Having twins, what to expect in my pregnancy and working full time?

[Jaynenic09]

Hi everyone, I'm very new to this but I'm just looking for some advice and reassurance really. This is my second pregnancy, I gave birth to my daughter in 2009 but sadly she lost her battle with Dravets Syndrome in June 2013 and passed away in her sleep. Myself and my new partner have been together for a while now and were happy to find out that we are having twins after being told I was having a suspected eptopic pregnancy. We are both thrilled but are very nervous. I work as a support worker with adults with LD and I do 40 hours a week which include having to sleep over at the service two nights a week. I am completely exhausted and I'm only 10 weeks so I dread to think what I will be like at 20 weeks. My partner is very worried about me with regards to my health and wants me to drop my hours. Sadly it's isn't that easy as we need the money and whenever I mention to my boss how I'm feeling so exhausted she just dismisses it and says iv not got long really as I can take my maternity leave four months.
I'm just wondering if there is any other parents that works or worked full time while pregnant with twins and how it is affected you. Also what am I to expect during this pregnancy in regards to anti natal appointments and labour/ and if elective c-section is an option after not having an easy labour with my first pregnancy? (failure to progress only got to 5cm and had an emergency c-section after 39 hours labour)
Thank you

I don't have experience of twins but I managed a residential service before I had my DS.
2 sleep ins a week are quite a lot anyway without pregnancy!
Your employer should do a pregnancy risk assessment with you which should cover the type and amount of work you're expected to do, including the sleep ins.
As for antenatal appointments, you're entitled to paid time off for all of them.
I worked in my service up until 36 weeks but was mostly just doing admin rather than any direct support by the end.
I think a lot of it depends on the kind of service you work in.

I had twins and weeks 8-12 were the worst in terms of exhaustion. Just make sure when you aren't at work you are really relaxing. I ended up being signed off work for 2 weeks 8-10 as I was so ill, terrible morning sickness and exhaustion. It did get better, but go and see your GP for a bit of reassurance.

Congratulations!

You should be paid for all ante natal appointments and expect a lot more with twins.

Depending on what type of twins you are having you will have appointments (either scan, consultant and midwife) every two weeks from 20 weeks. I had 12 scans in total.

Being pregnant with two babies is quite different to carrying one. You have double the water and blood when carrying twins for one. You will get bigger more quickly and will most like measure term around 28/30 weeks which is hard going on your body. For me, the exhaustion got better at around 15 weeks but returned at 28 weeks. I found myself not able to do much physically after 30 weeks. I had a physical job working 50 hours a week and had to stop work at 28 weeks. Carrying s bump around that measures 40+ weeks for up to 10 weeks is hard going.

We planned for a vaginal delivery but when my waters went at 34 weeks both babies were transverse so I had a emcs. You can never plan a delivery when you have twins, too many things get in the way.

I hope I have answered all your questions.

Hi OP, congratulations. I'm 32 weeks with DCDA twins, stop for mat leave on Thu, and I'm more than ready to stop, I do a mainly office based job.
You def need to get a pg risk assessment done in your line of work.

Hi J,

Congratulations. I'm 13+2 with twins. My exhaustion hit me right between the eyes from 5 weeks on, it's starting to tone down a little for me now however I'm no where near normal yet.

The hospital I'm with will offer induction if both babies are in the engage position at 37 weeks, but the recommend a c. Section and do not like you to get full term as there is more chance of complications the closer you get to term.

I'm being scanned every two weeks from 28 weeks on wards. That's a LOT of time off work! I plan to leave work 11weeks before full term.... If I make it that far!

Thank you everyone. Sorry only replying now, sadly on a sleep in tonight's so iv only just been able to finish my paper work and now in settled on a camp bed in the office . I didn't know I had payed days off for my appointments, iv had to take annual leave for my 12 week scan as I had been out on rota even though I gave my senior notice of the scan. They have done a risk assessment for me but it mainly consists of not carrying things up the stairs and pushing wheel chairs.
I was looking at my rotas the other day and realised that I'm the only person doing two sleep ins a week. I mentioned it to my senior and she said she would look into it but nothing has come of it. I'm thinking il end up taking my maternity ASAP at this rate. When I was scanned at 7 weeks due to them thinking it was an eptopic preg they were both in there own separate sacks so they are none identical.
Thank you again for all your advice and messages of congrats, I have a feeling I will find MN helpful

I am so sorry for your loss.


I worked up until 30 weeks with my twins, I was in a physical job and huge by then and was starting to struggle a bit. Not so much with tiredness, although I was tired, more with moving around.

Congratulations, twins are brilliant fun, hard work, but brilliant.

I am pretty sure that employers have to make reasonable adjustments to support you in your pregnancy, I took more breaks (as did other pregnant employees). I am not too sure about the sleep ins, I did them in a previous job, all of the pregnant women were not expected to do them. Can you speak to hr ?
Have they done a risk assessment yet ?

Good luck with your employer. Re ante natal appointments. I don't think they have to give the first ante natal appointment as paid leave but everything after that they do. Having said that. It is paid time off for appointment, not a paid day off like you have mentioned above. Meaning if the appointment is at the start of work you will be expected to go in after.

I think you need to talk to hr to get confirmation re appointment time off and to discuss what has been done with others in the past.

And if necessary go see your gp re exhaustion / stress. I often find if given the choice your employer will start to make adjustments when faced with the possibility that you might get signed off sick and they find themselves without you completely xx