Anyone expecting twins April/May?

[Amelia891]

Hi!

I’ve recently found out that I’m expecting twins early May. Over the moon and super excited but obviously also a little nervous! I have a DD who will be 3 just before the twins arrive. Anyone else here expecting twins around the same time? Would be great to have someone to chat to who is going through the same thing!! x

@TheMagicDeckchair

My twins were in NICU for 16 days - I'd spend 9-5 at the hospital and whilst I was there I'd exclusively breastfeed both of them and then when I was home I'd then pump every 3 hours or so with a longer gap at night (that way I could take in what I'd pumped and the nurses would then tube feed the twins my breast milk when I wasn't there).

When they came home I exclusively breastfed (and home schooled older DD 😬). I'd only pump if I got the timings a bit wrong - I couldn't feed both at the same time as there was a 2lb weight difference between the two and I just found it lopsided (and I was petrified of dropping one!) so I tried to get them in a routine where I'd feed one then the other ( but that did mean that by the time I'd changed, fed, changed and fed that the whole process took over an hour and then you've got less than 2 hours until the next feed 😬!)

Not sure if this is allowed but there is a petition at the moment to change early years funding to start the 1st day of the month after a child turns 2 or 3. This makes the biggest difference to children born in April as there will be no funding until September. It also impacts on twins triplets and more to the tune of several thousand pounds
You may want to sign and share this
petition.parliament.uk/petitions/582470?fbclid=IwAR1cgbMbNu0p2f3d5U2fWFx9EmsWvdGgL0Nd6axAow3v58qcO-R_r50Rnk0

@MidtoLon

This caught me out with my daughter and totally
Messed up my budget for those months 😬

I wish it was offered as standard for all 2 year olds where the parents both work full time rather than just those on low income

@ivfbeenbusy you definitely had your hands full with home schooling too!

@MidtoLon I’ve signed this, it’s such a lottery with the funding, and especially with multiples to consider.

Just thought I would update anyone still following this thread that my twins have arrived! I went into hospital last week to be induced at 37 + 3. Upon examination I was found to be 5cm dilated! I’d had some discomfort and pressure but assumed it was baby movements.

Waters went at examination and I was rushed down to delivery suite where labour started naturally. I had an epidural and started pushing but due to the height and position of twin 1’s head a forceps delivery was recommended. So rushed down to theatre and the boys were delivered within 10 minutes of each other. Twin 1 weighed 7lb 1oz and twin 2 was 6lb 5oz.

We were discharged after an overnight stay and now recovering at home and getting as much colostrum and formula down them as we can to keep their weight loss to a minimum.

I’m very happy that we all made it through safely and very much taken with my little boys!

@TheMagicDeckchair what fantastic news! How are you and your boys getting on now? Such great weights!

I'm 33 weeks tomorrow and am struggling! Along with the gestational diabetes, I've also been diagnosed with cholestasis in pregnancy which is really grim! Complications are terrifying but the symptom is basically insane itching - so it's relentlessly upsetting!

Have you named your boys (sorry if I missed this - now I'm replying I can't see!). How are you feeling now? Home safe and sound? Xxx

@MRJ86 we called them Sebastian and Alexander. We were lucky and able to all come home the following day. Sebastian had to go in a hot cot overnight but he seems fine now. They’re so different- in looks and personalities. I didn’t need a NIPT to tell they’re fraternal not identical!

We’re getting on alright- it’s pretty full on with a preschooler at home 2 days but managing between us. DH has some annual leave stored up so will take some extra days off when DD’s at home too. I’m a little sore after the pregnancy and stitches but recovering well. The night feeds and nappy changes are hard and the part I was dreading - but as expected.

Sorry to hear about the cholestatis- are you being monitored regularly? 33 weeks is great, you’re on the home stretch now but these last few weeks will seem like forever.

Huge congrats @TheMagicDeckchair !! Great weights as well. So pleased to hear your boys arrived safely.

My girls are now 11weeks old, 5 days corrected though so they are still like tiny newborns really, now weighing 5lb and 6lb. Just about settling into a bit of a routine and nights are getting easier. We had 2 x 4 hour stretches last night which I was very pleased with! We’ve found they sleep better at night apart, so we now have them in separate cots at night but they nap fine together in the day. Still breastfeeding and pumping. Anyone else been out much yet? Every time we go anywhere we get stopped by people and asked questions, people just love twins! I actually quite like it, makes me feel like a celeb 😂

@Amelia891 4 hour stretches at night sounds like a dream, you give me hope! If we’re lucky they’ll both sleep for a couple of hours.

