The under/over/around 1 Twins thread for support, tips on how to survive and enjoy twin parenthood!

[DreamingOfPeace]

BB3: dcda non id girls Sept 2011 (plus ds)
TwelveLeggedWalk: DCDA DD and DS 14.09.11 (PFBs)
Tiggersreturn twin boys (?!) (plus ds age 5)
Wherearemyearplugs twins (plus ds)
Ceeveebee b/g twins 21.11.11, PFBs
minesapintofwine: non-id boys 02/02/2012. dcs 1&2/pfb on good days.
ClaireMarathonFeeder: Boy/girl twins born 08/02/2012, no3&4, dd1 (2001) and dd2 (2004)
rednellie nonID boys 13.03.2012 + DD 03.02.10
Lemele: id boys (plus ds)
Skitoo : DCDA Non ID Boys, 01.04.12 DC 1&2
DreamingofPeace: dcda non id boys, 4.4.12 DC 2&3 (DD Sept 2010)
beyoglu: dcda non id girls 21.4.12
Bigboobsatlast ID twin boys 30.04.12 DC #2&3 (DD Feb 2010)
Scollister mcda girls 3.5.12 plus DD age 4
Twin2makes4 mcda girls plus 2 ds,age 8 & 4

Again, sorry for mistakes, doing this from my phone!

Settle in ladies :)

hi dream have just though you may remember me better as goingmadtrying?? but name changed when the girls were born as will definately not be trying again lol. my girls are on lactose free milk as i had suspisions they were intolerent and luckily had a gp who went with my suspisions, due to my ds being allergic to cows milk however understand your strugle as he was nearly 3 when he diagnosed!!! so he had had runny poos for all that time and was miserable for all that time. the girls changed overnight on the new milk so will be seeing a consultant in a couple of weeks :) good luck with your investigations hows your dd doing is she sleeping any better?

Oh mines I'm so sorry. Sleep deprivation sucks, but if your kids are dressed and fed you're doing your job. They don't even have to be clean

Dh and I had a barney last night as we're trying to stop the night feeds. Working with dt1 but not dt2. He just cried for over 2hrs so I gave in. My new tactic is get one sorted then the other.

And welcome new twin mum's! Mrs dh went back to work 9months ago and he still gets up at night. That's why I'm still with him

red, that was my plan too! Mine are still separate, with DT2 camped out in the travel cot. However its not working with either of ours. DT1 feeds very badly in the day and absolutely spoon refuses, so i think he's genuinely hungry. His best night is 3 feeds.... :( DT2 had gone down to one feed but is back up to two. Hmm. So that's 5 get ups for me, as its never the same time. I'm just desperate but have no answers...

mrs if mine are both awake at the same time dh gets up, he also went back to work 8.5 months ago. Good luck!

hey all! sorry for dreaming, red and mines re sleep. Mine vary from two wake ups each to horrific amounts.

Dtg woke up 5 times last night and just refused to sleep. dtb was good though. bloody knackered!

Mrs, welcome and congrats on your twins! My dp doesn't help me in the night unless they both wake up at the same time and he'll help me put them on my cushion and then burp one. but to be honest if they were bottle fed, i'd be makin him do half of it cos i reckon his days at work are a lot less tiring than mine with the dts! (he's an architect and spends a lot of time rubbing his chin, smoking cigarettes in his french way and discussing minimalistic deco).

Hi all, thanks for your all your support and advice. I was all armed with the putting on stomach and shushing (as per gardenpixie's advice) when my mum suggested gro suits which are for sleeping (apparently). i was very sceptical as both arms are free with those, we'd been swaddling. But apart from a brief rocking of the moses basket after 20 minutes for dt2 and a worrying 15 minutes at 45 minutes when both were awake but just grunting and flailing their arms around we managed to get through until 1am (from 8.30pm!!!) they actually got themselves back to sleep! And we got a good sleep.

Fingers crossed that this continues, but we all know that it won't.....

Thanks again for your support i was really at the end of my tether when i wrote my last comment.

Totally Nancy. Looking after 3 under 3 is way harder then sitting at a desk drinking hot coffee and looking at the internet.

Speaking of which I'm very excited about starting work/nanny etc next week. Only 2 days a week and I will earn nada after paying for childcare but I'm still happy.

Got dt2 allergy appointment tomorrow. Weirdly I'm actually really looking forward to spending the day with him. Very novel.

And we're starting swimming classes...managed to find one Dh can come to in lunch break where there's alsoa creiche for dd. Not that life with twins is complicated or anything

Can't believe it's all their birthdays soon - dd's turning 3 and dts almost one! Crazy

Hi all, Happy New Year everyone! welcome to new peeps and sorry to hear some of you are having a hard time... I certainly know that feeling.
Very quick one (as usual from me).. I have some matching / similar clothes that mine grew out of some time ago - most of my stuff is sold or given away via my local wins club but no one wants these things. Any of you with younger ones want them? They are free and I am happy to pay postage if in UK (what comes around goes around and all that!).. I have:

For boys:
2 x shorts 2-4 months
2 x shorts 3-6 months
2 x checked shirts 3-6 months
3 x romper suits 3-6 months
3 x long sleeve vests 4-6 months

Neutral
2 x green t-shirts 3-6 months
2 x yellow romper suits 3-6 months

All in very good condition apart from one of the green t-shirts is a little faded. Too good to charity shop it unless I need to - so wanted to see if another twin mummy wanted them first - we all know what a strain twins can be on the old bank account.

