Home Monitoring Day 1

YAY!  Today was the first day of home monitoring.  Because the equipment is older it is very sensitive and because the babies move a lot, I needed to hold both monitors to make sure we got good reads. It took me maybe 15 minutes to get a good position for both, but we got a good 20 minute reading which is what I needed to get.  I found Baby B on my right very easily.  Baby A on my left was a whole nother story.  They are both head down and low in my pelvis, but A is lower so it took a little while to in a  good position with him.

Check out my home monitoring set-up.  In my own bed!!!  Very cozy!

And here is my first monitoring strip that I sent to the doctor.

Best Laid Plans - Follow Up

After my difficult week wit the insurance company, figuring out home monitoring, and my rant things managed to work themselves out.  We decided to pay out of pocket for home monitoring and move my hospital inpatient stay from 30 weeks to 27 weeks.  

I went in for my 24 week follow up.  The twins are weighing 1lb, 9 oz an 1 lb, 13 oz and looking great.  As it it turns out my perinatologist was not pleased with the idea that my insurance would not cover home monitoring and we would have to pay for it ourselves.  He graciously offered for me to use one of their NST monitoring machines.  I was so shocked I couldn't really react.  What a gracious and generous offer.

So the plan is to go pick up the equipment and get trained on it tomorrow.  I will monitor each baby and contractions (although I am not having any) every 4 hours during the day and 6 hours in the evening.  I will fax him and my OB the results and at any sign of complications or difficulty I am to go straight to the hospital.  

I am so grateful that we have this opportunity and that I can remain home with my family through the holidays.  Now since we revisited the inpatient question, we have to decide when I will be checked into the hospital.  I started to adjust to the idea that I might have to go in earlier than I thought so I'm feeling ok about it.  We just need to decide when is the right time.

Home Monitoring Plan Set

My home monitoring plan is officially set.  NOW the fun begins!

I start next week at 24 weeks.  A nurse through the home health company Matria will come in 2 -3 a day and monitor the babies by conducting a Non-Stress Test (NST).  The test involves attaching two monitors to my abdomen to measure each baby's heart rate and another belt to measure contractions.  Their heart rates are measured for 20-30 minutes depending on how cooperative they re.

In addition to the daily monitoring I will have ultrasounds every other day to monitor the babies cord flow and position.  Two of these monitors will be in the doctor's office and one will be in the hospital.

All this monitoring helps to ensure that the babies are thriving and not getting more entangled in the chords.  If everything goes as planned I hope to continue home monitoring until 28-30 weeks.  

Fetal Doppler

A few weeks ago I rented one of those fetal dopplers from Stork Radio.  I started feeling movement at 13 weeks, but it wasn't consistent.  What a great thing to feel movement so early, but then when it is not consistent you can't depend on it to know the babies are ok.  Funny enough since I got the doppler I don't use it that often.  I always feel them move so I don't even really need it, but just having it in my house is reassuring.  Silly, I know.