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

Hello Lovely Twinny ladies from a lurker.
Any of you in London and want to take two Ikea Sniglar cots off my hands? My twinnies (2.5) have gone into beds TONIGHT and suddenly the living room is full of cots! They're basic but excellent, I've found them really good, and I'm happy to give them free but you would need to collect them from me in Kings Cross, soon please. The mattresses also up for grabs, perfectly useable, and I'm sure I'd be able to drag out some other bits and pieces, clothing and stuff. My email is [email protected]
Lots of love to all of you.

NQSBB, i put cot bumpers along the sides of the cots and tuck them to the bottom of the mattress (the base is in the middle position) it stops them gettings arms through the bars and banging their heads on them. i actually have a bumper on one side and a tinylove book on the other like this one cgi.ebay.co.uk/TINY-LOVE-DOUBLE-SIDED-COT-PRAM-BUMPER-BOOK_W0QQitemZ120428438309QQcmdZViewItemQQptZU KToysGamesToysCA?hash=item1c0a182325&trksid=p3286.c0.m14&trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A10%7C39%3A1%7C 240%3A1318%7C301%3A0%7C293%3A1%7C294%3A50

hi all, my two are 22 weeks now and rolling over. we have just had third jabs which was not fun but they are now having a nice nap.

i just found out i have an autoimmune disease, so i am not well at the moment. i am really lucky that all my monsters are being really good as DH is busy building someones extension. the weather has been fab so we have been playing in the garden and wondering around the parks over half term. i do get a good nights sleep but almost every day i feel exhausted and i have a problem with numbness and tinging in my limbs. i just need to wait until the doctors have sorted out my medication so i feel well again.

my older two are on a aspartamine free diet for over a month now with no crisps and very limited sugar over the last couple of weeks. it has made such a huge difference. aspartamine is in loads of things but its amazing what a difference it has made.
i have been making as much as i can for packed lunches like cheese and ham muffins, cheese straws, fruit salads etc. DD1 and DS1 both help me, its great fun (and they make loads of mess) and they eat it all!!.

we made it to a twins group and it was great to meet other multiple mums around here. i have also got a bike trailer for the twins so we can all go out for rides again.

hullo all & welcome to the new twin mums, expecting or delivered
sorry you're not well, mel but I see you're as organised with everything as usual despite it!

my 2 are 8 months now, dd started crawling & sitting last week, ds3 is still 'going commando'. It's really lovely (and not scary at all!) with them moving about. ds just goes straight over whatever he finds in his way, including his sister to her disgust. I had them in fits of giggles today, pretending to drop ds on top of dd. I love giving them last feed at night thinking I am so lucky to have not just one but two gorgeous babies to cuddle when they're asleep (albeit not at the same time anymore!). It is so much better than I thought having twins would be, it was totally overwhelming when I was pg with them.
largeglass, hope you get the birth you want

AQ i do the same thing at night, i agree with you totally. having twins is great.

Hi guys, can I join? I'm 20, I have a 3-month-old son, James, and am expecting twins on 29th December.

I've just accepted a job that will involve a 100-mile commute three days a week and only now am I beginning to question my sanity!

lolianja welcome! That sounds like a challenge, but we mums of twins are very resiliant! I would say only to make sure that you take maternity leave a bit earlier than you think you'll need to, as twin pregnancy becomes more unwieldy much earlier! 29 December is the birthdate of my lovely twin god children.

Still feeding all the time, but at 5.5 weeks starting to see that things will improve - have had a couple of 5 hour sleeps at night (just as many 2 hours, but at least I can see the potential) and most days they get a longer nap of 2.5 - 3 hours in the middle of the day. Yesterday was hell with no naps at the same time or for longer than 1 hour and DH saying helpful things like 'What time do you think I can go to the gym?' - how the hell should I know? But on the positive side at least he is still here with me - the benefit of redundancy! Babies are putting on weight too, which has helped to encourage the feeding - DT1 was 8lb 15oz at her last weighing having put on 15oz in 9 days! DT2 still much more petite but also gaining at a steady rate.

Also bathed them both this morning! (Up to now, granny has bathed when she visits and mummy has managed only a lick and a promise!)

LGoR Best of luck for the birth plan, I really hhope that you get what you want, but remember that when you see those babies it won't matter as much as it does now. I had to abandon my natural birth for elcs at 36 weeks when the babies turned, and it was a great experience.

yay, this is good to find other twins mums - i am a total newbie at this and my twins are due Nov 5th 209 - still shocked every day by how big my belly alredy is at 17 weeks! Do you feel twins moving earlier than just one baby?

Mel so sorry to hear you're not well, it must make things so much harder. So nice to read AQ's lovely comments about how it is being a twin mum - I agree though I do find I'm sooo tired sometimes, but thankfully it doesn't seem to be spoiling my enjoyment too much.

