But it was just too much work, so Chase had to take a break on a tree stump while Dad kept going.
Friday, August 20, 2010
and a lawnmower built for two!
While I rested after our traditional Friday night dinner at Las Palmas, Chase went outside to help Daddy mow the yard. Too cute!
But it was just too much work, so Chase had to take a break on a tree stump while Dad kept going.
But it was just too much work, so Chase had to take a break on a tree stump while Dad kept going.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Ever seen an ultrasound like this?
For those not in the world of Facebook (Melissa posted this on Facebook last night), this is what an ultrasound of fraternal triplets looks like at 7.5 weeks. It is a picture of the ultrasound print-out that they gave us, so it's not extremely clear, but you can clearly see the three separate placentas. Pretty cool huh?
Oh, and here's a great picture of Chase from the beach a few weeks ago.
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Appointment Recaps and Future Appointments
Well, we are now "public" with our news about the triplets. We are overwhelmed with the whole situation, including the outpouring of kind words, encouragement and support that we are already getting. We have such a great group of friends and family. This huge support group gives us a lot of comfort in a situation that is not very comfortable (just ask Melissa)!
Among other things on this blog, we will try to keep everyone updated of upcoming appointments. The easiest format for me to track appointments and results looks like this:
9/21/2010: (17.5 weeks) - Planned appt for the developmental ultrasound. This is the one where they will be able to check out the sex of the babies, look at the heart, lungs, etc.
8/24/2010: (13.5 weeks) - Planned appt for standard consult. Probably will take a quick peak at the babies on ultrasound and talk about how things are going.
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8/10/2010: (11.5 weeks) - Standard check-up with Dr Strauss. Full ultrasound. Everything looks good with both Melissa and the babies.
7/21/2010: (8.5 weeks) - First appt at UNC. Dr Strauss. On ultrasound, we saw all three babies heartbeats and actually watched them each move. Mostly a consultative appt. Dr Strauss helped us better understand what to expect throughout the pregnancy. Very overwhelming, but Dr Strauss had a great way of putting us at ease.
7/13/2010 (7.5 weeks) - Initial appt with Centre OBGYN. Initial ultrasound. Discover triplets. Were referred to UNC Maternal Fetal Specialist group.
Among other things on this blog, we will try to keep everyone updated of upcoming appointments. The easiest format for me to track appointments and results looks like this:
9/21/2010: (17.5 weeks) - Planned appt for the developmental ultrasound. This is the one where they will be able to check out the sex of the babies, look at the heart, lungs, etc.
8/24/2010: (13.5 weeks) - Planned appt for standard consult. Probably will take a quick peak at the babies on ultrasound and talk about how things are going.
------------------------------------------------------------------
8/10/2010: (11.5 weeks) - Standard check-up with Dr Strauss. Full ultrasound. Everything looks good with both Melissa and the babies.
7/21/2010: (8.5 weeks) - First appt at UNC. Dr Strauss. On ultrasound, we saw all three babies heartbeats and actually watched them each move. Mostly a consultative appt. Dr Strauss helped us better understand what to expect throughout the pregnancy. Very overwhelming, but Dr Strauss had a great way of putting us at ease.
7/13/2010 (7.5 weeks) - Initial appt with Centre OBGYN. Initial ultrasound. Discover triplets. Were referred to UNC Maternal Fetal Specialist group.
Interesting stats and random comments
Written on 8/14/2010...posted on 8/17/2010:
• For a mother of triplets, at 24 weeks along, the uterus is the size of a “singleton” uterus at 36 weeks.
• 92% of triplets are born before 37 weeks compared to only 10% of singletons (and 57% of twins).
• For a woman who has already given birth at least once, the odds of delivering before 30 weeks is only one fourth that of a woman for whom a triplet pregnancy is her first. Said differently, Melissa, having given birth before, is 3 times more likely to carry past 30 weeks than if she had not given birth before.
• Average birth weight for triplets is 4 pounds, compared to 7.5 pounds for singletons (and about 5.5 pounds for twins).
• Identical or fraternal? Our triplets are fraternal. Even very early on, we can confirm this on the ultrasound because each of the fetuses are clearly in their own sacs (placentas).
• Femara, not IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) – Femara is an oral medication that is actually a breast cancer drug, but one side effect is that it is a potent stimulator of ovulation. So, it is also used as an infertility drug. Melissa’s ovulation cycle was sporadic, so she was prescribed Femara for two cycles when we conceived our triplets. We did not do IVF, which is a process by which they harvest the female’s eggs, fertilize them with the male’s sperm outside of the womb, and then “implant” them back into the uterus. With IVF, they sometimes implant multiple eggs with the hope that one will successfully “take”. Most triplets are the result of IVF.
