A Chat With My Pregnant Self

If you could go back in time (think: Marty McFly) and have a chat with your pregnant self, what would you say? 





Dear Pregnant Self,

You are, unbelievably, going to have twin boys.  Quit reading pregnancy books that describe, in detail, all of the horrific things that can go wrong in pregnancy - and especially don't read about multiple pregnancy complications.  None of that will happen to you except a little gestational diabetes - which will be managed not by insulin injections but by your diet.  Praise the Lord for your years of Weight Watchers training - you'll be able to count carbs like the best of 'em and will consume approximately 13 lbs. of cottage cheese and goldfish crackers in just 2 months' time!

You will gain weight - but you have to.  Your boys will be born at 35weeks, 3 days, so gain as much as you can!  Don't worry about the weight - most of it will come off and only a little will still be there when you type this letter to yourself 9 months later.  None of that matters because the boys will be healthy and you can take care of the weight later.

 

May 23

Yes, I said they're coming early.  Your doctor isn't going to put yourself on strict bedrest, but you need to take it easy.  And by easy, I mean, easier than you will, even though you think you're a sloth.  You will never, never, NEVER, be able to lay around like this again.  Because once they come - whoa, Nellie!  Take comfort in the fact that your water will break on Memorial Day at 5:30 am, your doctor will be on call and deliver the boys via C-section at 9:30am.

 May 25

You won't go through a painful labor, but recovery is going to be - um.... really, REALLY bad.  They'll be in the NICU for 7 and 10 days, which will seem like eternity, but just keep telling yourself how fortunate you are to have the biggest and healthiest babies there - because you do.

And get over the C-section thing NOW - you think that it's so honorable to deliver them vaginally - whatever.  What's honorable is carrying TWINS to a healthy delivery date.  Remember the safety of you and the babes overrides any of your silly hopes and dreams to push them out.  Wrap your brain around the fact that your children will be born HEALTHY and WHOLE and that when it's all over, you'll be a mom and Steve will be a dad, and isn't that what you want? And you'll have the battle scar to prove it.

I know you want to breastfeed, so go for it.  It's going to hurt and you're going to cuss like a sailor, scaring yourself, your husband, your mom, and the babes, while your poor breasts are going through breastfeeding boot camp. Just don't beat yourself up so much.  It will work because you're so stinkin' determined to do it, but geez, can you just relax?

Your sons will be healthy and perfect.  They'll smile, coo, laugh, roll over, scootch, army-crawl (I doubt they'll crawl like normal babes at this point), babble, and say "Da," first.  They'll meet every baby "milestone" you read about - no developmental delays for having been preemies.

 

9 months later

The best part will be, like today, when you go into their bedroom after their nap, they will laugh and smile and squeal with delight because you're they're mommy, coming to rescue them.  You'll be a good mom, so relax and take it easy.  And eat as much ice cream as you can before you're diagnosed with diabetes!

Much Love,
Me