Twin's Club 2! All Welcome! :)

[holidays2010]

Continued on from Here
Tried to update best I can with limited info and time, but here's the list on the new Twins Club thread, please update if I've missed anything!

Sassy34264 #2&3 EDD 12/09/10, Lancs, Jacob and Isobel born 13/8/10
strawberrylace #2&3 EDD 1/12/10, Suffolk, surprise Zoey and Lucas born 23/10/10 by c section
jjkm #1&2 ADD 29/1/11, outside the UK, Girls born 25/10/10
Lavitabellissima #1&2 EDD 13/12/10, SW London, Identical girls Born 04/11/10 c section (early 34&3)
smokeybacon #3&4 EDD 25th Nov, Nottingham, Freddie and Tobias born 06/11/10, natural birth after induction.
Jenzopos #1&2 EDD 23/11/10, Charlotte & Anna, Manchester 15/11/10 6lb 7oz and 7lb 5oz
Swazzee #1&2 EDD 02/12/10, South London, Adem 6lb 3oz and Rafi 5lb 13oz 21/11/10
Amberc #2&3, Madeleine (6.3lb) & Isabella (6.11lb) , delivered by C Section on 07/1/11 at 37 weeks, Kent
Thingamajig #2&3 EDD 20/3/11, Cornwall, identical girls Hannah (5lb4oz) and Louise (4lb4oz) born 13/2/11
Magic8ballhastheanswers #3&4 EDD 22/3/11 South London, ID girls born 27/2/11
Cerubina #1&2, SW London, Sebastian (3lb 4oz) and Rosamund (3lb 9oz) born 8 weeks early on 26/2/11 by emergency c-section
Holidays2010, 2 Baby Boys born 06/03/2011
CantDrinkAnyMoreMilk, Scotland, Baby Girl and Baby Boy born 01/03/2011
crazydayz, Thomas and Isobel, born on 28/4/2011 by C-section at 7lb 3 and 6lb 14

Tabbycat76 #1+2 Edd 21/02/11, Suffolk, surprise
VictoriaSecrets #1&2, EDD 17/05/11, Basingstoke, Prob Non-ID twin girls!

Snowfalls108 #2&3 EDD 29/05/2011, SW London, ID surprise
MissyMolly #1&2, EDD 29/05/2011, Midlands, non ID boy and girl
RestingKitty #1&2 EDD 15/06/2011, South London, boy & girl
Propercrimbo #2&3 EDD 16/07/11, North Lancs, not finding out
Brassicababe #1&2, 22/07/2011, Lincs, non-id, surprise
MorningsMadness #2&3 EDD 14/08/2011, Surrey, Non-ID twin girls
MrsStevo, #1 & 2, EDD 23/08/2011, Lincs, MCDA ID
Redshaw, EDD Sept 2011, MCDA ID
Tiggersreturn #2+3 EDD 26/09/11 NW London DCDA - not finding out
DoubleDiffedDachs, #1&2 EDD 5/10/11, Twyford (Berks), DCDA, too early to tell!
Fluter, EDD October 2011, Non-ID
PeelingmyselfofftheCeiling #1+2 EDD ... , DCDA
mybootsaremuddy 6+7 EDD 7/7/2011, surprise
silverangel #1+2 EDD ..., ID

MrsS they look gorgeous! And your bump... I'm feeling ginormous already but still have further to go hopefully. I keep on getting these really irritating stretching pains as well. Oh well, they need to hold off until the 1 september, when we'll have moved house, au pair will have come and ds will have started school. Then I can try and relax a bit and encourage them to beat the ELCS date.

Raven I've been told by 2 consultants that with DCDA twins there's a 10% chance of them being ID as opposed to 100% chance with MCDA or MCMA. It's a common misconception that if they're DCDA they can't be ID although obviously the risks are much lower than with an MCDA pg. It's all to do with whether you produced 2 eggs or 1 which split. If it was 1 and it split very early this can form 2 placentas and therefore although a DCDA pg, the twins will be ID. Hope that makes sense. If it splits a bit later then it's MCDA, later than that MCMA and later than that they'll be conjoined. It's a matter of days - if you google you'll find the answer.

Raven - also getting frustrated about conflicting info around blood test. I had the nuchal measurements and a blood test and my risk came back as identical for both babies. They are DCDA so I think the probability of the risk actually being identical is pretty low. My current theory is that the blood test is still fairly new to the NHS and a lot of people don't understand its limitations around multiples - your consultant should be able to clarify though (impressed you have your first consultant appt so early - mine isn't until 25 weeks). I have just decided to ignore the blood results and go with the nuchal measurements only - both of which were below 2mm so I am happy that they are low risk. Wasn't offered a blood test for DD1 so don't really feel a need for the validation this time!

