Mamas expecting TWINS check-in

[lexbeach]

I know there are a bunch of us on these boards, and am wondering about how the other mamas carrying two babies around everywhere are doing. At 28 weeks, I am feeling really pretty huge. Last week I measured 36 cm! The 27-week ultrasound estimated one baby to be 3 lbs., 5 oz. and the other was 3 lbs. even. Yikes! Big babies! The ultrasound technician said, "how far along are you supposed to be?" I am quite glad that they are ahead of schedule, since that has been my goal all along, but I am starting to wonder about just HOW big I'm going to get! We are starting to accumulate baby clothes, and are getting quite excited. I have to go to the OB every week now due to high blood pressure. I am still teaching kindergarten full-time, but if my blood pressure rises any higher, I'll have to quit. Some days I am so tired that I wish I could just stay home and lay around, but I know that I'll go insane if I get put on bed rest. Anyway, how are the other mamas doing? I can't wait to find out!

Lex

[birdwomyn]

lexbeach--

I am curious about when you found out that you were carrying twins.... Did you already have a sense of it, or was it a total shock?

I am newly pregnant thanks to follistem shots and I just have this feeling that I have more than one in there.... It's a gut level thing -- and at this point, I have quit fighting it and have begun hoping that if I do have multiples, that it is just twins and not a higher number..... Everything went well in the infertility cycle, and the RE didn't think I was overstimulated or anything... but who knows!

I am scheduled for a Dec 23rd ultrasound that should answer this question for me...... until then, I think I will continue hoping for twins.....

kathy

[Luckymomma]

Hey lexbeach, My question is along the same lines. What were your earliest pregnancy symptoms? When did you suspect? And any other moms of twins out there, I think I'm safe to assume that all us newly pregs here are curious. How did your know: Thanks!

[lexbeach]

For me there definitely was an instinctual component, but I also had taken clomid so I knew that there was an increased possibility of twins (5-10% depending on different studies). Actually, the night before the first insemination (IUI), I got an overwhelming feeling that I was going to get pregnant, and that I would have twins. The next day, I did one insemination and then later on felt a fairly intense pain in both ovaries. I thought, "hey--I'm ovulating! But, from both sides?" I did a second insemination the next day. Two days later I started to feel nauseous. There was no doubt in my mind that I was pregnant, even though everyone said it was too soon to feel anything. I did an HPT 9 days post insemination and it was positive right away. I called the doctor and said, "I know this might sound crazy, but I just FEEL like I'm having twins." They told me to come in for a beta HCG blood test. 14 days post ovulation my HCG levels were 405 (average for single pregnancies is 68). But a high HCG level in and of itself does not diagnose twins. Even though I hadn't been planning on having any ultrasounds, I was too curious (and I needed to know how many babies I was having since the midwife I hoped to use wouldn't deliver twins). I had an ultrasound at six weeks. First, only one sac showed up on the screen. I said, "there's only one?" The ultrasound technician looked at me like I was crazy, and my partner said, "she thinks she's having twins." The technician moved the wand and said, "she is." Suddenly there were two sacs on the screen. My partner said, "check to make sure there aren't three!" There weren't. So, technically, I found out at six weeks, but I was pretty positive as soon as I had the HCG test. Right after I found out, I became VERY sick with "morning" sickness. I'm glad I knew that it was so severe for a good reason--two babies!

I've heard that every pregnant woman goes through a phase of thinking she must be having twins and, never having been pregnant before, I don't know if I would've felt that way regardless of the truth. But I definitely did feel it from the start. I think that if I hadn't already known, I probably would have figured it out around 19 weeks, when they both started kicking a lot.

I know what it's like to sit around waiting for an ultrasound! Let us know when you find out!

Lex

[NaturalJoy]

Hey Lex, glad to hear things are going well. You do have some BIG babies cooking in there On Monday, my babies were weighing in at 1lb 7oz and 1lb 8oz, which is exactly average for my 3/20 due date. I carry babies low and small, my uterus is only measuring 22w at 25w, weird, huh?

