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just found out i'm getting 2 for one ... twins..advice needed

29 replies

aprilgirl1 · 08/03/2008 21:43

i cant quite believe it, i have one ds18 monthsand when we found out twins were on the way i cant say i wasnt shocked but i am over the moon, but could do with a few words of wisdom for our experenced selves!

  1. do i need 2 cots / moses baskets or do i have them sleep together?

  2. should i get triple buggy for dt and ds? any recomendations?

  3. anything i should or should not be doing that is different from having one baby?

  4. hardly showed with ds, is it likely im going to be massive.. ?

hope you can offer some advice..... thanks

OP posts:
Are your children’s vaccines up to date?
fryalot · 08/03/2008 21:45

oh, congratulations

Don't have twins myself, but you will get loads of great advice here.

aprilgirl1 · 08/03/2008 21:51

thank you its took some sinking in felt lke i was in a dream for about a week xx

OP posts:
dizzydixies · 08/03/2008 21:55

lovely news, hope someone with some practical advice comes along soon

iamdingdong · 08/03/2008 22:05

hi aprilgirl1 and congratulations!

I have twin girls who are 4 now, they were my first (and only!) children so I can't help with the sibling issues but mine shared a cot until they started kicking/hitting each other too much, around 4-5 months I think there is nothing lovelier, in my opinion, than seeing baby twins snuggled up together in the same cot/pram and I feel privileged to have had twins

I wasn't massive - but was first pg so may not be typical, coem join the regular multiple mums here they're all mad but full of wise words

MarsLady · 09/03/2008 02:44
  1. do i need 2 cots / moses baskets or do i have them sleep together?

You can sleep them together. They spend all that time together in the womb, no reason why they can't outside it. Mine love sleeping together.

  1. should i get triple buggy for dt and ds? any recomendations?

Hmm... not sure on that one.

  1. anything i should or should not be doing that is different from having one baby?

No not really. Just know that it is more exhausting but the rewards that you reap are immense. Best advice I can give you is to join us on the d'y ever threads.

  1. hardly showed with ds, is it likely im going to be massive.. ?

Nope. I know lots of twin mums who stayed small throughout. I was huge with my singletons and no bigger with my twin pregnancy.

MarsLady · 09/03/2008 02:44

Oh yes... CONGRATULATIONS

Egg · 09/03/2008 08:20

ooooh I saw this thread in the night and thought I must come and give lots of fabulous advice (well, try anyway...).

Oh bugger, someone is crying, will be back later.......................

HarrogateMum · 09/03/2008 08:28

Aprilgirl - I had mine the other way round, DTs were 2 when DD came along. For about 3 months I had the boys in the double buggy and DD in a sling, I looked like a packhorse but it worked!

Then we got a buggy board on the back of the buggy but that didnt work as both the DTs used to want to go on it and not sit in the buggy with their sister! I stopped using the double buggy once they were of an age where I knew they would not just run off (I think it was around 2.5 years old).

I personally had two moses baskets and two cots, but everyone is different on this one.

I was not massive until right at the end - infact at about 20 weeks someone asked me if I was sure I was having twins. But then I am 5 foot 11 so there was lots of space I guess!

And agree with Mars - come over to the d'y ever threads. Thats where we moan, laugh and generally get on with life!

Meeely2 · 09/03/2008 08:43

there's a buggy called the mountain buggy or something which looks similar to the instep nipper and theres a toddler seat on the handlebars so toddler faces you. Looked dead cool. I would have loved my nipper when dt's were babies, in the lie flat position looks so comfy, but I have a Jane Powertwin so that I could have two clip in car seats. There are loads more options out there these days, just check out www.kiddicare.com or www.twoleftfeet.com

CONGRATULATIONS! I lurk on the d'y ever threads, but can concur they all mad, as am I and will have heaps of advice.

Meeely2 · 09/03/2008 08:47

try this scroll down, brill one with double carry cot, and a normal buggy seat! would be fab if shop doorways and aisles accomdated such contraptions too!

Egg · 09/03/2008 08:51

Right, back again.

I was in more or less same situation as you, except DS1 was 15 months when I found out I was expecting twins, not sure how many weeks you are now though, I was 8 when I found out.

Anyway, to answer your questions...

