Chapter 14 - Bedridden Baby Burritos

~Nov 4~
Gestation: 31 weeks
Weight: 223lbs (+68)
Chest: 48" (+5)
Waist: 55" (+22)
Hips: 49" (+5)

The doctor's appointment today didn't go as planned. My blood pressure is only slightly elevated, which was expected this far along and with as much stress as I've been dealing with at work. I'm getting behind on projects and I'm starting to feel like an inconvenience when I need to take a longer lunch break for appointments like today. I talk to the doctor about my stress levels and the near insufferable hip, round ligament, and back pain, even with wearing my support band. He says we'll discuss more after the ultrasound.

Babies look healthy and baby girl's heart arrhythmia is getting less noticeable. They're both measuring almost 2 weeks ahead, the tech estimating them at almost 4 pounds each (the average twins at 31 weeks weigh about 3.4 lbs each)! She says my fluid levels haven't changed and are still in excess. Back in the exam room, the doctor examines my belly and says although I'm carrying larger than average I am healthy. He wants to see me in 2 more weeks and for me to take it easy and manage my stress better. I put on my support, barely closing it at this point, and slowly waddle to my car. Just that distance is getting difficult between my weight and pained areas. I feel a pang in my lower belly but brush it off.

I stop on my way home for Mexican fast food: 2 bean burritos, 4 black bean tacos, a large fry, 2 egg and cheese mini burritos, and donut bites find their way into my waistline. I can feel the steering wheel but I'm at the point where I just need to deal with it for now. I get out of the car at home ever so slowly, take my laptop into the living room, and get some work done. I fall asleep at some point for an hour and wake up feeling peckish. I empty the "Jason brought home from work" basket, eating the 4 snack cakes it contained, then move on to the fridge where I finish off a fruit tray and the rest of the leftover penne pasta and marinara (about 2 bowls worth). It's delicious and my shirt is getting strained. The tightness feels kind of nice so I quickly chug some iced tea, feeling it stretch more.

I work a little longer and don't realize I fell back asleep on the couch. I wake to my "time to pick up Zeke" phone alarm. I quickly slide some shoes on, pick him up, and plop back on the couch when we get home. When Jason came home I'm talking with Zeke while he plays on the living room floor. I move to a side laying position on the couch, a pillow under my belly that sticks out beyond the couch cushions.

Jason asks what sounds good for dinner and we agree on leftovers. While we eat I tell him about my appointment and how the babies are measuring ahead and about baby girl's heart. We've talked a little about names, but as we're eating, we start to brainstorm, realizing we don't have much time before they might make an appearance.

"I know it's just an estimate but seems like they might come sooner if they're already that big," Jason says.

"Yeah, or they'll stay cooking until 40 weeks and I'm unable to walk and have to have a c-section because they're so big."

"Would you rather have big healthy babies or small malnourished ones?" Jason reasons.

"I know... Just wish they didn't make me so hungry and ate until they were fat once they've born instead of inside me. I stopped for lunch on the way home and I ate so much I'm touching the steering wheel in my car again."

"I'll help you move it back, babe. You need to remember I'm here to help you so ask for it. Like how your bowl is empty and I'm going to refill it." Jason smiles, kindly but also with a sense of what appears to be "I'm going to keep fattening her up" to me. He hands me my bowl and adds, "oh, and good news. I will be working from home starting next week."

"Really?" I'm so excited I almost pulled a muscle moving my body to face him.

"Yes. They're trying to consolidate who NEEDS to be in the office, and they know I'm going to be taking time off when the babies come, so they offered me to work from home before everyone else. This way I can help take Zekey to school and can help you with whatever you need. Less stress that way."

"This is so great! Awesome, babe!" I quickly finish my bowl. Jason went to give Zeke a bath, knowing I haven't been able to reach into the bathtub for months now. He's such a great father. I can't wait to see how he is with 3 little ones.



~Nov 18~
Gestation: 33 weeks
Weight: 230lbs (+75)
Chest: 48.5" (+5.5)
Waist: 56" (+23)
Hips: 49" (+5)

I came home from my doctor's appointment around noon to Jason staring at his work computer screen in the spare bedroom. He has a desktop setup with 2 monitors so he needed a desk area unlike me using a laptop.

"How'd it go, babe?" he asks.

"Well, I'm officially put on bedrest…"

"What?" Jason takes his eyes off the computer and looks directly at me. "What's wrong?"

"My cervix is thinning and the doctor thinks my stress levels from work are stressing the babies. He seems to finally be listening to me about my stress but now it feels like it's too late and I should have advocated for myself more and-"

"Slow down," Jason cut me off, putting his hands on my belly. "You've done everything you can. This year has been crazy with working from home and the quarantine…. You're not to blame. Those babies are still cooking and they are healthy, yes?"

"Yes…" I agree, trying to take my mind off of my stress. "I just don't know what I'm going to do with work. It's been crunch time with these projects and I'm already just sitting around while I work. I don’t know how much more of 'bed rest' I need to be put on."

"Well, I'll start taking Zeke to and from school so you don't have to worry about that. I know you like getting out of the house but if you're being required to relax, well, it's just for a few more weeks until they're born. I'll order us lunch so go lay down." Jason kisses my belly and the babies immediately squirm. I take my laptop into the bedroom, raise the top of our adjustable bed, and get back to work. My laptop needs to sit on my belly these days because I can't see it otherwise. Before I know it, Jason comes in with a bag. "Food delivery."