You’re doing really well to be pumping and BF. I’m combi feeding, which suits us quite well, as it means DH can share the night feeds. Big twin has taken really well to breastfeeding but his smaller brother is still learning. He gets agitated when he can’t latch, and then when he does he only takes a small amount. I’m going to persist with him though, as I don’t really get time to express.

Are your girls identical? My boys are fraternal and they look completely different! They can just about pass for brothers but I’m sure when I’m out and about I’ll have to explain the non-ID part.

@TheMagicDeckchair yes they are identical, although easy to tell apart at the moment as there is a fairly big size difference. Little twins weight has been a bit of a concern this week, they both have a tongue tie which we are looking to get sorted ASAP.

Thanks! Luckily my let down is pretty quick so only takes me a quick 10 mins to get enough for a full bottle for them at the moment and I have a big freezer stash from when they were in NICU which we are getting through fairly quickly. We will probably have to introduce some high calorie formula soon for little twin just to get her weight up, waiting to see what the dietitian thinks next week.

Pleased to report the 4 hour stretches were not a fluke and happen fairly regularly now but not often at the same time! Eg. Fed them both at 10pm last night, one settled right away but then woke at 2am for the next feed and one didn’t settle until midnight so then I had to wake her at 2am to feed so they weren’t totally out of sync for the rest of the night!! 😅

What does everyone do with the night feeds in terms of your partners? Do you do half a night each? Or alternate feeds? Or do feeds together?

Also my 3 year old has really started playing up at bedtime 🤦🏼‍♀️ She’s always been so good until this week, I think she’s realised that the twins get to stay downstairs with us and feels left out. Anyone had this? Hoping it’s just a phase

@TheMagicDeckchair oh my goodness huuuge congratulations!! Only just caught up with this thread. How brilliant. I bet it's a relief not to be pregnant anymore, even if the newborn stage is hard. (This is what I'm imagining anyway!!!)

Hope you are coping ok. I still can't imagine how I'm going to do it but I just want mine here now.

@Amelia891 I have no advice as my twins are still cooking but I do have a toddler and can only say that the main thing that helps me is to remember that everything is a phase and will pass!!! I'm sure if she's made a fuss of and feels special she'll soon get used to her new normal, and the important job of being Big Sister.

I know that probably doesn't help much but I'm expecting to be in the same boat, and no plans other than to ride it out...

@MumOfThreeToBe2021 thank you. How far on are you now, about 34/35 weeks? Have you a delivery date yet? Yes, I’m glad to not be pregnant anymore, it’s tough in those last few weeks, time just drags. It’s flying by now the boys are here, that intense newborn stage! But they’re both at exactly the same stage with their needs so it’s fairly easy to get into a routine. I can manage the boys alone, it gets harder with my 3yo in the mix though! DH has plenty of annual leave so on the 2 days DD isn’t at preschool he’s off too.

@Amelia891 re bedtimes- no advice really as DD has always been a difficult sleeper and we’ve always gone to bed at the same time as her (as we were constantly tired!). I just watch TV on my phone or whatever. I know once she’s older we’ll get that time back but right now she needs the security of someone to fall asleep next to.

So what we do now is one of us will do bedtime and feeds with the twins and the other does DD’s bedtime (she won’t usually settle alone). We change this throughout the week. Then we’ll swap over at some point in the night- if we’re both off the next day around 2am, if DH is working I’ll take the twins until 3.30-4am and then bunk in with DD until wake up. This seems to work so far, but in time we may swap things around. We’re both tired, but DH gets that extra rest on his working days and I get a little break from the twins.

I can’t wait until we get regular 4 hour stretches! Little twin will often do this overnight as he feeds a lot during the day, but big twin spends most of the day asleep so catches up on feeding at night.

Congratulations @TheMagicDeckchair! Wonderful news

I'm 34 weeks today (c-section likely to be at 37 weeks, in mid-June).

May I ask you (and others!) how you got started with combi-feeding? That's what I want to do - but not sure how to go about it... especially in hospital initially.

First time around (daughter now 3.5) I breastfed exclusively for 13 months because she refused bottles from about 5-6 weeks. We'd got lazy and had a break from bottles, then couldn't get restarted! We tried everything. I REALLY don't want to get stuck in that trap with twins!

Aside from worrying with that, I have to admit that I'm really struggling physically now. My insides feel so congested! I can't imagine another 3 weeks of growth. Doesn't seem possible!