  1. do i need 2 cots / moses baskets or do i have them sleep together? I got two cots (well, one new and used DS1's old one) but so far they sleep in same one. They don't wake each other up yet (they are 8 weeks old now), but will move them when they start to. Have never bothered with moses baskets.

  2. should i get triple buggy for dt and ds? any recomendations? Would not go for triple as they would be soooo huge, there is very little choice anyway. I would get a double and a sling and a buggy board. So far if I have to go out with all three DCs on my own I carry one DT in a sling and put DS1 and the other DT in the buggy (we have a Powertwin). Have just got a buggy board for DS1 to try but he has not used it yet. He only turned 2 on 20 Feb so def has to go in buggy if we are going any distance. He used to walk a lot more but since DTs were born does not want to .

  3. anything i should or should not be doing that is different from having one baby? I got a LOT more tired with DTs pregnancy than with DS1, but could also have been because I had a boisterous toddler to deal with. I struggled to do anything for the last couple of months. Felt so much better as soon as they were out. Despite sleepless nights I feel less tired now than I did then.

  4. hardly showed with ds, is it likely im going to be massive.. ? Also did not have huge bump with DS1, it was not much bigger with DTs, stuck out front a bit more. Pic of me at 34 weeks on my profile. I gave birth at 36+5.

Sorry am rushing this now as DS2 is crying again and DH is out with DS1. Will pop back later. Congrats tho, DTs are GREAT. I am finding it a LOT easier than I thought I would. When are you due?

Egg · 09/03/2008 08:53

If you search for Adventure Buggy Company online (can do a link later) they do a buggy that looks like the mountain buggy and has the toddler seat stuck on top too. TBH though I think it is easier to just carry a baby in a sling unless you are planning to walk MILES AND MILES.

Meeely2 · 09/03/2008 08:57

egg thats it! thanks!

Meeely2 · 09/03/2008 08:59

here

aprilgirl1 · 09/03/2008 10:03

hi again thanks for fantastic responce...

egg.... i could be you.. my little boy will be 2 the month the twins come along, due on 30 august so am 15 weeks yesterday... and your the first person whom says its eaier than u imagined so thankyou....
had a look at those buggies like he ones with toddler seat, my ds would not walk so need somesthing or id be wrestling with a runnaway toddler and twins....

also is dressing them the same sooooo bad, i'm loving the thought of 2 little ones dressed the same??????????????????????

thanks again, any more twinny thoughts id love to hear them xxx

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Egg · 09/03/2008 13:13

Well I kept telling myself it would be hell, how on earth would I cope with three under two etc etc (they were born approx 6 weeks before DS1 turned 2), but were due three weeks before his bday. I had quite a hard time for the first few months with DS1, he never slept, he breastfed round the clock, I had bleeding cracked nipples etc etc, these two are a BREEZE in comparison.

However, I do have a doula. She was coming in 4 or 5 days a week for about 4 hours a day. She is now doing 3 days a week and I will have her for another 5 or 6 weeks. She has saved me as otherwise I would never get to leave the house with just me and DS1.

I did try to breastfeed and did really want to with these two but it wasn't happening and I gave up after only three days. It was not worth the heartache and to be honest I am sure that for me it has helped keep me sane as it means my doula does one feed for each baby per day and so does DH. However if you are a natural at bf then I imagine it is easier if you can, no bottles, formula, sterilising etc. If you do end up doing bottles, I thoroughly recommend TWO sterilisers and TWO kettles.

If my doorway was wide enough I would have got the Adventure Buggy, but we have a very narrow door so I went for the tandem. I do love it though and am glad I did.

I am quite glad I had one of each as it means I can dress them the same without them actually quite matching, ie a blue version and pink version of same outfit. At the mo they are just in sleepsuits and to be honest poor DD is often dressed in blue as I have more boys' stuff than girls. Will you find out what sex yours are?

Whereabouts do you live?

Almost jealous of twin pregnancy. Not quite though!!!

If you haven't already, definitely come over to the regular multiples thread, I will do a link in a mo. There are a couple of others pg with twins (pazzaplustwo and neenzandhertwinbeans), might be more I can't remember. There is a LOT of advice over there, the girls are great and also very funny, they keep you smiling!