My rant for the day... I told my boss IN CONFIDENCE that I'm having twins on Tuesday last week... then was off sick for a few days and came in this morning to discover it is common knowledge at work now. So annoyed. Purposely wanted to have more time to process the news myself without having to discuss it with all and sundry. Only told her because I was trying to explain that I really don't want to be moved into a more stressful role (which they are trying hard to do at the moment) and giving justification for why I might be going on mat leave super early. Grrr.

Ooooh - one other thing... in people's experience how likely is it that I am going to be strongly encouraged to have a CS? What are the risk factors they look at for DCDA to make the call?? My SIL (bit of a nightmare) is a GP and as soon as she heard I was having twins immediately told my mum that I would be made to have an ELCS at 32 weeks.... surely not?! MW I spoke to at booking in said if pregnancy was straightforward, and leading twin was in correct position there is no reason I can't try for natural birth - even if twin 2 is breech... anyone any ideas?!

Hope everyone else is having a better start to the week!

Hello all!

Who else is melting?!? Huh?!? Apparently we are in for a bit of a heat wave.

Thankfully today was my first day working at home for four weeks before mat leave which meant I could stand under a cold shower at 4pm this afternoon when I thought I could cope no more!

raven I was told the same about mine - because they are non identical the blood tests are not 100% accurate and there is no way of knowing if the risk is high which twin it is and as such they would need to do the amnio on both if that were the case! This view has been confirmed by various sources on mn and google! I haven't had it done personally but the nuchal measurement and other factors (age etc) should give you enough of a response. Also think sb is done at 20 week scan at my hospital. Cant think that the spines would be formed enough at 12 weeks to be able to asses.

tabby that is awful! I'm so at your boss on your behalf. Could you have a quiet word and say she has put you in a difficult position? Some people just don't think!!'

As for CS - it is completely dependent on baby position and their / your health. If leading twin is in position they'll let you try for vb as long as you and babies are fit and well and they'll let you go up to 38/39 weeks depending on how it's all progressing. They told me that twin 2 might need help if that was the case and it wasn't following down properly which could be epi, forceps etc or ultimately cs if twin 2 decided to be difficult. Different hospitals are different on dates but 32 weeks is very early to take them out without health reasons or the babies decide that's their time. Cs at my hospital is from 36 weeks. I desperately want a vb as I don't want the recovery time of cs. BUT despite both babies being head down and in exactly the right position, twin 1's placenta is literally blocking the exit for them so unless it moves in the next 6 weeks I'll have a cs about 36/37 weeks unless they decide to come early.

Oh and mrsS beautiful, beautiful baby girls - and you look fabulous! Well done! Any news on when you can all come home?

I'm melting!!! I went swimming on hampstead heath yesterday. The water was 18.5c and it was gorgeous.

Tabby unless all local hospitals near you are completely different from the London ones then your SIL is a "little" ill informed. I'm a type 1 diabetic, vbac and DCDA and my cut-off date has been booked at 38 weeks. Without the twins it would have been 40 weeks (providing my control was good and no other complications). I was told that St Mary's lets diabetics go one week longer than Queen Charlottes but there's not much in it. Also I knew the policy for 1st time mothers or previous vbs with DCDA was to allow to try for vb providing dt1 is head down. With me they insisted on ELCS until sudden policy change (which I'm not entirely convinced isn't costs-related has changed to if no. 1 is head down and starts coming naturally you can try for vbac).

I was told that if dt2 is breech they just let him/her come that way as dt1 will have widened the opening and if transverse they turn dt2 either externally or if that fails internally.

HTH

and 32 weeks is still on the very premature side so if you did go into labour then, unless there was a reason not to they'd let you labour to give steroids a chance to strengthen the lungs.

Where are you based exactly? Anywhere near a hospital that routinely sees lots of twins?

Thanks both. That's very reassuring! Too tired to post at length now, but wanted to say thanks.

Tigger - am based in epsom in surrey so within reach of london hospitals if need 2nd opinion.

Night night all!

Thanks for the leaflet and info quempin. Spoke to the consultant who said defo can't do blood test for downs risk with my twins and she gave me my risk factors for downs. 1 in 2,561 for twin 1 and 1 in 3,134 for twin 2 based on nuchal fold and my age. To me that didn't sound too good - I think I have heard some people get 1 in 36,000 etc but consultant assured me it was 1 in 250 that was the threshold for considering high risk and for suggesting amnios etc. So we are happy and done with the downs testing thing.

