Triplets!

Yes, we have three live babies - all three with strong heartbeats!  Got the news yesterday and was confirmed with the reports I received this morning.  At 6 weeks + 1 day, the three are measuring perfectly on track:  Baby #1 is measuring 6 weeks + 2 days and Babies #2 and #3 are measuring 6 weeks + 1 day.  Two have heart rates of 137 and one is at 126 - all very solid.

So, here I sit both ecstatic and miserable.  Any higher order pregnancy is risky, but three or more are particularly so.  For those readers not familiar with surrogacy contracts, it is common for the contracts to protect the surrogate against a risky triplet pregnancy.  By contract our surrogate is prohibited from carrying more than twins.  We have known this all along and well understand the reasons for this protection, but now that it is a reality, I couldn't be more sad.  Should all three babies continue to grow normally for another couple of weeks, we will be looking at a procedure called 'selective fetal reduction'.  There is a link to follow that explains this about as well as any site I've seen.  It is not uncommon.  It is not without risks.  At the end of the day, however, it is less risky than attempting to carry triplets to term.  Yes, there are successful triplet, quadruplet and as seen in the news recently, octuplet deliveries...but they are generally not born without complications...often with one or more babies arriving with permanent disabilities.  The risks to the birth mother are also considerable.

http://www.peacehealth.org/kbase/dp/topic/tn10007/dp.htm

For now, we can do nothing more than wait and pray - wait to see if nature may take care of one of the babies on it's own - and pray for the three of them while we wait. 

I know we are not prepared for three babies and I know it is not our choice, but after trying so hard to have a family, the idea of losing one that is healthy is heartbreaking.  The health of two babies and a beautiful, caring surrogate, however, must take precedence. 

Thanks everyone for your prayers and warm messages.  Hopefully we will be heading to India in September to pick up two beautiful, healthy twins!

Love,
Terry and Steve

1 + 1 + 1 = 3

In the early morning hours yesterday, we received the following text from Dr S:  'three sacs'.  The ultrasound shows three well defined gestational sacs - two with yolk sacs and one without - this was at 5 weeks + 1 day.  We have said all along that twins would be a welcome blessing and by the same token I have worried all along that four embryos might turn into more than twins - and then, the dreaded 'selective reduction' procedure.  Well, here we are with three sacs...the heartbeat scan is next week so no need to worry just yet.  One of the sacs is slightly smaller than the other two (and it happens to be the one without a noticable yolk sac), so there is a chance that nature will take care of this on its own. 

For now, we celebrate!