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TTC Twins?

1.4K views 9 replies 7 participants last post by  SarahTorg  
#1 ·
Anyone know if there is any natural way to increase chances of conceiving twins?
 
#2 ·
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I hope I did not offend anyone in that I don't think that fertility treatments are horrible and I am not judging. I was just asking because I was curious as to if anyone had any input. I look forward to ttc in May 2006 at the earliest due to our circumstances, and I find myself longingly gazing at multiples if they happen to be around me.
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TIA
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#3 ·
No offense taken!

If you're looking for non-med, non-IVF ways of having twins, the only things that can lean you in that direction are pretty much out of your control:

1. Age (older women have twins more often)
2. Heredity (if either your mom or dad have fraternal twins in their family, you have a greater chance of releasing two eggs and conceiving twins)
3. Pure dumb luck (for identical twins...one out of every 100 conceptions turn into two embryos) It's not hereditary.
4. Being overweight. (obviously this is not a desirable state of being, but there is some evidence that suggests overweight women have twins more often than normal weight women.)

Honestly?....I have twins, and while I love them like mad, my personal preference would have been to have them one at a time. Everybody's different, and I'm not discouraging you, but while twins are woderfully _cute_ they're also incredibly, mind-boggleingly _difficult_ for those first 6 months. I sat and nursed them for so many weeks on end (literaly, I could not get a break from nursing one or both babies) that my muscles and bones started to weaken and I needed help walking. The first six months, the first three especially, were like an endurance test.

That being said, they do get a lot easier. At almost three, they entertain each other and are a blast. Plus, the nursing gets easier, too. I nursed them until after they were two, and it was a wonderful experience.

If you really want twins, that's great! Twins would be lucky to have you! Good luck!
 
#6 ·
Aha! I have not thought too deeply into that one. I would like to be as natural as possible, but I am going to be a VBAC next time around. I have read that this can happen and does happen all the time, but with twins it could prove much more difficult, I suppose.
 
#7 ·
Yes, definitely think about what you're wishing for before you wish for it! There is nothing easy about having twins, and I honestly cannot imagine *trying* for twins. Especially for someone who practicies AP, twins can make things really difficult: imagine trying to sling TWO babies all the time, cosleeping with two babies, nursing two babies and toddlers on demand, washing twice as many cloth diapers, etc. The hardest part for me is the emotional aspect. I cannot help but feeling like I am failing my children in some way because I CANNOT meet their needs all the time. I cannot always respond immediately to their cries. I feel like all multiples really miss out on getting that one-on-one time that babies are really meant to have. Also, twins can be really hard on a marriage. A really significant precentage of parents of multiples break up before the multiples are two years old. Twins are also really hard on any older children in the family.

I love my children, I love that they have each other, they are VERY cute together, but I would NEVER wish twins on myself or anyone else. I've recently started sending my guys to a home daycare one day a week, one at a time (they switch off who goes which week). So, once a week, for three hours, I have a single child. The first time it happened, I was close to tears the whole time. Everything was so easy and so lovely. I could really pay attention to my son. I could really get to know him in a whole different way. I could let him walk down the street, holding my hand. We could go out to lunch at a little cafe. I could carry on a conversation with him without any interruptions. When he asked to be carried, I could carry him. It was the best treat in the world. I felt like I could finally parent the way I'd always wanted to.

I don't think there's anything short of fertility drugs that you could really do to increase your chances of having twins, but even if there WERE, I hope you'd really think about the reality of what having twins would be like (not just the cuteness factor) before you did it.
 
#8 ·
I would have to agree with all of you about wishing for twins--although I don't have them myself I took care of a pair of twins nights as a postpartum doula/apprentice midwife for a couple of months about 9 years ago--what a nightmare!! The mom was not super-AP, was bottlefeeding, and I spent a lot of nights at their house on the couch, just getting up every hour trying to feed those guys and keep up with the diapers. It was really, really hard, and if I had been hoping for twins that would've changed my mind. Me, the mom, and the dad were ALL exhausted!
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Also, I know this sounds bad, but it seems to me like the nature of the mother/baby bond is different with twins--the twins primary bond seems to be with each other, and the mom is busy slaving to meet their needs!

Also, my senior midwife used to say that it's like twins almost have an extra third brain between the two of them, because they communicate with each other they can figure out more stuff and get into more trouble than just one or even two should be able to. I certainly think this is true based on my observations--I know a woman whose 18 month old twins actually got themselves up at about 5-6 am, climbed out of their cribs, went downstairs, got a chair up to the front door and unlocked the door and let themselves outside, all while the parents were peacefully sleeping assuming that their kids were in their room asleep. A neighbor saw them running down the street alone in their diapers, and grabbed them and called police . . . you can imagine they had a time trying to explain this all to the cops and CPS!
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My MIL was married off somewhat unwillingly (arranged marriage, they're in India) when she was about 18, and had her first son a year later, then had suprise fraternal twins about a year or so later. I can only imagine what she went through, being mostly on her own with three little ones! My SILS are about 40 now--I still don't think she's recovered! :LOL
 
#9 ·
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I cannot help but feeling like I am failing my children in some way because I CANNOT meet their needs all the time. I cannot always respond immediately to their cries.
I do not have twins but my youngest 2 are 12months apart. You are not failing your children. When you have more than 1 child(whether from multiple pregnancies or singletons) it is impossible to meet every need all the time, especially since they all seem to want nothing until 1 child wants something then they all want something and they want it NOW. It is part of being a parent of more than 1 child, as long as we are doing the best we can it is all we can do. Wearing yourself down trying to be supermom does nobody any good.
 
#10 ·
HI nina! I am a mother of twins, and they are all I know. I am trying to concieve, and can't help but think that pregnancies result in two kiddos. fraternal twins run in my family, but my boys that I have now are identical twins!!! I can't help but think that I could possibly have triplets!!!!
I know there is nothing naturally to do, to increase your odds.
Twins are not really that hard if they are your first, and that is all you know how to take care of. I used to sling one child while carrying the other on my hip, I used cloth diapers which was A LOT of laundry. I nursed them until they were 3.5 years old. I don't think I would have been the best mommy if I hadn't breastfed them. It was my only sanity at times. I nursed for months every couple of hours. I ate my food with two babies nursing, and I would drop food on their little heads. LOL HOnestly? I really think the first 2 years of their life was a blur to me. Its not too easy, but scince it is all I know how to do kids, I don't know anything else. I wish you the best of luck trying for twins!! You can only hope!! If it does happen, there are so many twin resources around, and breast feed, breastfeed!! LOLOL Its the only way to raise twins, and keep your sanity!!
Sarah