Hey everyone, I can now finally say that we have both boys home!! After being born at 25+6 in January, they came home a week apart, two and three weeks after their due date. We had so many complications along the way, several major surgeries and they’re both on home oxygen (hello getting tied in knots in the middle of the night!) but they’ve beaten so many odds and things are so much better than they could have been. Definitely not what I expected when I joined in this thread but here we are and I wouldn’t change them.

Hope everyone is doing well, I’ve been reading your nighttime routines with interest! x

@Weenie12 I’m so pleased to hear that the boys are both home! That’s lovely news, it’s been such a roller coaster for you all, you must be thrilled to have them home. Are you settling in well?

@CC81 I didn’t establish EBF with the twins, just combi fed from the start. They had a bottle shortly after birth (I was too exhausted, grubby and uncomfortable to persist with latching etc at that point). They were both sleepy on the boob and still little so I hand expressed colostrum and syringe fed in hospital, then pumped a few days down the line, topping up with formula. They can both latch now but don’t feed much, mostly use it to fall asleep. I still express a couple of feeds too but it’s a struggle finding time with two babies. They definitely have a bottle preference but having had a bottle refuser previously, a bottle preference gives you more options! DH can do part of the nights, which allows me to get some sleep or do DD’s bedtime. I feel less overwhelmed and less pressure than I did first time around, although I’m a little sad I couldn’t EBF these boys too.

It’s totally different to your first singleton baby, where you have the time and leisure to sit and establish breastfeeding with one baby. Add in a second baby and an older child and EBF is a real challenge. I have huge admiration for the mums who manage it.

And yep those last few weeks of pregnancy take forever. When will you find out your section date?

@Weenie12 huge congratulations, that must be amazing to finally have them home. Hope they are settling in well.

@CC81 I did 3 weeks of breastfeeding before introducing a bottle but all of this happened whilst in NICU for us. I fed the girls for 3 weeks then had to introduce an EBM bottle so the nurses could feed them overnight and their NG tubes could be removed. I massively recommend a Facebook group called Breastfeeding Twins and Triplets UK, the admins are lactation consultants and the amount of information on there is amazing. There is info there about paced bottle feeding which I think is helpful for combination feeding.

I breastfeed directly probably 60% of the time and expressed bottles the other 40%, which is more than I thought it would do but it’s just easier for us in terms of others helping to feed, time, weight gain etc. and mine swap between breast and bottle happily. I thought my biggest breastfeeding twins challenge would be supply but it’s actually the logistics/time it all takes, with a 3 yr old to care for too!

Update! Thanks @Amelia891 and @TheMagicDeckchair for your replies - and sorry I've been so rubbish at responding.

Our twins are now nearly 5 weeks old! My c-section was brought forward to 36+3. They were healthy and we were home just over 48 hours later.

We've been bottle feeding (formula) but I do a couple of breastfeeds and also pump once daily. So not much, but something.,

Think I'll drop the pumping at 8-12 weeks, then may also drop the breastfeeding (or my supply may disappear anyway).

As you've said, breastfeeding is brilliant (my first was EBF) but I want to spend time with our daughter and do other things too. I feel much less pressurised this way.

Hope everyone is doing well! x

@CC81 congratulations on the birth of your twins! I can’t remember if you mentioned whether you had boys, girls or one of each?

I’m now fully formula feeding. I just ran out of time with prepping bottles and spending time with DD to persist with establishing breastfeeding and expressing, and they were getting so little anyway.

We’ve been going along to a local twins group, there’s a few mums with baby twins around the same age as the boys. I can definitely recommend going along to a twins group if there’s one nearby, it’s really nice to meet other people IRL who get it!

@TheMagicDeckchair Thank you! We have one girl and one boy

Hi all! Thanks for the update @CC81 and congratulations!! Glad you’re doing well too @TheMagicDeckchair. I’m still breastfeeding and pumping, doing one bottle of formula a day which has helped me drop a pumping session. One twin prefers bottle and one twin peters boob. After the longest newborn phase of all time I can feel life getting easier, my twins are now 5 months (12 weeks corrected) and are finally in a daytime nap routine which has meant I have more time for my 3 year old and staying on top of general life/house stuff! They’re sleeping really well at night too but we are approaching the 4 month sleep regression when I’m sure it will all go to pot again (that’s what happened with my older daughter).

How are you all finding twin life? Xx

@CC81 how lovely, one of each. I wanted boy/girl at first but I’m so happy with my little guys now.

@Amelia891 5 months, where has that gone? The boys are doing reasonably well at night, they don’t really cry out but just grizzle. Still no daytime nap routine though, but at 3 months they’re still young. My 3 year old is challenging at the moment though. I have to remember it’s a big change for her and a lot to adjust to.