The Twins of Jana and Brian Fischer have arrived!

An update from Jana

2008-12-29T20:33:00.001-08:00

December 28, 2008

We just couldn't escape it...

Joe (our 6 year old) has been sick since the day the twins were born. We have had him staying at his grandparents' house to avoid the twins getting sick, he would wear a mask and wash his hands excessively or just plain have to stay away from them. We did everything we could to avoid these babies getting sick, including ostracizing my mother from seeing them until she was well, and potentially making our 6 year old feel like we was less important than the new babies who have been sucking all the attention.

I started feeling a bit sick on the 26th, and so I too, was trying to stay away from them and not kiss them (as hard as that is!) as much as possible. Lily started to show signs that she may be getting sick on the 27th. We watched her and sure enough, she is now sick. We took her to the doctor, and the doctor advised that it could be the beginnings of RSV (baby bronchitis - they hospitalize infants for this), or possibly just a cold. We are hoping for the latter, and are taking care of her as best as we can. We monitor her breathing often and give her saline drops in her nose, then attack her (poor thing) with the bulb suctioner. She is so good about it, and I just feel terrible doing these things to my tiny little girl. But, I will do WHATEVER IT TAKES to keep her out of the hospital - I did it during my pregnancy ( to avoid them being premature), I can do it again.
Stephen is still healthy for now, just dealing with a clogged tear duct (very common for newborns). I feel that Lily and I have the same junk - lots of mucus in my throat and nose that doesn't want to budge! She does vomit occasionally after nursing (her whole meal comes up), and I feel so horrible for her - but am glad she is getting rid of the mucus. Hopefully soon we will see an improvement in her, and can take a sigh of relief. For now, we don't sleep much and are constantly terrified she will choke or gag while we nod off... we have contemplated getting an oxygen monitor that will ring when she pauses in her breathing or when her oxygen saturation is too low. Yes, we are paranoid - but this is our little girl we're talking about! We would do the same for Stephen, and are vigilantly trying to keep him from getting sick as well.
We didn't have any of these worries with our 6 year old - we simply enjoyed him. But then again, we didn't have a 6 year old around when he was born - we were germ-incubator free when he was a newborn! We'll make it through, I just am beginning to think it's going to be a very long road the first year - even though I am breastfeeding, I just can't possibly protect them from it all!
- Show quoted text -

2008-12-29T00:16:00.000-08:00

We had a nice visit with Brian and Jana Fischer in their home, both babies are doing quite well, mom and dad are busy as expected but enjoying their new additions.

Here are a few images from our visit........................

(P.S. Jana looks fantastic............... only weeks after delivering twins........... you would never know she was even pregnant.)

Lily & Stephen Fischer Born today 12.12.08 both were 6.3 lbs Lily is 19 inches and Stephen 18.5 inches Mom and babies are doing well.

