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Multiple births

When do you start showing with twins? What is life with twins like? Join the conversation on our Multiple Births forum.

I just found out

28 replies

Queenmarigold · 31/07/2012 11:31

... I'm expecting twins.
Am delighted / terrified / worried

Any advice?
Financial? Night times? Child care? Two of EVERYTHING? (Plus a 4 yr old)

How DO you do it?!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
stargirl1701 · 31/07/2012 11:32

No advice but...congratulations!! Grin

Queenmarigold · 31/07/2012 11:49

Thanks, stargirl...I need advice though!!

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baileyslover · 31/07/2012 11:56

Come join the antenatal twin club, lots of us multiple expectant mums stressing and supporting Smile

IceCubes · 31/07/2012 12:01

Congratulations- having twins is awesome!

Spread out buying stuff. Eg one month buy the double buggy, next month the cot etc.

Stock up on 'tiny' and 'early' baby stuff whenever it is on sale in Tesco or Asda- twins tend to be smaller.

Start a 'help' rota with friends and family now! Be organised! Make sure you plan for special 1:1 time with your four year old.

Buy giant maternity clothes!!!

Check you can fit all the car seats (and buggy) in the back of your car. (my 4x4 was too small for 2x baby car seats and a booster!!! Now have an S Max)

Tell work ASAP, you may need extra time off for the millions of scans you might have.

If I think of any more I'll come back! Grin

IceCubes · 31/07/2012 12:07

Oh! And join TAMBA!!!

Melindaaa · 31/07/2012 12:22

Congratulations. My advice would be to arrange as much help as possible from 28 weeks onwards, with both childcare and housework. You will be more exhausted and physically restricted than you can possibly imagine.

Join a local twin group if there is one locally to you. Here in Bournemouth the twin group is very active and it's great for acquiring second hand equipment and newborn clothes, as well as meeting other parents with multiples.

Don't worry about how you will manage once they are born. You will manage because you have no choice.

Queenmarigold · 31/07/2012 12:30

OMG.
OMG!

Reading these threads is bringing homethe reality - i was excited about one... but TWO?! It seems there is rather a lot of medical needs as well.

Did you all have C Sections? I don't think I can face brithing two babies naturally. Hurt a LOT the first time round.

Melindaa - you are so right. We all cope becuase we have to, ther'es no other way. But I'm still panicking!

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TwelveLeggedWalk · 31/07/2012 12:33

Yay congrats!

It's bonkers, but brilliant.

Plan to finish maternity leave EARLY. Get everything ready EARLY. Then put your feet up, eat well, and stock up on sleep! Grin

NervousAt20 · 31/07/2012 12:35

Congratulations Grin

Queenmarigold · 31/07/2012 12:36

Baileyslover - where is antenatal twins group?

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gardenpixies32 · 31/07/2012 13:14

Congratulations! :)

Here is the Twins Ante Natal Group...

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/antenatal_clubs/1424471-Twins-Club-4-All-welcome

TwelveLeggedWalk · 31/07/2012 13:55

And here is the first-year postnatal group if you want to come and ask any of us sleep-deprived new multiple mums anything here

noelstudios · 31/07/2012 14:41

Congratulations - fantastic news!

Twins are brilliant (I'm only saying this now as mine are asleep! Ask me again at 5pm...).

Totally agree with the above bit about having no choice.

My DH and I had 'failure is not an option' as our motto in the early weeks.

You will be fine.

A (twin mum) friend told me when I first found it that, 'you are only lucky enough to get twins if they already know you will cope'.

I wouldn't necessarily get two of everything straightaway. We bought too much really. We never bothered with moses baskets, and had them in one cot until they were 5mo.

See how you feel about finishing work early. I worked until 34 weeks - but we had builders in so work was preferable to home...

The best thing we did was for my DH to work really hard during my pregnancy and then manage to persuade his work to let him take 6 weeks off. I don't know how I would have coped if he had gone back at two weeks.

I had an ELCS - got the impression the midwives were a bit disappointed. I was very scared of giving birth and DH was absolutely terrified something would go wrong. Stick to what you want though, most places let you choose. Because you have a DD already, they may encourage you to go for a vaginal birth, but do what you want to do.

Also, we researched a pram v carefully and got the Obaby zoom tandem (second hand but still £500), but actually only really used it for 8 months (and I resented it a lot of that time..!) It was great to get them into a maclaren twin triumph and be able to get on buses / tubes a bit more. Definitely glad we didn't buy it new!