Tigger that is also what my consultant said, and also what I knew suspected to be true based on this thread and my own googling ( I know! ) But what totally amazes me is that sonographers and midwifes, MIDWIFES, don't seem to know this! Surely it is their job to know this stuff. I asked the midwife (the one I saw at the TWINS CLINIC fgs) still was sprouting the old line 'DCDA are non identical, identical twins share a placenta'. Jeez.

So am going to get a scan at 16 weeks for a prelim look at the spines and my anomoly scan brought forward to 18 weeks due to my heightened risk of SB. Pleased abt that.

tabby wtf re your boss!? I am also raging on your behalf. I was told they would like me to have a natural birth if poss, but basically said I wouldn't be denied a CS if wanted one, even if all healthy and babies are in right position etc. Everything else I was told consistent with what tabby and BB3 said. I do not feel the slightest bit ready to make decision, and will need to know about pros and cons of each method etc which I am sure will be discussed in time. 32 weeks seems v v v early to be delivering. I was told 38 weeks.

Oh and no denying I am pg now - bump is certainly here! DH can't stop staring!

Hope everyone is good. Xx

Meant what tiggers and BB3 said!

Morning All,

So we had our 16w scan at Kings yesterday. All is going well. Still no sign of TTTS but still a growth difference but the Dr's still not worried, so I'm not.

The scan took longer than normal because they were both moving around so much. It was a beautiful sight. They are lying really close to each other - practically on top of one another.
The Dr also told us she was pretty certain they were girls which I am so pleased about - imagine all the girly things I get to buy. There are no girls in my family apart from me and none on my other halfs side either so I am genuinely excited for both families but I have just got this feeling that my other half wasn't that happy. I know he was really hoping for boys but (and maybe I am being uber sensitive) I really sensed a bit of disappointment. About an hour after he told me he would want us to try for a boy in a couple of years (!) I had to remind him what an awful first trimester I had.

So I'm feeling a bit sad today not to mention really bloody hot!
xxx

Am melting here.... Had 32 week scan today and combined estimated weight is 8lb13 and feeling like it. 6 more weeks to go.....

Hey Tinks congrats on healthy 16 week scan and finding out you are having girls! Try not to be sad, am sure your DH was knee jerk reacting and will come round to be v excited abt the idea. Not sure about raising planning for a boy when you are 16 weeks with twins, that would be a bit forward thinking for me!

Yeah for your porking up twins tiggers. Can't believe you are all too hot, send some of it up Norf if you have too much sunshine!

Ladybird if you are lurking, I hope everything is ok with you.

28c with no breeze is not what you wish for but happy to send it

Hello all

Just checking in to see if everyone is ok. Yay for some coolness FINALLY! I actually slept in clothes AND a duvet!!!

tinks DH is Turkish and very traditional in some ways (thankfully not all!). We didn't find out what we were having with DS but I knew, without a doubt that he desperately wanted a boy. So much so I think part of me convincing myself I was having a girl with DS was compensating for DH wanting a boy. Even this time when I thought we were having two girls at the scan before last I could sense the disappointment in his tone when we were talking about it. BUT just wait until he gets those little girls in his arms (same with my DH if there are 2 girls in there), and there will be absolutely NO thoughts of little boys and they will be the most precious little things to him that it won't even matter!!! It is frustrating but I think for some guys it's just that thing about having a son, it all changes when the reality of the kids kick in!

hello ladies, been a while since i checked in here, n there's so much been going on. congrats mrs s!!!! your girls are adorable. hi to everyone joining in the twins club, its all so exciting, and hope you're all doing well.
tabby, i was told by my consultant that if the first twin presents head down, we go for natural birth and you certainly don't get pressured into having CS unless necessary, and def not at 32 wks (think your SIL a wee bit misinformed, or going off some seriously outdated info). Cons said if i get to 37wks (am 26 now, MCDA) they decide if they induce or do CS, but if we're doing fine they may let me go longer, and this consultant knows her stuff, she had twins herself!!
raven,we got risk factors for downs of about 1 in 3400 for both ours, which we were assured is good considering age n everything.
also found out at last scan that they are both right on the upper limit of normal in terms of size!! while i'm glad they're growing well so far, i keep imagining myself to be so big by the end, they'll have to remove walls to get me out the house, an al hav to wash myself with a rag on a stick!!!! ooo eck!

