Ah, contractions. At the end of almost every pregnancy contractions are a part of the game. Many pregnancies also have false contractions, or Braxton-Hicks, sometime in the late 2nd or 3rd trimesters. I've been experiencing them off and on for the past month, mostly due to a never ending infection. Between the antibiotics and just getting off my feet, I've been able to keep contractions mostly in check. Some days have more contractions than others, but all in all, they are manageable.
As for the heartburn, this is something that I haven't experienced in pregnancy before. Heck, I really don't get heartburn, no matter that I eat! I can count on one hand the number of times I've had heartburn and needed Tums or something like that. In the past week or so, I've been experiencing heartburn after most meals and snacks. I now have a big container of antacids in my purse which goes with me wherever I go. Hey, the added calcium can't be hurting me and the babies, either, right? Not a big deal, just something new to deal with as the babies are growing and making less room for my stomach (and other organs). We've noticed that meals for me have begun to be smaller due to the lack of room in my stomach. This is partially contributing to the more frequent heartburn as I'm eating more often, even if it's smaller amounts.
This brings me to my weight. I officially have more pregnancy weight now at 21 weeks with the twins than I did when I delivered my daughter Natalie at 35 weeks. I've been saying all week that I am about as large now as I was when I had her and the scale proves it! What a crazy feeling!
I've noticed that with the added weight, I'm more tired and have some back pain in the afternoons. I have been taking a nap after work just to get through dinner and bed times. The nap helps with both the fatigue and back aches. It makes sense when you think about it. It's nothing horrible and I'm dealing with it with my nap. (My girls like that I allow them to watch some tv while I nap as well!)
As for the legal stuff, this week I received a large packet from the Agency. Ah, yes, more paperwork! In the State of Minnesota we have this fun/quirky law that basically says that if you birth it, it's legally yours. The State doesn't care that these babies are completely unrelated to me and do not have my genetics whatsoever. The paperwork is to start the legal process so we are all ready to take care of all the legal stuff ASAP once the babies are born and then B & R can have the official documentation they need for their babies.
Shawn and I will have to sign the papers in front of a couple of witnesses and have them sign as well. I think it will be signed and in the mail tomorrow. Here's hoping!
Things are going well. The babies are getting bigger (and are very active!), I'm feeling great overall, and each day brings us closer to meeting B & R's little miracles!
21 weeks 5 days
Very soon you’ll be able to see your feet again, Shawnee. Congratulations in advance! I’m happy to hear that all is going well despite the weight, heartburn, and false contractions. Better watch what and how many times you eat a day for now to avoid unnecessary heartburns.
ReplyDeleteEarnestine Doescher @ U.S. HealthWorks