Happy to split but not too much as dont really want to pay more than one lot of postage. Any one interested let me know.

Is it ok to post this on here? Hope you dont mind.

All is ok here. Boys are now 8 months and are soooo much easier during the day now. Although they are eating me out of house and home and still have milk every three hours in the day... they are huge bloody monsters!! They interact with each other and can now sit well (nothing else yet!), and are properly playing with toys. Nights are shit, but hey ho Two night feeds still and several wakings. They have both bottom teeth and the top two are on their way so I am blaming everything on teeth!!

DReam, I think you asked how I tell them apart.... from some angles they look quite different to me as DT1 has chubbier cheeks, but other times there is no way I could tell them apart. There is only one clear physical difference and that is DT2 has one ear with a bump on the inner bit. Thats it!! And how is this for weird ID twin-ness..DT2 got his first tooth through one day - and the next day DT1 got his, and then the same with the second tooth! amazing!

Sorry to hear nights are still pants DReam. Its crap isnt it. Red, how are you stopping the night feeds? Stopping altogether or slowly cutting it down? And have you gone back to work? Hello Twin2 good to see you on here.

boys asleep, got to go and work magic on the pigsty house

Happy New Year everyone

And welcome to the new twin mums!

Just don't ask me anything sleep related dtg was up every two hours last night and she's 11 months nxt week sob!
We've spending time at my mums, mixed bag as expected..
Have been reading the No cry sleep book and will try and put together a plan when we get home. Need to stock up on , and possibly to ge me through it though!

Sorry for lack of personals, on my phone.

Feeling much better after that low point thanks for the support as always . Turns out didn't need to do cc the next night boys have slept through the last two so maybe one night was all it took theyll be up all night now I've said that. red hope you don't mind me saying but am glad to see you did the same thing as I know how awful and horrible it is and it helps to know that you are going through the same iykwim (that sounds horrible- I swear it isn't meant to be!) Congrats on the nanny too are they what you hoped for?

mrs my dh has always got up too he's a treasure and honestly doesn't suffer in work the next day. We are both back at work now and still both get up and it's absolutely fine. It is a job itself looking after lil uns all day so you will be working too!

bigboobs how kind of you to pass on your clothes hopefully someone here will take the offer up as sadly mine are too old chubby now for them.

claire I'll join you in the stressful sleeplessness I keep thinking come on kids 11 months and you haven't worked it out yet?!?

dream you are a trooper how on earth are you coping with so little sleep? and so little babysitting/escapes? I would be a bit more sweary at least!

Hope nancy and garden and all the ones with tiny ones are good and enjoying their dts. And beyou where are you hun? Starting to get a bit worried now!

Oh and red yes walking well about 5 steps but he was always enthusiastic about getting about. The thing is..and I know you'll hate me for the cliches...they grow up so fast I honestly don't know where this year has gone. Oh my god will I have to graduate from this thread no no no no I'll be lost without it.

Hello mrs

Another one whose dh still helpd every night, when both wake together, he just copes, there is no alternative. I cannot physically feed them bith at the same time ir get them both to sleep on my own, so needs must!
It's tough but can't be helped, and as someone said, it's not like you dit on your arse doing nothing all day is it??

mines, I'm barely coping, I'm going a bit crazy on lack of sleep. I worked out I haven't had more than 2 hours sleep in a row, and only 2 hours if I'm lucky, in weeks and weeks. It's miserable. We have been trying Bbay Whisperer style pick up/put down method to see if we can improve things. So far, not great. We spent 6 days doing it, I was initially really encouraged after 3 days but it didn't improve from there, I can spend 2 hours settling and we stopped due to exhaustion and its as shit as ever

anyway, I hear yet more wailing, best be off....

Dream U R doing amazing always so positive. I too have been counting the hours the other night I had a full 8 (nearly) due to a well timed early bed for me and a sleep through (rare). My f first full nights sleep in nearly a year! Feel more tired since inevitabilly and hard to function too (and type on phone ha ha) but every cloud. :D

dream you are doing fantastic it amazes me that you keep going and still find time to answer others queries and offer support, it will get better and there is another side as you know ive not been on here for a while as we hit a tough time and i just didnt have enough head room. mine are thankfully sleeping well however im still swaddling so worried about stopping that as i know your not supposed to???? and weve only just cracked my 4 yr old ds going to bed alone and sleeping through

I've been wondering where beyoglu is too...

I am impressed with your walking baby mines! Is he happier since he could get around by himself? How old was he when he crawled? I'm curious as my DT1 rolls about the place but no crawling or getting on hands and knees or anything. He was 9 months 2 days ago. Dh has worked out its 90 days til they're 1 . he also worked out the days before they start school . We went to soft play yesterday and saw a tiny baby there and i just couldn't believe mine had ever been so small, already!

