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....

[Cheerymum]

Thanks all for the good wishes. Cornwall, am thinking of you, very best of luck for today. Let us know how you get on once you feel up to it. So exciting!

[legallyblond]

Thinking of you today Cornwall!! Please update when you can!

[legallyblond]

I have my 34 week scan and consultant appointment today at 11. As usual, irrationally worried.... Hope you are cuddling two lovely babies Cornwall!

[Cheerymum]

Good luck Legally, hope all well. You're on the home straight now! Let us know how it went.

[andadietcoke]

Good luck legally. I get pre scan doom every time too.

I'm currently on the ante natal day unit as had increased urates in my blood on Tuesday and repeat bloods today show they've gone up more. Had my blood pressure done more times than I can remember, and keep being asked 'if I feel okay' which makes me think perhaps I shouldn't! Waiting for the doctor now.

[Cheerymum]

Good luck Anda - hopefully they'll let you home but if your babies have decided to be born sooner rather than later, you're far enough on that you will all be fine, I'm sure you know that but I know it helps me to hear it!

[Cheerymum]

Let us know how you get on anda, if you can

[legallyblond]

Hope you and the twins are ok anda... They'd be fine if they decided to appear now! How is your Bp? If that is not up, perhaps its a UTI?

[Linguaphile]

Hope it goes well, Legally!

Cornwall, hope you are enjoying those two lovely little bundles of joy--would love to hear how you're doing and how the section went when you get a chance!

Anda, sorry to hear you're at the hospital! Hope all's well and it's just a scare, but even if not, you're at a good place a few days from term and (bonus!) at least you wouldn't have to wait until 38+2! Fingers crossed for a good outcome.

Cheery, babies still doing okay and wiggling around as they should be?

[Cheerymum]

Excellent wiiggling, thanks Lingua! Hopefully we'll make it to the next growth scan on Wednesday without incident.

[Cheerymum]

Or wiggling even! Damn iPhone!

[andadietcoke]

I've been sent away with BP medication and have to come back
on Sunday and repeat the whole shenanigans.

Just in case this happens to anyone else, the urates in your blood that they were worried about because they were raised on Tuesday and had gone up even more today go up anyway in late pregnancy and go up even more in twin pregnancies. As I have no protein in my urine they're just treating it as high BP and will see what's happened to it on Sunday.

[Cheerymum]

Glad all ok for now, boring that you have to spend half of Sunday there too and the worry of it, hopefully Sunday will be fine too - keep us posted, won't you?

[legallyblond]

Anda - glad all is ok for now.

All was fine at the scan (I'm 33+6). Twin 1 is about 5lb5 and twin 2 about 4lb9. Twin 2's head is small, but they don't seem that worried. I am a bit now, of course! Both babies are breech so c section is only option.

I have another scan at 35+6 then its the c section! I found out more about that today - I will be having steroids on the two preceding days because they're arriving by c section before 39 weeks. Apparently that's to make up for both the squeezing of the lungs and the stress which matures the lungs in a natural birth. So there we go! And I'll have antibiotics in theatre and then a drip to help contract the uterus in recovery. And antacids and energy drinks at set times the day before and on the morning. Bad bit is that my hospital doesn't have a separate emergency theatre, so I'm second on the list but will be "bumped" for emcs if they come up. Really hope that doesn't happen as I would be worrying about childcare....

[andadietcoke]

legallyb glad everything is okay. I'm sure if they were worried about the head circumference you'd know about it! Steroids can only be a good thing, and it sounds like they're really sorted with the antacids and energy drink schedule!

Think it's fairly normal not to have separate lists. I think my hospital has two planned sections per day - I have no idea whether I'm first or second!

So glad everything's okay - just two weeks and then the countdown begins

[Cheerymum]

Legally that all sounds good. On the last bit of the countdown!
My next scan is on Weds at 33+2. Was hoping for a vaginal delivery but in the light of the growth issues we've had, that's probably going have to change to be a planned section more or less on the dot of 36 w instead (because MCDA) - if we can safely hang on until then. We haven't discussed the logistics of that yet though.