2008-12-11T15:40:00.001-08:00

December 11, 2008

D-Day

I was scheduled for an induction at 8 am December 11, 2008. My doctor was suprised that I made it to 37 weeks, because typically twins will come before 37 weeks, but he didn't want me to go much longer past 37 weeks for fear that the twins may get too big and crush eachother's umbilical cords. I was thankful to have the scheduled induction as I had been having contractions every 8-10 mins for a few days, some were so intense they were waking me from my slumber - not painful, just strong enough to take my breath away.
The night before we spent at home relaxing and enjoying our last night as a family of three. We had a calm dinner (as I couldn't eat anything past midnight) and watched some TV before going to bed. I didn't sleep well due to contractions, and couldn't go back to sleep after 4:30 am because of nerves. We got up at 7 am to get to the hospital by 8 am. We had to drop our 6 year old off at a family member's house so he could get to school @ 9 am, and then we were off to the hospital. It was 7:45 am and my cell phone was ringing - I thought it was a friend of mine calling excited, but it was the hospital - Labor and Delivery. They were calling to tell us not to come in yet because they were too busy for us. They said they'd call us when they were ready for us. Bummer. I was soooo ready to get the show on the road!
Three hours went by and still no news. I tried to take a nap, but the contractions kept that from happening. Brian was putting together some of the last few things we still needed to build - a bouncy seat and the stroller for when they are older. He was really just trying to pass the time - I think he was anxious and not used to having a day off. We finally called the hospital around 12:30 pm and they said I could come in! YAY!
We arrrived at the hospital around 1 pm, got checked in and settled in our tiny labor room. My doctor and I had discussed our plan for induction as I wanted as natural as possible - and he broke my water (Lily's only) at 3:45 pm. I labored for 4 hours or so, and then they started the pitocin because I didn't want to be in labor for days! With a few mishaps and intense moments, Lily was born @ 0323 hrs (not by cesarean) and Stephen was born @ 0327 hrs (also not by cesarean) on December 12, 2008. Stephen was delivered breech - he kept flipping back and forth in utero, and was literally pulled out by the doctor. He had his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck, and had a few other issues when he was born, but both were healthy and screaming in the delivery room. I was exhausted from the birth as my anesthesia had completely worn off by the time I was delivering them - I felt everything, and am so thankful that I am not going to have to go through that again! I was able to escape the preclampsya that I had with Joe with these babies, and felt great a few hours after they were born.
It was honestly surreal that I had just had TWO babies. I heard them both crying in the delivery room, and just kept looking at my husband thinking, "holy crap! We just had TWO babies! Really?" I still was in disbelief a bit that I really was having TWO babies. They had two distinct cries, and from the momet they were born, I knew Stephen was going to be more clingy than Lily, as he would only stop screaming if he heard or felt someone touching him. Lily was and is still very laid back and just goes with the flow. Stephen is a little more tempermental, but still overall a very laid back and calm baby. They both have bright blue eyes and are very inquisitive, love to look at contrasting things when they are awake.

We are extremely blessed to have such beautiful, healthy babies who are content and growing perfectly. I am breastfeeding exclusively, and it is so gratifying that they are doing so well. I hope to continue to nurse them both until they are atleast a year old and possibly a little longer, we will see.

Emergency room visit - All is OK!

2008-11-04T16:40:00.000-08:00

Second ER visit... only this time, Labor & Delivery

November 2, 2008

First I would like to say that I am really trying hard to place myself on bedrest in some sort of way, and not push my body too far. I had some busy days towards the end of last week, so I spent all of Saturday and most of Sunday in bed drinking water like mad (to get rid of the swelling) and just relaxing. At around 4pm I got up to go to Michael's for some treasures to decorate the babies' room with, and then to dinner with my in-laws. Then straight from there I went back to my bed.

At around 5pm or so, I started having spasms in my upper back that were REALLY uncomfortable. I figured I must have tweaked my back getting out of bed or a car or something (I am not the most graceful being right now), but it just would not stop hurting! I tried to crack my back to relieve the pressure and spasm, but to no avail. Then I rubbed, and tried to stretch as best I could, and finally a heating pad (thanks to my mom in law running around town to get it for me). The heating pad finally offered some relief and I was starting to feel more comfortable.

Then, at 9pm I started noticing that I was having contractions pretty regularly. I started to watch the clock to see how far apart they were and they were around 7-10 mins apart. I watched the clock for over an hour and they just kept on coming. They were not painful at all, my tummy would just get hard and then relax - like Braxton Hicks, only frequent. Not knowing that Braxton Hicks contractions can behave that way, I decided I should go into Labor and Delivery just to make sure all was okay, and I figured the earlier the better if it was real preterm labor, they could stop it much easier if it was the beginning.

I waited for my husband to get home from work around 10:45pm, then off I went to the hospital. The whole time I was trying to remain relaxed and not think about them so that I wouldn't bring on more contractions. I arrived at the hospital around 11pm, and checked in. They got me all hooked up - it took some time, these babies are crazy active and don't like restrictions on THEIR belly! They kept moving around making it difficult to track their heartbeats, and they didn't like the one that was monitoring my contractions! I watched the monitor as my contractions would hit and just tried to relax as best I could. The doctor finally came in to ask my history, then he left to go check on some other patients.

A wonderful nurse came back with a bag of IV fluids (not my favorite thing in the world), and a shot. She told me she was going to give me a shot of Tributaline (sp?) to stop my contractions. She administered the shot in my left bicep, told me that it may make me a bit jittery - like I had had 3-4 cups of coffee, and she left again. A few moments later, she returned with the doctor. That's when he gave me all the news - good and bad. He said that my contractions were now 4-6 mins apart (not good), and that hopefully the shot would stop them. They also had plans to perform a fetal fibronectin (sp?), which is a test to see if I am producing a particular chemical that indicates that I am in preterm labor. If that test came back positive, he said that they would be giving me shots to mature the babies' lungs and then they would go from there, all the while attempting to stop my labor as best they could.

