10wks pg with twins need some advice

[azzrenae]

Hi Bella great news your boys are doing so well and they are at home with you. It must be a fantastic feeling for you DH to be able to help out I know the feel left out abit sometimes.
A birth story would be great I love hearing about everyones birth stories.

Rhyb Congrats to you my gosh I hope everything is going well and a births story from you would be great to only if you have time that is.



Kayla_b Congrats on your 2 little bundles how was you first 12 weeks? Like kezza said ask as much questions you like Im sure one of us can answer them for.

Hi Kezza, BDT.

AFM Harper and Cody are now going 4 hrs between feeds and are sleeping 5 hours at night which is great I'm hoping by 3 months they will be sleeping through the night. I have also got home care from the MBA some one comes over and looks after the boys for 3 hours a week for 6 weeks it been great I can spend time with DH get some chrissie shopping done and you can also catch up on some sleep if you wanted to she is great with the boys as a matter of fact she is here now playing with DH its all for free to so think about it. I took the boys in for thier Immunisation shots and meet 2 mums with twins and they have invited me to their playgroup so we are off to do that today. I will pop back in before Chrissie to see how everyone is going take care everyone
xxxx

[jenc77]

Hello everyone

Well, long time, no talk. I am very sorry, because I felt so supported in this forum. I hope I'm not too late to join back in. It's going to take me some time to catch up, but I wanted to say a massive congrats to Bella on Samuel and Jack, and to Azz on Harper and Cody. I missed you girls.

I won't write an epic here now, because I really want to catch up on everyone's news, but just thought I'd let you know that Hame and Lach are AMAZING!!! They are 14 weeks old already - I can't believe it. They've been sleeping from their last feed at night, til the first acceptable feed in the daytime since 8weeks. And they've just started having their last feed at about 9pm, so I'm getting really decent amounts of sleep.

We ended up being in ICU for nearly 5 weeks with them because they both had severe IUGR, but you'd never know it now. Hame needed cpap for quite a few days, Lach was under phototherapy lights for 4 days, and his poor little tummy bled for a while, but seriously, now they are such chubbas, you'd never never never know the rough start to life they had.

Hame is now 5.1kg!!! and little Lach is 4.4, so there is a big difference between them. But they're not identical, and Lach was only 1.2kg born, so not surprising.

Anyway, the key message of all of this is that I am still super happy, have not had yet a single 'bad day', and I reckon that the twin thing is nowhere near as bad as everyone (and the books) makes out! Maybe it's about expectations...!!!

Big love ladies

Jenxx

[bella55]

Jen so glad to hear from you. It sounds like your blissfully enjoying motherhood! The boys sound like they are doing great.

Azza glad to hear your boys are doing so well.

I would have to agree with you Jen - i don't think this journey (so far - touch wood!!) has been as bad as i imagined!

Everything is going well here! I would love for them to feed closer to 4 hourly rather than 3!! They are eating large amounts, putting on weight, they never cry unless they are super hungry and even then it's only for a min or 2. I am struggling a little with what to do when one wakes and is hungry right on 3 hours but the other is fast asleep. I wake the other and feed them so they stay on a similar schedule but quite often the one that is still asleep took longer to settle in the first place so i feel bad for waking him - any suggestions!!

The other question i have is i'm teahing them to self settle so they always go to bed awake but sometimes one or both are still awake after an hour or so - they arn't crying or even really grizzling i can just hear them nattering and grunting (they are wide awake though) i dont know weather to go in and try to get them to sleep or just leave them be??? I don't want to get into the habit of having to settle them but at the same time if one doesn't fall asleep for an hour i'm waking him to feed because the other one has woken and is hungry - i hope this question makes sense!

I feel great - a little more sleep would be nice but hey! We are managing to get out for walks and DH hired me a tredmill so i get on that and sing away to my ipod and it makes me feel so much better (it's only 15/20 min but it's a start!) DH is wonderful - and taking great care of me!

Merry Christmas everyone - what a great Christmas this year is!!.

xxxxBella

[Kezzabird]

Hey Bella and Jenc!

Yay sounds like you are both doing great! You are very lucky to have such good support around you, it does make life a lot easier.

Bella I would just leave them if they are awake in their cots and are happy to be there. And I would keep going on the waking them at the same time to feed, as this free's up some of your time to get on with other things, otherwise it can feel like you are feeding all day! The one that took longer to settle will soon realize than when you put them in the cot you expect them to sleep and will be woken in due course. They will soon get into a synchronized routine, I think it was around 3 months when my two started a definite routine going. I put my two down for a nap at the same time, but they almost always don't sleep the same length of time. Jennifer seems to always sleep longer than Suzanna, but I guess although they might be identical, they are different little people so one might need more sleep than the other. I don't sweat it too much, I just go with the flow.

I've started mine on solids too, at first they weren't too keen, so I just tried them every now and then. Now Suzanna loves it, but Jennifer isn't too sure, it's a lovely stage as the faces they pull are soooo funny. When your guys start, make sure you have a camera handy, it's such a precious time.

It's so lovely to hear from you and to hear that you are doing so well.

[barney]

oh you girls freak me out with these conversations pmsl im so proud of all you girls ITS BAD ENOUGH HAVING TO SETTLE ONE BABY keep up the great twin mummy work girls love you all xoxox

[bella55]

Thanks kezza - reassurance is all you need sometimes! I'm now back on facebook so i will send a friends request?

