Anyone else pregnant with twins - or more? Or anyone who has twins - or more - who wants to hold our hands...

[GettingBiggerBird]

Hoping to drag my fellow pregnant mums and those whose bodies have been recently or not-so-recently liberated over from our ante-natal thread. We're not as experienced as those on the d'y ever ones but a lot slower . And any new ladies please join us, here's the list so far:

PazzaPlusTwo: twin girls born April 28th 2008 - Anais and Carmen
Neenztwinz: twins born May 6 2008, Esther and Theo
Accessorizequeen: twins born Sept 27, Felix and Bridget - East Yorkshire
Merrymarigold: non id twins (girl and boy) born 22 Oct, Jude and Mirissa - Forest Gate, East London
jennyroper: id girl twins due dec 15th - New Zealand (but am proudly British)
Anjlix: id twin girls due 24 dec (37 weeks) - London, booked at St Thomas.
GBB: b/g twins due Dec 25 - Hackney, London
PBH: twin girls due 9 Jan 2009
MEL2005: twins due(40w)10th jan 2009, Norfolk
Pheonixnights:Non ID twins due 17th Jan
Ewemoo: id twins due end Jan 08
Tallulahbelle: twins due Jan 08
Nellstar: id twins due 18 Feb 2009 (well, that's 40 weeks)
Balamorybaby: twins due 11th March - East Sussex
Barbarella: triplets due 9th April 2009
Swerve: twins due 28 May 2009

GBB oh my goodness, that feeling of being able to do things again was so fabulous. I was bouncing off the wall despite having had a c-section. everyone said how well i was walking the day after, and i was thinking: this is nothing compared to carrying those twins. Hope the feeding keeps going well...and the pub drinking .

Mel, keep hanging in there...not long to go now. It's all gonna be so worth it, even though now is very horrid and difficult. I really hated the last 2 weeks, my body seemed to just be giving in and I was getting quite ill.

Nicki. What sea do you live by?! Triplets. Wow! Congrats and well done. What are their names/ sexes?

Tummy muscles. Mine are still over a hand's width apart after 11 weeks. I can see my intestines moving, and feel them, it is quite gross but fascinating too!! Anyone else have/ had this and are there exercises to bring muscles back in line?

Hi Ladies

Mel - I feel exactly the same as you. I am 1 week behind you and have completely had enough. I keep hitting the wall especially in the evening and end up weeping over hubbie telling him I can't do this anymore. I normally feel better after though! My back feel like it will explode sometimes -thank god for my wheatgerm bag. It is always by my side. My babies are a good size and were 4lb each a month ago/ . I have my 36 week scan on Monday and I am now on countdown till I meet my babies and finally find out what sex they are.

Glad everyone else is ok. I am loving the fact that actually having the twins is better that carrying them!! I can't even imagine how anyone could carry triplets - I would be on my knees!

I can' wait to wear my high heel boots again! Not long now!

don't get too excited about high heels, phoenix. you need good tummy muscles to hold yourself right (or will be more strain on back), and they will be in a sad shape for a wee while (though probably not as sad as mine, as mine were bad anyway)!

Mel You poor thing, sounds like everything is a bit of a struggle right now, try and hold on to the fact that it will all be quickly forgotten once you have your adorable babies in your arms. You're suffering more than I did, but I still had a damn good moan and weep about it.
I think it was my local midwife in Diss (45Mins south of Norwich in case your not familiar with this bit of norfolk) that told me I wouldn't get shipped about to different hospital - although I think this was dependent on things all going normally. Also she was probably trying to persuade me to have babies at N&N, as at the outset I was hoping to have a homebirth - (that was until I read about the greater risks of having twins).
NOEL and HOLLY! Nice one
I had a separate room on blakeney ward - but had babies both in same cot - cots plenty big enough for two, but room barely big enough to swing a cat.
Anyway hope you're managing to rest a bit before the big day springs itself upon you. Eat lots of festive treats and relax as much as possible, having the babies here wonderful but exhausting.

Phoenix "I can't do this anymore", has been my most frequently used line, at the end of pregnancy, during the birth, and now in the early evenings when girlies get grizzly and I'm trying to get them to sleep. But mostly now there here it really is a joy. Hope all's going well and look forward to news from your next scan.

