10wks pg with twins need some advice

[Kristi]

Hi,
I am 11 weeks pregnant through IVF (had 1 blastocyst transferred) and found out at my first OB appointment on 5th of May that I'm carrying monoamniotic twins. At first I was over the moon but after coming home and reading statistics and all the horror stories I was a mess for two days after everything I have been through I couldn't believe I only had 50% chance of my babies making it. I now feel a lot better and am thinking positively and am just so happy that they are healthy right now. I am having another scan at 13 weeks and am hoping that they will find a thin membrane there. I am asking my OB for a referral to see a specialist for a consult. I have heard of mothers going into hospital as an in-patient from 26 weeks with 24 hour monitoring with a C/S usually at 32 weeks can anyone verify this I want to give my babies the best possible chance.

[blubelle]

Hi,

Congrats to you all, I too am having twins and I am 21 weeks, last night was the first time I felt them kick with my hand, at 18 weeks I felt them moving inside but they haven't kicked until last night. My husband was so happy that he finally could feel them.

I am due 20 Sept, but my OB wants me to go C Section on 7 Sept...but I'm hoping for natural.

Last week we just went for our first baby shop, went looking for the perfect stroller, its so hard, we are tossing up between the VAlco ION and Valco Latitude.

[MBP_Mum]

Wow congratulations. I loved the feeling the twins moving.
Treasure every moment.

[Kezzabird]

Yay Bluebell

Congrats and welcome to the twin train

I'm surprised your Obst has already made that hasty choice for you!! Surely if they are both head down you can go vaginally or is there another reason why he has decided to go down the c section route? My Obst hasn't said anything about a c sect yet and I'm 29 weeks, I'm hoping to go vaginally, as I need a speedy recovery I have no family around me. I love feeling them kick me, sometimes I look down at my belly and can actually see a foot or a fist moving around!! My partner finds it a bit freaky, but I love it.

[MBP_Mum]

Not long for you now Kezzabird, Hope everything is going well.
My twins have just turned 4, and boy i love the memories of my pregnancy with them.

[azzrenae]

Hi twin mummies,

Teagz when do you have your scan? those numbers are abit high.

Blubelle Whaoo movement I can't wait to have that feeling I know what it feels like to have 1 kicking around in there but to have 2 I can't even imagine it. I have had a look around for some prams as well had have seen the Valco latitude and it looks pretty good the only thing is the high seems to be a low I have a tall husband he would found it hard to push. I will keep hunting around let me know how you go.

Kezzabird how are you feeling? Have you done all your shopping yet?

AFM Just hit my 2nd tri and am feeling really good still feeling abit low on energy but I am getting use to it. I have popped already and can't fit any of my pants so have brought a pair of maternity pants and wear my trackies alot more luckly its winter. I have my scan tomorrow so can't wait to see them again hopefully they have all there little bits and pieces. They also checking to see if they are shearing the same sac or separate fingers crossed they are in their own.

Hope everyone is looking after themselves

Hope everyone

[MBP_Mum]

I had the valco with toodler seat and i loved it it was awesome.
I was sad when i sold it.

[Kezzabird]

Oh good luck with the scan tomorrow Azzrenae, I hope they see a membrane it will be so much safer for bubs.

I have layby'd the Valco Ion, mainly because it was sooo light but still seemed quite strong. I have also bought a second hand off roader for use at home as we have acreage and it will come in handy taking them for walks or just down to the veggie patch, it's a babylove one I think they go for $500 new, but I got this one for $200 and it looks hardly used. It is far too heavy to get in and out of the car so will stay at home. We only need to buy a car seat now, we were given one by a friend, which is great, so just need to get another to match.

AFM I'm feeling really heavy and tired, I'm not making it past 9.30pm these days. Everything takes for ever, I have to roll out of bed, sleeping is challenging. Oh and my hormones have gone haywire!! One minute I'm a stark raving psycho and the next I feel so ashamed I'm balling my eyes out!! Jeeze the womans body is just sooo complicated, I just hope it doesn't go on after the bubs are born the last thing I need is postnatal depression! Apart from that the pregnancy is going really well, bubs growing nice and evenly, my Glucose tolerance test came back normal and my blood pressure is good.

