4th pregnancy it's twins!! Help!!

[Sweetshop]

Hi. I'm looking for some reassurance if anyone can give any? We have 3 kids 6, 4 & 2 and life is pretty hard work. We've just found out we're expecting non identical twins so we'll have 5 kids under 7! Very unplanned, although we both talked about the possibility of a 4th and decided against it mainly for financial reasons and no family nearby. I'm a SAHM and DH works a lot so I'm often with the kids on my own. I'm just trying to get my head around it. I feel like we're going to be freaks! And I don't know how we will cope! Is it really that hard?

Thanks Sweetshop They are due on 19/2 though obviously are likely to be arriving around two weeks before that - when are yours due?

My friend who has twins is giving me her breastfeeding pillow - this one - it's a bit garish (her words) but she said it was brilliant because you can put one baby on the pillow and the apron stops it rolling off while you get the other latched on. I've never been shy about bf, or felt the need for a cover before but I imagine feeding two at once will necessarily be a bit more "in your face" for passers-by/fathers-in-law/etc!

I am totally with you on the mixed feelings, wondering how I'll cope etc. I keep reminding myself that I couldn't choose between them to give one back so I'd better just get on with it - and at least we planned for one of them so I've got a head start on you! But I am reassuring myself that we have lots of parenting experience and that will help us through (and then I can hear the little voice inside saying "this isn't what we wanted and it's not what we planned....").

Everything. Will. Be. Fine. (that's my mantra...)

Thank you elisio1 for your positive birth story - I've been obsessing a bit about the birth (far too early since we don't even know if the first will be head down yet!) and it's good to hear positive experiences.

Hi mrsCMAW congratulations on your twins. Do you know what kind of twins you're having?

I had mine naturally as both head down, and it was ok, but only because I had an epidural. However, even though it was ok knowing what I know now, I would never recommend a vb with mcma twins.

I wouldn't recommend it either if they are mcma, like slightlyinsane said. The risks are very high. I was extremely lucky. ELCS is the safest :)

Hi slightlyinsane

Thanks. We know that they have two separate amniotic sacs and two placentas, so are the safest sort of twins as far as I can gather.

Not sure about Sweetshop's?

Yes they are the "safer" type to have but still come with risks. For me personally they would have to be in the ideal position ie both head down and t2 in a position that reduces chance of changing positions after t1 has vacated.

Hello apologies for my very late response I hadn't realised the thread had gone onto 2 pages. Mumsnet novice!
MrsCMAW glad you're feeling similar to me. I am getting slightly more excited now, although still overwhelmed. Told a few (shocked) people and now praying all ok. Reminding myself of constant broodiness before this unplanned incident, which the midwife said is very common to disappear as soon as reality hits. My due date is 4 April, expect will be a few weeks before that!? You'll be pro by then!
They also told me they were in two seperate sacs with 2 placentas but that was only at 5 weeks so still wondering what we'll see at the 12 week scan next Friday.
Does anyone know? - as you get more scans with twins are you likely to find out the sex before 20 weeks if you ask? Desperate to know.
Thanks for the feeding tips. Definitely keen to give breastfeeding a go but will have bottles ready and not beat myself up if I find it hard.
I had 3 csections before so sure will have another, but have had some dreamy ideas about them coming naturally and easily before the due date. Bid sad I've not had a natural birth, all my own fault after 2nd and 3rd electives.

We will be having scans at 12 (already had), 20, 24, 28, 32 & 36 weeks, so 20wk is the earliest chance to find out the sexes (unless you get a bonus one for any reason!). I gather that the extra scans every four weeks are to monitor the babies' relative growth - if one is more than 25% bigger than the other they are in trouble and probably have to be born straight away. The consultant prescribed me 75mg of aspirin a day to thin my blood a bit so that they are more likely to get an equal supply.

Having said that, at our 12wk scan they were within 2mm of each other in size so I am not very worried!

Hope all goes well on Friday

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I was hoping we'd get an earlier one after 12 weeks, oh well! Glad your 12 week went well and sizes looking good. Any inkling what you're having? Have you been feeling well? I've got awful skin which I had with my boy so sure at least one boy.
Thanks for the thread watch tip!

I've felt very sick and exhausted, but I have with all three before this as well so it's hard to tell if it has been worse because of the twins. I haven't any idea what they are! All three of my previous pregnancies we different and actually the DD2's was much more like DS' than DD1's! We'll (hopefully) find out on 9th October.

