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How long do I work?
This is up to your doctor, but most women contributing to this
list stopped work at around 20 weeks. Some were able to work
from home for longer. For quadruplets, suggested work
stoppage is about 16 weeks- again, talk to your doctor.
What do contractions feel like?
Anything from a slight tightening of the belly to serious back
spasm-like pain. Many women don't feel the contractions at all,
no matter whether they've been pregnant previously or not. If
you have this fear, insist on home monitoring. Many
contributors to this list feel it saved their babies' lives, but
many doctors won't prescribe it unless you insist. The monitor
can be wrong, so a combination of paying close attention to any
strange feelings in your body and using the monitor is probably
the best strategy.
What can I expect in terms of prettier
labor, bedrest,
and hospital stays?
There are women who go to 36 weeks with none of the above,
but assume you won't be one of them to avoid disappointment.
Home monitoring is common, and one or two trips to the hospital
to check out excess contractions is also usual. Most everyone
has some form of bedrest, whether it be "house arrest", sofa
rest, or serious home or hospital bedrest. Depending on your
doctor you may spend the last few weeks/days before delivery
in the hospital.
What will make bedrest easier at home?
Get in touch with Sidelines, a national support network for
bedrest. Their address: Sidelines, P.O. Box 1808 Laguna Beach,
CA 92652 (714) 497-2265 web site: Sidelines
A cooler or small refrigerator will help keep trips to the
kitchen to a minimum. Have your husband fix sandwiches,
snacks, etc. to have nearby. Have the phone and remote control
handy. If possible, set up the computer near your bedrest
station. You will begin to get uncomfortable. If you have a
waterbed, that may make your sleep better. Also, an eggcrate
foam pad on top of your mattress can also make you more
comfortable. Get a "reacher"- a grabber on a long stick so
that you don't have to get out of bed or change position too
much to pick up things next to your bed. A shower chair for
later on in your pregnancy can also be a good idea. Get as many
things done and organized as you can. productive will help pass
the time and stave off loneliness. Some project ideas:
- address baby announcement envelopes
- sort pictures, put names/dates on them, put them into albums
with captions
- sort recipes, make a recipe file that contains a file card on
all of your favorite recipes. On the card put the main
ingredients and where to find the recipe (cookbook page, etc.).
Then you can glance through the file and find what recipe you
have the ingredients on hand for when things get hectic later.
- write letters for freebies to companies and address the
envelopes. Almost every company requires copies of birth
certificates, but you can have the letters ready to go before
the babies are born. Also you could write 10 or 15 generic
thank you notes to companies so the you can send them when
you receive the free gifts. See the Freebies List.
- make lists of everything you'll need for the nursery or
babies when they get home
- keep track of gifts (new or used) you've received for the
babies so that you don't have too much of the same thing.
- keep a pregnancy journal
- write letters to friends and relatives
For fun, try: jigsaw puzzles, crossword puzzles, books,
magazines, needle work, sketching, TV watching, rent
movies/how to videos, surf the net and play computer games.
Keep in mind that this may be the most important thing you
ever do for your children. Concentrate on having healthy
babies and remember that taking care of them now is the
absolute best use of your time.
What will make bedrest easier at the hospital?
All of the above ideas for home bedrest also apply to the
hospital. In addition:
- Try to schedule visitors so that you don't get them all at
once. If you have or can borrow a laptop computer, that will
fill many hours. Some hospitals have VCRs that can be set up in
the room, which could also help with passing the time. An
eggcrate foam pad on your hospital mattress might make you a
little more comfortable.
I have an older child/children. How
can I make this easier
on them?
Use the time for lots of one on one time playing games, talking,
doing crafts. You may have to have daycare for a very young
child if you are on home or hospital bedrest.
Talk to friends and family and ask them to take your child with
them on outings if possible. Also, the transition for your child
once the babies are home will be much smoother if he/she is not
ignored by visitors. Try to get visitors to go to the existing
children first before looking in on the babies. You might feel
comfortable asking close friends to bring a small gift for older
children on their next visit- even school-aged kids don't
understand why gifts aren't brought for everyone.
What is a normal weight gain for triplet/quadruple
pregnancies?
Around 50 pounds is common, but there are wide variations in
that. The most important thing is that the babies are gaining
weight properly. Almost every woman has to force herself to
eat- three babies take up a lot of room (not to mention all that
water that you're supposed to drink). Both MOST and the
Triplet Connection can give you specific ideas on foods/liquids
to have.
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