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

AQ thanks, that's all a good reminder of what the priory is. I am of course trying to do other things as well as feed and when there's that much feeding to do, there's not a lot else you can do is there?

I am starting to tandem feed some more; I'd tried it earlier and found it a bit overwhelming as they needed so much help to latch on. Now that they are bigger, they are finding it easier to manage and so am I. They are not always awake at the same time for feeding, and I guess it's just my comfort zone to just feed the one that's awake rather than wake the other one. I'll focus on doing it as often as I can though and that'll help.

I got out for a walk again today and again they are sleeping. Shorter walk, plus nap for me tommorrow perhaps?

MrsF, you sound like you are doing really well. When I was bf my dd I used to give myself little milestones and it really helped. I failed dreadfully with ds1 and managed 12 months with dd .

Well, I'm 17 weeks here. Midwife managed to get both heartbeats on friday at my appt but I still haven't felt any real movement and am a little worried tbh. With ds2 I felt him at about 15 weeks which is really early but I kind of thought that I'd feel two babies earlier than that and have been really looking forward to it. On the plus side my bump is growing nicely though.

Aww 1st, I really feel for you. My gorgeous DTs are now 6 months and looking back week 5 was definitely my worst so far. I was a zombie and really worried about the feeding, feeling like I just couldn't keep up. I did two things at that point - introduced an evening routine of feed/bath/bed around 6.30pm, which worked very quickly and gave us a few hours of peace in the evening to feel human again. The second thing was for that 6.30pm feed to be a bottle of formula - but obviously you need to think carefully about doing that as lots of people think that it's the 'slippery slope' and messes up supply etc etc. For us, it was a life saver - we knew when we put the babies down at that time they had had enough food, so we felt OK if they moaned a bit, and just let them settle themselves. I am not sure if the introduction of formula so early might have contributed, but I never managed to bf mine exclusively after that time, but then my boy is massive and the girl is no waif. But I have only just stopped bf'ing and I'm really proud I made it that far - so I'm sure you can too [cheerleader emoticon]. Anyway, you have good support, so perhaps you could just hang on for another 10 days before you make any changes and see if it's a growth spurt that subsides. And failing that, you have the right idea about going out for a walk - that's what I always do when things get tough .

Bagpuss, not feeling movement may be related to where your placenta is - do you know? If it's at the front, it gets in the way, I think?

Hello everyone else, hope you're all well?

And Hoochie is VERY GOOD at what she does! She'll be a fully fledged Lactation Consultant before you know it.

Hoochie I am so relieved that you said that. I am starting to feel like a freak already - everyone keeps asking me if I'm feeding them together, but I find it so difficult and stressful and I like feeding them separately. I think I'm going to stop stressing about it and if I'm going to do anything to align their routines, just concentrate on feeding sequentially more often.

On the advice of NQSBB earlier in the thread, I've also introduced a bath/bed routine at between 6-7pm and although they are still up again feeding, last night DT1 settled much earlier than usual at 8.30 leaving me with just DT2 to feed until 10.30. At that point, she went down for the night and I bravely woke DT1 to feed her. It worked a treat: DT2 slept until 3.15 and DT1 until 4.30. So I had a 3.5 hour chunk of sleep which was a huge improvement on the 45 minute cat naps I've been getting for the last few nights. Next time I will wake the second baby for the night feed as well, but I wanted to see how long she'd go out of curiosity! And we'll stick with the bedtime routine and see if we can get our evenings free again as I think that will make a big difference to how we both feel.

It must have been a phase because they are now sleeping in the day time again. Not much in the morning, when they seem to feed very frequently, but they are asleep now and they've had a long afternoon sleep every day this week.

Thank you to everyone for your supportive comments. I really want to bf them and every bit of encouragement really helps.

Hello all, I don't post often, but just wanted to say to Bagpuss - I'm just over 21 weeks pg with twins and was also worried at about 17 weeks as I hadn't felt any movement.

Went to 20 week scan and all was absolutely fine, then about 2 days later I started feeling little kicks from both sides which was fab.

I started feeling DS1 at about 19 weeks and also expected to feel movement a lot earlier with this pregnancy, so maybe it actually takes longer with twins? Don't worry, all will be fine.

Panic

How's it all going ladies? Expecting, newborns and a bit older?? Mine are 9 months now, crawling, cruising and loving it!

Hi AQ, My 2 are 6 months old now and are so cute. Just starting to sit which is lovely. My only problem is sleep. They are still not sleeping through and on a good night I am up once with them. I really need more sleep! Weaning is going well, we are doing BLW which is my first time and really interesting to watch! Still waiting for first teeth. Can't believe how quick it is going! I found out on 07/07/08 that I was having twins and now they are 6 months old!

