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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.

'd'ya ever wonder how many times you will be asked if they are twins?'

1000 replies

MarsLady · 06/06/2007 23:44

C'mon girls. Got bored of waiting and started the new thread!

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
speedymama · 20/06/2007 08:42

Marslady, you are an amazing woman! I liked the website. I would have a separate "About us" section instead of embedding it in the Home Page because it is lost there. Also, the narrative on the Contact Page should be in the About Us section. The contact page should just have your contact details imo.

Other than, it is splendid website. It is enough to make me try for another baby (or two).

Leoladyofleisure · 20/06/2007 11:23

Phew, finally read through everything!

Mars, the website is great (first impressions, I'll go and look in more detail later)! Do you need more photos? I have been taking loads of the dts to try to get a 'better' one than the one I sent you. I also have some of me bfeeding the dts, but the one of hm is great! I got all teary eyed when I saw it.
I'm so glad your first class went well, you really deserve loads and loads of sucess with this, you are wonderful!

Mommalove, I bf ds1 until he was 9 months and really struggled with it, I was mixed feeding from 4 1/2 months, however with the dts (4 months today ) it is going really, really well ! The thing to do is to keep those dts inside you for long enough so they don't need special care for being premature and persist with the feeding. I was lucky that my dts came straight to the room with me, I had fantastic support in hospital with getting the bfeeding started (maternity nurses wanted to give them a bottle as they were losing too much weight, but a bfeeding consultant rescued us and since then I have had invaluable support and advice from Mars). I will say to you again though that it is really worth getting help so you can put energy into yourself, the dts (without neglecting your dd) and let someone else do everything else after they are born. I was quite immobile for the last few weeks before they were born and needed help then as well.

Estar, congratulations on a 4th boy ! Some people are just destined to be boys' mums! dh's sister also has 4 boys and I think felt something like you did in the beginning. I have 3 boys and am really, really happy to have boys. I have a lovely work collegue who has 3 boys and a fourth girl and I quote him 'if the girl had been the first i don't think we would have had anymore!'!!!!

Triplets, I'm just going say I am glad you are feeling better and send you a huge hug!

FG, you are using that word broody again !

Kelly???????

GB, thanks for the link to the Freya website, but I could only find bikinis and my belly is too hideous to do bikinis these days. Thinking again though, if I did turn up at the pool in a bikini everyone else would probably turn and run and I would have the pool to myself ! Its a bit crowded at the moment with the fantastic weather we are having.

Ooogs, yesterday was really not too bad. ds1 is being such a good boy at the moment it makes everything so much easier. I also dropped him off for lunch wiht dh as i was meeting work friends for lunch and wanted to be able to chat. I am thrilled that my only other female work colleague is pregnant , but devastated that she will go on maternity leave just before I go back to work (if I go back)!
Anyway.... I really admire you for putting all 3 to bed on your own, if one of us is not there at bedtime (although I haven't not been there yet)we have a babysitter to help. I've found a girl who is great with the dts, but so shy that ds1 has no interest in her at all. We have also found 2 half american sisters who we will be trying out, I am really pleased with this as ds1s English is really not developing, he needs more exposure and these girls may help!
From next week we are taking ds1 out of nursery for 4 weeks, next week dh has holiday, then we have a student (paid for by a charity) to come and help us for 2 weeks, then dh has another week holiday. I am half looking forward to having loads of time wiht ds1, but also half dreading it as it means no rest and a constant stream of activities planned for him. I just hope the student works out well!

Hm, how is it going?

Dingdong - how is the sleep thing going? I've been thinking more about this and think its funny that its coincided with the dts starting nursery, could be a long shot but what are they feeding them there???????

I've been a bit up and down over the past week (more down than up), I think its just overtiredness, but maybe the reality of having twins has hit me. I have suddenly realised that it is really hard work. Its not the things like double nappies, double feeding that I struggle with, its more the attention they need. They both want to see what is going on and be involved now (gone are the days they would sleep long hours in the pushchair), so I am always sitting with them both on my knees (when we are out, have bouncy chairs at home) or carrying them on my arms, doing that while trying to follow ds1 around is just exhausting (when I am already tired), and i can0t actually play with ds1 when I'm carrying them.... anyway, you allknow what its like. I expect the mood will pass once I have caught up on my sleep a bit more. On the other side they are so adorable, the are becoming more and more aware of each other and play with each others hands when they are close enough to each other, yesterday after i put them to bed dt1 started crying, I went back to them and dt2 was looking at dt1 with a really concerned expression (i'm sure I wasn't just imagining it) and holding onto his pyjamas as if to comfort him. They are also much more aware of ds1 now and like to watch him, he also likes to try ot play with them, it is so lovely! ... ah, feeling better already !
And another good thing, they seem to have started doing a 5 hour stretch at night now without feeding so things are improving!