Egg · 09/03/2008 13:16

OK here is the regular multiples thread. Dingdong did already do a link and you have probably already been over and I am being very slow but thought i would put it in again to be sure.

Lots of twin and triplet mums on there to chat with. It's a very very fast moving thread at the mo but if it has already reached it's limit look under multiple births on the topic list and the current thread is usually at the top of the list and always starts with "d'y ever..." with some witty title or other. Just pop over and introduce yourself. They will flock round you, they love new twins!

Rubyrubyruby · 09/03/2008 13:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

shaztwins1 · 10/03/2008 14:37

congratulations
ds1 was almost 3 when my twins were born so i wasnt in the same position re prams but triple pushchairs can bit a bit on the large side lol so have a good look around if thats wot you decide to go for but tbh ds1 didnt use his pram after he was 12mth old and could walk anyway lol
i was quite big throughout my twin pregnancy but then i was quite big with ds1 too i was a size 10 so i think i just stuck out more i was only asked if i was having twins when i reached about 30weeks as i was the size of a small house by then
dt's shared a cot til they were about 8 mth old then i split them up i managed to breastfeed them til they were 3mths but u do whatever is best for u

good luck and get plenty of rest having twins is a wonderful blessing x

Clare21 · 17/03/2008 20:22

Hello

Congratulations!
I've got 4 year old b & g twins, no others so can't comment on other bits, and I think being a twin mum is FAB. When it's going well which is most of the time it's just brilliant.

We bought cot beds,and they shared til 8 weeks, then moved into own cot beds. We had the cots jammed up together, so they could see each other through the bars. Now 4 1/4 and are still in same cot beds, though pushed apart as he kept waking her up jabbing through the bars. Didn't bother with moses baskets at all. They didn't and don't wake each other up, they've always slept together and funnily enough if one wakes up in the night and comes into our bed when the other one wakes up they're v upset to be on their own. The chat chat in the mornings is sometimes v funny.

I was massive. We had a bit of a joke in the office about the size of my tummy, I went from a size 14 up to a 54inch waist at 39 weeks. And is the waist still with me.... yes most of it is.

I did a mix of breast (is it tandem feeding when you feed both at once? another twin mum lent us a firm sofa that I piled cushions up on) and bottle.

good luck

BibiThree · 17/03/2008 20:36

Woo Hoo! Congratulations!!!

In answer to your questions,

  1. Personally ours shared a moses basket until they outgrew it, and after than had one each, but I got a fab plain white one off ebay for 99p! They went into their own cots after that and have slept wonderfully ever since!
  1. No experience of triple buggies, but maybe a double with a buggy board?
  1. You will be more tired, so take it a bit easier, it's hard to find any literature on twin pregnancies (or so I found)so MN was a life-saver for me! You may also get other probs like protein in urine kidneys working harder), so always take a sample to clinic, or low iron levels, so make sure you get your bloods done.
  1. As soon as I got to my full-term size (as I was with dd), th babies came out (35 weeks). Had I got nay bigger I would have toppled over!

Apart from that, enjoy it!
Another tip re your ds, make things his, our nappy/wipes box is the "big sister box" and dd is in charge of it, getting things out, telling us when it needs re-filling etc. Ask friends/family to make a fuss of this and ds. Our dd was aware the babies were getting lots of new things, so we made sure she was involved in picking things, choosing outfits etc the most important lesson we learned: when dd got overwhelmed by all the talk of babies/being a big sister, we backed off and didn't discuss it again until she brought it up.

See you on the multiples threads!

Neenzandhertwinbeans · 18/03/2008 14:54

Come and join us on this twins antenatal thread too.. there are quite a few of us preggers with twins at the mo!

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/2290/453417?stamp=080317132749

PazzaPlusTwo · 18/03/2008 22:52

Hi Aprilgirl!

Come join the fun on the multiples 'D'y ever' thread and on the one Neenz linked to for expectant multiple mums.

I'm 31 weeks expecting 2 girls, first DCs

aprilgirl1 · 08/04/2008 21:28

just found out we are having identical twin boys............. cant believe it im so excited right now xx

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Leoloopydoo · 10/04/2008 20:45

Congratulation Aprilgirl! I've got ID boys !