Shawnee: Surrogate and Contortionist Extraordinaire!

A couple of days ago I passed into the land of "late pregnancy" and was greeted with the place of uncomfortableness. I haven't gone all the way to "get these kids out of me" but am at the place where I'm changing positions every 5 minutes. Today's ultrasound showed us why this is happening.

Let me fill you in on what I mean by "uncomfortable" first, then I will explain what is happening.

With my big belly, I'm feeling a lot of the baby weight rather low in my abdomen. No, this is not "pressure" and no, it's not contractions that I'm experiencing. It's purely baby weight and gravity that I'm fighting.

On top of that, I've been experiencing some massive foot jabbing in my left rib for the last couple days. I've been begging Cohen to change positions just a little as this foot hurts! In fact, Cohen was moving with large movements so much that the left side of my belly was significantly bigger than my right. I told my husband that I wouldn't be too surprised if at the ultrasound they told me that Cohen flipped again, he was moving so much!

At today's ultrasound, we found out that both babies are still head down. Brady has been low on the right. We've known that for a couple of months. However, as the tech was checking his body, she discovered that while his head is low and to the right, his fanny is up really high kind of in the middle. That's not the issue though. Brady isn't content curled up in a fetal position, oh no. His foot (feet?) are way over on my left side under my ribs! All this time I thought that Cohen was the troublemaker under my left ribs and here it is Brady! Man, can that kid push on my ribs!

Cohen apparently doesn't like Brady on "his" side and is presently sitting on Brady's foot! When the tech looked with the ultrasound, she saw lots of feet and a couple of fannies in a very small space under my left rib. 

Cohen is facing in toward the center and it's his back along my side where I've been feeling those big monstrous moves. 

I have to laugh at something the tech said today. Brady was moving quite a bit for the ultrasound but his moves were just the little moves that I can barely feel. Cohen was kind of quiet today with not a lot of movement during the test. The ultrasound tech said "he seems like a very chill baby." Ha!! If only she could see him in the late afternoon or early evening when he is all over the place and makes my stomach look like something from a sci-fi movie! Brady does move, but Cohen MOVES!

Things still look good for the babies and me. Brady's heart rate is 155 beats per minute and Cohen's heart rate is 141 beats per minute. Both boys passed their BPP easily.

I'm doing well. Dr Wagner did not check me this week. She will have to check me and do the group B strep test next week so I opted not to know if things are progressing more than last week. Let's leave well enough alone, right?

I did ask about a maternity support belt to help with the discomfort of two babies. Remember, I am currently carrying more baby weight than I ever have and I am measuring where a single pregnancy would be at 39 weeks. She was great and gave me a prescription for a belt and suggested that I have it filled at the supply place across the hall. Convenient!

I'm so glad we've made to 31 weeks. It wasn't looking so great at the scary ultrasound back at week 24! Each day, each week is a blessing and a chance for the babies to safely grow without a ton of interventions. 

Feeling blessed to be with little miracles.

31 weeks and dressed to go out (to the OBs office!)