[MBP_Mum]

I paid $950 for my valco used it 6 times and sold it for $600

[Kezzabird]

OMG why didn't you use it?

[azzrenae]

Hi ladies had my scan today and it was great they are still there hehe It took a while but she did find a membrane im so happy.

Kezzabird thas so funny your hormones are playing havick with you. Aren't friends great we have alot of hand me downs which is really going to help, anything free is a bonus. How many times do you get up at night to go to the toilet? that would be a pain to keep rolling out of bed every time

Kristi Im so sorry I didn't see your post earlier, I was in the same boat as you before today I am 13 weeks now and had a scan today and they found a membrane. Try to stay positive I know its hard, if you had your scan at 7-8 weeks it might of been to soon to see. Once you see them again all your worrying just disappears. How are you feeling?

[MBP_Mum]

OMG why didn't you use it?

I brought it when we moved, so i could take all three boys out with me, i used it 6 times and then realized i don't need it any more, It sat for about 3mths before i sold it, i wished i brought that one first time around.

Conngrats on finding the membrane azzrenae

[Kezzabird]

Kristi- I didn't see your post either!! Dunno what happened there, maybe a glitch or something. I was told I had mono mono twins to begin with too, it was only on my second scan I think around 10 weeks that they saw a very feint membrane. My first scan was about 6 weeks, so was too early to detect. I'm afraid I don't know the ins and outs of the procedures if they do turn out to be mono mono, but best of luck with it hun, hopefully they will be able to see a membrane anyway.

Azzrenae- yay on the good scan and yay for the membrane!! The second trimester is a breeze, you may get a bit of back ache but nothing too bad. I had loads of energy, but try not to over do it or you will pay the price in the evening! You will also find that the bladder calms down a bit and your not taking as many trips to the loo.

MBP- jeeze what a bugger with the buggy!! How old are your twins by the way? I just read back and noticed your name is Jennifer, that's one of the names we picked for one of the twins

AFM- I am most uncomfortable, my skin is soooo tight on my belly, last night twin B decided she was going to sit across the top of my belly and push all my organs up into my chest cavity, I thought I was having a flaming heart attack!!! Talk about painful. And yes the bladder thing has come back sometimes I'm up twice in the night to go pee, and sometimes find it difficult to get back to sleep. Still not long now, I've made it to 29 weeks YAY!!!

[Kaydee78]

Hi everyone, thought it was about tim I popped back in here and saw how you were all doing.

Congrats on finding a membrane azzrenae. Must be a relief to know it won't be as high risk as first thought.

Kristi, the internet is a wonderful thing but sometimes it gives us so much information it becomes a bit scary. I really hope someone has some answers for you. I'm sorry I have no idea about options for care later on. Try to stay positive and celebrate the little milestones along the way. You're nearly at 12 weeks, great news!

Kezzabird, 29 weeks. Wow! I too had an enormous sharp pain up high under my ribs in the middle of the night last week. A heat pack and panadol did the trick but my god it was awfully painful.

Bella, I guess with work, the type of work will impact on how long you can work for. My ob told me I will hit a wall of tiredness and won't want to work past 24 weeks. I'm a teacher and work 3 days a week and still feeling ok. Pooped after the 3rd day of working but I'm planning on being there for a couple more weeks before finishing up. I think it depends on how flexible your work days/shifts are and how you're feeling along the way.

MBP, 4 yr old twins.. must be so much fun. My DD turns 4 next week and she is at an awesome age.

Have a great weekend all!

[volcanocandy]

Hi,
I'm new here (I just joined as I was looking for a twin discussion forum, this one seems relatively lively) .

I had twin boys (fraternal) in January. They were unexpected and our first children! We nearly fell over when they told us - very excited! Now the boys are 4 months old and things are going very well.