At this point, I was shaking all over - not just jittery, but shaking like I had Parkinson's. I literally could not control the shaking, and even my head was shaking when I lifted it off the bed. I was freaking out hearing the words "mature their lungs" and "try to stop"... I just am simply not ready for them to come! I was by myself as my hubby was at home with our 6 year old, but I was still trying as best as I could to not cry sitting there by myself. They performed the fibronectin test, and the doctor checked to see if I was dilated at all. I wasn't dilated at all (good news), but I would have to wait an hour or so to find out the results of the fibronectin test, and to see if the tributaline would in fact stop my contractions.

The nurse then put in the IV and in went all the fluids (my favorite thing); I do have to say, the nurse did a phenomenal job putting the IV in - didn't hurt too bad, and I have no bruise (unbelievable for me)! I laid there shaking, and waiting just watching the clock on the wall in front of me. The contractions seemed to be slowing down, but it was hard to tell because I was shaking so horribly. After about an hour, the shaking slowed down quite a bit, but I still felt very strange. It did stop my contractions which was a good thing, but made the babies a little crazy - they were kicking and moving all over the place!

Finally, the doctor came back and told me the fibronectin test was negative, WOO-HOO! So no meds to mature their lungs, and I got to go home! :) I was still a little stiff from all the shaking so walking was a bit difficult, but I made it to my car and home. I was still having Braxton Hicks, but only occassionally. I got home and went to bed, and have been in it ever since! My doctor just wants me to stay off my feet as much as possible and drink plenty of water. Hopefully no hospital bedrest will come my way as long as I can be diligent about it at home!

I worry that this pregnancy has gotten to be too much for my little body... not sure I was designed to carry two, but I am doing my best! I just hope that my body can hang on a few more weeks so that we can take our son and daughter home from the hospital without complication! I will be praying! :)
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October 2008 Update - Still Growing....

2008-10-23T12:12:00.000-07:00

We saw the doctor again today, the babies are doing well and getting big - my blood pressure is still fine (whew!), and they are BOTH head down! Yipee! I am hoping they will stay that way so that we can continue with our birth plan of no c-section! I am more anemic than I have been, so I have had to double the iron that I take to hopefully prepare my body in case I have a c-section, I will need the blood! My belly now measures full term for a singleton baby, and still growing!
I have had a lot more braxton hicks contractions the last few weeks, but my doctor checked - and no change for my cervix, so we're not in danger of preterm labor, at least for now! :) It's just my uterus practicing for what is to come - which is great, cuz practice makes perfect! ;)
I have followed my doctor's orders for weight gain, and am now steadily gaining a pound a week - which is normal for the last trimester! I'm up 40 pounds now, but all baby! We should know the updated size of the babies sometime in mid November (I'll have another growth ultrasound), and will begin what are called Non-Stress Tests (or NST's) twice a week in mid November as well. The NST's are to make sure the babies are still happy inside, and reactive to stimulus and active in utero. I am not so happy about the 2x a week thing, but whatever is best for the babies! Just lots more trips to the hospital for me! :(

I did make a deal with my doctor - that he not let me go past 38 weeks, and he agreed but said it usually happens before hand... so we'll see! I'm glad though, that he agreed to not let me go past 38 weeks... I might just have two 7 lb babies! Not so bad for them, but oh man my poor belly! lol

Jana is simply Amazing!

2008-10-22T23:28:00.000-07:00

October 13, 2008

Today Brian and I have been married a year! What a year it has been! We are now just weeks (maybe 8) away from meeting our twin babies, planning our almost 6 year old's birthday party for this weekend, and getting our house ready for the cooler months. I am so huge now (or I feel that way atleast), it is exceedingly difficult to get things done around the house that I used to have no problem getting done! I have to spread my chores out over the week because I just get too sore if I try to do them all in one day! I have a great maternity belt that does wonders if I need to walk a lot during the day, it helps hold the babies up! I am feeling great, just starting to get a little more tired than usual as I'm in my last trimester (this is normal for the last trimester), and at times I feel like my tummy skin will be ripped in half if I keep standing! The babies are doing well, on October 2nd I had a routine growth ultrasound and our boy measured 2 lbs 12 oz, our little girl measured 2 lbs 8 oz. She is a bit smaller, but just as healthy - it's normal that she is smaller simply because she is a girl!