The only thing we have bought new was the carseats / mattresses & cots. Everything else of ebay / charity shops. I haven't worked it out, but I think we have saved a fair amount.

Oh, and be ready for people saying 'Any time now!' etc. when you are about 25 weeks!

Take care and good luck!

noelstudios · 31/07/2012 14:50

Oh, nighttimes - before we went to bed, we had a clear agreement between me and DH as to who was on duty next etc, we were FF though, so it was easier to be cut and dried.

We were lucky - our DTs used to only really wake up for feeding and would go back quite easily, but even so, a feeding / winding / changing cycle in the early days would take approximately an hour and a half.

Some feeds we would do together, others on our own, then at least one of you could get a few hours continuous sleep.

I guess your 4 yo might like to help sometimes?

Oh, and I felt really guilty about not breastfeeding them for a while. I would advise you to do exactly what you want to do and not to let anyone make you feel funny about your choices. People always seemed to want to know, possibly because they were twins. Be ready for people asking you lots of personal questions that they would never ask someone with one baby!

Queenmarigold · 31/07/2012 15:17

I think FF is the way for me tbh. Don't tell anyone on here but I hated it with my DC and it hurt so much I would sob with pain. This went on for months until I supplemented with F at about 5 months and then thought WTF didn't I do this before?! The thought of doing it twice over? Nah. Thanks, but nah. I'll try and do a bit and see if it still hurts, but that on top of everything else - I'll take the guilt!
We have some wheels from DC that we can get a different top bit for to change it into a double buggy so will do that I think. I can feel a lot of ebaying coming on!
Man. Twins. Oh, Man.

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xkatyx · 31/07/2012 17:50

Congratulations :) my twins are 7 months old now :) and a pure delight!!!

As for the csection I think it depends of babies are identical or not (well it is here) they won't let you delivery identical babies naturally so the choice was taken out of my hands.

Look after your self take your pregnancy vitamins the little bubbas will drain you.

The last 12 or so weeks can be pretty long and hard exspecially when you have children to look after!! I had my lovely mum help loads when my dh was at work.

The first few weeks to me we're a blur but once we got a routine in place which I strongly recommend everything works nicely around here :)

Please don't be scared it really is lovely (I was pooing myself) and if I can make it anyone can :)

harrygracejessica · 31/07/2012 20:46

YOU WILL BE FINE!!!!!!!

Seriously the thought is worse than the reality!!!

I have 2 sets of the horrors and I wont say it gets easier but it gets different!!

mummy2apickle · 31/07/2012 20:53

Hiya

We found out we are expecting twins at the weekend too! We already have 2.5 year old son and the twins are due end of feb/beginning of march next year.

I am totally freaking out about how we are going to cope but know we will, still hasn't sunk in yet, might take a few years!!

Congratulations though Im sure it will be magical once we get there!!!
xx

Queenmarigold · 01/08/2012 10:20

Congratulations mummy! You'll have to change your name now.

My DD is Jan - I didn't realise I was pg, thought I was ill as I was / am so tired and so sick all the time. Ha.

Thanks all, you've made me a bit less panicky and a bit more positive. now, to tell work the good news. Bet they'll be delighted that I need loads of time off!!

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NoComet · 01/08/2012 11:09

Congratulations
And be warned, twins aren't always, early or small.

DFs were over 7.5 lb each. (not a CS either)

She'd bought little baby grows, they fitted my two 6 singleton DDs for weeks, her DDs wore them about once!

Queenmarigold · 01/08/2012 13:10

oof. 2x7.5lbs?

Stuff the NCT and their breatfeeding, lentil-ish ways. C sections for me!

(disclaimer: Of course I will try. I'm joking about the marvellous NCT. And their sandals and beans.)

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TwelveLeggedWalk · 01/08/2012 14:33

Sod the NCT, get yourself to a TAMBA antenatal course, soo much more useful!

bigboobsatlast · 02/08/2012 05:45

Congratulations marigold and pickle. My is dts are 3 months now and I have a 2.5 dd. It is amazing and brilliant but of course hard work. Get yourselves over to the antenatal thread, lots of lovely multiple-mummies to be and a few of us with babes pop back now and again as well!

Handsfullandrunningforgold · 02/08/2012 18:19

Congratulations Grin

rednellie · 02/08/2012 18:32

Hey Queen - I've got a 2.5 yr old DD and 5 month old boy twins. They're all great! You get used to it pretty quickly. I had a completely spontaneous vaginal delivery, no meds, so it is possible.

Ante natal and postnatal threads on here are both godsends. Welcome to both!