• The birth rate for “higher order” multiples (3 or more babies) is one in 584 pregnancies…this is significantly higher than in 1975 when it was one in 2,950…this is due to two things: 1) infertility treatments have become far more successful and 2) women are having children later in life. Women ages 35-40 are three times more likely to have multiples than women ages 20-25.
• C-section? Yes, with triplets, Melissa will have a C-section when the time comes. That is pretty much required with triplets, and considered much safer than vaginal birth in the case of triplets. She did not have a C-section with Chase, so we’re new to that concept.
• For a mother of triplets, at 24 weeks along, the uterus is the size of a “singleton” uterus at 36 weeks.
• 92% of triplets are born before 37 weeks compared to only 10% of singletons (and 57% of twins).
• For a woman who has already given birth at least once, the odds of delivering before 30 weeks is only one fourth that of a woman for whom a triplet pregnancy is her first. Said differently, Melissa, having given birth before, is 3 times more likely to carry past 30 weeks than if she had not given birth before.
• Average birth weight for triplets is 4 pounds, compared to 7.5 pounds for singletons (and about 5.5 pounds for twins).
• Identical or fraternal? Our triplets are fraternal. Even very early on, we can confirm this on the ultrasound because each of the fetuses are clearly in their own sacs (placentas).
• Femara, not IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) – Femara is an oral medication that is actually a breast cancer drug, but one side effect is that it is a potent stimulator of ovulation. So, it is also used as an infertility drug. Melissa’s ovulation cycle was sporadic, so she was prescribed Femara for two cycles when we conceived our triplets. We did not do IVF, which is a process by which they harvest the female’s eggs, fertilize them with the male’s sperm outside of the womb, and then “implant” them back into the uterus. With IVF, they sometimes implant multiple eggs with the hope that one will successfully “take”. Most triplets are the result of IVF.
• The birth rate for “higher order” multiples (3 or more babies) is one in 584 pregnancies…this is significantly higher than in 1975 when it was one in 2,950…this is due to two things: 1) infertility treatments have become far more successful and 2) women are having children later in life. Women ages 35-40 are three times more likely to have multiples than women ages 20-25.
• C-section? Yes, with triplets, Melissa will have a C-section when the time comes. That is pretty much required with triplets, and considered much safer than vaginal birth in the case of triplets. She did not have a C-section with Chase, so we’re new to that concept.
60-80 pounds…are you freaking kidding me?!?!?!
Written on 8/12/2010...posted on 8/17/2010:
Most of you reading this blog probably know Melissa and I (or at least one of us) pretty well. For those that do, you can probably imagine what the first couple of days must be like after finding out that we’re having triplets. The panic officially set in and we figured that we had to figure out every issue that can possibly come up in the next 10 years with 4 children! In all seriousness, we have gotten way ahead of ourselves in the planning for these triplets. We’ve done lots of research on the internet; starting reading books…we’ve already been talking to another couple who has triplets (more on them later). One of the first things Melissa found on the internet is that, with triplets, the Mom is expected to gain 60-80 pounds. Holy s*&^*!! Are you kidding me? That’s like gaining a 10 year old! This information sent Melissa into a total panic. At 7 ½ weeks, she had only gained 3 pounds. 3 down, 57+ to go! Well, it turns out that the doctor wants her to gain 50-60 pounds. That’s seems more achievable than 60-80, but still, that’s a lot of eating over the next 6 months or so.
Speaking of the next 6 months, another obvious question that we had for the doctor was the due date, and how long she should actually expect to go. Well, the official due date is Feb 26th, 2011, but obviously she won’t make it that long. On average, mothers of triplets deliver at 32 weeks. That’s just an average of course. Factors such as the woman’s pre-pregnancy weight, previous child births, the woman’s age, the woman’s physical condition, her activity level throughout the pregnancy, her total weight gain, etc all have an impact on the term of the pregnancy. All things considered, we are hopeful that Melissa can make it to 34 weeks. That’s the goal. And when I say goal, I mean everything that Melissa and I do for the next 6 months has an objective of getting her to 34 weeks. The longer the babies stay in there, the better! So, 34 weeks is January 15th. As an aside, 34 weeks is not only the goal, it’s actually considered full term for triplets. Multiples actually mature quicker in the womb than singletons do…I guess it’s the body’s way of knowing that 40 weeks is not realistic so they really do develop quicker. They are still really tiny, but they do develop quicker.