Welcome to lolianja and FioHicks and congratulations! I hope you get as much support from MN as we all have, it's so great to get reassurance about both the pregnancy and the babies afterwards. FioHicks, I think it is possible you might feel movements earlier but not necessarily so, I think it depends on how the babies are lying.

All is good with mine, despite some teething. Gorgeous DD2 has two little gnashers on the bottom and has developed a ridiculous new gummy grin to show them off. DS is just a giant monster, growing so fast and eating so much, I am really hoping his early wakings will stop once the solids start.

Hi all, was just popping in to ask about movements but FioHicks has beaten me to it! I am 15 weeks and keep thinking I am feeling something but not sure however, I was lying on my bed yesterday looking at my tummy which was very pointy (for want of a better description) and could certainly feel a bodylike shape almost pushing the wall of my abdomen out. I'm now worrying that something is not quite right/not normal - really just want to know they are OK. Have a midwife appt next week so will ask then. The last midwife I saw managed to catch one heartbeat on the sonicaid which was quite reassuring, but I'm finding myself all at sea compared to my single pgs.

Welcome to all the other new people to this thread .

LargeGlass, sounds like you've got everything sorted in you mind for the upcoming birth - I hope it goes well .

Thanks NotQuiteSoBigBird! I am in India at the moment, coming to the Uk at about 25 weeks. Just wondering what the deal is in teh UK with weight gain. I am not gaining any weight at all though my belly is definately getting big! Ive been fairly sick so lost a lot of weight in my first three months but still not gaining any now! Any ideas?

Also, since this is my first pregnancy and I dont know much about anything, are doctors in the Uk as obsessed as they are in America about getting 120g protein every day? THat is a lot of protein to eat!!

UK antenatal care now doesn't place much store by weight gain or eating specific amounts of anything. Eat a healthy balanced diet, and if you are sick, eat anything you can keep down!

It seems to be quite normal with twins to gain very little weight in comparison with singleton pregnancy. Of course everyone is different, but there was a thread on here recently about it that you can search for and most people who posted seemed to have gained a modest amount of weight - 1.5 - 2.5 stones. I didn't really gain any weight at all until well into my 2nd trimester and I only gained 2st overall. 2 weeks after the babies were born I was 1st lighter than my prepregnancy weight so I'd clearly lost my 'own' weight during the pregnancy and gained only babies/fluid/placentas etc.

HTH

Am reading this thread with a big smile- and more than my fair share of hormones swelling! I am now 14 weeks, with my twins due on Decemember 2, though i am planning for November. I have an adorable DS who will be 23 months when they come. So three under the age of 2! I am feeling really stressed out, scared and lonely as I am australian and all my family are in Sydney. That's a long way and a huge time zone. I think my husband is also in shock and has withdrawn which is not really helping my stress levels. But i am just trying to focus on my my lovely bubs and aiming to stay healthy and happy. Great antenatal care through the hospital i work at so in very good hands there. So now i feel with you gals i am also in good hands. And, hey, you should have seen my fiesty twins. It really was love at first sight

Hello all, my twin daughters are 6 and a half months old now and are giggly, happy little sunbeams.
It's full on with the little girls and my two year old son but I love it. There is plenty to smile about - 3 healthy children what a joy.
largeglassofred sounds like you have made some good ground to direct your birth how you want it, good for you
bkd I am English, living in New Zealand with all my family back in the UK. It is hard without your family to help. I can't recommend skype highly enough. My son is 2 and a half now and chats to my parents every day on skype with me. I love it, it makes me feel really connected to home.
AQ I can't believe yours are crawling now I remember when we were both pregnant. I love the thought of 2 little babies crawling over each other and starting to have independance and making choices.

hullo, jenny, glad things are working out so well for you over there

FioHicks, I don't know a huge amount about the diet recommendations here, I wasn't told anything really but on here it was suggested that lots of protein a v.good idea & I did eat a lot of it. My understanding was that twins put on the weight in the 2nd trimester and even out in the 3rd so important to eat well in the middle bit of your pregnancy. Also, I felt my two move at about 14 weeks, v.v.early although it was my 3rd pregnancy - it definitely was movement too, so you might not be imagining it.

BKD, I had 3 under 2 (well, 4 under 5 actually) and it is really hard at times (although I have help, which makes a big difference) just because you have 3 babies really and 2yo can be v.demanding! Still, they have naps, and they'll stay in buggies, and they don't have huge expectations of what they're gonna do in the day, a walk up the street is fab! I also find that ds2 (who's now 2.6) is so interested and close to the dt's because of the small age gap - and they adore him. It's lovely to see, really it is, worth all the hard bits at the beginning to see those relationships develop.

Hello londonlottie congratulations!!! I bet you are still in shock at the news...i too was ttc one but ended up with two! Now they are 16 months and gorgeous, cheek monkey girls
Morning sickness varies in everyone, but i too had it bad up to 20 weeks; it will pass but i know how you feel, it feels like it will go on forever. Dont suffer in silence, your GP can normally help if it gets severe. In the meantime try and eat frequently but smaller meals and snacks - keep your blood sugar levels up. Oh and give in to any cravings if you feel they help, mine changed weekly...
Good luck, you will be fine, dont feel alone theres always someone to say 'yes that was the same for me' which helps i find. Try and rest!!!