Well, that's a long post and I could go on for pages.......!

Leoladyofleisure · 20/06/2007 11:24

Relax Kelly, he will be fine!

triplets · 20/06/2007 13:02

Hi,
Ooggs, we are off to Cali/Arizona. Most people think we are mad with three 9yr olds in tow! We went twice with Matthew back in the 90`s and had such a fab time, so want to show these three the sites whilst we have the energy!!

oooggs · 20/06/2007 14:53

Fantastic Triplets, the children will have a fab time and you know they can behave longhaul, you have done it before (Florida, if I remember) and they are older again. Very jealous though

Hi LG&T - you are so in control. In fact all the multiple mums seem to be in control, I take it that comes with practice.

Love the website Mars. great photos. would like to see more photos (maybe I'm too nosey!!!)

Mommalove · 20/06/2007 18:04

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Mommalove · 20/06/2007 18:05

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oooggs · 20/06/2007 19:14

Mommalove - dh works shifts (7.00am - 4.30pm one week then 3.00pm - 00.00am the next) and I am on mat leave, ds is 3.6 and dt's now 12 weeks (tomorrow) I haven't had any help, when dh is home he helps with childcare, not other stuff. It is doable, ds1 is at nursery three days a week which helps. I do most of shopping online. If ds1 was in full time childcare/school it would be 100% easier

hope this helps

MarsLady · 20/06/2007 19:32

Momma if you do nothing else... get a cleaner. Saved my sanity. In fact I still have one. If you can get people to cook and fill your freezer then do it!

Thanks for the comments on the site.

I don't know that I'll change the home page. I LOVE that bigbelly shot! But I'll look again.

Right..........bookgroup! Gotta run!

OP posts:
tkband3 · 20/06/2007 22:44

Momma - echo the advice re cleaner. I have just got rid of mine and that's only because my DTs have just started pre-school and I can't afford that and a cleaner! So now I have a few hours off a week for the first time in over 2 years and what do I do....clean .

Mars I think the website is fab...didn't know you were doing sleep counselling - I'd have come to you instead! Had a quick text chat with my mate today who told me she loved the class last night. And was v. happy you'd made cake - but not lemon drizzle I understand....

estar I have a very good friend who has 4 boys - DS1 4.7, DS2 3.3 and DTs 1.5 (yes she's very busy). She didn't find out the sex of her DTs, but was very pleased they were both boys. She gets her pink fix from my girls and I get my blue fix from her boys .

triplets I didn't get a chance to post before, but glad you are feeling better and your hols sound lovely - am v. .

leo sorry to hear things are a little tough - as you say, it's hard in ways only us fellow multiple mums will understand...I have had to train myself, and OH, not to compare the amount of time and attention the DTs get to that which DD1 got before they were born. They are all loved as much and that is what is important.

DT2 is sleeping a bit better - don't want to say too much in case I tempt fate, but suffice to say I didn't think it could get any worse after last week, but Monday night it did, when we put our sleep lady's plan into action...awake from 3.50am onwards . But last night was a dramatic improvement so fingers crossed it will continue.

hello to everyone else...bedtime now. Night night

MarsLady · 21/06/2007 00:35

Hey TK.. glad you're not lurking.

I think we all need to keep shouting out for OVERRUN who is currently MIA!

Hi all! Off to my bed shortly but wanted to say hi to the family!

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nannynick · 21/06/2007 07:06

I've worked for families with twins quite a bit over the years. However, I was never asked 'are they twins' more, than in my present job - where the children are NOT twins!
I do wonder sometimes... maybe dog walkers in Windsor Great Park are not that bright (excluding any mumsnetters who walk their dogs in Windsor Great Park of course ). I tend to go walking with a local childminder and the children for whom she cares, so between us we can have 5, sometimes 8 children, and while some of them are related, none of them at the moment are twins.
When working for families with twins, the twins have often been the same gender, but not identical, so maybe I was just lucky not to be asked many times each day - 'are they twins?'