[Cornwall73]

Dear all
We are happy to announce the safe arrival of Alexander and Claudia on the 15 August at 1:30pm. Both weighed 3kg/6lb 7oz.

C section went well but recovery is a bit painful, I am taking my meds! Suffering from terrible trapped wind so DH is bringing in my peppermint tea. At night it can be agony.

Babies are strong and adorable. Had very successful tandem breast feed in recovery after skin to skin in theatre. However, subsequent attempts have been a bit of a disaster as their latch is excellent but incredibly strong and esp A is a real chomper. I haven't got much colostrum so they have a good chomp on the breast instead which is agony for me. I used to think that I had a high pain threshold until I attempted breast feeding. We have now moved on to bottle feeding as their blood sugars plummeted and they had jaundice. Will attempt breast feeding again when my milk comes in, hopefully they will be gentler on me if there is more to offer then. In the meantime we are trying to do several hrs of skin to skin each.

Ladies you are in for such a treat, it is blooming hard work, especially at night when you are dog tired, but cometh the morn and you have these pretty little faces looking at you and all is right with the world.

Hope you are all doing well.

G x

[andadietcoke]

Ahh, Cornwall congratulations! Lovely names and really good weights. Thank you so much for sharing about feeding - very good to know - had forgotten that colostrum/milk didn't always come in straight away.

I shall also try and remember your advice on looking forward to the morning

So delighted for you - congratulations again to you and your partner

[Cheerymum]

Huge congratulations, amazing news! Lovely names too. Well done for persevering with the breastfeeding, I'm sure they'll let up on the chomping at some point! Make sure you get expert help with it (not all midwives are experts on it). And do take the painkillers you need to be comfortable.
You've made me all excited, can't wait xxx

[Cheerymum]

BTW I know lots of mums who've used bottle feeding as an interim measure through difficult early times and got bf established successfully when things calm down. And if the babies have other ideas, don't beat yourself up - sounds like you are doing an amazing job as a twin momma!!

[littleomar]

been lurking (only 26+1 here) but wanted to say congratulations to cornwall!

[legallyblond]

Congratulations Cornwall!!! So happy for you, and beautiful names... Oh and fab weights! Just keep going with the bf and don't worry too much. DD had two sippy cups of formula on her first day in the world in hospital because I just didn't seem to have any colostrum.. But it came and then she was away! I just breast fed her for 6 months (and them carried on till she was 2), so the formula did no harm at all. Just do what you can and what seems best, even if that ends up being formula, or a mix or whatever... But the skin to skin is def the way to get your milk in.... And enjoy them!!!!

Welcome littleomar - we're all at different stages, so don't worry about that! Really hope we can keep the thread going to birth for all of us and beyond!!!

[legallyblond]

Oh and Anda, hope the Bp monitoring is ok tomorrow. Hopefully the drugs will do the trick, but if they need to come out now, I know you know they'd be fine! You're what now, 36+4 or so now? Fine!

[andadietcoke]

Thanks legallyb actually ended up back in there yesterday - at 1.30 a midwife turned up on our doorstep to do my BP, urine and listen to the babies. BP was higher and urine had protein in so I was shipped off to the ante natal day unit. Repeated all the tests again - all the same except no protein. So they sent me home last night warning me to ring today if I feel 'unwell' (I'm 36w pregnant with twins - I feel unwell every day!!) and I have to go back tomorrow morning.

I absolutely know they'd be fine, I'm just worrying myself stupid that we're all missing something and they won't get them out in time, which is daft because I also know that being monitored every 48 hours should prevent that. They just seem so worried about me!!

[Cheerymum]

Anda, glad still all ok, I totally understand the paranoia. I have been told to keep careful awareness of the movements, and if they stop scrapping for just a few minutes I feel so anxious! Can't wait till we all have them safely in our arms x