I do remember you anyway twin2, and your boys- your eldest is 8 ish isn't he? Just had a mental block over chocolateforthree...

Lovely to see you bigboobs, mine got easier in the day but are a pita again now. Hmm

yes hes 8 see i dont know where you get all your brain space from lol..
so how many days till school? im intrugied

I'm having a flap. I'm exhausted, DT1 was a bit croupy last night, normally unflappable dh got worried, to the point of pounding upstairs and waking him up when his breathing was particularly bad. Clearly we then had a horrendous night. Today I've barely managed. Huge argument with dh (my fault for being irritable and horrible) . Poor DT1 cannot sleep now. While i feel bad for him I'm getting increasingly desperate for him to just go to bed. I'm stressing because the nanny/mothers help lady has given her notice in on Friday, stating the job is "too exhausting", she's "a zombie" on Saturday (she only comes Wed and Fri and never has sole charge, I'm always there) plus her husband got a promotion so they don't need the money so much, plus she's doing some studying and says she doesn't have enough time for it (she's talked about her course before but cheerfully, and never said she's got loads of work due or anything). I barely managed to not say try doing it all day every day while never sleeping more than two hours- if you're lucky. I've calmed down now but not looking forward to no help very soon. Why am I so rubbish at this mothering multiple small children thing?!

Oh and bigboobs, I read that's a real hallmark of ID twins, to teeth at almost exactly the same time. Your boys sound adorable.

Sorry, another mostly me me me post :(

oh dreaming how awful for you, it sounds as if your having a real time of it....no advice re sleeping but dont worry your dh will understand and he was probably tired

and tetchy too...bad news re your nannys help im sure you will find someone better and more suitable have you got family who could help in the meantime? i do think you need to get some me time back to yourself as im worried for your sanity, is there anyone who you would trust to take the boys for an hour a week??? sending you lots of hugs and big glass of

do you know thinking could you get out for the day? maybe treat yourself to a day at a spa where you could relax and catch up on some sleep a recharge of the batteries will.improve things no end i really feel for you xxx

Dreaming it sounds awful. Sorry things are so difficult at the moment. I shudder to think what it will be like when my DTs are both ill.

Hope things start improving for you soon.

DTs had their second lot of immunisations last week. They have been very grumpy and difficult to settle since then. I am hoping for a better week from them this week. They were tag teaming me, I am sure all of you know exactly what I mean.

We are off to Greece for a long-ish holiday to visit family. Going to stay with my parents. I will be thankful for the help. Not sure how long to go for so buying a one way ticket, I am thinking a couple of months or so. DP will come and stay for 3 weeks.

I hope everyone has a good week :)

Hi there everyone. Have been lurking for a long time and have finally got both babies asleep at the same time so I thought I'd introduce myself. I am 35 and have four children. Db nearly four dg two and dts b/g 17 weeks so hectic here to say the least. Born at 38plus one weighing 7lbs2 and 8lbs7 so i was a blimp ;) Was in shock for most of pregnancy as had discussions galore re number three. Ah well. Sleep not going too badly but seem to be on currently on a growth spurt. Feeding going pretty good with one formula top up but generally dtg very cranky during the day. Initially both very windy but bit better now but she hates to sleep during the day in case she misses something. Likes to be held and snack and find it hard to keep track of who i have fed when!!!! difficult to hold two or get anything else done. Thankfully big two in creche most of the time but hoping to cut down that if/ when we get some semblance of routine. Getting an aupair next week so hopefully that will help but not sure how ill cope with someone else in the house. It has been great to read how everyone here is getting on and what to expect as time goes by. Looking forward to hearing how everyone is coping and reading all the invaluable tips here. Better go dtg awake surprise surprise

Oh dream it sounds tough. Are you going to advertise for another help? I think you should. Perhaps look at it differently and get someone with more energy and who's focus is on fun and activities rather than someone with lots of child care experience. Just a thought.

Night times are shit here too. Constant waking up and a bottle of milk, or loads amd loads of rocking or co-sleeping is all that resettles, so far from ideal. What book are you following? think I may join you. ......

oh bigboobs not you as well im sorry for all of you suffering with night times i can remember the feeling of complete exhaustion but having to carry on, luckily touch wood we seem to have night times cracked, now crying at tea time thats something that still needs work

welcome sovemus congratulations on your twins

Welcome sovemus!

How was allergy clinic and your 1:1 with DT2 red?

We may try and find someone else, but not sure. It was a financial strain anyway. The simplest solution would be nursery for DD for at least 1 day a week but she has bad separation anxiety and i think for her, forcing the issue now is not the way to go.

bigboobs, that's about how our nights go. I keep failing on any consistency as there's always something- currently DT1's chestiness. Going to read the Baby Whisperer... Or try. I get put off by her 'accusations'. I reckon I'll be in the 'accidental parenting' sinners corner ;) . Really hard to get a routine while I've also got a 2 year old with different needs around 24/7.