Tummy Muscles What a joy eh MerryMari. My 2yr old son saw my tummy yesterday and recoiled in horror. Actually it's not too bad now. When I got up off the bed after having babies the weight of it sagging and hanging there pulled on my chest and made it hard to breath to the point I thought I might pass out. I had been planning to go home with girlies straight away but had to stay a night in hospital just because of my stomach. My muscles were 6fingers apart after birth, but at last physio appt they were only 2.5fingers apart. At hosp were I was they refer you to physio if gap anything over 4 fingers, and they have given me exercises to do at least twice a day, but have to confess I probably remember to do them once every 3 days!
When I got home I had a couple of days where my legs and hips almost gave up completely, I had to pull myself about using the furniture to support me, I couldn't even turn over in bed I had to get my husband to lift my legs up and turn my hips for me, it settled down fairly quickly though.
There are 2 exercises I've been told to do, 1st - very small crunches/sit ups, but definitely not a full sit up, just pulling stomach in and lifting head up and forwards in direction of knees - nothing strenuous though.
2nd - laying on your back, suck your tummy in pulling it down towards floor and curl your pelvis up.
Physio said to remember to keep pulling tummy in as if you were trying to zip up a tight pair of trousers. Hope that's of some help. Now my muscles are almost back together I'm getting concerned about whether the saggy crinkled skin will ever return to normal? Anyone further down the line than me able to give me any hope here? Or am I destined to always have to cover up at the beach now?

hi fran, i had booked a homebirth as well until we discovered it was twins. i had a lovely homebirth with my second baby.
i am now 37 WEEKS!!!!!!!!! GOSH!!!!
i really didnt even think i would reach 25 at one point, i just hope the birth goes well. i am now betting that i will go into labour on wednesdy night and it will ruin the kids christmas. actually, i could always move christmas to another day they are only 4 and almost 3years, they wouldnt notice.

fran do you go to the wymondham twins group then? think it runs once a month. i am going to try to go to both groups if i can fit them around pre-school.

i have seen photos of 'twin skin' and i had already given up any ideas of wearing a bikini again. i thought it would be worth it and i am probably too old for a bikini anyway. OH keeps laughing at the huge M&S pants i bought but i think i can hide a good bit of the loose skin behind them.

GBB I am still due to congratulate you. Awesome woman and awesome babies !

Phoenix I wept roughly 4 hrs each day during the last two weeks and mine were early. I think the weeping would have doubled if I had gone any longer. Remember the hormones. Oh and I am still weeping a little every day. The peak was the day of the surgery. But it does get better. Take it easy till the 6 week check at the least. Hide those high heels if you can.

mel you will be due soon. Hope not to hear from you any more so we know you have delivered.

My babies are now 18 days old. Feeding well and putting on weight. We are hoping by next Tuesday they surpass their birth weight. That would be 3 weeks. Smaller babies are a bit of a worry but we are getting the hang of it slowly.

This will be their first christmas. Hoping the preemie clothes fit better by then so we can take some good pictures!

NQSBB - Wow - well done you! What a great story, and lovely names too. Will you put some photos up?

Hiya Nicki, nice to meet you!

I can see a theme building here!! I was also booked in for a home birth before I found out it was twins! How strange is that! I will take all advice on board and leave my high heel boots at the back of the cupboard. At least I will be able to bend over easier to put nice flat boots on!

Thanks for you all making me feel better and not such a wuss!! Mel I have the same feelings about Xmas as well. My boys are 4 and 7 so they know when Christmas is and my eldest has already said to me about the babies coming at Christmas. I really want my Christmas dinner as my mum is cooking! I also realised the other day that my babies could be born in 2008 and 2009! Now that is strange! Still no twinges for me but I was rushing to the toilet last night about 2 o clock and I did wonder if anything was starting but nothing. Only 6 days and I will 37 weeks!!

Mel have contemplated going to wymondham twins group, but haven't got that far, trying to work out how to fit things around nap times of twins and toddler. We've left the house a few times, but not a lot - it's beginning to drive me crazy staring at the same four walls.

I'm a bit sad that I'll now never get to experience a home birth, I have my allotted three children and hubby says quite firmly that we won't be having any more.(apart from if I had an accidently forgot my contraception pregnancy ) Mel, Pheonix have you already had home births before?