Not long to wait until then. Hopefully you'll be feeling a bit better now. I had a couple of weeks where I thought the sickness was easing, but it's back now. It could be far worse though so I'm grateful sleep and food seem to cure it. Will keep you posted on my scan.

Sweet - You could have a private scan at 16 weeks, you maybe able to find out then if the baby is in the correct position :)

Good luck, you two! :)

Hi thought I'd update and say I've had my 12 wk scan and all seems to be fine. Starting to feel a little better and not so scared about the prospect of 2 now. Considering a private scan as ours was a little rushed as they only booked a single appointment so would be nice for extra reassurance and to find out the sex a little earlier.
Not long until your scan MrsCMAW. How are you feeling now?

Just checking in after ages! I've been writing my birth plan this morning, the baby clothes are all in the drawers, hospital bag packed etc. I'll be 33 wks tomorrow and so I guess they could come at any time....

How are things Sweetshop? We know that our babies are both girls and at the last scan both were head down - next scan is on Friday, along with a consultant appointment at which I will be trying to convince the consultant to led me have a water birth... wish me luck!

MrsCMAW sorry only just saw your message! Have your girls arrived yet? If they have I hope you ended up with the birth you wanted. Fingers crossed all ok for you.
I'm 31 weeks now and bit worried not feeling very ready and hoping pregnancy isn't going to get much harder. Struggling a bit now with keeping up to my normal pace. Hope all's going well for you.

They haven't turned up yet - I'm 36+2 today and I'm not expecting them before 38wks really - they still seem to have loads of room in there, I haven't even got any new stretch marks yet!

I have been finding it very frustrating - it sounds like you are not really a sitting-down-having-a-rest person - I'm not either and I've been finding the need to pace myself really hard. It's not like the other three (four inc. dh!) stop needing things doing! The few hours after school before bedtime is my own personal hell at the moment so we've had lots of freezer meals and slow cooker things that dh puts together the night before recently.

I think I nearly feel ready now, but I certainly wasn't at 31wks. I'm sure you'll get there :-)

And we did manage to see the named consultant and I have permission to labour in the water, get out to have the first one and then get back in to deliver twin 2 once her head is engaged - I'd have liked to have both in the water but the consultant had excellent reasons why it wasn't a brilliant plan and I'm ok with that. Being allowed in for twin 2 seems like a fabulous victory, after seeing a registrar the previous week who said no to everything I wanted without even pausing for thought, let alone listening to me or caring that I was a person not just the seventeenth mum she'd seen that day.....

Mrsc well done getting them to agree to a part water birth. My only advice is to shift your ass sharpish back into the pool after t1. Mine were 5 minutes apart, so if you take out a quick cuddle, a cord cutting and positioning of t2 I barely had time to realise I had to do it all again. Good luck with it.

Wow, that's very speedy! Did they give you syntocinon straight away after t1 was born, or did your body just get on with it?

My body must have really had enough of being pregnant and got on with it, think it took them all by surprise.

I just wanted to let you all know that Antigone (6lb 7.5oz) and Hebe (6lb 10oz) arrived safely on 17th February, at 39+5

After all my being bolshy about not being induced I let the consultant persuade me that it was a good idea in the end - she said she was concerned my uterus would be over-extended and unable to contract which I felt was a powerful argument!! I had to have syntocinon to get things going but my body did get the idea after a while and take over. I laboured in the pool for a bit but got out as I'd agreed to in order to deliver Antigone. And you were quite right slightlyinsane - 8 minutes later DH was just checking the pool temperature ready for me to get in to deliver Hebe when I felt a strong contraction coming and in two pushes and that one contraction she was born!

They are both thriving and I'm coping pretty well, although DH finishes his paternity leave tomorrow so we'll see if I'm still keeping my head above water in two more weeks' time!

Many congratulations! My twins were DC3 and 4, and ,although things are still pretty crazy 20 months on, the babies(now toddlers) are so wonderful and I can't imagine my family without them or remember life before them!

Oh my goodness, they are so gorgeous! Massive congratulations!

Congratulations they are lovely and your birth sounds brilliant well done! Great to hear you're coping well. Amazing you got to 39+5 I'm sure I'm about ready to pop!

Congratulations on your beautiful girls, and what lovely names!

I wish I had come across this thread earlier, I had identical girls on the 21st of January this year. Spent most of pregnancy worrying about something or other! It's my babies number 3+4.

How are you finding things? Are you managing to get any sleep?