My bad news is that bedrest seems to be on the horizon. From 20-24w, my cervical length dropped from 4.0 to 3.0, which is a lot of activity for that time period. It's still a healthy length, but too much change. I go back in 2w instead of 4 for another measurement. Then, yesterday, I was having contrax and went to the OB and an exam revealed I'm starting to efface. She told me to start wiping the calendar and making plans. I was so upset yesterday. How am I supposed to be on bedrest with a 2.5YO? So, we are starting to get things in order and I'm really sad that we probably won't be able to make our trip home for Christmas. I've never spent the holidays w/out my family

Anyway, that's it for me. Glad to hear things are going well for you and your boys. Maybe we'll both have Feb twins

[Stayathomemommy]

I am 21 weeks and measure 28 weeks. i feel huge as well. its crazy i feel like i did when i was 8 months but i am more uncomfortable now. sleeping is horrible i can never get comfy. my poor husband!

i had morning sickness with this pregnancy which was weird for me because i didnt with my first. on top of that i popped right out and so i would joke about twins. but when we found out we were in complete shock.

the shock has worn off and i am excited and scared all at the same time. i am worried about my precious, wonderful 2year old and all the attention what will odviously have to shift to the babies when they arrive.

The most important thing with twins is having the best midwife or OB possible. my midwife is so supportive and says as long as i am full term and the babies are healthy i will have my natural, vaginal delivery that i so badly want. we are doing bradley method and i am really excited about that.

good luck to all the other twin moms. i hang out at twin magazine message boards but i miss mothering so i am glad to find this thread.

[DaryLLL]

I don't have twins, but have been doing bfing support for moms of multiples for 5 yrs, with a group just for them the last 4!

If anyone has any questions about nursing or coping, i can offer ideas from what I've learned from the moms. Also, I found that Mothering Multiples, bu Karen Gromada, is the best book out there for twin (or more) AP life.

[Stayathomemommy]

I agree "mothering multiples" is sitting right in front of me and it is great. it was hard for me to imagin breastfeeding both. of course i am planning on it but the book has great pictures and i have more of an idea of how i think i want to do it.
"having twins" by elizabeth noble is good to its geared twords natural childbirth so i find much support there.

what books are you reading?

[Stayathomemommy]

La Leche League

One other thing La Leche League is the best support that i have found. i never went to a meeting with my first but expecting twins motivated me to check it out and it is so wonderful. I have a hard time finding like minded moms out there that are into b-feeding and AP lifestyles. LLL is the place to find others like yourselves. plus i have an encouraging story for everyone. i met a woman who is expecting twins. she is 35 years old and 38 weeks and still working half days. her babies heads are down and look like it will stay that way. she is still getting out and about and hasnt had any complications. now she is just waiting for them to decide to come! I thought it was the best pregnancy story just how i hope mine will go.

[lexbeach]

I'm glad people found this thread!

NaturalJoy: I'm so happy to hear from you, and am glad that your babies are growing well. I can't imagine how YOU are measuring so small! Lucky! My doctors have also been threatening bedrest, and I am hoping, hoping, hoping it doesn't happen, although I have been quite tired lately! I don't know if my cervix has changed at all because I haven't had any internal exams. . . maybe I will ask for one at my next check-up. Going in every week is certainly a drag, although I never get tired of hearing those heartbeats!

Stayathomemommy: congrats on your twin pregnancy! How far along were you when you found out? You are so lucky to have found a midwife willing to treat your pregnancy and birth as a normal, natural, beautiful thing. None of the homwbirth midwives in my area will deliver twins, and the nurse-midwives at the practice I go to may as well be OBs. They will let me "attempt" to deliver vaginally if Baby A is head-down, but I may need a c-section for baby B if he is breech (which, so far, he is). It depends on which doctor is on-call when the time comes; some will deliver breech babies, some will try to turn them, and some go right for the knife. Regardless of the babies' positioning, I have to give birth in the operating room, lying on an operating table, with an anesthesiologist present. Definitely not the birth I was envisioning when I got pregnant!

I hope everyone continues to do well!

