Biophysical Results/Begging for Mercy

The doctor has ordered biophysicals on each baby twice a week, in addition to the non-stress monitoring twice per day. The tests consist of:

• A detailed ultrasound to observe the babies' body movements, muscle tone (flexing of the arms and legs), and breathing movements (the babies' ability to move chest muscles and diaphragms), and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding them.

• A non stress test to assess whether the babies' heart rates change when they are moving. A technician straps two devices to Sarah's belly: One monitors the babies' heartbeats and movements; the other records contractions in her uterus. The technician listens to and watches the babies' heartbeats on a computer screen the results are measured on a 10 point scale. Each of the five components — body movements, muscle tone, breathing movements, amniotic fluid, and heartbeat — is assigned a score of either 0 (abnormal) or 2 (normal). These scores are added up for a total score ranging from 0 to 10. In general (and for one baby) a total score of 8 or 10 is normal, 6 is considered borderline and you are retested in 24 hours, a score of 4 means you are tested again in 2 hours, and a score of two is an automatic delivery.
Obviously, more than one baby complicates that decision.






Wednesday's Test Results:

Baby Boy A-- 2.1 pounds, 52 percentile, 6 points
Baby Boy B--1.13 pounds, 40 percentile, 8 points
Baby Girl C--2.2 pounds, 56 percentile, 6 points
Baby Girl D--2.3 pounds, 59 percentile, 6points

Today's Test Results:

Baby Boy A--6 points
Baby Boy B--8 points
Baby Girl C--8 points
Baby Girl D--8 points

The babies are young yet, so the scores are in the acceptable range until 28 weeks, when higher scores will be desired. Baby C and Baby B had decelerations of over 2 minutes today, which is not good. Somehow the cords are being compressed, either from overcrowding or
contractions.

Sarah had a glucose-tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes, and she passed. Hooray! We were a little worried about that test, since diabetes is common with multiples. Her blood pressure is 74/49, which is also great since hypertension is also common with multiples.

I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later, but I have tonsillitis! Through an entire school year of college students, second graders and tutoring kids coughing and sneezing in my face, I stayed healthy. Now all I have is one three-year-old, and I'm begging for mercy.

Please keep praying. God is watching over us!