How do you get through until your next appointment?

I just had my 17 week ob appointment and they only did a doppler and both heartbeats were perfect.. we turned down the genetic testing for multiple reasons and, instead, are going to wait until our next appointment for a full anatomy scan...

My question.. I'm beyond thankful to be having these little ones and I know it must be a good sign that the heartbeats were strong... but how in the world did you pass the time at this point until your next ultrasound.. ??!!!! 4 weeks just seems like SO far away!!!! did you have anything that helped you to know that the babies were doing okay in the meantime? I think I'm starting to feel flutters, so that is a wonderful feeling! I'm staying away from the at home dopplers but have been tempted to get a good stethescope... any advice would be much appreciated!!!

 

Movement is great. NO real advice other than to have faith. The funny thing is that those of us that have multiple pregnancies get used ot having all those chances to see our babies but moms with only one do not get to see the baby as often. It was an odd realization for me when a girlfriend was preg. shortly after my boys were born. Good luck with your pregnancy and try not to worry too much.

 

I worried the WHOLE time! I had appts every two weeks starting at 18 weeks because they were mono/di so I went to the ob one week and then the peri/ultrasound the next. The risk of miscarriage drops significantly once you locate both heartbeats and they are strong and even more so after 14 weeks. I know you will still worry, but just remember that they are healthy now and they will most likely continue to be that way Good luck!

 

Those OB appointments were a huge relief to me. The 4 weeks between them seemed like a long time. I just kept trying to stay positive and think positive the whole time. It's hard not to worry when you can't see what's going on inside there the whole time :hug:

 

4 weeks does seem like an eternity!!! I started reading all the week-by-week pregnancy books/websites every week on the same day each week (fri/sat). I found it fun to see what milestones they were reaching, organs that were developing, and how big they probably were. It gave me something to look forward to each week, rather than focusing on waiting 4 weeks for the actual pictures...which are my favorite days!! And it's nice to know that we get to see our little ones much more often than singletons...even though 4 weeks can feel like an eternity
PS looking forward to more flutters will definitely help you pass the time

 

My appts were every 2 weeks. when do you go to every 2 week appointments? That helps pass the time.
I also blogged about my pregnancy and appointments and felt more confident as I continued to feel baby movements and found things to do - shop, prepare the nursery, register for all the freebies companies love to give to parents of twins. You can make blank scrap books that just need pitures to make them complete etc.

It might seem slow now, but you're going to hit a point where the pregnancy will fly!

 

I was a home doppler renter. :blush: I didn't start feeling them (more then just flutters) until about 20 weeks and I needed something to assure me. ardon: It was hard waiting so long between appts but having them move around really did help things. :hug: :hug:

 

What a loooooong wait! I had to wait five weeks between my last u/s as well (though I had a few doppler listenings at the doc's in between to help). It was a looooong wait!

The good news is you must be doing very well to still be on a monthly schedule with the doc. And now that you're feeling flutters, you'll start feeling them more and more! Don't be surprised if you feel them every day at first though.

I'm so spoiled b/c I see my peri every other week (and do a doppler there), and the weeks that I'm not with the peri, I'm doing u/s scans of my cervix. And to add to that...I now have a home nurse who is visiting me weekly to give me my 17P shots, and she does a doppler each time too! However, I'm having all that b/c I'm crazy high risk for PTL due to my irritable uterus. And even though I LOOOOOVE seeing and hearing my beans so often...I wouldn't mind trading a little less of that for a little more 'normal' pregnancy!

 

Thank you all so much for your input! I have no idea when we start going to every other week ob appts. Part of my problem is that we have had 2 very traumatic m/c's over the past year. The second one was an ectopic that took 2 emergency surgeries and the loss of my fallopian tube. Then fertility treatments and moderate OHSS to get to this point.. every little bit was worth it, but it has left me with a sense that anything can go wrong at any point. We've been blessed to have 7 ultrasounds so far and my ob is very sympathetic to what we have gone through.. just even hearing their little hearts on a doppler in 2 weeks would be such a relief!!!! Has anyone ever used a stethescope to hear the babies?

 

My husband is a nurse and has tried to use a stethescope, to no avail. I wouldn't try, especially if you aren't familiar with one.

Remember that most healthy pregnancies only get ONE or maybe two ultrasounds the entire time. You are lucky to only need them every four weeks: it means everything looks good. Also, remember that we actually don't know if multiple ultrasounds have any adverse effects on a fetus...not enough studies have been done. Best to only have them when necessary.

 

I understand completely about the looong wait in between ultrasound and doppler. I will be 17 weeks and haven't had an ultrasound since we found out about the twins at 10 weeks. My next ultrasound wasn't supposed to be until 20 weeks with my OB for an anatomy scan. Fortunately, I asked to be referred to a peri due to previous PTL w/ other pregnancies and will have an ultrasound this coming week I've had one doppler between 10 and 15 weeks and that has been it. Heartbeats were 150 and 152. I feel a lot of movement over the last few weeks so that helps to get me through!!! Hang in there!! Great to know that your babies are doing great

 

I worry so much more with these two monkeys than I ever did with DD. I still feel like I will spot with I go to the bathroom.

I had bad m/s so that kept my hopes up even though it was hard to deal with. Being sick made me feel like at least they were growing. There really isn't anything to do other than try and eat and stay healthy. I was also so tired, my first trimester sleepiness never really left me.

 

I can completely understand. This is my 3rd pregnancy and I have never worried so much! Ever since we found out at the 13week nuchal scan, the waiting and not knowing has been doing my head in!

I have fortnightly aps and will have my 3rd scan in 12 days. (Not that I'm counting lol!)

My doc uses a doppler (very quickly though) and i have dreamt about buying/renting one for at home.

It's so hard to explain to people how you feel in between aps. They mean well and say everything's fine etc but it's soooooooooooooo hard to keep your mind occupied and to not obsess about how the little ones are in there!