Pregnancy Update (the final one)

This is my second and final pregnancy update. If you want to read the first one, click here. As I write this post, I'm currently 36 weeks and 4 days with fraternal twin boys. My goal, if I have any control over it, is to try to get as close to 38 weeks as possible. (More than half of twins are born between 33-36 weeks and 60% of twins are born by 37 weeks.) I have a scheduled C-section at 39 weeks (the date kept getting pushed back because of hospital unavailability and upcoming religious holidays) but I'm really hoping I go into labor before then. I can feel my body physically breaking down and not sure how much longer I can keep things up. I'm definitely experiencing way more aches and pains since my last update and my stomach has grown considerably.

Skin and Hair: I had very oily and cystic acne prone skin before pregnancy. Currently my skin type is combination, an oily T-zone and normal on the cheeks. I had a brief breakout on the right side of my chin during the 30th week but there have been no cystic acne eruptions in quite awhile. I'm quite happy with my skin these days except for leftover hyperpigmentation and icepick scars on both cheeks from old acne. I'm a little nervous about what's going to happen after I give birth but I'll worry about that later. I also had very greasy hair at the roots before pregnancy and no amount of "training" would resolve this issue which forced me to wash my hair every day. I can now get away with washing my hair every other day without dry shampoo which is a total time saver. My hair doesn't look or seem any thicker but there's definitely less hair falling out in the shower. Again, I'm scared about having my hair go back to its previously oily state once the babies are out but I probably won't have time to shower regularly anyway for a bit.

Babies Weight: Twins typically don't grow as much after the 30th week because there just isn't enough space. I'm always slightly taken aback when I get a growth scan for the babies because they're in a very low percentage as far as growth development. Doctor explained the numbers are based on the development for a singleton baby and, as long as they're in the 10% range and above, he's not worried. My last scan was a little over a week ago and baby A is 5.1 lb and baby B is 5.2 lb. I'm guessing by now they could be between 5.5-5.9 lb. Of course these are all estimates based on measuring things like the femur, head, stomach, kidney size so there could be a large discrepancy in weight from what they tell me. I'm hoping I can get them each to 6.5 lb so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. The babies have been pretty active and I love watching my belly move around like a water bed. Baby A continues to be in breech position and B is transverse with their heads touching (through their sacs of course) in every ultrasound.

Exercise: I feel fortunate to have been able to work out for as long as I did. I made it to 36 weeks. I've gained 24-25 lbs so far which was my goal. I'm guessing I'll gain 2 more if the babies aren't out within the next 2 weeks. I stopped using the elliptical around 34 weeks because I was experiencing quite a bit of Braxton Hicks contractions. Switched over to primarily the stationary bike from 34-36 weeks. Towards the end I was working out for 30-45 minutes with some light weights every other day. I will say my OB's advised me against working out months ago but I was in pretty good shape before pregnancy and listened to my body when I felt like things were getting too strenuous. One of the main reasons I stopped working out at the gym is because my workout clothes no longer fit. I never bothered to purchase maternity gym clothes believe it or not and all my shirts are way too short. Not really comfortable with the crop top look, especially when my leggings have to be pulled down because they won't go over my belly. The past few days I've been walking leisurely around the neighborhood for 2-3 miles and I consider that to be a good workout at this point.

Diet: I was really good about what I ate up until the first few weeks of the last trimester. Now, I'm just hungry all the time. I'd read that you actually lose the urge to eat as much towards the end but that is not true for me. I have been experiencing some heartburn if I eat too much in one sitting but I feel the urge to eat every few hours. Supposedly I'm should eat an extra 600 calories a day which isn't hard to do. I've been pescatarian off and on for 15 years now but I've been trying to force myself to eat chicken once or twice a week to get enough protein. I still love fruit, my fruits of choice these days are grapes, plumcots, donut peaches, bananas, and strawberries. Unfortunately I've been indulging in sweets again which isn't the best thing but I try to practice a little self control when eating dessert.

Body: My right leg is still bothering me although it hasn't gotten worse. I find that it's more tolerable when I'm walking around and hurts more when I'm sitting or lying down. I've been foam rolling on a regular basis and it helps a bit. I do have back pain now but it's not bad. When your stomach is huge, I don't think you can avoid the stress it puts on your back. I literally have to pick my stomach up sometimes so it doesn't get in the way when I stand up or bend over. According to my doctor, I was measuring the same as a full term singleton pregnancy at 32 weeks. I haven't had any issues with leg cramping in awhile but there was a week or two where I'd wake up to painful cramping. No issues with swelling either which I'm very thankful for. I've read some women have to go up a shoe size because of all the bloating. I'm starting to see some stretch marks but it doesn't bother me too much. They're located mostly at the center of my belly. Feeling pretty uncomfortable these days but I am incredibly blessed to be carrying two babies and have had a healthy pregnancy so far. Random strangers have been asking me questions like "when are you due" or "carrying low now, aren't you?" I don't even bother to get into the twin thing because I find some of the questions asked are rude like "so...are they natural" or "does it run in your family" to "are you going to have a natural delivery?" I have no problems discussing this with friends and family but find these questions uncomfortable to answer around strangers. Okay, got off on a tangent.

Things I Miss: eating sushi, poached eggs, soft cheeses like brie or goat cheese, being able to sit down and get up from a chair without groaning, sleeping more than 2 hour stretches, being able to put on my clothes quickly, being able to clean without feeling so exhausted, picking things up from the floor with no difficulty, lying on my back, having a car*

*I've been taking the train everywhere like most people do in NYC when you don't own a car. I'm at a point now where I would rather sit than stand on the train. I've complained to my husband about the lack of manners people on the subway have for pregnant women. I've been raced to a seat, yes raced (obviously the other woman "won") and offered a seat maybe 30% of the time. And most of the time it's women who give up their seat, not men. I see the majority of people look at my belly, you can't miss it, and then look down at the ground as if they don't see me. I saw the other day Olivia Wilde posted a tweet about the very same thing. It's really appalling how people just don't care but I guess that's what is also loved about NYC. You could walk around naked and people would keep going to their next destination.

I've had my hospital bag packed since 30 weeks because I didn't know when the twins were going to arrive. I even washed all their newborn clothes, sheets, and quilts at 32 and now I'm sort of twiddling my thumbs. Around 34 weeks I started getting really nervous because I know plenty of people who went into labor with twins around this time. Now I'm just nervous in general about labor, recovering from the C-section, taking care of the babies, pretty much everything you could think of. Anyway, it's been an amazing experience overall for all the aches and pains I'm experiencing and hopefully everything will go smoothly. Thanks for following me along on this journey!

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Thanks for stopping by,
Jennifer