Lex

[Stayathomemommy]

lexbeach, dont get me wrong.........i will also be giving birth in an OR with doctors, anesthesiologist, and two teams for the babies but my midwife says its all just precaution so i am just thinking of them as observers at my birth. plus i will get to have my family in a birthing room right up till its time to push and then they will transfer me to the OR. its not the birth i would plan either but if it can still be all vaginal and natural then i dont care where it happens. The attending DR i guess is really good at turning breech babies so i will not worry about baby b too much. as long as baby a is head down then once she is delivered i am confident baby b will know what to do and go head down too. just be strick about them giving it all time to play out. sometimes they want you have the second so fast after the first that they dont give the baby time to turn on its own. i am requesting no time limits on delivery of baby b and my midwife agrees as long as the heartbeat is good.

Still be postive....thats all we can do.
oh i am 21 weeks along and i measure 28weeks. i gained 7lbs last month. so i think i am eating well!!!! heehee.

[lexbeach]

Oh well, the OR it is. . . I'm now trying to adopt your positive attitude! My OBs/midwives are not nearly so optimistic as your midwife is, so it's hard for me to be. But I do always visualize the babes being head-down (even though their kicks often tell me otherwise), and am feeling pretty calm about the birth regardless. I'm just so excited to see them! The weeks are going by very quickly now, and I am growing even more quickly. I've been gaining 2 lbs. a week for a while. I'm measuring 38 cm, and I can't imagine getting three months bigger! But never having been pregnant before, I keep thinking, "geez, if this was as big as I was gonna get (i.e. having one baby), it wouldn't be such a big deal!" Sleeping is very difficult, though. I get hungry a lot in the night (this is new--maybe they're having a growth spurt), and my upper back aches. It's just so hard to get comfortable. I can definitely see myself moving into a recliner sometime in the near future.

Do you know the sexes of your babies?

Lex

[Stayathomemommy]

i am having two girls. i have a little 2 year old girl as well. my husband is accually very excited. i was hoping to have one boy out of all this but doesnt look that way.

Oh my goodness you measure 38 weeks and you have 3 months to go!!!! i cant imagin but at the rate i am growing now i will be there too. i too am having trouble sleeping and get hungry at night. if you like boiled eggs make a bunch up and grab one everytime you go to the bathroom. i dont like boiled eggs so i make deviled eggs. not as healthy but it does the trick. i dont like having to wake up fully to eat something so something i can gulp down and fall back in bed works best for me.

i am gaining as much as you a week. is it possible to keep this rate up? on the twin magazine boards there are mothers with twins just not gaining weight or even losing weight!!!
I am happy for my weight gain it gives me more confidence that my babies will be healthy and full term. they say protein and carbs do the trick to prevent preterm labor.

its been so good talking to you lexbeach. thanks
come over to twinsmagazine.com discussion boards in case you havent already i am the same name there.

[DaryLLL]

AP multiples

Here's a nice place where you can meet and chat with tons of MOMs.

APmultiples

[Theo's Mama]

Twins born!

Hi,

I can't even find the last twins discussion I was on. . . my computer crashed and right after that I was hospitalized at 35 weeks for mild pre-eclampsia. After 3 weeks of resisting induction, 3 days of pitocin, during which my body still refused to go into labor, I had a C-section, based on my own intuition that I needed one.

Both babies had been head down and fine, so I was going for that nice vaginal delivery (in the OR), but they both started showing signs of distress (wonder of wonder after 3 days of Pitocin!!!) and it turned out that the presenting baby had her cord tightly wound around her neck and would have been in real distres had I gone into labor. . . guess my body knew not to!!

My daughters were strong and well, but a huge size difference that ultrasound had not measured (my birth is the story of the non-triumph of medical technology!), so Xanthe was 6 lbs 4 oz, and Talia was only 3 lbs 14 oz. Since I got her breastfeeding and gaining weight (although the first pediatrician said NO BREASTFEEDING, she would use too much energy!!!!), I brought her home after 5 days at just under 4 lbs. This week she gained 13 lbs in a week, so is almost 5, and her "big" sister is almost 7.

Life is hectic. My 3 year old also needs lots of love right now and I feel like a cow, breastfeeding and pumping all the time. . . but they are beautiful and it is all worth it. You guys have such fun ahead of you!

