31+4 with DCDA twins and just looking for a bit of companionship during the countdown...

[legallyblond]

.... That's it really!

I have an almost 3 yo DD (she'll be 2.11 if they arrive when anticipated) and am still working full time (10 hour days as a lawyer) and, just this week, the exhaustion has hit. I'm planning to work until 34 weeks and have an elcs booked for 37+3.... It feels a long way away!

I am starting to get nervous about it all (I have been nervous throughout though!):

• nervous about bf - I ebf DD until we did baby led weaning and then carried on bf until she was 2, but a bit scared it won't work with 2, also becasue no sign of leaking colostrum and much smaller boobs than last time... and I never pumped or gave DD a bottle (of either my milk or formula - she was a total boittle refuser), so will be clueless (and disappointed that I'm not giving them the same as DD) if bf doesn't work or they're in NICU...
  

• nervous they'll be permature - I really, really want to make it to 36 weeks at least and would LOVE for them to just wait until the elcs date (for practical reasons like childcare too!). I had a "scare" at 23/24 weeks when my cervix was v short so I had a cervical stitch to prevent them coming. It did the job (my cervix doubled in length and has stayed long) so I am VERY grateful for getting this far, but stilll.... I dread the thought of NICU...
  

• nervous about the elcs and the recovery - I had a natural birth last time (albeit with an episiotomy, so recovery wasn't a bed of roses) so have no idea really... plus there's DD.. eek! I have chosen elcs becasue (a) they're transvers and breech now; and (b) in any event, I am uncomfortable about the potentially avoidable risks of an induction gone wrong... (that is despite being induced with DD at 40+12 and it being ok - G&A only and episiotomy the only real complication)..
  

• nervous about life with a toddler and twins. Need I say more? Still, I keep telling myself, I know what to do with one, so worst case, I just do everything twice, right??? In a sense, I feel pretty confident about my mothering ways (basically the opposite of Gina Ford I'm afraid!), but do keep hearing everyone saying how awful it will be with twins and how I MUST get a routine. I actually loved the newborn stage with DD and found it pretty easy (bf was great for me), so I am nervous that my bubble is about to be burst...
  

I guess all this is normal but just wanted to vent / share! Plus share the ride with those in a similar position....

[legallyblond]

Twin 1 (Hugo) was also v engaged and there was a Lou of hoiking - it was literally a two man job!!!! But if you expect that, just breathe, and she'll be out before you know it. I didn't expect it so worried something might be wrong, but still didn't panic and just deep breaths... Took about 10 mins to get him out, then twin two popped out in 1 min!!

[legallyblond]

That's a lot of hoiking and pulling - four large surgeon hands in there did it!

[Cheerymum]

Just to let you guys know, Luisa and Carlotta were born yesterday afternoon. Approx 2 and 2.5 kg respectively. All doing well xx

[andadietcoke]

Congratulations!! Lovely names. How are you?

[legallyblond]

Well done Cheery!!!! How was it? How are you and they doing? Are they with you or in special care for a bit?

Also, Lingua, meant to say, re the top ups, is there any scope for convincing the powers that be (paeds?) that top ups if ebm would be sufficient.... Might be less loaded for you than topping up on formula. If Vally has gained again today, it's bye bye to top ups totally and we'll just be bf in demand.... Crossing everything!!

[legallyblond]

On and Cornwall, meant to say that I'll def be out of the house by 10!!!! School run at 8.15am, and went back to doing that yesterday!

[Cheerymum]

Good thanks! Glad we opted for the C section in the end as there is some evidence of mild TTT in the babies, so it's a good job I didn't labour. V tired now! But euphoric that they are safely here x

[legallyblond]

Great Cheery! So glad you made the right choice.

I am also v happy with the elcs choice.... Twin two was footling breech and everyone has confirmed that if I had delivered twin 1 naturally, I would definitely, no doubt about it, have needed an emcs for twin 2....

[Cheerymum]

We are all doing well, hopefully home tomorrow.
The girls were a little bit fragile - one with polycythaemia and both jaundiced, so I've had to shovel in extra fluid to help flush their little systems through a bit. We are awaiting a final set of blood tests and hopefully the paediatricians will give us the green light to take them home.
I feel euphoric and invincible - baby blues due in 24-48 hours I should think! But so so happy.
V glad we had the c-section - they might have struggled much more if they had a hard time in labour, so I should be very thankful really.
Hope all you others are doing ok - I know things will get harder when reality strikes xx

[littleomar]

Hello and congratulations on all the new arrivals.

I posted ages ago when everyone was a lot further along and suddenly I'm 31+4 so I thought I would see if anyone was still around to revive the thread.

I'm booked for induction on 1 November if they haven't arrived by then. My older two were a tiny bit early (3 days and 5 days) so I'm hoping I will go into labour spontaneously. Got high hopes for full moon on 19 October!

The pregnancy has gone smoothly until the last couple of weeks - I've hit a wall of exhaustion and my brain has stopped working. I've also got pregnancy diabetes and I'm slightly/very anaemic depending on which HCP is looking at the results.

My worry at the moment is the delivery - I need to talk through with the consultant how things work. I am worried about the usual stuff - I want to labour (and preferably deliver although I recognise that might not be an option) upright so I don't want to go straight to full epidural, also worried about forceps use which is being discussed on another thread now. I'm prepared for the possibility that T1, who is currently head down, might not stay that way, but I've made my peace with CS if that happens.

I've also been thinking about breastfeeding two - I went to a really useful TAMBA seminar last weekend and have started to consider the logistics of expressing if I need to go there.

Would love to hear from anyone else at the same stage.

[neversleepagain]

Hi littleomar

There are a few women in the ante natal section who are expecting twins in November.

Good luck!