Leoladyofleisure · 21/06/2007 10:52

Mommalove, we also have a cleaner, I wouldn't do without her at the moment.
I am sure you can manage without help but for me personally I would be completely exhausted and wouldn't have enjoyed the babies or time off as much as I have without Other than the cleaner ds going to nursery 3 days a week. Your dd I think is a bit older than my ds so maybe you will be fine, but in the beginning I didn't want to be left on my own for any length of time with a very demanding 2yr old and newborn twins (the dts on their own are no problem at all). With all 3 it is just a lot of hard work, stress and no fun. I was lucky that dh was home with me the first week then my DSis3 came for 2 weeks - she helped with everything particularly making sure I ate and drank enough (put meals on the table everyday), burped baby while I fed the second, entertained ds1 etc. me and dh managed to get a good bedtime routine established while she was here as she cooked and cleaned up afterwards. Since then my mum and aunt came over (mum on her own is more work than help), and DSis1 was also here for a week, DSis2 is coming in a couple of weeks ! At the moment I have a babysitter if I am on my own at bedtime to help (mainly because of ds1).
I am not someone who is very contented to stay at home, and having the help meant that I've been able to get out and about and do things with all 3 children right from the beginning. I had a cs and even running around after ds1 in the playground wasn't really possible.
On going help is having a bf who I meet up with regularly, 2 people looking after 5 children is easier than one looking after 3. I look after the 3 babies while she takes her dd and my ds1 into the lake swimming etc. I don't think I could take all 3 swimming on my own. Our sanity times are the days that her dd and my ds1 are in nursery and we take turns to look after the babies so we can swim ourselves.

I would suggest as well as a cleaner finding a babysitter that can come and help you out when you are feeling pushed to your limits.

Our fantastic weather has broken todsy. Huge big scary thunderstorm! The sky turned to night again this morning.

Leoladyofleisure · 21/06/2007 11:00

Triplets, going back to the original name of this thread I can't help thinking that if people say such stupid things when they see twins they must say even stupider things when they see triplets. Any funny ones to share with us and make us laugh?

triplets · 21/06/2007 13:24

Well I suppose the most common one we have had is, "are they identical?"
"Well...........not exactly........one is a girl
one boy has the bluest eyes and blondest hair,
the other has dark brown eyes and dark brown hair!"

Then when I am booking anything and they ask the childrens ages, I say,
"they are triplets,aged nine"
Then the usual reply is,
yes but how old is that one?
Then I explain again they are triplets, all born on the same day.
"Oh so you mean they are all nine?"

This type of conversation then usually ends up with,
"Poor you, I don`t envy you"

We also get, "how on earth do you tell them apart?"

It never ceases to amaze me. For us though being probably the oldest parents on here of multiples, the MOST annoying thing is being asked if they are our grandchildren. So I now take great delight in saying,
"No, they are very much ours, and I realize more and more each day how special they and we are to have them, three healthy, good looking children who have lit up my life after losing my son!" Harry thinks I shouldn`t say that, but it hurts at times.
Just remembered in Tescos last week the girl on the till kept looking at them and eventually said,
"Are they triplets?"
"Yes," I said.
"Oh, she said, "you mean there are three of them"?

If this happens at the end of the day even I start getting confused!

oooggs · 21/06/2007 13:31

does triplets mean three????

Oh you make me chuckle

MarsLady · 21/06/2007 14:35

Can't stop laughing at the "oh so does that mean there are 3 of them!"

Thank you triplets. That has made my day (whilst thoroughly p-ing you off with the say-ers no doubt!)

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frumpygrumpy · 21/06/2007 16:25

anyone?

frumpygrumpy · 21/06/2007 16:26

Hi ladies. Feeling shit today. I'm not best friends with DP just now. Mars is currently in sedation as she is on the emailing end of it. Ah well, its not like I dropped a lemon drizzle cake or anything (did you see that thread?)

MarsLady · 21/06/2007 17:04

FG.............. when did you drop an LDC?

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largeginandtonic · 21/06/2007 17:13

Drop a LDC nooooo, worst thing in the world surely!

Im tired, but happy. Beau is being an angel, he sleeps at my most stressful\busy times of the day namely pre school run and tea\bathtime. His grumpy time is after the other 5 have gone to bed hence the tiredness. He can go nuts for a good 3 hours, i have tried eating better in the day to improve my milk and am sure it's working. He seems much happpier. It's hard in the evening though as he is going nuts and im too busy then to eat.

I would love a cleaner, just someone to do the bathrooms and clean the kitchen floor........ I may train the twins

FG that top is splendid, i love it. I have some magic curling irons that work brilliantly even on my mop, would happily post them to you for some loose tumbling curls.

MarsLady · 21/06/2007 17:15

lg&t.... eating better improves you! Now are you babymooning with the boy?

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largeginandtonic · 21/06/2007 17:22

Im not Mars, dh away in the week at the moment and way too much in and out the house for babymooning. Poor Beau is in and out his car seat (dredful things) at least 3 times a day. Im trying to put him down in his moses basket next to me in bed but last night he fell asleep next to me and on his tummy Cot death horror i know but he loves his tummy.

MarsLady · 21/06/2007 17:22

Are you bfing?

OP posts:
largeginandtonic · 21/06/2007 17:23

I am, far too lazy to bottle feed

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