We are really trying to get the nursery done in the next few weeks, just in case these babies come early. We have almost all we need, minus a stroller for both of them, the bassinet for our bedroom and some bottles (in case we need to reluctantly supplement with formula). Other than that, I am stocking up on diapers to ease the shock of the funds we'll need just for diapers! We created a budget, and had to add what we used to spend on gas in money for diapers alone! Let's hope these babies pee and poo less than the average, otherwise we're looking at atleast 25 diaper changes a day! :) But, they are going to be breastfed so that's definitely a strike against us!

The largest struggle I face these days is breathing. When sleeping at night, I often wake up out of breath or struggling to breathe simply because the babies are laying on my lungs! I'm sure they love me, but they are very particular with my body parts! They invade my lungs if they need room, and get very unhappy and move in strange ways when my bladder is to full, or my tummy is too full! They are ornery at times, making it difficult for me to walk just because of their positions! They are constantly moving now, and I get heels in my rib cage (on both sides), and elbows in my pelvis... quite fun! I am currently 28 weeks, but my belly is measuring 36 weeks (in comparison to a singleton baby) so I feel all the wonders of getting ready to have a baby in the last weeks, about 2 months early! I think I'll resemble a torpedo by the end! :

August 1, 2008

2008-07-17T08:20:00.001-07:00

The Big News is here,,, as I was hoping for Jana and Brian are expecting one boy and one girl! Sounds like everyone got what they wished for.

August 1st, 2008 is hopefully a big day for Brian and Jana, they have an appointment scheduled that involves a sonogram that will provide us all with a sneak peak into the gender of their babies. That is of course if they cooperate! Stayed Tuned....! I am hoping for one of each!

Camera's will be there!

see you next week.....

an update from Jana

2008-07-15T14:40:00.001-07:00

June 6, 2008

My wonderful Mad Scientist

Today, we finally met my high risk OB - he is very tall, very nice and very reserved. He kinda reminds me of a mad scientist - in a good way! :) He was great about answering all of our questions, and helping us feel comfortable with him, and what his goals are to ensure the health of the babies and myself. We discussed when I might be taken off work, when the babies may be born, my past history with my 5 1/2 year old son, etc. Overall a very informative appointment!

We also were able to see the babies as well via ultrasound, and we watched one of the babies toss and turn inside me!!! It was so amazing - Brian had this look of pride and amazement on his face - it was very cute! I was so ecstatic to see one of the babies moving so much, it just makes me feel reassured that they are okay. We could see their arms and legs, their hands and all! They finally are looking like babies instead of blobs! :)

My husband will never admit it, but he was glowing as we were leaving the office and I asked him if he was excited seeing what we saw the babies do - he said yes, but that was it. Then he didn't want to talk about it anymore... guess he just doesn't want to appear as the sensitive guy that he is!! ;)

June 17, 2008

The Dangers of Doctors

This week was one of the weeks that I had 2 doctors appointments - one with a Nurse Practictioner, and one with my high risk OB. On June 17th I had an appt with the NP, where they test me for a plethora of STD's, and do a papsmear. She was very nice, and very surprised that I was pregnant with twins and having an appointment with her. Exciting for her nonetheless, she said they don't get to see twin pregnancies that often! She proceeded to do the papsmear, pinching me in the process and actually hurting me. Then she alarmed me when she said I was bleeding - and it was bright red (which isn't good). Initially she led me to believe that it was something with the babies, but I knew better... I just got mamed! I was a little concerned though, and asked her if we could do an ultrasound to make sure the babies were okay... she said of course, and we confirmed that they were fine - she had just cut me or something. Ouch!

