Portuguese Version (Roll to read in English)

O blog conta hoje a história da Terri Carpenter, 40 anos, americana de Ellijay, estado da Georgia (EUA). Ela é casada com Randy Carpenter, 29, e mãe de duas meninas e um menino trigêmeos: Lillie, Chayce e Carter, que tem 2 anos e 4 meses.

Além dos trigêmeos, Terri tem mais quatro filhos de seu primeiro casamento: Brittany (20), Mason (18) e os gêmeos Tanner e Hope (14). Isso mesmo, Terri teve sete filhos, incluindo gêmeos e trigêmeos! Ela conta sua história pra gente:

“Meu nome é Terri e sou mãe de sete filhos maravilhosos. Os quatro primeiros são de meu primeiro casamento. Os dois primeiros de gestação única e um casal de gêmeos bivitelinos. Depois que meus gêmeos nasceram, fiz ligadura. Meu médico me disse, na época, que eu tinha 40% de chances de ter múltiplos novamente. Pensando que minha família estava completa, decidi pela ligadura (utilizando a técnica Uchida). Meu primeiro marido e eu nos separamos quando os gêmeos tinham 6 anos.

Conheci Randy, meu segundo marido, em outra cidade. Tinha ido com uma amiga a um casamento e ele também estava de passagem por lá. Conversamos, trocamos telefone, e continuamos nos comunicando sem nos encontrar por cerca de 8 meses, porque morávamos a 360 quilômetros de distância um do outro. Passamos a nos ver a cada 15 dias, e ele finalmente decidiu vir morar aqui. Eu sabia que ele queria filhos, mas ele também sabia que eu havia ligado as trompas.

Comecei a ir atrás de procedimentos para desfazer a ligadura, mas me senti desencorajada porque não sabia se seria possível devido ao método utilizado. O tempo foi passando e eu fui ficando mais velha e decidi que se era pra fazer tinha que fazer logo! Encontramos uma clínica numa cidade da Carolina do Norte (viajamos seis horas até lá) e fui submetida ao procedimento de reversão. O médico disse que normalmente levava 3 meses para engravidar depois do procedimento. Mas, meu marido havia aceitado uma oferta de emprego na sua cidade de origem e então lá estávamos nós, separados por 360 quilômetros novamente.

Como eu trabalhava em dias alternados (segundas, quartas e sextas), às vezes eu pegava o carro e dirigia até ele para tentarmos ter nosso bebê. Eu ia de casa até lá no carro pensando: ‘Só posso estar louca!’. O tempo foi passando e a gravidez não vinha, então decidimos fazer alguns exames (qualidade e quantidade de óvulos) e acompanhar a ovulação com ultrassonografias. Em uma segunda-feira, a médica me disse: ‘Tenha relação com seu marido hoje pois está ovulando’. Eu ri e contei pra ela que ele estava a muitos quilômetros de distância. Como era segunda e eu só trabalharia de novo na quarta, decidi sair do meu trabalho e dirigir os 360 quilômetros para encontrar o Randy! 13 dias depois, fiz um teste de gravidez e deu positivo!

Quando eu estava de 5 semanas, fizemos ultrassom e vimos dois sacos gestacionais. Eu estava grávida de gêmeos! Descobri uma semana antes de completar 38 anos. Tive muito enjoo! De repente, em um domingo, acordei com um leve sangramento. Naquele mesmo dia, mais tarde, tive um sangramento maior. Minha médica me mandou ir para o hospital para checar. Durante a ecografia, a médica examinou muito e disse: ‘Tem mais um aqui’. Meu marido respondeu com um palavrão! A médica nos mostrou a tela do computador e contamos 1, 2, 3: trigêmeos!! Porém, ela nos alertou sobre o quão perigosa e de risco uma gravidez trigemelar pode ser.

No dia seguinte, a médica me encaminhou para o laboratório central deles para fazer uma ecografia mais detalhada. Foi lá que vimos o que realmente havia acontecido. Eles encontraram um 4º saco gestacional vazio, eu ia ter 4 bebês. O sangramento ocorreu porque eu havia perdido um dos bebês.