The theme continues - I too was booked for a homebirth before finding out it was twins. Had DS1 at home, and feel sad and worried that these will be a caesar (shared placenta, hospital won't let me do natural birth) and concerned re pain killers getting into their little systems re breast milk etc. Good luck for those Christmas deliveries, hope they come late or early....

yes fran i had a lovely homebirth with my second baby, it was only 3 hrs in total and the midwives only just made it. i didnt get any pain relief as the gas and air froze in the boot of the car and they were trying to defrost it. i must say it didnt really hurt that much and it was lovely having a shower at home and getting into my own bed. i would have paid to ensure i had a homebirth again had it only been a single baby this time.

my first was a hospital birth which was very long and painful. it was not a nice experience at all and i am dreading a repeat this time. i am going to try to be alot more in control this time.

Fran - I didn't have my other boys at home so I won't experience a HB now. I think 4 children will be enough for me!! DH say never say never as I am 30 and he 32 but I am sure he will feel different when the twins arrive!!!

I had my 36 week scan today and was expecting it to be my last one. However it turns out there is a larger amount of amniotic fluid round twin 1 so I have to go back next Monday, The Registrar wasn't too concerned, he just said that that if it continues to increase they would induce me sooner. I will be 37 + 2 then anyway. I did ask the reason for it and he was a bit vague. There is a change of diabetes but no other signs of it. There other possibilities are really rare so a bit unsure really!! Twin 2 is now breech but I feel ok about it turning inbetween deliveries or a breech delivery.

Mel I was lucky and had a nice delivery for the induction of my first but I know that I will have to speak out to ensure I am not strapped to the bed for the whole labour. With both my previous babies I was upright and walking about until I delivered them and want to do the same again. I am actually going to write a birth plan this time which I didn't do previously. I am hoping to manage without an epidural as haven't had one before and am not sure how my body will react to it. However I do wonder if I should have one incase there are any complications for twin 2. Its so hard to know!!!

Hello everyone, just popping in quickly as I can hear DD2 stirring for yet another feed. My goodness it's constant - Mel I completely understand your decision not to BF with an extra younger child to think about, I just don't see how I'd be coping. I am loving the DTs but DD1 is really struggling with sharing me, I'm hoping the fact she's 4 now means she will get over it a bit quicker than if a toddler?

Still happy to report than even with constant feeding and lack of sleep, they are easier out than in, so take heart all those of you in the final very difficult and seemingly endless home straight! Not sure I'll get on much for the next few days so massive happy Christmas to all of you.

merry christmas all.
i am still here waiting and reading the jackie clune triplet book which is fab.
i love christmas and i would love to have a few glasses of mulled wine and a bailies coffee but that will have to wait.

Anyone thinking of a twin home birth?
would love one but think i'll gave a fight on my hands.
Have my first consultant appointment next week.

merry christmas all. Hoping for some good news from those of you near your due dates!

nothing here yet but i am being induced on monday morning.

largeglassofred, i would love to have them at home but it is far too risky even though we are really near the hospital.

Merry Xmas to all of you.

Good luck on Mon Mel.

Will be thinking of you tomorrow Mel, hope all goes well and look forward to hearing your news

Good luck Mel - Hope all goes well for you!

I think things are starting for me. Have had a show this afternoon and am getting randowm contractions. I would so much prefer to go in on my own than be induced so keeping my fingers crossed!!!

Exciting stuff Phoenix. Fingers crossed this is it & you avoid the dreaded induction.

pheonix, that happened to me weeks ago and i am still waiting.

had full on contractions for several hours last night but again it has all stopped. 38+2 now and am rather big, desperate for them to be out now. will let you know when i get back from the hospital how it all went.

by the way the jackie clune triplets book is a great read.

She's having twins! Go drag her over here. You know you want to!

Oooh, pheonix and mel about to pop!Go, girls .

Mad christmas, in fact I'd rather wipe out the whole of december but now the dt's are 3 months, sleeping through (yayayayayay!) - ds3 decided that christmas eve was the night to go for 10 solid hours. Bless him.They're absolutely gorgeous at the moment, aside from the feeding with ds3, enjoying every minute, loads of smiles and giggles. Completely forgotten what it was like to be pg with them tbh (not that I'm ever ever doing it again).

good luck mel and pheonix,
saw the consultant today who laughed at my home birth request
so looks like i'll have to get my head round hospital birth.