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

Oh I can add one more thing. Most people at worl assume we had IVF and that's why the twins. Our ids were sheer chance, not even genetic. Not that I could care either ways. But DH thinks he won the lottery and can't even brag about it.

No nesting instinct to report here. DH will assemble the cotbed this weekend, that might trigger something or not. I spend a lot of time reading and knitting in bed. I guess I am nesting myself.

Pheonix - poor you not sleeping is a killer, over the last few months I've gone to bed with MP3 player with relaxing music and hypnosis stuff on it, and lots of pillows to prop me up, at times that's the only thing that's helped me sleep.

However once I got passed 36wks I have bizzarly started sleeping well, despite the back pain and getting up to go to loo twice a night. It might be because my bump has dropped considerably, or maybe I got to the stage in my pregnancy where if they were born I wouldn't be too worried about them as they'd probably be a good size, so was generally less anxious. Hope good sleep comes soon.

GBB So does your husband follow your orders? Mines not well trained enough, I ask, moan, drop hints, get mad and eventually a small fraction of what I want done gets done - it's infuriating. He heads off to work telling me to take it easy, but leaves heaps of stuff not done so I just get on and do as much as I can. I'm being a bitch now, he did very kindly make a lot of meals to put in freezer to see us through those early weeks.

Not sure which symptoms you have to have apart from swelling to worry about pre-eclampsia. Might it be worth seeing midwife or doc so they could check you urine for proteins.

Getting Bigger Bird -def think you should give your m/w a ring about the swollen fingers as always best to check these things out. I had pre-eclampsia but had other symptoms too (massive elephant feet, headaches, then flashing lights) but I think it's always better to be safe than sorry and that's what they get paid to do...

As for the questions, just you wait until your twins are born! I've been thinking of having a sign made: 'Both girls; no, not identical; no, we didn't have fertility treatment; yes, they were born by c section; yes, twins do run in my family; yes I do have my hands full' and so on!

Anjlix I have had the same IVF assumption too - have taken to telling strangers who ask that yes, there are twins in my family - they'll never find out and it just stops that blank face when they don't know what to ask next or worse, the Was it IVF question. Bored now of 'are they identical?'! Twinmam it is a bit disheartening to know it carries on beyond birth.. I wonder if the twins themselves will have the same questions following them around their whole lives.

Frangipani - tell me about it! I have been waiting six months for DH to fix the doorbell. My hints don't work anymore

I suppose fair enough as he does work 12 hour days but my, it is annoying when he won't let me employ Battersea Handyman to do it, using the excuse that it is pointless to pay someone when he can do it himself.

Swelling has gone down in my fingers, thank goodness. I've had the most luxurious day - pedicure and waxing (not so nice - gosh it hurts in pregnancy ), nice lunch on my own, and now DH is taking DD swimming so I have several hours of peace and quiet.

DH is a plumber so pretty handy - but of course not necessarily on his own house. He does the big things then never the finishing off stuff. I ask permission to make him a list (otherwise he'll get p*ed off about it) then keep putting it in obvious places. Still takes weeks or even months to get stuff done, and never all of it. Still, I'm learning not to worry about it so much - as long as the major stuff is done that's all that really matters. The lack of carpet in the DTs room is slightly alarming as then a big furniture move needs to happen, and the buggy isn't fully operational and that's our planned transportation for the DTs back from hospital (we're really close to it). I'm consoling myself with the fact that if I go into labour now, it's unlikely we'd be coming home for several days/weeks so giving him time to finish stuff off .

BinkyB - there ARE a lot of questions when you have twin babies and some people can be rude but generally it is actually quite nice. People are fascintated by twins and love to see them and having people comment on how beautiful your babies are definitely fills you with a warm fuzzy feeling! I find the questions now I have the DTs much easier and less intrustive than I did when I was pregnant. Maybe I've got used to it but I think it's just because it reminds you how special it is to have twins. Sometimes I feel like a celeb tho as often can't leave the house without some kind of attention (the giant green pram certainly doesn't help in that regard)! Don't know about it following the DTs round for the rest of their life yet - already I get annoyed when people refer to them as 'the twins' - but I'm hoping that again it will just be a reminder of how very special they are

Good luck with the husbands, everyone!