Since the moment I found out I was pregnant, I have had to use progesterone suppositories (they don't stop you from miscarrying, but they also don't hurt) to help ensure that my body has enough of what it needs to sustain the pregnancy. I was afraid to continue them after being cut/injured in that area... so I stopped doing them. Thankfully, I saw my high risk OB on Thurs, June 19th and he said that it was fine and I could infact discontinue them altogether!! I can't tell you how relieved I was - those things are awfully messy and no fun to deal with! My hubby was very happy that I didn't need to do them anymore either... we were both very happy - in fact, I was so happy I could've kissed my mad scientist! :)

We see the babies every time we go in for an appointment - just to monitor their growth. Today, we saw one of the babies sucking their thumb! It was so adorable! The ultrasound machines have really improved since I had Joe - I could actually see the baby's hand moving in and out and their fingers! It brought a huge smile to my face, and my husband just wanted them to squirm around like they usually do - but this time, they were both sleeping contently. They (the doctor and Brian) tried to wake them up with poking and prodding my belly, but to no avail. It was simply amazing to see our babies sleeping and actually being cute!

My doctor said the babies look good, and to just come back to see him in 2-3 weeks. We have an appointment scheduled for July 9th. We'll see how they are doing then!

June 21, 2008

IV Fluids, My Nemesis!

A few hours after seeing my doctor (high risk OB) on the 19th, I started having shooting pains on either side of my lower abdomen. It was like muscle/nerve pain kind of - and came a went the whole day. I went home and slept after work, hoping that it would go away by the next day. It still continued on Friday, and Friday night (after work) it was so bad, I considered going to the ER. My intuition told me that it was just round ligament pain, and all was well. I opted to just go home and rest and see how I felt the next day.

Well, on Saturday (now my 3rd day of having pains) I was still in pain and really sore. I started to wonder if something might be wrong. I called into Kaiser to find the closest urgent care to go to - I didn't want to sit in the ER all day, I needed to go to work. They advised me that I had to go to the ER because I am considered high risk, and they have all the tools at the main hospital to assist me and the babies should something be wrong. So, off to the ER I went. My mother in law came along with me - she is always great about going to the hospital with me and making me feel like I have someone to count on. :)

We got to the ER around 2:45pm, it was roasting hot outside! We checked in, and they had me sit in a chair in a little curtained area. My mother in law sat in a chair off to the side that I became jealous of. The chair the patients are supposed to sit in are connected to another table or something - kind of like school desks, but on the side. I was jealous of my mother in law's chair because it was lower to the ground. Here I am, this 28 year old woman, three months pregnant with twins, and my feet are dangling from the chair. Even if I pointed my toes, they didn't reach. I was so embarrassed. The nurse took all my info, and my blood pressure which was a little high - I thought she would repeat it, but she didn't. I figure it was bad because your feet are supposed to be flat on the floor for an accurate blood pressure - and mine were far from it. Needless to say, we had some good laughs about it!

We were placed in the room and the doctor came in and said they were gonna run some routine tests and do an ultrasound. They checked me for a possible bladder infection, or any other type of infection. My white blood cell count was normal - not elevated at all, so they said I didn't have an infection at all. My red blood cell count was still a bit low - not too bad; but despite the supplements I take, I am still a bit anemic. they ruled out anything infection wise, and we were just waiting on the ulstrasound. By this time, it was already 5 pm or so. Apparently the sonographers go home at 4 pm, so they have to page one in to respond to the hospital.

We waited and waited. Then we started to freeze. It was so cold in the room we were in, and we were both covered with blankets. I had begun to get hungry since it had been a few hours since I had eaten. But I had to wait. The nurse came in and said that the doctor wanted me to have some IV fluids. Great, I have to have an IV - they are soooo uncomfortable!! Oh well, I had no choice. I asked if I was dehydrated, and the nurse said she didn't believe I was, that it was just a precautionary thing. I bet it was just because it was so hot outside. Either way, they left my IV wide open - it was like pouring into me! They had given me 2 liters of fluids in 45 minutes! I didn't have to pee more than usual though, so I figured I needed it. I had to call in sick to work that night, being that I didn't know when I would be released now that I have an open vein and taking in a flood.

We finally had the ultrasound, and all was well with the babies. They did find a cyst on my left ovary as well. They said it shouldn't be a problem for the pregnancy, but that I should follow up on it after the babies are born. The doctor said it was just round ligament pain, and to take it easy. He gave me a note to take me off work for 10 days (craziness!), of which I didn't use or turn in because I had the next 5 days off anyway.

Finally after almost 7 hours in the ER, we left the hospital around 9:45pm. I was starving (hadn't eaten in like 5 hours), so we got some food and went home. I went to bed that night and proceeded to wake up every hour to 90 minutes, peeing. I hardly slept at all that night. I was so frustrated by the morning - and still peeing throughout the next day. It was ridiculous! Apparently, I didn't really need all that fluid! I got it anyway!