No geral, tive uma gravidez tranquila, mas engordei muito! Eu tenho 1,58m e a última medida da circunferência da minha barriga mostrou 1,42m! Eu tinha de largura quase a minha altura! Meu marido e meus filhos mais velhos me ajudaram muito e me agradaram muito durante a gestação. Consegui chegar a 35 semanas e 2 dias (os últimos 10 passei no hospital). Eu estava com a cesárea marcada para as 36 semanas, mas os médicos quiseram fazer antes porque uma das meninas estava com o cordão enrolado no pescoço. Na hora eu não concordei em adiantar a cesárea, estava tentando convencer o médico a esperar a data marcada. Eu estava muito dividida, queria esperar mais, tinha medo da prematuridade. Mas eles me orientaram que a qualquer momento os irmãos poderiam se mexer e cortar o suprimento de sangue do cordão dela. Acabei cedendo. Então, no dia 7 de outubro de 2012, a G1, Lillie, nasceu pesando 1,985kg e medindo 43cm, às 8h17. Logo após, às 8h18, a G2, Chayce, pesou 2,325kg e mediu 45,5cm. Às 8h19, o G3, Carter, pesou 2,520 kg e mediu 48cm.

Fico muito feliz em ter aceitado e de não ter deixado minha filha correr esse risco. Eles estavam prontos para nascer e não precisaram ir para a UTI. Lillie e Chayce precisaram ser monitoradas, mas Carter pôde ir comigo à recuperação. Dentro de duas horas todos estavam comigo. Comecei a amamentar. Fomos para casa em quatro dias.

Consegui amamentá-los por cerca de 2 meses e meio. Depois disso eu estava tão cansada que decidi parar. Todos os meus sete filhos moram comigo e os mais velhos me ajudam muito a cuidar – e a mimar – os trigêmeos. Agora eles já têm 2 anos e 4 meses”.

Os gêmeos Hope e Tanner com os trigêmeos Chayce (à esquerda), Lillie (centro) e Carter (à direita).

Os 7 filhos de Terri.

Muito obrigada por dividir conosco a sua história, Terri! Você também tem trigêmeos e gostaria de contar sua experiência aqui no blog? Manda um e-mail pra mim: contato@ostrigemeosdamichele.com.br

Até mais!

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English Version

Terri’s triplets (and twins)

Terri Carpenter, 40, is American from the town of Ellijay, Georgia, USA. She’s married to Randy Carpenter, 29, and mother to the triplets Lillie, Chayce and Carter, who are 2 years and 4 months old.

Apart from the triplets, Terri has four other kids from her first marriage: Brittany (20), Mason (18) and the twins Tanner and Hope (14). Terri had seven children, including twins and triplets.

“My name is Terri and I am a mom to seven awesome kids. My first four children are from my first marriage. I had two singles and a set of fraternal twins. After my twins were born I had my tubes tied. My doctor told me that I ran a 40% chance of multiples again. Thinking my family was complete, he performed the Uchida tubal. We divorced when my twins were 6 years old.

I live in Georgia. My husband now lived in North Carolina. We met in Savannah, GA. I was 200 miles from my home, there with a friend because her daughter was getting married. He was there with his boss. I was walking on River Street when he hollered at me. We began talking and actually had a very nice time. He got my number and began talking as friends. We both headed home after that weekend and just talked on the phone. We lived 223 miles from one another. We talked for 8 months before we saw one another again. From there we started seeing one another every other weekend, then he moved here to GA. I knew that he wanted to have children and I knew that I had my tubes tied. I began researching into tubal reversal. When I began researching I was very disheartened because of the type of tubal I had, I didn’t know if it could be reversed. Through all the research, of course time went on and here I was getting older and I told him that if we were going to try that I would need to have the reversal done sooner than later. I found Chapel Hill Tubal Reversal Center, located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina.

Dr. Monteith did my surgery. It went great. I had 8.5 inches of tube on both sides. He told me that it usually takes 3 months to get pregnant. We began trying right away. Randy had taken a job back in North Carolina and I was in Georgia, so here we were back to seeing one another on weekends. I worked Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, so sometimes I would drive up to see him and then leave out early to head back to work the next day. Mind you it’s 223 miles one way. So we had been trying a couple of months and nothing. So, I go to the doctor to make sure everything was ok. I told her about the reversal and she ran some tests on egg quality and quantity, along with my thyroid as I have hypothyroidism.