I've been to the consultant today and had cs booked. I'm 33w and he is sure I'll get to 37w (my mum disagrees judging by my bump size and the fact she had me and my twin sister at 34w - but she smoked, even though it was only a little, so that could have affected it all). They gave me 2 dates to choose from so I picked the earlier one (consultant said he always gets that reply so he's not sure why he asks).

Tabby My MCDA girls are twin 1 breech and twin 2 head down. The CS was agreed early on due to dd1's birth but I certainly could have tried a VB if I had wanted to so long as twin 1 was head down. Also, I was bleeding at 6w pg so told my boss (who had told me about her pg at 5w a few weeks earlier), she told a few friends at work I was pg but didn't mention I was having probs and one told the head teacher. I was livid and devastated as I thought I was going through an mc and only dh and my parents knew. At 7 weeks we found out we had 2 healthy babies and so we ended up announcing it as I wanted it to be our news. Still cross with the teacher who told the head as she only did it for her own gain - my boss apologised so we've moved on.

At 33w twin 1 is 4lb 5oz and twin 2 is 3lb 15oz - consultant seems happy I feel big and uncomfortable and soooo tired.

Hi everyone,
I'm so, so, sorry that I haven't posted for so long. We went away for a while then my stupid computer broke and I was frantically busy and didn't have time to get it fixed. Please forgive me for staying away so long (and thanks for the namecheck Raven!)

I've quickly read through the past few pages that I've missed and it sounds like everyone is doing well which is great!! I really sympathise with you ladies who are in the later stages of pregnancy in this heat - phew! It must be really tough carrying those babies around all the time - I think I would be spending my entire time in a cold bath!!

MASSIVE CONGRATULATIONS to MrsStevo I was so excited when I heard the news that your twins had arrived. I loved looking at the pictures, they are so gorgeous. Well done you!!

I'm really pleased to say that everything is fine with me so far. I have been a bit worried for the past week or so as I've had a horrible virus with really exhausting flu like symptoms and I felt so bad I couldn't believe that it wasn't affecting the babies somehow. Finally went to my gp and she reassured me and told me that the whole reason that I have been feeling so awful is because the babies have been taking all the good stuff leaving me with nothing to fight the bug!... just thought I would share that in case any of the rest of you come down with something nasty - I really hope you don't!

Anyway, my gp was right, I had a scan on friday morning and everything looks good, all the measurements were right for dates, they both have enough fluid to swim in and the membranes look ok. My only mild concern was that one of them was kicking the other one in the head - I hope this isn't a sign of things to come....!

I finally got some answers from the sonographer about hospital policy on scanning and delivery - no-one has been able to give me any answers up til now and I am 16 weeks already. She told me today that they will scan me every 3 weeks to check for TTTS. I was really hoping to be scanned every 2 weeks as I've heard things can deteriorate rapidly with TTTS so I think I am going to supplement the scans with a few private scans to reassure me - am just hoping I don't bankrupt us in the process.... Am I being over-cautious??

The sonographer also totally freaked me out about delivery - I shouldn't have asked her really as it is so far ahead. I have been expecting that I would have an EMCS at 36-37 weeks because I have MCDA twins - that is what the doctor (from kings) wrote on my notes at my 12 week scan at the fetal medicine centre and also what my gp told me. I was very, very happy with this. But the sonographer told me that they will let me go as far as 38 weeks and then induce me which is exactly what I don't want to happen (I had a nightmare labour with DS after he was induced). I know there are loads of things that can happen to change this outcome, like the babies coming early by themselves, or being in the wrong position for natural delivery, but I just wanted it to be clear all along that I wanted a c-section and now I am stressing out that no-one will listen to me and force me to have a natural delivery which I really don't want. I know this is probably the opposite to what most people are hoping for so you probably all think I'm mad!! Anyway, I'm seeing the consultant for the first time next week and I'm going to try to persuade him to write very clearly on my notes that I want a c-section so am keeping my fingers crossed!!

Sorry for the mega-post (mostly about me - sorry for ranting on for so long). I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things on the thread and hearing how everyone is. Having said that, our computer has to go back to apple again today for them to fix something else, so I hope I won't be gone for too long this time (I don't have an i-phone or blackberry to check my e-mails unfortunately).

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!!

xx

Hi all!! Just been trying to catch up on all your news but it is a mammoth effort!! Seems that you are generally all well tho - if a bit bloody hot in recent weeks!!! the temp on the neonatal ward must have been about 40 degrees - I have never been so hot and uncomfortable for such a long time.