Most of you reading this blog probably know Melissa and I (or at least one of us) pretty well. For those that do, you can probably imagine what the first couple of days must be like after finding out that we’re having triplets. The panic officially set in and we figured that we had to figure out every issue that can possibly come up in the next 10 years with 4 children! In all seriousness, we have gotten way ahead of ourselves in the planning for these triplets. We’ve done lots of research on the internet; starting reading books…we’ve already been talking to another couple who has triplets (more on them later). One of the first things Melissa found on the internet is that, with triplets, the Mom is expected to gain 60-80 pounds. Holy s*&^*!! Are you kidding me? That’s like gaining a 10 year old! This information sent Melissa into a total panic. At 7 ½ weeks, she had only gained 3 pounds. 3 down, 57+ to go! Well, it turns out that the doctor wants her to gain 50-60 pounds. That’s seems more achievable than 60-80, but still, that’s a lot of eating over the next 6 months or so.
Speaking of the next 6 months, another obvious question that we had for the doctor was the due date, and how long she should actually expect to go. Well, the official due date is Feb 26th, 2011, but obviously she won’t make it that long. On average, mothers of triplets deliver at 32 weeks. That’s just an average of course. Factors such as the woman’s pre-pregnancy weight, previous child births, the woman’s age, the woman’s physical condition, her activity level throughout the pregnancy, her total weight gain, etc all have an impact on the term of the pregnancy. All things considered, we are hopeful that Melissa can make it to 34 weeks. That’s the goal. And when I say goal, I mean everything that Melissa and I do for the next 6 months has an objective of getting her to 34 weeks. The longer the babies stay in there, the better! So, 34 weeks is January 15th. As an aside, 34 weeks is not only the goal, it’s actually considered full term for triplets. Multiples actually mature quicker in the womb than singletons do…I guess it’s the body’s way of knowing that 40 weeks is not realistic so they really do develop quicker. They are still really tiny, but they do develop quicker.
Did you say “Three”???? Oh my God!!!!
Written on 8/2/2010...posted on 8/17/2010:
So, where do I begin? A few weeks ago, on Monday, 7/12, Chase turned 2 years old. On Tuesday, 7/13, Melissa had a doctor’s appt at the OBGYN for the first ultrasound of the new pregnancy. After some difficulty getting pregnant over the last 6 months or so, she had finally gotten good news from the “pee-stick” so we were going to the OBGYN in order to hopefully confirm everything and get a first glimpse of the heart beat. Because of the difficulties getting pregnant, and the miscarriage from last year, we were both a little nervous about the appointment. After about a 10 minute wait the nurse escorted us back to the ultrasound room. The ultrasound tech came in and started to do her thing. I was holding Chase, so the three of us had our eyes glued to the 20 inch flat screen on the wall (times have changed at the OB’s office, even since Chase was born). For those of you who have never had the privilege of seeing a live ultrasound, especially in the first trimester, laypeople (like us) really has no idea what they’re looking at. It really does seem like you’re looking for a lost ring at the bottom of a murky lake (yes, I’ve done that…you can’t see anything down there). Anyway, the ultrasound tech does her thing and after 30 seconds or so, she casually says “Melissa, is this your first ultrasound?” This is not what we wanted to hear. Both of us made the assumption that meant she couldn’t find a heartbeat. Our hearts sunk just a little. Melissa responded with one word…”yes”. There was silence for what seemed like 60 seconds…it was probably more like 6 seconds. Then the ultrasound tech said “Have you been on fertility drugs?” Six simple words and our lives had taken a drastic turn. It was obvious now that our original concern about finding a heartbeat was not the issue. It was now more like how many heartbeats. Melissa responded with one word again…“Femara”. Femara is a prescription drug that helps regulate the ovulation cycle in women. More on that later, but the Ultrasound tech obviously knows all about Femara. According to the doctor who prescribed it, Femara has a multiple pregnancy rate of 2% - 4% (for those familiar with it, that’s compared to 7% - 10% for Clomid). So, we knew that there was a small chance of twins, so when the ultrasound tech asked about fertility drugs, we figured she meant twins, and were not floored…yet. I “calmly” asked her what she meant by that question. “Are you saying that you see twins? Or…exactly what are you saying?” She hesitated for, again, what seemed to be several minutes. Finally she uttered “I see three”. OK, now we were officially floored. Yes, TRIPLETS!! I really do wish I had a picture of our faces in that moment to capture it. Over the next few minutes (as we somehow tried to absorb this information), the ultrasound tech measured all three and eventually got one picture with all three in the same picture. Unbelievable!!