Thanks for the help accessorizequeen and 1stMrsF. I am 18 weeks now and they are dfinately moving, not all the time but sometimes!
londonlottie, I can fully sympathise with the horrible morning sickness - my whole first three months were like that and I still get days like that quite a lot. Nothing to do but eat what you can and rest as much as you can - i was travelling the whole time without a home which didnt make it very fun but it is a lot better now.

Anyone got any advice on when the last date you should fly internationally pregnant with twins is? Also does anyone know if it is normal for the babies to be measured at slightly different sizes during ultrasound? My babies seem to be about five days apart in size. is that normal and ok?

FioHicks- i would also be interested to know about differences in birth dates as mine also have a 5 day difference. Hoping to get some more news after my 16 weeks scan and obs appointment next week. I have also started to feel them move which is so cool. I woke to have a drink of water in the early morning the other night and felt a definite flip flop from inside. It makes me wonder how huge i am going to get if i can feel them already (although this is my second pg).

Londonlottie- my sister in law found that acupuncture helped. I am still suffering at 15 weeks and am just trying to snack and rest when i can.

Hi all! Good to see you're all doing well. Just passing by whilst my PC is free of teens!

I can't believe that my wee pair are now almost at the end of Reception. Time surely flew!

I agree with AQ... being a twin mum is gorgeous! And NQSBB's DTs are absolutely gorgeous! I tried to steal them the other day but she had booby trapped the front door!

Make sure you eat well, graze through the day rather than trying to eat huge meals and be sure to drink water. Most pregnant women don't drink enough water!

So I've reached my goal of getting to 6 weeks successfully breastfeeding I'm very pleased, but now what do I do? Help me keep going please? What should my next goal be? Cos today found me crying on the sofa whilst feeding DT2 for the 7th time that afternoon (is this the infamous 6 week growth spurt? They have not slept in the daytime except for 10 minute catnaps for 3 days, because they are constantly hungry) and saying to DH 'I only wanted one baby, how will I ever cope with 2?' I'm so lucky that he has been at home with me for the whole time and my mum or my sister have been here for 3 weeks out of 6, but I just can't see how I'm every going to cope on my own...

Self pity over, but seriously I do need something else to focus on. All and any tips are gratefully received.

Ahh 1st well done for doing 6 weeks, they are definatly the hardest!!! I am sure that a lot of us found weeks 5 - 7 really hard. It does get easier!! It does sound like your two are having a growth spurt. I found that i just focused on the babies and forgot all the other stuff. I also repeated the mantra "this too shall pass". I still do it now!! If it helps I have now got to 23 weeks exc bf and feel sad that I will shortly have to start weaning them. Its a new phase in their lives and the teeny tiny stage will be over. Dh says no more children (we have 4) and with these hormones still flowing about it makes me really sad! I am sure this will pass soon. Well done you are doung a fab job!! It will get easier!!!! Look after yourself. We am off to centreparcs tomorrow for a "holiday" with 4 kids. I think I must be mad!

Have a fab holiday phoenix and thank you for words of encouragement. It really helps to hear that other people have survived! Today has been a bit better as I had to be on my own for the afternoon whilst DH went to London for an interview. I managed to cope - got out for a walk which put them to sleep and now sitting in the garden making the most of a few more minutes before they wake up - oh and watching them look beautiful in their sleep of course!

Oh, MrsF, it will get easier, promise! Are you tandem feeding them though? Seemed from your post that you were doing one at a time so god that must be wearing! If you're not tandem feeding, that's probably the thing that will make life easier for you right now (IMHO of course!). Heck of a lot easier to get them to nap together in the future if they're feeding together also!

But listen, you don't have any other children, you don't have to go to work, you don't have to produce a meal for dh (he can do that when he gets home or have takeaways or whatever) - all you have to do is feed the babies. Doesn't matter if you don't go anywhere all day, doesn't matter if you don't have a shower, doesn't matter if the mess piles up in the corner - it will all wait. And that's how you cope and keep feeding Because it will all wait until they're sleeping better for longer periods during the day and at night, they get bigger, their tummies get bigger and they can wait for longer between feeds etc etc etc. But they'll never be this small and needy again and you might never have other babies so just settle on the sofa, put on the tv (you do have dvd's and/or hard disk recorder don't you?) and feed!
Mars gave me some good advice (which I didn't entirely follow, sorry Mars) when I was at this stage with dt's. Aside from tandem feeding, she suggested spotting when they slept for the longest period and just staying in bed the whole time. Really helps with the exhaustion. Lower your expectations of what else you're going to do (other than feed) and I bet you will get to 3 months. And god yes, the first 6 weeks with any baby is a killer IMO so congrats for getting through it!