General Discussion ~ Twins & More #5

Hi ladies! I hope everyone is well.

I am looking for some reassurance from twin mums who may have had the same thing with one of their babies or perhaps knows someone who had a baby with the same issue.

We had our 27 week growth scan last Friday. Both babies are in the normal range for weight. T1 is estimated to be 1034 grams or 2 lbs 4 ozs, and T2 is estimated to be 941 grams or 2 lbs 1 oz. Both their hearts and cords are functioning well.

What I'm worried about is T2's head shape, described as `dolicocephalic head shape’. I spoke to my OB who told me there's nothing to be worried about. He said the BPD measurement (ear to ear) is small as T2's head shape is long and narrow, but the head circumference is within normal range (it's actually smaller than the mean too from memory). I asked him about possible brain development, Downs, premature fusing of the sagittal suture and he said not to stress and to have a gin-less tonic.

I've also heard that this head shape is common in other cultures, Nordic I think, and common in premmie babies or breech babies. T2 was positioned horizontally, superiorly on the maternal left, so the head was underneath the belly button and the feet under the ribs. Has anyone had a baby with this head shape while in utero? If so, were there any problems? Will baby's head shape change after birth? I'd love to hear some reassuring words from anyone who has experienced this or knows about this. Thanks very much!

Hi twin mummies, just a quick post to say hello to you all. Not long to go now for me. My OB is hoping I'll make it to 38 weeks, in which case he'll schedule me for a caesar, but as you all know it could happen any time ... scary but also exciting. Hope you are all well. I'll post with a birth announcement soon!!!!

Honey, I'm waiting to hear this too. Good luck :-)

Hi Brunette,
How time flies! My little ones are 6 months old already, I can't believe it. This forum has been on the quiet side hey. Did you find out any more about the dolicocephalic head shape? Sorry no-one has been around to answer your questions. i myself know nothing about it.
I hope you've had a good pregnancy and have had enough support throughout. Good luck with the upcoming birth, how exciting :)
All the best x

Sararach, thinking of you often and hoping you're getting stronger day by day xo

KaylaB, time flies all right. Wow, can't believe yours are six months already. Dolicocephalic head shape just means the head is narrower and longer, usually associated with breech babies. My OB is not at all concerned about it so that's good enough for me.

Be back here soon-ish with an announcement :)

Hi,

Any tips on toilet training?

Ta cathie

Hi everyone
Cathie sorry I can't help my girls are too young and I haven't even looked in to it.

Just wanted to send best wishes to Brunette, not long to go now and the fun will being. Don't be scared of your cs, I didn't really do too much research either and didnt really feel prepared. Just go with to flow and it will be fine. You are lucky to be so far along so chances are they may not even need time in special care. make sure you tell them what you want though, I has skin to skin in recovery and they were on the breast within 20 minutes or so. Fingers crossed for you you have good sleepers. Yes you will be sleep deprived and the 3 hourly feeds are a killer, especially if you are expressing on top of that, but if you can sleep in between you will be fine. Just make sure you sleep any chance you get, and no housework or anything like that. Eat lots of protein and drink lots of water for your milk supply, and stay away from sugary foods to avoid getting nipple thrush as that is the killer. Make the midwives help you every time you put them to the breast to make sure you are getting it right, and if you are going to bf get a twin bf pillow, it was a life saver for me. I can't think of anything else lol. Can't wait to hear your news.

Hi to everyone else. My girls are going great, I am more in love with them every day.

Xx

Hi BD, thanks heaps for your tips. I saw my OB this morning and was told that 3 out of 5 babies born by CS go into special care - maybe only for an hour, maybe for a few days. I was also told there's a good chance the paediatrician will try to feed them formula - 20 mls a feed instead of about 1-2 mls of colustrum they would normally receive when BFing. They'll come out of special care potentially wanting 20 mls each feed before my milk has even come in! The midwife at our OB clinic said to be assertive, that I need to give my consent for them to formula feed my babies, and to hand express diligently every two hours into a syringe and get the midwives to give this to the babies. So I'll just be very clear about my wishes to BF and hope they don't have to go into special care at all, and if they do that they're out as soon as possible. I've got a twin BFing pillow. Hope I get a chance to use it! You did so well not having your twins go into special care, having skin to skin and BFing so quickly after birth. So sweet when you say you're more in love with your daughters every day!

I'll be back with my birth announcement! OB said it might be sooner than the 8th as when he pushed on T1's head he said the uterus was irritable and he felt small contractions. Yikes. As long as they don't come this weekend because he's not on call!

Hi Brunette, I hope all is well. Will cross my fingers for a few days more for you. Just wanted to say that I did formula feed as well as hand express every 3hours as well as practice bf and attachment with the girls the first few days. I personally think that supplementing with formula in the early stages is fine, especially if you have low weight bubs that need to gain weight, and the effort they expend bf uses more energy than they are getting in milk. My milk came in the morning of the 4 th day, and maybe because I had been so diligent with 3 hourly expressing, my volume built up really quickly, so by about 5 days old they were on exclusively breast milk, still supplemented by breast milk in the bottle, so with formula and early bottle feeding, I was still able to successfully establish breast feeding so they were exclusively breastfeed by 3weeks old, I used to drop a bottle feed every other day until I got there. So my advice is dont be too strict on yourself and know that if they they need formula in the short term you will be able to bf in the end, I hope that makes sense. Wishing you the best of luck xx

No one on this thread with older twins?