GBB - glad the swellings gone. Waxing ouch. I've never dared.

I thought about attempting to squeeze into my maternity swimsuit, thought a swim and a dip in the jacuzzi would be nice take the weight off my feet, then occurred to me how in the hell do I shave bikini line, haven't been able to see anything in that department for months (Sorry TMI) - hair removal cream - I'd end up removing every thing, and then it doesn't even bear thinking about using a razor - an accidental female circumcision might take place. My inlaws have said they're going to book me some nice pampering treatments for Christmas so I guess I'll wait for that.

Problem with my husband is his addiction to computer games, top 3 on my hate list - Football Manager, Online Poker, any game on the WII. If he didn't spend hours doing these then maybe the house would have been finished a year ago! Most major stuff is done now so I should probably like GBB and relax about it a bit more.

BinkyB - once your doorbell is fixed you might be more annoyed that it wakes your littlies from their naps.

If you wan to freak, take a look at my 37week photo on my profile!

I always get asked if they are identical despite being boy/ girl and looking totally different.

And it doesn't matter if there are twins in your husband's family, it is passed through the woman's side (non id...as to do with producing more than 1 egg at a time) and id twins are pure chance.

Ooh freaky, MM. Love the photos of the dt's btw How're you doing with the bf? I considered giving up this week, was so fed up of it but not sure bottles would help anyway. Sigh. I hate tandem feeding at night so just stopped doing it last night, much happier. dd (dt2) slept for 8 hours last night, she's 7 weeks tomorrow, am I lucky or what?? Pity dt1 went for 4 hours, then woke every 2 after tha...Any sign of Mel lately, hope she's alright and not delivered too early.

pbh, I felt exactly the same way for a long time - will people stop fussing over me arggghh. My sympathies, drove me crazy!

i am still here!!!!, a bit nervous this week as i have my 32 week scan on tuesday. i am going to ask about vesa previa because bleeding can be an indication of it and i certainly will be having a c-section if they cant rule it out.
i am soooo glad i have made it this far and only have two weeks until my 34 week target but i really want to get to 36 weeks.
we almost have the kitchen finished and it does look lovely. i have had a huge binning session this week getting rid of my old teaching resources as they will be out of date when i finally get back to work, i have managed to fill three recyling wheely bins. i have also had a huge chuck out of broken toys to make way for christmas and babies. i think i am nesting!!!! DH has finally got around to replacing the missing floor boards upstairs and we will be hopefully having some carpet this winter as well
bought the formula this week as well HIPP ORGANIC which is what i used for my others when i finished breastfeeding.

mm i love the photos, DH says i am as big as your 37 week photo. i find it really hard to tell.

well i am off to the park with the children and their bikes to burn the childrens energy off (i am not riding one just walking by my 4 year old and pushing my 2.5year old) there is also a great play area as well so i get to sit down and rest. i will take it really easy but its very close to the hospital if anything happens.

Hi AQ, still not managing to tandem. Well, truthfully I haven't actually tried! I will order the pillow and then hopefully the expense will get me motivated. Mind you, I haven't expressed either despite spending money on a double electric pump! I do enjoy the bf though, it is a lot easier than with ds1, I think I've got the hang of latching them properly. And I love that satisfied 'drunk' face when they finish with their face covered in milk...

The dts get a bottle of formula about 9.30pm. I go to bed at 9pm and then I'm up at 11pm, swap with dh. The dts usually up till 1-ish cluster feeding/ having tummy aches! Can't believe your dd slept for so long.

They have only had 1 bath and they are 4 weeks on Wednesday! Don't tell Social Services...

hello all, Nice weekend. Dont expect much posts from people.

frangi a little bit of hair never hurt any one. LOL Thats a pregnant women's luxury to be or not to be furry! Very feew brave souls like GBB out there. Ah wish some one could something about my legs. By the time the date rolls in for section, I will be a gorilla.

mel2005 good luck on your next scan. I have a 32 week the following day. So we are in the same boat.