Hi Pheonix! 6 months already, wow! I"m doing blw too, how are you finding it? I didn't do it with the older dc's and I'm liking it except for the huge mess (surely they ought to have got the hang of things a bit by now??). They really enjoy eating, no problems at all which is great. I'm finding the sleep issue a problem too, I asked for some help from the sleep clinic but she had trouble getting her head around 2 babies I think. I'm persevering to separate feeding from sleeping, which was her best advice. I'd been feeding them to sleep too much. then the teething started a couple of weeks ago (2 each now) arggggh. They are utterly adorable though, they were both stood at the window looking out at my mum in the garden today delirious with excitement!

hey AQ
did you start doing the counsel;ling? i did about 5 weeks and it was the best thing ever.
Am not doingit anymore as i feel like i have ssorted out the issues i had (mainly with my mafia style in-laws esp my MIL).
I love how your twins are a little ahead of mine in age and are doing all the beautiful things babies do like crawling.
I absolutely love being a mum of twins and my son. As I type this my hsband and I are drinking a bottle of bubbles and getting ready to go out for dinner. Deep excitement.
A night out is always fun.
Even more exciting I'm flying back to the UK with my 3 chiddlers for 2 months at the end of August and my husband's joing us for the last few weeks. I'll get tons of help from my parents which will be awesome and my children can spend some time in Eng learning more about that side of their life.

hi jenny
never managed the counselling, couldn't find a time when didn't have children with me! And now feel a lot better so think I'll be alright. But glad it worked for you. I finally just got used to having twins, about the 7 months point I think (when they crawled I guess). ds3 (dt1) is now saying mumumum which is so lovely, dd just about to do it too as they crawl over to me for a cuddle. Bless. If they'd just sodding sleep through, I'd be a very very happy woman.
Hope you enjoyed your night out

oooh i hear you. last night all 3 children slept all night and today I felt like a new woman. You forget just how key sleep is to everything in your life - mental health, physical health, ability to do your daily jobs and so on.
Night out was brill, we had dinner then ended up going out to a club with friends. We got home at about 4am so not exactly masses of sleep and Sunday was quite a quiet one but was so worth it. We laughed so much.
AQ do you get much help with your littlies?

Hi ladies

Just checking in. DTs are 11 weeks today and things are, as you promised, starting to get easier. Thanks for pulling me through so far!

DT2 slept from 8.30pm to 4.30am last night! I was so excited. Sadly, DT1 was up at 12 and 3 and 5, so not really a long sleep for me yet, but it's promising. I hadn't really thought through the fact that they will probably progress with this, as with other things, at different rates, so even if one sleeps, the other might not. Neither, of course, do other singleton mums with their 'well meaning' advice about dream feeds and the like. It's just all more complicated with two isn't it?

My MIL is also driving me crazy as she has found her Dr Spock book. She keeps asking me 'innocent' questions like 'why don't you give them water?', 'when do you use a bottle' (almost never), 'are they in any kind of routine yet?' but with DH is less subtle, having said to him that we'd be 'much better off' if we gave them water and fed them on a 4 hour schedule I told him that if she wants to hear them scream for 2 hours when hungry, I'll take them round there and let her listen. Apparently, when he was fed on a 4 hour schedule, he didn't scream. Selective memory methinks. I will have to pull out the twins card shortly 'Of course MIL, you didn't have twins, so it just wasn't the same for you was it?'

However, I am managing to get to clinic about every 2 - 3 weeks and seeing that they are growing really well, and this week I went to visit my NCT antenatal group (first car journey all alone) and for a picnic with a friend (car journey plus folding and unfolding buggy etc.) so I am feeling very proud.

I hope that everyone is well and happy. Much love to you all

I have id girl twins, born on Jan 9, 09. Their older brother was born on Jan 3, 2007. We've got our hands full, but we're having a blast! Any ideas on going swimming?

Hello everyone, just checking in. I'm 23 weeks now and all is well. Thanks panic for your post - I did feel slight movement in the run up to my scan and was amazed that they were moving around so much during the scan but I couldn't feel a thing! They are both definitely moving a lot now though so feeling more relaxed. We found out at the scan that we are having a boy and a girl which I had been suspecting for a while - dd is really pleased that she is getting a team mate!

We are just starting to get bits and pieces ready and my head is nearly exploding with all the choice - trying to stick to a budget too which makes it a bit harder.

Hi Everyone,
Please may I join? I had my dating scan today and discovered not only am I 11 weeks today but that I am having non identical twins I already have four dc who are 20 months, 3yrs, 7yrs and nine so I have a feeling life has just got very interesting!!

hi all
can i join too im 13weeks with surrogate twins! iv felt them moving for a week or so now but not felt them much over past few days but im not worried coz reflux has replaced it!!!!!!!

any one else got it?? lol

im due 18th feb 2010 and having a gender scan on the 5th xx

welcome all,
gosh insanity i thought my life was madness and i only have a 4 (almost 5) year old, a 3 year old and 7 month old twins.
oh chatterbox, surrogate twins!! how lovely!! i wanted to talk to someone about being a surrogate now i have had my family, i offered to do it before but i was told they do not accept young ladies who have yet to start a family. but i have now discovered i have an autoimmune disease affecting my thyriod and possibly my nervous system so it will get worse with any more pregnancies. you are doing the most wonderful thing for someone.

waves furiously at Mel2005

Hello! are you ok???

Oh, what happened to my italics??
trying again

bollocks...will wait to be enlightened...

hi PBH, how are you? how are your lovely twins? its been quiet on here, i think we might have all been really busy with babies and school holidays.
i am starting to find it very time consuming with everyone at home all the time now alice and oscar are weaned and on three proper meals a day and four bottles of milk each. i spend alot of time making bottles or baby food and then clearing up the constant mess from edward and harriet. i am on a huge mission to clear the spare room so i have been e-baying loads of baby bits and clothes. anyway i had better get the bottles done before bed.