Cathie

I have news! Jack Caillan made his foray into the world by CS on 30 November at 8.45 pm weighing 5 lb 3 oz, followed one minute later by his little sister Zara Belle, weighing 5 lb 1 oz. Both were born healthy and crying and within an hour were on the breast. Initially they went into the well baby nursery but by the morning were admitted into special care. Their blood sugar levels had dropped below 3 and they couldn't keep their temperature constant. They had to have a gastro tube inserted into their nose to feed. I expressed regularly and made sure they got my colostrum. They have improved from alternate tube feeds and express feeds to three breast/bottle/express feeds to one tube feed. We are running back and forth to special care twice a day and spending multiple hours at the hospital each time. They were just weighed a second time and Jack put on 100 grams and Zara lost 30g. But this is normal apparently to lose weight initially and even at the second weigh in. So they're healthy and making good progress but it's hard not having them home with us. Hopefully all going well we can take them home this Friday, but I suspect it may be a few more days than that. My milk supply is going well, but I'm not fussed any longer about formula or breast milk as all I want is for them to come home and I don't care if they have bottle feeds of formula as well as my milk in order to do so. Fingers crossed they keep gettting stronger and graduate quickly to feeding at each feed so the tube can be taken out and they can come home!

Oh how exciting Brunette! Congratulations and welcome Jack & Zara. Beautiful names. Hoping they can be home with you soon! Sounds like you're doing an awesome job! Good on you :) Look forward to hearing an update when you're all settled at home! Congrats again xx

Hello ladies, just thought I'd quickly pop in to say an official BB congratulations to Brunette, I noticed on your facebook page that you had a picture of your beautiful babies and wanted to come in a catch up with you all. Brunette it sounds like you are in good hands and you're doing all the right things, I hope you have them home with you now and that you are getting plenty of rest like BDT suggested. This period will be a complete blur until they start going through the night, just keep reminding yourself that it's not forever and IT WILL GET BETTER! Enjoy your bundles while they are bundles because in no time at all they will be running around getting into all sorts just like my two are now!

Cathy my girls are 17 months old, I haven't done any toilet training as such, just put the potty's out and let them sit of them now and then, sometimes we get a result and they get loads of praise, sometimes we don't. But to be honest I don't think they are ready, don't rush it all kids get there in the end. I think the most important thing is to let them know what the potty is for and when they are ready they will do it themselves and I don't think it's any different having two to potty train that having one (I also have a 6/7 year old boy). In fact I think it's probably better because one will see the other get lots of praise for doing a wee or poo and will want the same so will try to impress also (hopefully anyway!)

To everyone else I hope you are all well and are coping with all the Christmas preparations! Oh boy this Christmas is going to be sooooo FUN! I'm so looking forward to it.

My girls are walking and running and getting into all sorts of trouble! Jennifer is starting to talk and has such a funny character, every day the girls do something to make me laugh. Having twins is so special, sometimes it's hard but when it's good it's REALLY good. :-)

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you lovely twin mummy's!

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi to everyone in here. I hope you don't mind me dropping in but I am 26weeks pregnant with twins and have no idea what to expect. If all goes well from here on out, they will be my first earth bound babies. I'd love to join in your little group for general discussions and to get some info and hopefully eventually share some info also.

Hi Hope welcome and congratulations on your twin pregnancy! Well I can tell you this....you are in for one hell of a ride! :p

From pregnancy to birth to taking them home to nurturing them and watching them grow, it's an awesome experience of which we are all fortunate to have. Having twins/multiples is VERY special but also VERY hard work. I wouldn't swap it for anything. Don't be afraid to ask any questions on here, there are a few of us here, but obviously don't get much to time to drop by as we are busy with our littluns. But we do pop in now and then. :D

hi Kezzabird.

Thanks for the warm welcome. I look forward to getting to know everyone. I understand that most of you don;t have much time for the computer. I'll take each day as it comes. Congrats on your twin girls.

Hi everyone, just dropping in for a quick hello. My girls just recently turned 1, life is great, they are walking (almost running) and chatting lots, and totally divine. But growing so quick I just don't know where they time is going. And life is going to get a whole lot busier as we are pregnant with #3 due in October. I am super excited and a little in shock given how long it took to get my girls. But so happy.

Kezzabird, love looking at the pics of your girls on FB how are they going?

Hope, congrats on getting to 35 weeks, you have done great, I hope you are taking it easy. Is see you are in QLD too, are you in Brisbane? Where are you having your babies?

Hi to everyone else
xx

OMG congrats BDT!!!! Wow that is amazing news, I am so happy for you guys how wonderful :D Well one baby will be a piece of cake for you pro's now eh? :lol:
I love looking at your pics too, you take amazing photo's.

Hope I hope your pregnancy is going well and that you are getting plenty of rest, not long for you now. Do you have a bag packed yet? ;)

We are doing fantastic too, the girls are always busy, they just fly through the house like mini cyclones destroying everything in their path. :lol: But hey, I have the play pen on standby at all times and if things get too much, in they go! ;) They just seem to be so switched on too, I am totally noticing the difference between boys and girls. Girls develop much more quickly and seem to understand and learn a lot quicker than boys. They totally understand what I'm saying to them, even though they aren't saying much yet, I can tell they understand. For instance when I ask them to go and get their shoes they will go and fetch them. And if I say we are going out, you need a sun hat, off they go to collect their hats. And there are loads of other stuff they understand too, they even help me to tidy away their toys when it's time to pack away. Alex still doesn't tidy up after himself and he's 7!

Anyway, I hope everyone is ok, not heard from a lot of you in ages, it would be nice to hear from some of you, if you have a spare moment. :)