Glad you're still hanging on Mel and you are finally taking it easy.
We're liking our galaxy btw, but wish we had got the roof as it's so dark in the back. I think I'm going to have move the seats round though as it's a PITA putting ds1 in the back on his own, I struggle to do up his seatbelt esp in the dark when it's cold & raining! Could we get the air cushions turned off in the front so he could go there - did you do this? I have nowhere to put any shopping at present if I go anywhere.
Merry, I have replied to you on the other thread. My dt's were only going 2 hours at that age too (well, 3 weeks ago), it does change v.quickly I can't believe it and one small change makes a huge difference. I have 2 pumps and the electric one hasn't even come out of it's box yet! Mine get a bath when we can be bothered, we used a tummy tub in their room for a while. DS3 throws up so much I really feel I need to clean him occasionally though!

hi AQ, my galaxy went in on wednesday for the air bag switch to be fitted but it turned out to be faulty so its going in again for it next week. its £116 inc vat and they install a key in the glove box and a double light where the hazard light is. my little boy will go in the front when i have bits in the back.
we had a lovely morning at the park, the children rode for miles and played on the great little play area and watched the old men race their boats on the boating lake.

i have been to a&e this afternoon as we thought harriet had been bitten by an addder in the wendyhouse. it has just been moved yesterday we had the digger preparing for the garage to be built and the snake must have been disturbed and gone into the wendyhouse to hibernate. anyway edward and harriet were playing in the wendyhouse and suddenly she came running in screaming that she had been bitten. there were some marks on her hands but we are not sure that it actually managed to get her as 3 hours later she was still happily sat playing with the toys in a&e. the poisons unit said to keep an eye one her. we were so lucky as they are quite dangerous for really young children. we live in an area where there are alot of adders but i have not seen one in the garden before. something else to worry about!!!

Hi all, very excited, (or was), started having contractions 8:30pm ish last night, coming every 7mins or so nearly all night, and now this morning nothing - all seems to have ground to a halt, apart from the odd contraction every hour or so. Anyway, can't be long now. Hopefully will have some news soon.

Evening everyone,
sounds as if a few things are imminent...
My twins have both got coughs at the mo and it is funny to see that DS already has man flu and is so droopy poorly .

They have also managed to shear off the latch part of the stair gate at the bottom of the stairs by all their rattling. Little tinkers!

Oh twins are fab

Hi. How do I get on the list?
My girls were born Jan 13th 2007 3lb 15oz and 4lb 10oz. 33wks and 3 days. non identical.

Jotwins - i think you just did it!
All we have been doing is cutting and pasting and adding our names. I don't know if the list will be used for anything, it's just nice to know that there are a lot of us newbies around.

Congrats on the twins! How are they doing? They sound like they were tiny when born, how scary! I thought ours were fragile but in fact they were bruisers

Hello Jotwins, here you are on the list - not sure I'll be up to keeping it updated for much longer and I think there's already people missing - sorry!

Teasleepfood: Boy / girl twins born 5th Dec 07
Jotwins: twin girls born Jan 13th 2007 non identical
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
Frangipani74: Due 29th Nov 2008
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
Jerin:non id twins due March 26th - Surrey
BinkyB: non ID twins due 7th April - SW London
Barbarella: triplets due 9th April 2009
1stMrsF: non ID twins due 14th May - Surrey
Swerve: twins due 28 May 2009

Mel what drama about the snake, hope everything is OK now. I remember my mum (who is phobic about snakes) seeing one in the garden when I was very young, and doing the gardening in long boots and gauntlets for years afterwards . Good luck with your scan.

Anjlix, don't worry, still quite furry - I'm not that brave, only the tough bits get waxed!

Frangi how exciting for you, hope the contractions started up again and you have some news for us soon!

Nothing exciting to report at this end, carpet is in the DTs room so we've finally moved most of the furniture back to where it should be and have a reasonably ready house.

I was hoping to edit the list with news of new arrivals, but back at home again - with babies in utero! Contractions are mild and very infrequent. After threatening to make an appearance Sat night the little lovelies have changed their minds and wish to stay put for a little longer. Waters seem to have ruptured a little, twin 1's head is engaged and keeping it all in place, just the odd little leak here and there, so as I didn't want to be induced we been sent home for the second time.