After all was said and done though, I was glad that the babies were fine and my intuition was correct - that always feels good! Now I know to trust it a heck of a lot more, to avoid peeing all night and all day again!

June 24, 2008

Lesson Learned? We'll see...

After a good solid 2 days of resting I was feeling much better, and getting on top of some things at home. Our friends wanted to go to Disneyland on the 24th, and we decided to all go together. Brian took the day off work to frolick with Joe and I, and our friends and their little boy at the happiest place on earth. Joe (our son) and I have passes to Disneyland that expire on July 26th. I am very sad about letting them expire, but the reality is, we won't be able to go often in the next 18 months or so, so why waste the money?

It was a very sunny, pretty day. A little humid, but survivable. I wore comfy shoes and cool clothing to carry me through the day and an awesome hat that I borrowed from my mother in law - one of those straw hats that covers your shoulders/face/neck and knocks people over as you walk by... yeah, one of those! It was awesome and kept me nice and cool. Even though I was nice and cool, my ankles/calves were still starting to swell - just from all the walking around. By the end of the day, I think they were one solid hard water filled mass. My hubby rubbed my cankles on the couch when we got home. As he should - after what he said to me. Here comes the lesson part...

We were standing in line for Pirates, and my husband randomly notices that I am starting to really show. I am now three months with these twins and looking like I did when I was 5 or 6 months pregnant with my Joe. This explains my round ligament pain - my belly is growing faster than my body can acclimate to! All day I was hearing from my friend, "your belly is so cute! You're really starting to show finally!" And my husband decides to pitch in:

"So, are you getting fatter today or what?"

I respond with a quick, nonchalant response like I didn't hear what he said...

"Huh?"

He repeats the EXACT SAME THING!

"So, are you getting fatter today or what?"

A little more irritated I respond, "Huh?"

Typical man...

"So, are you getting fatter today or what?"

As if I hadn't heard him the last 2 times he talked out his butt... I heard it again. To avoid hearing it a fourth time, I responded,

"I'll give you one more opportunity to pull your head out of your ass... HUH?"

He replies,

"Nevermind."

Yeah, good choice smarty pants.

I'm not really sure if he knew that you really shouldn't say that to a woman that is pregnant, let alone your wife! I still don't know for sure to be honest with you. Now, I know that I could have just told him, "yeah, I'm starting to show and get a belly," but really, would I even classify as a woman if I did that? Even though he is a man, and not expected to be real smooth (if you knew my husband, you would know what I am talking about), he should still tread lightly when talking to a pregnant woman about her "fatness".

I simply asked his friend (also a man) to just talk to him and tell him he's not supposed to call his wife fat at anytime during her pregnancy, to avoid anymore anger and self consciousness about myself. I'm not sure if his buddy ever told him, but I hope so! It would be a good thing to know!

My husband did rub my feet/ankles/cankles when we got home that night - and then when we went to bed, we chatted for a while. We were just talking and he was looking at, and rubbing my fatness when he asks me,

"So when your belly gets really big and round, how are we gonna have sex?"

I am thinking, okay - he just made another reference to my belly and being large. What do I say? Can I just ignore that he's being a man and take pity on him, and be nice? Nah. So I respond,

"Well if you lose your belly, then it won't be like bumper bellies!"

Seriously. That was awesome! I don't think I've ever been more witty in my life! I was joking of course, but was very serious when I said it - so he was tremendously offended. He left the room, and I just chuckled thinking to myself, "take that! How do you like it?"

Am I mean? Nah, just hormonal and getting fatter everyday - according to my husband.

Brian's First visit to see his babies..