BUT - WE'RE HOME!!!!! Hurrah! Me and the girlies got back on Friday evening and we are all very well. The only reason we were in hospital so long is because they wanted to establish the girls feeding (as they were being fed by NG tube initially). So I tried and tried and tried to exclusively breastfeed them (which I had been determined I would do) and then my nipples all-but fell off so I've had to resort to partial breastfeeding and expressing and bottle feeding. Hard decision to go onto bottle feeding and I blubbed incessantly, but it was a very good decision as the girls became much more settled with full bellies and we all got to come home. The breastfeeding counsellor at the hospital said she was surprised i tried to breastfeed for as long as I did and said that because the girls are so tiny, their mouths aren't big enough to latch on 'properly' which is why I was in agony. Now we're home, I'm breastfeeding sometimes and still expressing / bottle feeding - it works really well for us. Anyway, this is of no interest to any of you at the moment but when your babies do arrive, try not to feel bad if you don't breastfeed exclusively - I think it is nigh on impossible with twins.

Right. I'll stop banging on. Hope you're all ok! If I can help with any pregnant-with-twins type queries then fire them at me! x x

Well done MrsStevo! Glad to hear you've made it home. I bfed ds but had already decided from the start with these that I would just see how it goes and what works for us all. So don't feel bad about it. Mixed feeding is still very good and providing they're growing that's the most important thing. Also don't believe all the things they say about bfeeding. I have an autoimmune disease and was exclusively bfed so it's hardly an automatic guarantee.

I hope things are a bit easier now you're home.

Yay MrsStevo must be so AMAZING to be home! and as for feeding I'm in awe that you have managed to get to where you are with bfing - especially as they were so small. I have never had particularly pro / anti feelings against either and bf'd with DS because I was lucky enough that I could without any problems and he took to it really well (bugger was out, on and swallowing before he was even weighed!) but with the twins it will all be played by ear - all that matters at the end of the day is that those two babies are getting what they need! Well done anyway and enjoy every second of being home - is it chaos with two babies? I'm trying to prepare myself!!!

I thought I might have gone into labour last night, have been having period pains on and off for a week and been feeling crampy all weekend and then got up from the sofa last night and had horrendous BH in my tummy and all down the top of my legs. (Sorry if TMI for the next bit) - it felt like I could feel one of the babies head between my legs, almost like it was pushing down and I was dragging my cervix around - DH had to literally carry me to the bathroom and upstairs. It died off after a about 10 minutes so clearly no babies BUT I am going to speak to my midwife at my 31 week appointment today as I did cack myself ever so slightly and I've never had a BH like that before. Also over the weekend (and again for TMI) the discharge has ramped up to a whole new level. Have had a lot throughout the pregnancy but Saturday and Sunday I kept thinking I had wet myself and then would go to the bathroom to find my underwear coated in white (Not flemmy like show though). So want to ask her about that as well. At the moment I am just going to have to wear liners to protect my underwear a bit!!

All of the above, may be because I have overdone it at the weekend with the hen weekend (although I didn't participate in all that much of it for obvious reasons but did walk for an hour or two around Brighton while the rest of the girls went on a boat trip), but IF it is that, I will be sat on the sofa for the next 6 weeks until these babies arrive!

Also had a bit of a duh moment when I realised at the weekend that I had thrown myself forward a week and in my head was 31+X last week when in fact I am 30+! Duh!!!

Ladybird glad all is ok - try not to worry about birth. I am sure once you have spoken to the consultant and explained you will feel more comfortable.

Quemp no hints on the ms i'm afraid, apart from finding the one thing that you can drink. With me it was Mad Berry Smoothies from an organic shop near our work - at £4.50 a pop (I used to buy three on the way to work and another two at lunch) the first four months of pregnancy cost me a small fortune!!

Midwife was good - she seemed a little concerned at first and I got a bit of a telling off for not calling the labour ward last night but there is no wee infection which is good, she isn't worried about the discharge as long as there is no water or fluid in there which I have to monitor but thinks it is fine. With the contractions last night she thinks (and it's only a theory) that the placenta may have shifted and it was the baby locking down that started it all off. I'm trying not to get my hopes up because it's not definite and I won't know until next week but she basically told me to monitor everything and at my scan and consultant next week to discuss it with them and if ANYTHING like that happens again to call the labour ward straight away. So all fine for now just lots of rest. She did say that she thinks I will go early (as most do) but that she wants me to keep my legs crossed for a few more weeks (which is fine by me!!!)