and we even caught him yawning on camera! He might as well have had a cold drink one hand and the remote in the other watching a football game because he sure looked comfy. In fact he was using his sister's chest as his pillow!

I have started to feel them move but not the "butterfly" feeling that has been described to me by other mothers. Instead, with their crowded surroundings, the babies feel more like little popcorn popping and bubbles bursting and I noticeably saw a bump protrude from my stomach a few days ago - we think it was someone's bottom or legs. I've got a little more baby on my left side so my tummy is a little uneven.

Per doctor's orders to get more daily calories (3,000 to be exact), I have added Chocolate Ensure drinks and Blue Bell ice cream milk shakes to my diet. Definitely the toughest part of my pregnancy!

As for what I am doing for just me, I have started taking prenatal yoga classes which I love and am active in my neighborhood's women's bible study which has wonderful teachings and a great group of women.

(Pictured below: Front left side of A's face, B chilled out and yawning, C's profile)

It's a..., It's a..., It's a...

We are thrilled to have found out that we are having 2 GIRLS and 1 BOY!

We are really excited and at an early 16 weeks all babies are developing on schedule and looking good. The babies are essentially in a triangle right now with one baby's head at another's feet, etc. and the girls, Babies "A" and "C", are cuddling forehead to forehead with one set of feet near the boy's head and the other set of girl feet at the boy's feet. (Our doctor said they are already plotting against their brother!) He's happy to have his own space though!!

My mom was with us at the doctor's office to receive the news and while Keith went to work to celebrate on the job I celebrated with my nieces and a few family members afterwards at our house. And of course I incorporated chocolate into the announcement! (P.S., our niece, Avery, is excited about the cupcakes, not the news. Rightfully so!)