A few questions (working, homebirthing, ident/frat)...

[rbkincaid]

I've only known this pregnancy = twins for three weeks now (found out at gender u/s),

so I'm catching up on some research!

I'm a registered nurse on a med/surg floor.

Until we found out it was twins, I'd planned on working until the end, like I did last time.

Tell me your working stories! Financially, we can't afford for me to be out for months.

However, I want to homebirth these babies like our last pregnancy, so I know I need to take care of them/me!

I'm planning on doing whatever it takes - switching to nights, cutting hours, training as secretary...

I know 12h shifts aren't the best idea, but I find breaks to sit and put my feet up and I'm staying hydrated.

According to my reading, same-gender twins are difficult to label as identical/fraternal...right?

I mean, there are so many subcategories with separate sacs, etc.

So why do I see people saying they're having certain types?

Tell me about successful homebirth plans, regarding twins! Any links or literature?

Thanks in advance! Happy to be here! My local mommy forum board is great, but sparse when it comes to multiples.

[ShanaV]

Welcome!

I worked until the day my water broke... at 30 weeks... at a part time low stress desk job. Moral of my story is that even low risk working situations can end in pre term labor. Hopefully yours will go better!

Here's a link I found helpful with regard to types of twins: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/_/viewer.aspx?path=dorland&name=twin.jpg

Yes, same sex twins in separate sacs could be either identical or fraternal.  If they're in the same sac then they're identical. Mine were in two sacs, so we did a dna cheek swab test to be sure they were identical.

[ladydodson]

congratulations! your signature is funny! was your pregnancy any different in the beginning? i found out we are having twins at my six week ultrasound...so i cant be sure, but im pretty convinced i could tell something was different from the get go.

as for work, ive already taken off my on-call job as midwife assistant...i just feel huge and cumbersome and not able to really dedicate to all-hours births with the kids i already have and how quickly i get tired. what type of care are you getting right now? are you doing shadow care w/ an OB to back up your home birth midwife? are you even using a midwife?

im planning a home birth with these babies, but also seeing an OB at my insurance provider. they do regular cervical length checks and should i develop any weird complications or if twin A is breech at 36wks, i risk out of my HB and end up in the hospital...im not counting on anything going awry, but its good to have a plan b.

there is a post somewhere on this board that has some home birth stories...also, there are a couple in the last few months on the twinstuff.com message board...

as for same sex twins, it is possible for them to be identical and just have split early if they are in the own sacs/have their own placentas...mine are di/di but both girls...so there is a chance they might be ID...im pretty sure they are frat tho, since frat run in my family for the last two generations (my dad is a frat twin and his twin sister had frat girls)...

[rbkincaid]

thanks for the feedback!

was a little bigger/more nauseous this time around. also got heart tones at the first visit, 10weeks.

i guess i should've gotten suspicious, but i figured second pregnancy + possible different gender??

definitely surprised a few weeks ago!

continuing to see my HB midwife, but added an OB (insurance provider) like you, as back-up.

good luck to you! will stay updated on here 

[QueenEsther]

Rachael, I got a kick out of your siggy, too!  I am on the hunt for any info on homebirthing and twins, too, so I definitely want to keep in touch with you! 

[ladydodson]

hi again, ive seen you recently on another site im on...i think livejournal? i went back to find the post, but it was gone...either that or maybe an AP list or something...anyways...hi again!

[DoomaYula]

Hiya Rachael -- glad to see you found your way over here from CM! 

I can't answer questions about working or homebirthing, as I didn't do either but I can answer a little more about MZ vs DZ.

Dizygotic = two eggs; two placentas; two sacs (dichorionic/diamniotic). Obvs if someone is having boy/girl twins, they know those are DZ. 

Monozygotic = one egg. Within that egg, they can have the following: two placentas, two sacs (dichorionic/diamniotic); one placenta, two sacs (monochorionic/diamniotic); one placenta, one sac (monochorionic/monoamniotic). It all depends on when the egg splits into twins.

Most MZ twins are mono/di. I did an informal poll here and found that to be true here also. 

So, if your girls have one placenta, you know they are MZ or "identical." However, if they have two placentas they can be either MZ or DZ. Many people wrongly conclude that two placentas is always DZ, but that's not the case. Even doctors will say that same sex babies with two placentas are DZ. 

[lindsay t]

first off congrats on the twins! it's a wild ride. i am a respiratory therapist and worked 4 12's a week until 33 weeks at which point i started doing 2 12's. i actually had to call in to work the night i delivered at 35w2d when we found out baby a had a dangerously short cord. i fully believe i would have carried them to at least 38w otherwise. working 12hr nights wasn't easy but i made sure to take it as easy as possible. so working up until the day you deliver is totally possible. however,at the first sign of trouble be sure to take it easy-do not over do it! take medical leave 1 day a week if needed. nothing is more important than those babies and your health-don't be afraid to tick off coworkers for breaks or for taking a lighter load. good luck!

[mauri456]

congrats on the twins  :)

i'm also an RN.... i worked until 34weeks.  i had to stop bc my bp was starting to climb.    i had a role that was 1/2 admin time, 1/2 in charge.  i did from 30 weeks on have a ton of pressure.  it was hard!!!  i would say stay optimistic but listen to your body.   do not push it if its telling you to slow.... i carried mine til the day before their due date and had an awesome hospital birth but i do believe if i hadnt of slowed way down i would have delivered earlier

[rbkincaid]

Thank you all!

I'm currently reading as much as I can (and eating & resting more, too) so I feel like I'm playing catch-up.

The plan is for me to go to light-duty in the next two weeks.

This will involve desk work.

My midwife sees no reason to have me stay home completely unless symptoms arise, so that's good to hear that some of you made it pretty far!

Will continue to read up on this board :)