Ever since that moment, we have been in something that I would call a mix of surreal joy and utter panic. It still doesn’t seem real. This kind of stuff happens to other people right? The thoughts that run through your head when you find this kind of information out are crazy. Health concerns is at the top of the list obviously…for both Melissa and the babies. Financial concerns. Automobile concerns. Some of Melissa’s first words after hearing this news were “I guess I’m going to have to get that mini-van after all”. Turns out, we’re not even sure a minivan is big enough for 4 car seats, a couple of strollers and all the gear that you need with 4 children under the age of 3 (see, you hadn’t thought about that yet had you)!
Life has certainly taken a unique twist for us. Twist…who am I kidding? It took a hard banked turn at about 3 G-forces! In a nutshell, all we knew leaving that doctor’s appointment on 7/13 was that we would probably be referred out to either Duke or UNC Hospital since Rex doesn’t deliver triplets. The three babies measured 7 weeks and 3 days (A), 7 weeks and 3 days (B) and 7 weeks and 1 day (C). That was a great sign, as that means they are all developing at an even pace, which is a very good thing. Albeit very early on, our triplets seem to be developing well and seem very healthy.
So, where do I begin? A few weeks ago, on Monday, 7/12, Chase turned 2 years old. On Tuesday, 7/13, Melissa had a doctor’s appt at the OBGYN for the first ultrasound of the new pregnancy. After some difficulty getting pregnant over the last 6 months or so, she had finally gotten good news from the “pee-stick” so we were going to the OBGYN in order to hopefully confirm everything and get a first glimpse of the heart beat. Because of the difficulties getting pregnant, and the miscarriage from last year, we were both a little nervous about the appointment. After about a 10 minute wait the nurse escorted us back to the ultrasound room. The ultrasound tech came in and started to do her thing. I was holding Chase, so the three of us had our eyes glued to the 20 inch flat screen on the wall (times have changed at the OB’s office, even since Chase was born). For those of you who have never had the privilege of seeing a live ultrasound, especially in the first trimester, laypeople (like us) really has no idea what they’re looking at. It really does seem like you’re looking for a lost ring at the bottom of a murky lake (yes, I’ve done that…you can’t see anything down there). Anyway, the ultrasound tech does her thing and after 30 seconds or so, she casually says “Melissa, is this your first ultrasound?” This is not what we wanted to hear. Both of us made the assumption that meant she couldn’t find a heartbeat. Our hearts sunk just a little. Melissa responded with one word…”yes”. There was silence for what seemed like 60 seconds…it was probably more like 6 seconds. Then the ultrasound tech said “Have you been on fertility drugs?” Six simple words and our lives had taken a drastic turn. It was obvious now that our original concern about finding a heartbeat was not the issue. It was now more like how many heartbeats. Melissa responded with one word again…“Femara”. Femara is a prescription drug that helps regulate the ovulation cycle in women. More on that later, but the Ultrasound tech obviously knows all about Femara. According to the doctor who prescribed it, Femara has a multiple pregnancy rate of 2% - 4% (for those familiar with it, that’s compared to 7% - 10% for Clomid). So, we knew that there was a small chance of twins, so when the ultrasound tech asked about fertility drugs, we figured she meant twins, and were not floored…yet. I “calmly” asked her what she meant by that question. “Are you saying that you see twins? Or…exactly what are you saying?” She hesitated for, again, what seemed to be several minutes. Finally she uttered “I see three”. OK, now we were officially floored. Yes, TRIPLETS!! I really do wish I had a picture of our faces in that moment to capture it. Over the next few minutes (as we somehow tried to absorb this information), the ultrasound tech measured all three and eventually got one picture with all three in the same picture. Unbelievable!!
Ever since that moment, we have been in something that I would call a mix of surreal joy and utter panic. It still doesn’t seem real. This kind of stuff happens to other people right? The thoughts that run through your head when you find this kind of information out are crazy. Health concerns is at the top of the list obviously…for both Melissa and the babies. Financial concerns. Automobile concerns. Some of Melissa’s first words after hearing this news were “I guess I’m going to have to get that mini-van after all”. Turns out, we’re not even sure a minivan is big enough for 4 car seats, a couple of strollers and all the gear that you need with 4 children under the age of 3 (see, you hadn’t thought about that yet had you)!
Life has certainly taken a unique twist for us. Twist…who am I kidding? It took a hard banked turn at about 3 G-forces! In a nutshell, all we knew leaving that doctor’s appointment on 7/13 was that we would probably be referred out to either Duke or UNC Hospital since Rex doesn’t deliver triplets. The three babies measured 7 weeks and 3 days (A), 7 weeks and 3 days (B) and 7 weeks and 1 day (C). That was a great sign, as that means they are all developing at an even pace, which is a very good thing. Albeit very early on, our triplets seem to be developing well and seem very healthy.
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