My thyroid came back that I needed my meds upped. The other test came out great. They monitored me to see if I was ovulating. I had a ultrasound and my dr. told me to go home and have intercourse because I had one folicle ready on the right side. I laughed. I told her that Randy was in North Carolina working. With releasing 1 egg, I knew that meant I only had a 20% chance of pregnancy. This was on a Monday. I went to work and then after work drove 223 miles so we could be together. I drove back and forth that week to make sure we had a chance to have a baby. Not knowing or thinking it would work. Of course there is no telling how many times the thought of “you’re crazy” ran through my mind. At 13 days past ovulation. I got a positive on a pregnancy test. I was in shock!

A blood test confirmed I was pregnant. Then began the rigorous ultra sounds and blood draws to make sure that the baby was in the uterus and not in the tube. Finally at about 5 weeks we got to see two sacs. How? But there they were, two tiny sacs. I found out a week before turning 38. Then morning sickness set in. I was sooooo sick! One Sunday, I raised up in the bed and I felt a gush of water come out. I went to the bath room and I had a slight tinge of peachy pink on the tissue. I was scared. I went and laid down for a few minutes then went back to the bathroom and when I got up the toilet was filled red with blood and clots. I began to get upset but was hoping that the babies were ok. Later on that night I went back to the bath room and the same thing happened. I knew it couldn’t be good. I waited till the morning and I called my Dr. They told me to come in. She did a physical exam and told me my cervix was closed  and that, that was a good thing. She then wanted to do a ultrasound. She told me the babies were ok. Then she began moving the wand back and forth, back and forth and then she said “um I think I see another one”. She turned the screen towards us and there we counted 1, 2, and 3. You are having TRIPLETS! I was so scared and excited. The doctor began to tell us how serious this pregnancy had just become. She sent me to their main office the next day so that their u/s tech could check the babies out good. That was when we found out that, there was actually 4 babies. I lost one. We saw a 4th sac busted and empty. That was why I had bled. I miscarried a 4th. We were drilled about the precautions of a triplet pregnancy and they tried to discuss reduction but that was not an option for us. We said absolutely not!

I had a very good pregnancy. No bed rest but of course I had no choice once I got so big. I am 62.5 inches tall. My last measurement of my belly before going into the hospital was 56 inches around. I was nearly as big around as I was tall. I spent most of my time in bed or bath tub where I slept. My older kids and husband took great care of me. They would cook and clean and basically pampered me.

I went for a routine check up when Lillie’s cord reading was high. They then put me in the hospital so they could monitor the babies 3 times a day. If anything wasn’t just right, they said they would take them immediately. I was in the hospital for 10 days. I had been having some braxton hicks contractions. I just called the nurse to monitor me and the next thing I know she comes in and says the doctor is sending me to the OR! I was at 35 weeks and 2 days. My C-section was scheduled for 36 weeks.

They were preparing me me and I was trying to talk the doctor out of taking them! He was trying to talk me into letting him take them. I was so torn. I was ready for them to come but I also didn’t want them to be in the NICU. I was heartbroken, exhausted, scared and just ready. I gave in. Baby A (Lillie) was born with the cord wrapped around her neck, but fine. She weighed 4lbs 6oz and was 17 inches long. Baby B (Chayce) was 5lbs 2oz and 18 inches long and Baby C (Carter) was 5lbs 9oz and 19 inches long. All babies were doing great. Lillie had to go up to be monitored because she didn’t meet weight by 2 ounces and Chayce had to go up to monitor her breathing. Carter got to go with me to recovery. Within 2 hours all babies were with me. I began pumping.

The babies roomed in with me. They lost a few ounces but by day 2 had started gaining their weight back. We all got to go home in 4 days. I’m so thankful that I let them go ahead and do my C-section. With the cord around her neck, at any giving time the babies could have shifted and cut the blood supply to Lillie’s cord. She could have not made it. I’m just so thankful. They were ready. No NICU.

My kids helped me and Randy when we got home with them. It took us all. All my kids still live at home with me. They continue to help and spoil the babies. They are now 2, thriving and into everything”.

Terri’s twins Hope and Tanner holding Chayce (left), Lillie (center) and Carter (right).

Terri’s 7 children.

Thanks for sharing your story with all of us, Terri!

Do you also have triplets and are willing to spread the word? Send me an email: contato@ostrigemeosdamichele.com.br

See ya!