"Thank you," I say as I set my laptop aside and pull out the takeout boxes. 4 vegan enchiladas, 3 tacos, rice, beans, and a vegan milkshake. This is exactly what my stomach wanted. Jason sits down next to me on the bed to eat his own lunch. Food is also always eaten off my belly now. I don't realize how hungry I really am as I am distracted watching TV and shoveling the food in. By the last bite of beans, I feel pinned down to the bed. I sip the rest of my milkshake as I rub my distended gut.

I caught Jason glancing over a few times while I ate. "Go ahead and give me rubs already if you're going to stare at me." Jason smiles as he leans over and begins to rub the pressure out of me. I stifle a few burps with my eyes closed, enjoying the strange feeling of being heavily pregnant with twins and overly full, something which you'd think I'd be used to by now. Jason lifts up my shirt that's obviously reaching its last days covering down to the bottom of my growth. "I try not to think about how much being bedridden is going to make me gain. Not that I get much exercise now, but if I keep eating like this, I'm going to blow up even more."

"You're beyond beautiful to me. Every pound you gain has been put where it needed to be. You're the most beautiful pregnant woman I've ever seen."

"Are you going to wait long after the babies are born before you knock me back up?" I ask, knowing Jason wants more kids.

"We'll see how you're feeling physically… But no, probably not," he smiles. He moves towards the center of the bed and has me slowly move to sit between his legs. As Jason rubs all around my belly, I notice how he's just barely able to reach around me all the way from this position. I lean back into him as he puts both hands under my belly, cradling it, feeling its firmness yet softness, weighing its mass, examining its growth since the last time we sat like this. I soak in this moment until we both needed to get back to work.

Since I'm technically on bedrest, I'm not going to fight Jason on getting pizza for dinner tonight. We ate as a family out in the living room, watching a movie Zeke picked. Zeke asked when his siblings will be here and we assured him soon enough. I kissed him goodnight before Jason put him to bed. He sneaks off into the kitchen and returns with two apple pies.

"Are we doing what I think we're doing?" I ask him with suspicion.

"Oh yeah. How much can you eat!" Jason hands me a pie and he takes the other. "Let's see if you can handle more than last time."

"Last time I was a lot less pregnant, and I don't remember how much dinner I had eaten but I know I was really full."

"Whah, whah, excuses. Eat up, buttercup!" Jason encourages with a chuckle.

I think to myself, "at least I'm not the only one stuffing my face today. I love how much he takes care of me, even if it's mostly him fattening me up." I eat about 3 slices worth before feeling like I'm reaching my limit soon. I see Jason is halfway done with his pie while unbuttoning his pants. "Not fair! You didn't eat as big of a lunch or dinner as me."

"Then catch up," he says, taking another bite but more slowly. He finishes 3/4ths of the pie (6 slices) before he sees I'm almost done with my 5th slice. "Want me to feed you?"

"Only if I get to feed you first."

"Deal."

" ;Wait, really?" I say in disbelief.

"Sure. I don't want the pie to go to waste. Might as well enjoy it. Besides, that just means I get to feed you afterward."

I can tell Jason is trying to his discomfort from being so full as he hands me his pie. I can see his belly distended through his button-down work shirt, straining the buttons. "Let's start with seeing how much more that shirt can handle before we need to unbutton it."

He eats the next piece slowly, one hand massaging his belly, feeling it grow with every swallow. The last piece was the slowest of them all, causing him to unbutton his shirt now, exposing his belly that has pushed the zipper on his unbuttoned pants down all the way. I reach over the best I can and help massage his rock-hard gut for a minute before the stretching caused me discomfort. The last piece of pie was swallowed, and without missing a beat, Jason stays leaned back, grabs my pie, and starts feeding me. This gave me a few minutes to digest, but that wasn't an advantage. If anything, it's made me feel even more full with my brain finally caught up to the signals my stomach has been trying to send it. "Your turn. Lean back and fill up."

Slice 6 wasn't too bad. Slice 7 was a slow struggle. Slice 8 took me so long and many belly rubs to get down. My leggings were digging in so I lifted my shirt and pulled the panel down, allowing the full damage to jut out and be on display. Jason suddenly got a bit of energy so he sat sideways on the couch and maneuvered me to how we sat on the bed earlier. This time was much more difficult, and my belly is definitely more filled. I'm hesitant to lean back onto him but Jason pulls me back and puts both hands once again to cradle the underside of my belly. "You're amazing," he quietly says in awe into my ear. "You're so strong. You carry this thing around all day and barely complain. A woman's body goes through so much to bring children into this world. I'm just in awe at how beautiful of a thing pregnancy is."

I start to cry, mostly because Jason set off my hormones with how beautiful of words he just said. "Thank you for giving me these gifts. I'm excited to see how many more we create together."

That night, I had the dream again of being heavily pregnant and bedridden with Mary and Jason bringing me food. But this time, Mary and Jason both appeared chubbier than before. There were still many kids running around and Jason and Mary were both rubbing my massive belly the whole time as I ate. I must have been the size of Octo-Mom if she went a full 40 weeks with octuplets. I could tell I was eating constantly, just trying to keep up with what my body needed for 8 full-term babies. Every time I have these dreams more items and people are clearer or slightly changing. I wonder what these dreams are supposed to mean. I want to have more kids, and I'm enjoying pregnancy and being pampered, but trying to decipher what it all really means.