RE: breastfeeding twins - yes I'm doing it. It was incredibly difficult in the beginning and I tried various things (expressing and feeding one with bottle, one with breast, feeding one at a time etc) but feeding them together works best for me! I have a twin feeding pillow which is sooooo awesome - If i were a celebrity I would endorse those pillows for free, I love mine so much. I think they're about $100 from big baby stores but it's the best $100 I ever spent!!!! I have been able to save sooooo much time feeing them together too. I'm going to continue doing it for as long as I can!

Our routine is to breastfeed all day and then give a bottle of formula at night before bed (about 7.30am) when my milk supply is lowest - then express before I go to bed. The boys then sleep 12hrs and get up about 8am so I have no complaints! It's a great routine for us.

I also had gestational diabetes (2 placentas.... fun!) and only put on 3kg for my twin pregnancy. I guess the extremely low GI diet helped that a lot.

Anyway, I just have to say that the first few weeks are CRAZY and you'll feel so overwhelmed and be constantly feeding (my bum would go numb from sitting on the couch so long... sometimes almost 90 minutes of feeding!!!) it was very draining. But there's a light at the end of the tunnel and life does get easier.


xx

[azzrenae]

Valcanocandy it so good to see another twin mummy here. Thats great you are breastfeeding your twins it sound like a great routine I think that it is important to have. I plan to breastfeed my twins but I had so much trouble breastfeeding my first bub and I hope that I can do it this time round, I will try my best but it will be hard with my daughter running around. I will definately get one of those breastfeeding pillows.
I to had destational diabeties with my first pg and I only gained 5kg. I have a feeling I will get it again so have to get my diabetic recipes out again.

I just have a quick question did you put them in the same cot for the first couple of months? What pram do you have I am looking at the moment but I find that they are to big to fit in the boot of my car. I had a look at couple of the Valco prams they look good and I had a look at the Maclearn (I think thats how you spell it) but it was hard to put it down it took my husband and the shop assistant to put it down.
Any advise would be helpful to all of us twin mummies to be.

AFM going off to get my bood test done today, I also got my hair done yesterday it was so good I have been feeling abit blah lately so it was a great pick me up. I feel so hugh and I am only 13 weeks gee I think I am going to be hugh.

I hope everything is going well with everyone else

[VTmom]

WOW Valcanocandy!!! you make it sound so easy and thats amazing for the twin mums to be bcs all you hear while you are pregnant is who hard its going to be and how difficult life will become (at least thats the way it was for me).
In reality yes its hard but you learn to adapt...you change your life and become more organzied and it works!! my babies are almost 9 months and most the time i am with them on my own and the situations i have been in (no car, living in a dangerous country, being alone without any help...etc) weren't easy and we survived and are happy and healthy which is the most important thing!

as for the prams i have the Maclaren which is small and great for getting around but as you said its hard to close. you get used to it and get really good at it but i am sure there are easier ones out there. with twins most of the time your hands are full or you are in a hurry or somethign like that so you need something that easy to open and close...thats NOT the maclaren!

the sleeping situation: well because i move around alot i never bought cribs. i have had porta-cots everywhere i go. so for the first 5or 6 weeks they slept together and then i seperated them bcs the porta-cot got too small as they grew. for the first few months its ok but i believe you need to separate them after the 2nd month bcs seperating them later on while be much harder!

Any other advice you need let me know bcs i know how hard it can be getting prepared and don't know what to expect!

good luck and take care
Shereen

[bella55]

Hello lovely ladies,

It's nice to read about how other twin mums are coping!! It's reassurring and believe you me i need some reassurance!
As for the prams - i went out shopping about a week ago - i loved the Phil + Ted's and the mountain buggie double prams - but they were so cumbersome when put down - and sooooo heavy. I then found the baby jogger prams "city mini & city elite" they are easy to fold down - i mean really easy and best of all they are light.

I to would be interested to hear more about the sleeping arrangements - i was thinking of buying a double bassinett (haven't found one but apparently they exist) for the bedroom initially then ?having two cots side by side?.

Azzrenae - i hear you about feeling huge - i feel huge and i'm only 10weeks!!

xxBella