Paige

[Theo's Mama]

By the way, a combination of moxabustion (see an acupuncturist) and homeopathic pulsatilla turned both babies head down in just 2 days, if you are having that issue to deal with. . .

[hotmamacita]

Hello. I am 39 + weeks with b/g twins and planning a homebirth. I have had excellent midwifery care and I learned at 23 weeks that I was expecting twins.

Initially, most midwives in the area said I was too high risk for a homebirth but after diligent research, I not only learned that I coud have a homebirth, but I found a great midwife (at 31 weeks) to help.

Nutrition and herbs have been the key. I recommend reading Anne Fry's section on multiples in HOLISTIC MIDWIFERY and Elizabeth Noble's having twins, esp. the nutrition section.

During the time where I could not find a midwfie, I reasearched doctors and hospitals and was gravely concerned by all their immediate protocols. After much thought and prayer I was not able to go that route. About two weeks later I finally found a midwife.

We have no idea the outcome of this birth and we do have an excellent back up plan inthe event of needing to transfer. But I am so thankful that I have not had to have all the interventions that many mothers of multiples have. All the visits, ultrasounds, non-stress tests would have left me a nervous wreck.

It has been tough enough with my two children running around (4 and 18 mo-today) and a husband who works fulltime and is in school fulltime. BUt I rest when I am tired and get up and do things when I am not.

Anyway, We are in the home strectch and I want to encourage other mama's out there to eat well, keep away from sugar and drink over a gallon of WATER a day.

enjoy

[tnrsmom]

I wanted to bump this up cuz I have some questions.

I am 7 weeks pregnant with #5. I have been exhausted(10hours of sleep at night doesn't seem to cut it), peeing all the time, and I am huge. I feel a lot bigger than I did with #4 at this point. I know you tend to pop earlier with each baby but this seems like more. A friend saw me today and could not believe how much bigger I have gotten in 6 days!

I would love to be pg with twins but wonder if because of that, I am starting to believe it.: I can't stand the suspense, so I scheduled an US for next Tuesday. I am planning a HB but I cannot tell my (soon to be former) OB because it is their practice not to treat patients planning HB. I will go in for the US, then my physical (pap, breast exam...) and I plan on telling her then. The only bad part is that they require you to have a nurse visit first, yuck, 1 hour appt. Oh well, I just need to know for sure.

Just wanted to know from those that did not use the aid of fertility treatments (therefore, causing higher incidence) did you have twin symptoms this early?

I don't want to offend those of you who needed aid in getting pg. Please don't take that comment the wrong way.

[Theo's Mama]

Hi Hotmamacita,

You're probably home with your twins by now and loving them to death and not getting any sleep. I am a little overwhelmed by the twins (5 weeks now) and a 3 1/2 year old, so I had to smile at your situation and remind myself that someone else always has it harder!!!

Sounds like you did great with your eating. I read and read about nutrition and herbs, but just couldn't eat as well as I wanted to, as I had morning sickness all day, all nine months.

I'm so glad to hear that you are having a homebirth. I just didn't have the guts to do it, and have some regrets about how my birth went, as far as all the over-medicalization of it, but not many. I just ended up being hospitalized for 3 weeks prior and getting pressured about stuff I didn't want. . . I am hoping that things went beautifully for you and I'd like to hear about it.

Hi tnrsmom,

No offense taken. I did get pregnant with invitro, but am not really sure about why you would word your question that way since whether or not we did fertility treatments doesn't really affect how early we felt different symptoms because of carrying twins, we just knew sooner. . . my outstanding symptom was bad morning sickness, the whole time, but I know of plenty of moms of twins who had none. I also measured about double right from the start.

I guess you know by now, so let us know. I guess that makes it 5 and 6. That would make you very blessed!

[NaturalJoy]

Mine are fertility drug babies too. I wouldn't say that my symptoms were any more or less with this pg than with ds. Some women with multiples pgs do complain of more severe symptoms, faster weight gain, showing earlier, etc. I didn't have any of these We found out at 6w we were expecting twins via u/sound.