THIS IS NOT A HORROR STORY OF A WOMAN WHO WENT ON BED REST @22 WEEKS. This is the story of what I've learned that has changed my entire perspective on this 'mom of multiples' thing.
Here goes:
(( I'm feeling a little frustrated because I wrote
like half of what I wanted to say- and then it got deleted.
But still it important so I will write it again. ))
So after writing about my
meltdown- AJ and I thought for a few more days about what our living situation plan of action needed to be. AJ was very adamant about doing all we can to save up money for these boys-
once these babies come, who the heck knows how much they will actually cost!
So we basically nixed finding our own place for now and decided to do a combination of moving to our friends basement for a while and then living up in Logan for a few months after these boys are born. Here is how it all should go down.
Step One: get all of our non-baby stuff into a storage unit... and move all baby stuff to my parents house.
Step Two: move our bed and clothes to our friends basement-- we can stay there in Provo until the boys come (so that AJ doesn't have to commute to work and so I can keep working my jobs for as long as possible).
Step Three: once these babies decide it's time to say hello to the world... And once they are released from the hospital... We will move up to my parents house in Logan and live there for a couple months until we have a grip enough on things.
Step Four: find an apartment in Provo and move into our own place!
Yes- we know this means that we will be living out of suitcases for a few months.
Yes- we know that this means we will not have a place to call our own for a while.
Yes- we know that our babies could come anywhere from August --> end of September and so the duration of this situation is totally and completely unknown!
and Yes- we know that people will call us crazy.
BUT: priority nĂºmero uno is saving up money so that we can effectively take care of these boys! So in the end it is worth all the hassle.
Here is the big clincher to our plan--
We need to be out of our apartment on June 30th so that we don't have to pay July rent.
That doesn't seem like a problem- you've still got a while to get it all done!
Haha- no we don't!
We made the decision to go with this plan on Thursday, June 19th.
On Monday, June 22nd AJ left for a work trip.
On Wednesday, June 24th I had planned to come to my parents house for a fun family weekend!!!
We both arrive back in Provo on Sunday, June 29th.
That left us with Thursday night--> Sunday to get everything moved into the storage unit. And just a few sporadic days for me to get final cleaning and packing done.
Ah! Ah! Ah! Did you forget that I'm also pregnant with twins and am not supposed to do any moving on my own?
Well I did.
Thursday night I started packing up clothes. I stayed up way too late and was trying to take it easy... But I failed.
Friday I worked all day and at night AJ and I packed up some more. I was so exhausted we had to call it quits early because I'm pretty sure my legs stopped working entirely. C:
Saturday our beloved friend Melissa (remember she threw us our gender reveal party) came to help me get everything packed up and the guys from
Novi (AJs company) came and we got most everything to the storage unit! Later in the afternoon, our friends Janae and Todd came to help us with some more packing and moving.
By this time I was completely and utterly useless. I felt horrible- but I couldn't even stand up without holding onto a wall. I had been up on my feet all day and running around stressing out about getting it all done- I did NOT effectively take care of myself.
Sunday we had early morning church and I got some visiting teaching done... and then we had dinner at my Aunts house. It was so yummy!! I ate all the leftover salmon.
Monday I put myself on a modified bed rest because I could tell that my body was being pushed to the limits and I cannot afford to go into labor at 22 weeks. And by modified bed rest...I mean that I still ran some errands and I still packed a lot when some wonderful friends (the Lithgoes and Woodwards) from our ward came for FHE to help me clean since AJ was gone. Another great friend Stephanie came by for a few hours and taked with me because I needed some TLC.
I guess I just didn't know how to really take it easy. I kept telling myself that if I didn't slow down then something would go wrong... But then I would think of all the things that needed to be done and I got back out of bed and did some more work. MISTAKE.
Because now I am on DOCTOR ORDERED bed rest.
Apparently when a prego lady with twins does something like decide to pack and move her entire life in one weekend- it stresses her body out so much that there are repercussions.
I noticed the tiny amount of bleeding on Monday- but had previously been told that a little spotting is normal. So I tried not to freak out.
I went to work on Tuesday morning and was horrified when I started bleeding a lot. A lot a lot. Like "I'm freaking out right now and need to see my doctor immediately" kind of a lot. I got the first appointment of the day (THANK GOODNESS).
My doctor started the appointment by first calming my fears and letting me see both babies on ultrasound. "They are still healthy and their hearts are working great," he said. Bless his heart. Then we went on a journey to find out what was causing the bleeding. Apparently I have a pretty common genetic condition called cervix ectropion. It means that the sensitive tissue of the cervix is exposed- instead of being tucked away like it is supposed to be. Under stressful conditions, that sensitive tissue bleeds. He said that the condition isn't typically anything to worry about- unless you try to move your entire life in one weekend.
He also said that because the twins are only 22 weeks along- if I were to do anything else to cause stress to my body and the babies were born now- they wouldn't survive. He said, however, that in a couple of weeks they could survive. Which is why he put me on a pretty strict bed rest for the next 2 weeks. Then at my next appointment he can reassess and figure out if I need to continue on bed rest or if I have learned my lesson and won't do anything crazy to push my body to its limits again. "Our goal is to keep these babies inside of you for as long as possible," he said, "don't push it!"
Now... Let's return to the fact that my whole life is packed away in a storage unit AND my husband is out of town. My timing has always been impeccable. So immediately after the appointment I drove up to my parents house (a day earlier than planned) and have been on bed rest here. I've been so blessed to have the support that I need. They are taking care of me SO WELL. There is a ton of yummy food to eat, a comfortable bed to rest in, and people to talk to. Also- no stairs!
My momma gave my nearly 3 year old niece, Clara, charge over me. Every time she sees me standing up it is her job to say, "Grace- you need to sit down or lay down." Effectively putting me in my place!
It has all been worth it. My body is no longer stressed out, and I feel healthy and happy again! It is amazing to me that soon after finding out about the twins I read one lady's story about how she was put on bed rest @ 22 weeks. The thought terrified me! I convinced myself that bed rest so early would be THE WORST THING IN THE WORLD. boy was I wrong.
The worst thing in the world is fearing that you have lost your babies. The worst thing in the world would be my boys being born too early to survive. The worst thing in the world is something a lot of women have experienced- and I am so much more sympathetic and understanding.
I remember driving to my parents house on Tuesday and praying to God that I will do anything to keep these boys alive and incubating for as long as possible. If it means bed rest for the next couple of months... Bring it on. Healthy, chubby babies are worth it.
Moms (and especially moms of multiples)... DON'T OVER EXERT YOURSELF. Listen to your doctor and listen to your body. If you feel tired, rest. If you crave protein, eat it... Shamelessly! If you notice anything abnormal contact your doctor right away and do as you are told. Your babies are worth it.