Another question (sorry guys!)
I am pretty much stopping expressing over the next few days (the boys were down to having only 20-40mls BM and the rest formula) but i'm finding my big boy Jack is taking 140-160 mls but according to the tin directions should be only having 100! If i gave him just 100 he wouldn't settle and would cry for more food - i don't want to starve him but i also don't want to overfeed him do you think it's ok? also they are still having 3 hourly feeds and occasionally go 3.5 - 4 hours is this still normal for this stage i feel like they are eating such huge amounts? My little boy is lucky to finish the 100mls but will still wake 3-3.5hrly acting like his starving but won't take all his bottle?

God it sounds like i'm doing it tough - i'm not at all i just want to make sure i'm doing the right thing (my gut tells me we are doing well but no harm checking )

xxxxxxxxxxBella
p.s when i work out how to link my facebook i will so you can see photos!

[Kezzabird]

Bella you are doing a marvelous job hun, just go with the flow. If Jack is taking more than what the tin says, it's because he is a hungry baby. The tin is just a rough guide, if he wants it then give it, would be my advice. If he's had too much than his tummy can handle he will bring it back up, if he's not doing that then he's fine with it. The little one will drink when he's hungry enough, I think my two drank around 80-100mls at that age too and I found sometimes they wouldn't go a full 4 hours. As they get older you will find things just fall into place and they will be able to go the full 4 hours. It's only a phase at this stage and soon gets easier.

Just click on my facebook link and send me a friend request Bella, let me know who you are, can't wait to see pics

[bella55]

Hi everyone,

Hope everyone had a wonderful christmas with their new additions!!! We did! Had a great day the boys were a little unsettled after everyone left but hey - it's christmas! I even managed a few glasses of vino!

Kezza - oh my god your girls are sooooo alike!

I am now (from yesterday) fully formula feeding the boys - my breasts are a little sore today (have only been expressing for comfort the past 2 days) so will keep an eye on them!
The boys were weighed on Christmas eve (4 week weigh in)
Jack - 4.3kg length 55cm ( + 960g in 2 weeks!)
Samuel - 3.1kg length 53cm (+600g in 2 weeks!)
Still feeding 3-4hrly, still very settled only crying when they have to wait to long for me to heat their bottle! My DH goes back to work on 5th Jan - i'm a little nervous having to feed them at the same time as they don't really like it but i'm sure we will manage!

Anyway have just had a ham roll (left overs) made for me so will go.

If anyone can post instructions how i link my facebook let me know!! (P.S Azza i have sent you a friend request on facebook!)

Hugs and Kisses to all

xxxxBella

[Baby Dreamtime]

Hi everyone, just checking in to see how you are all going.

Bella, so glad to hear the boys are doing well and putting on weight, what great weights they are at already. Good luck with the dual feeding. Re Facebook, I think if you copy the link of the photo folder you have your pics in, you can paste it into your post, you just need to make sure that you specify that particular folder is public and not restricted to friends only. I would love to see pics. Also, here is a link to my FB page http://www.facebook.com/lisa.tzanetopoulos?ref=profile, though I don't have twin pics yet, only belly shots

Kezza, loved the pics of you and your family at the beach, hope you had a great Christmas.

Jenc, great to hear from you too, and so glad all is well with the boys, 5 weeks in NICU must have been hard. It is wonderful that you are so happy, I hope I will be feeling the same way myself after our girls arrive. I am being optimistic that it won't be quite as hard as everyone makes out, and am lucky that I have plenty of help with both my mum and MIL close by, almost too close sometimes LOL.

Smithy, you are a darl, thanks for dropping in and thinking of us.

Azz, you seem to be doing so well also, gosh I have a lot to live up to , I better not let DH know. I hope you are having fun with your play group, I have joined the MBA too, and have a close girl friend who just had twin boys a 36 weeks, so am learning a lot from her also.

AFM, I am going pretty good, but have been pushing it too much with house renos, though we are pretty much finished now, I think I had been running on adrenalin and have now crashed. Everything is an effort, even sleeping, have been up since 3.30 am this morning with itchy skin of all things. I have plenty of pelvic pain, but from what I understand there is not much to be done about that. And a very tight belly, I can almost feel the girls growing by the minute, but am definitely happy about that, grow little girls .

I see my OB next week and am very keen to find have a look to see how they are going, 4 weeks is a long time between scans, and am assuming he will want to see me fortnightly from now. Last scan both girls were head down, though 2 weeks ago twin 1 flipped to breech, I am a little worried that she won't flip back now, I was really keen to try for a vaginal birth. Fingers crossed I still have time and she still has room.

Hope everyone is well, Happy New Year and take care xx

[Traveller]

Last scan both girls were head down, though 2 weeks ago twin 1 flipped to breech, I am a little worried that she won't flip back now, I was really keen to try for a vaginal birth. Fingers crossed I still have time and she still has room.

Hope everyone is well, Happy New Year and take care xx

My 2nd twin flipped from breech to head down approx. 12 hours before I went into spontaneous labour at 38 weeks pregnant. It is amazing how they are little gymnasts with such a tiny space to play in!

[Baby Dreamtime]

Wow, thanks Traveller, that gives me hope, who would have thought they would still have room.

Happy New Year everyone! xx

[Tanya]

Closing this thread, there is a general chat for twins and more HERE