Ultrasound experience, WHEW *long*

[Guest guest]

So the story goes… I've been going to my monthly OB appointments,

doc finds heartbeat, does counts, sounds good, moves on to tummy

measurement and question and answer period. He thought I might be

measuring a little (about 1.5 weeks) large for the baby's gestational

age, but attributed that to miscalculation of conception. I'd also

had a quickie ultrasound at 11 weeks so we could see the baby's heart

beating, since we couldn't hear it on the doppler yet. Found a

little baby in perfect shape. Besides, even tho people have

commented on my size so early in my pregnancy, I just figured I was

showing a lot earlier and bigger because this was my third pregnancy

and maybe my weight loss made things a lot " stretchier

I'm in the ultrasound lab and the tech is checking the size of my

cervix when she stops and starts to adjust some of the buttons on the

machine. She asks me again about my past appointments and how they

have been going. I'm a little worried at this point and tell her

everything has been fine as far as I could tell. She asks again if I

had a previous ultrasound and I tell her it was a really quick one

just to check the heartbeat. She then asks if my doctor has

indicated anything different about this pregnancy. I tell her " no, "

and by this point I'm near tears with worry. She tells me, " well I

have something to tell you. " I'm practically begging her at this

point to tell me what is going on… of course I'm expecting the

worst. She calmly tells me, " there are two in there. "

It's a good thing I was already lying flat on my back, `cause my head

went numb for a second. I graciously and delicately called her a

liar and she started laughing and turned the screen toward me so I

could see for myself. Sure `nuff. There were two little bodies

wiggling like crazy in there. So the next image I have in my head is

that of two 13 year old girls and I freaked. I told the tech that if

she could manage to make one a girl and one a boy during the

ultrasound, things would be just perfect.

The tech started doing her usual measuring, checking, and

cataloguing. When we saw what looked to be the labia. No obvious

dangler, just two little white lines appearing between her little

legs, which the tech told me indicate, in her experience, a girl. So

Now I'm really thinking about having those twin 13 y.o. girls and

getting worried, lol. Don't get me wrong, I love girls. They just

scare me at that age, lol.

After examining " Baby A " she moves on to " Baby B " and performs her

magic with her US wand. Our son was not a bit shy. He was in a

kneeling position with his butt presenting us with a full moon… plus

a dangler, lol. It was so incredibly cute to see. I didn't get any

still shots, wish I had, just the video.

Both babies were super active. Baby girl kept sticking her tongue

out, making chewing motions, and rubbing the side of her face. Baby

boy was hiccupping and kicking out his legs (which happen to be

positioned right on my bladder… terrific during an ultrasound).

Their organs (heart, lungs, kidneys) look great and their bones and

heads are measuring just as they should for their age. Spine is

intact and closed. Our daughter seems to be the brute of the two,

weighing about 4 oz and measuring about 2 cm bigger than her brother,

but in gestational terms for we laymen, that puts them at right about

the same point, lol.

I swing from being ecstatic to hyperventilating right now. I'm sure

this will all sink in and my nesting instinct will take over (I

hope). It is just really weird having gone through the past 5 months

planning for only one baby, then finding out there are two that will

be here sooner than later. Thanks everyone for your prayers and well

wishes. We're certainly going to need them. I'll continue to wish

for blessings for all the new mommies, mommies in the making, and

mommies of the future.

Well, ta ta for now. So much to do and so little time.

Huggz,

Toi

EDD 08/18/04 -> -> but likely to have July babies.