I have spicy curry lined up for tea, followed by fresh pineapple, with a glass of pineapple juice and have taken some raspberry leaf tablets. That should be followed by a night of passion, but that's not likely given the size of me and the soreness of my back. Babies may resist all my attempts at coaxing them out, going over due date seems to run in my family - mum went to 43wks with my yougest sis!

Welcome Jotwins

Hope all twin mums and rotund mums to be are keeping well.

You poor thing Frangi I only went to 33 weeks with my girls and felt like a small country then! There certainly wasn't any passion at that stage, hubby was sleeping in the spare room as there was no room for all four of us in the bed.
Girls are doing really well now, approaching their 2nd birthday and you wouldn't even know they arrived 7 weeks early.
We are planning on moving up to Scotland in January. Are there any mums out there who live in the Lanarkshire area?

had my scan and estimated weights are 4lb4 and 3lb13. they are not both head down anymore, the little boy is transverse/breech but they still want me to have a natural birth which will involve putting hand in and pulling baby out!!!!!!(ouch!!!!) if he still is feet down. i wanted to book a c-section but i have to wait and see what happens.

i did have a bit of a moment when she mentioned one was smaller so he would be easier to get out (they had been about the same before). i asked to see the results and imediately spotted the little boy was on the 16th centile and the little girl 37th centile (before the little boy was 37th centile and little girl 36th) i burst out crying (pregnancy hormones etc). she went to see the other consultants about the result (and to get away from the weeping hormonal mum) the computer had made a mistake and it took her ages to convince me. i had been worrying that the bleeding from the placenta was from his which is at the front and that he would be suffering as a result and i was immediately worrying about loosing him.

DH took me out for lunch before we picked the children up from nursery and we went through the data and then we came home and convered the weights to lbs and compared it to the graphs in the premmies books. according to the graphs, if i get to 37 weeks i will be having one 6lb baby and one 7lb baby. now i feel alot better. i am booking an extra private scan next week to get the measurements done again just to be sure. they did check again and we are definately having a boy and a girl.

good luck anjlix on your scan tomorrow.

Hi Jotwins - I am in Glasgow, where exactly are you moving to? My DT's due on 13 Jan though not looking like I will get there.

I had my 32 week scan today & left with a bit of a dilemma. Similar to you Mel - DT1 head down, DT2 breech. Said I could go for 'trial of labour' oh how I love that phrase & that DT2 would either move into correct position, or stay breech whereby would be delivered bum first or would go transverse. In that case they would try to move baby externally or internally followed by emerg sect if that fails. Alternative is elective @ 38 wks. All a bit of a worry, had hoped for as little intervention as poss. Am going back to see consultant in 2 weeks to discuss things once I have had a chance to think about it. Just don't know what's best. Any advice anyone?

Babies both around the 4lb mark now. So would that be about 7lb @ 38 weeks Mel?

Hi all

Mel sorry for your worries with the scan, the past weeks have been tough haven't they? Everything crossed for you...

Tallulah, mine were DT1 head down and DT2 breech at 32 wks (the one before they were both breech). I had a scan today, 34+5 wks, and not only are they now both head down but they've swapped presentation (boy now first). They are both still moving plenty. They are both alarmingly large (6lbs and 6lbs7) but I've been warned to take measurements with a pinch of salt the further along you go as it's so hard to work out which twin they're measuring and to get a good view of all the different bits. My friend got similar predictions at this stage then had hers at 37 wks and they were smaller than that, so I think it's best not to worry too much and just keep eating the protein!

I also had a lovely consultant today who went through my birth plan in great detail and was very reassuring about them leaving me to get on with it. Apparently it's common for DT2 to sort itself out and get into the right position without too much interference. And if DT2 is breech, there's normally an experienced registrar there to deal with that too. If you've delivered DT1 naturally, I imagine it's a doddle getting DT2 out even if it is breech?!

I had a lovely session with Marslady yesterday going through my birth plan - she's hopefully going to be our doula for the birth - and she reminded me to read up Mary Cronk's stuff on breech birth - might be reassuring for you too?