2008-05-15T19:38:00.000-07:00

"Everything but the Kitchen Sink

I go to the doctor a lot! I had my first appointment with an OB (others were just ultrasound appts) on May 15th. My hubby was finally able to come to an appopintment and see the babies on the ultrasound - not just by pictures! It was a quick appointment, but very informative. They ran some traditional blood tests on me and found that my red blood cell count was low (the babies are literally sucking my blood), and she suggested that I take an Iron supplement on top of my prenatal vitamin. I was suprised to hear this, but it would make sense and help me make more red blood cells so that there are actually some for me, so maybe I won't feel as tired! Then she also suggested that I take Calcium, and Fish Oil (they say this may make the babies smarter)... I didn't think she would ever stop suggesting supplements or maybe eating a piece of cardboard everyday! We went to pick up all the supplements (I have specific types of Calcium to avoid and specific Iron to take as well), but could only find the correct Fish Oil... these are not easy things to find!
We also discovered that I have to once again go to another doctor's office. I am considered high risk simply because I have twins, and I remember telling the receptionist when I made the appointment with this doctor, but apparently because of my history from my son, I am even more high risk and need to see a real high risk doctor. They only have 2 of these doctors in the entire Long Beach/Lakewood area, so their appointments don't come easy. Frustrating as it is, it is necessary to ensure the health of our babies, and we will do it!! Hopefully my visit to the high risk OB will end our "musical doctors" dance and we can settle in and know who to call if we have any questions!

7 weeks along and growing FAST....!

2008-05-13T23:24:00.000-07:00

Apparently I'm a "Miracle Mama"

On May 13th, I had an additional ultrasound to monitor the growth of the babies. As Dee Dee wrote, 7 weeks and growing fast... she meant the babies not me, I hope! The babies are doing great, their heartbeats are stronger than last week (which is positive), and they told me that I have the best prognosis for twins... so that's all good news!
DeAnna (my favorite ultrasound tech) chuckled at me many times today. She told me that we are changing the books (stats) for the clomid, and they should name it the "Fischer Percent". She told me that clinically based on the tests they did prior to my positive pregnancy test, I shouldn't have really even gotten pregnant in the first place. Statistically, women who use clomid typically don't conceive for 6 months on clomid, and they definitely don't get twins the first month around! I haven't been too sick (although I have been sick), and typically women with twins are constantly throwing up. Needless to say, DeAnna said that this was no work of a medical office, and that these babies were definitely sent to us from heaven above. I would have to agree!
Knowing that most believe that multiples are common with fertility treatments, I would like to confirm that what has happened to us it NOT common by any means. We are actually the third set of twins on clomid this doctor's office has seen in 30 years! We are also the first set of twins they have seen with timed intercourse, typically twins are conceived with insemination, and with women who release more than 8 eggs, not 2 egss (which is what I had released). Also, multiples are much more common with the heavier duty infertility treatments such as Gonaditropin, IVF, etc. Needless to say, if you are taking clomid to conceive, don't fear too much(or hope) that you will end up like us... because this is very uncommon what has happened us. In fact, our doctor, nurse (Alma) and most everyone in the office assured us and reassured us not to worry about twins, even Alma (the nurse) when she gave me the shot kept telling me over and over not to worry about twins. Now she hides behind her coat when I come in! =]
Either way, we feel very blessed to be having two babies that are growing so well and taking everything from me! I have had to change my eating habits tremendously, how much I sleep and how I smell things - my nose is out of control sensitive! But it will all be worth it in the end!
I will miss DeAnna and Alma, and all the girls at the Fontana Kaiser who cried with me, hugged me and laughed at me when we saw the twins!

Surprise, Daddy there are TWO babies!

2008-05-07T18:32:00.000-07:00

"Did you see what I saw?"

On May 6, 2008 I went into the doctor's office for my first ultrasound. I was a bit nervous being that the last two times I tried this pregnancy thing, it didn't turn out so well. I was warned by the ultrasound technician that we may not see anything, as it was a bit early (I was only 5 weeks) but not to worry, that didn't mean anything. I assured her I was used to it, and knew that my body was either going to make a baby or not. I had come to terms with what might happen, so I was fine not seeing anything on the ultrasound.
She turned to me and said, "let's take a look together." She turned the monitor toward me, and once she had a picture, she said, "did you see what I saw?" I said, "yes, I saw a gestational sac and a yolk sac," which is very good at 5 weeks. Then she said, "yup, 1... and 2..., 1... and 2..." I couldn't believe my eyes. I think she said it probably ten times before I really believed her even though I could see it myself. I just broke down and started to cry. Then we looked closer and we saw both fetal heartbeats. I could see their little hearts fluttering on the screen, it was absolutely miraculous. God had given me back the two babies that I had lost!
Now, how do I tell my husband?

Jana & Brian Fischer at their Mission Inn wedding in October 2007

2008-05-07T00:23:00.001-07:00