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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Twin Pregnancies?

16 replies

KittenMittens1 · 11/09/2019 11:18

Hi Folks,

I had to have an early scan at the EPU which dated my babies as 6 weeks today, Yes Babies! found out there are 2 strong heartbeats.

There are no twins in the family so I have no one to ask advise? I have no idea what to expect when expecting twins! is there any advise or tips anyone can give me?

I'm terrified, I'm super excited and overjoyed too but this is extremely scary. Any advise will do!

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Squiff70 · 11/09/2019 12:18

@KittenMittens1, I'm 12 weeks pregnant with twins so I understand your shock - twice over in fact as I found out I was expecting twins this time last year but sadly we lost them at 19 weeks due to placental abruption. I remember the shock and fear I felt first time round - left the scan room crying hysterically, having a huge panic attack and repeatedly saying "I can't do this!". The shock and fear never did wear off for me though although I was genuinely overjoyed when we found out we were having a girl and a boy.

This time though, I wasn't that shocked - I even asked the sonographer if there was only one baby at my 6 week scan. She said yes but I didn't believe her, then she said "oh hang on, there's another one". I was shaking but I smiled. It was like we'd been given a second chance. I'm 37 so time is ticking away. Two children, after all, is a blessing. A cliche perhaps, but it's true.

I won't lie to you - I have a friend who has baby twins (now 3.5 months old) and they are FUCKING hard work, but they are worth it. They are absolutely beautiful, it goes without saying, and when they are calm and placid they are the most adorable little things. There are times when they both scream though, for hours on end. I don't know how I will cope with that with my babies but you and I have time to make contingency plans. You WILL be fine. Post regularly on MN to set your mind at rest and get lots of advice from other parents of twins. You will be okay. It will be hard, but you will get through it. So will I, somehow.

KittenMittens1 · 11/09/2019 13:25

@Squiff70 thank you for commenting what a reassuring message :)

I hope everything goes well for you!

Aw bless you, so sorry to hear about you're loss I can't imagine how heartbreaking that was. a

As Soon as I found out I was so happy, worried and scared. I've just got a feeling this whole pregnancy is going to be terrifying, I can't stop worrying about them already!

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RC1985 · 11/09/2019 13:39

I don’t know what I’m having yet but both my uncles had twins so I may, you never know. It is really hard work and would be better if you have a support network around you, which they didn’t as moved away before having kids. In fact one moved to Australia, couldn’t be further away! Both my aunty’s said don’t try and breast feed both, better to mix as it’ll be too much your partner can help you more. Even expressing is hard, my one aunty said she breast fed for 12 weeks and literally spent it breast feeding and expressing and they had like a conveyor belt system which said was awful. However, after the baby stage it gets easier as they entertain each other. It’s hard but totally worth and both sets of my twin cousins are lovely. You’ll be amazing 😘 and if it turns out I’m having twins too, I’ll let you know.

KittenMittens1 · 11/09/2019 16:21

@RC1985 oh thats wonderful, fingers crossed you join the twin club! & Congrats on the pregnancy Smile

ooo I didn't even think of the conveyor belt feeding system i'll become! Shock I'm very lucky though hubby and I have massive families all living very close so have a large support system in place thankfully.

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Chocolatehat · 11/09/2019 16:29

I have recently had twins and my advice would be to join TAMBA and your local twin club. It has been so lovely for me to join with other twin mums and go through it all together.

NearlyGranny · 11/09/2019 16:37

My twins are all grown up now but here is my wisdom - or not!

The earlier a woman knows she's having twins, the bigger they are at birth. That's because you will rest more, eat better, demand less of yourself and protect those little ones fiercely. No pretending this is time to play the hero and carry on as if nothing's happening. This is special.

Your babies grow when you are sleeping or resting. I put my feet up for an hour after lunch every day.

As you get bigger there's less and less room for your stomach in there, so make every mouthful count. Go for small, nutrient dense meals and snacks and graze rather than sit down to three meals a day. You have no room for junky foods.

You will get more scans as measuring the bump won't reveal whether both babies are growing. That's fun and special, too.

Swimming gently is a great way to take a break from carrying the extra weight and very relaxing, too.

People may tell you 36 weeks is 'term' for twins but it doesn't have to be. I just scraped into week 39 with mine and they were 6lb 10oz and 6lb 13 Oz.

If your body is struggling to nourish two, nature will prioritise brain growth, so their little arms and legs may be skinny at birth.

You can successfully bf twins and it is the best weight loss strategy ever!

Good luck and congratulations.

KittenMittens1 · 12/09/2019 08:36

@NearlyGranny wowsers! thats a lot to take in, haha. thanks for all the advise! I love swimming so will definitely look into doing that a bit more.

@Chocolatehat oo twin clubs! I'll have a nosey that sounds interesting! thank you.

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JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff · 12/09/2019 08:39

Hiya - in haste but my twins are 18mos - it is bloody hard work but you'll be fine, you really will. Loads of people have twins - once you have them you see them everywhere!

Join tamba as pp said, look into Mountain Buggy Duet for a pram, and relax Smile

Chocolatehat · 12/09/2019 13:58

I agree with @JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOff that the Mountain Buggy Duet is the best pram to get.

TwinsetsRus · 13/09/2019 22:27

Little off topic but can I ask those of you who are having same sex twins are you planning to dress them the same?
The reason I’m asking is because I’m a twin and our mum dressed us the same partly for convenience and because it was the done thing.
If I had twins I wouldn’t choose to dress them the same as I think they should be treated as individuals and not part of a set.
Also we were put into roles - me being the lookerafter and my sister the one needing looked after.
I hope you don’t mind me sharing my views. Just something for you to think about.
Wishing you all well in your pregnancies.

MrsEG · 14/09/2019 07:32

Hello, I am 17 weeks pregnant with non-identical twins and we also found out very early! Agree with a PP above, take it easy - you’ll be bloody knackered in the first tri if you’re anything like me but it’s because your body is growing two people! I have started pregnancy yoga recently and also swim once a week, get out on the odd dog walk but other than that just taking it pretty easy.

I joined TAMBA and actually am attending my first twins workshop with them today, on practical parenting. We had a midwife appt this week and heard both heartbeats which was magic! As others have said, from 20 weeks on I am booked for monthly growth scans so you’ll get to see babies really frequently.

I have been told by my consultant they don’t like to let you go over 37 weeks with DCDA twins but that could vary from hospital to hospital, you should meet with your twin consultant around 12 weeks.

I was also scared at first, I still wonder how we’ll manage two at once, but so many have done it before us and we’ll be just fine!

@TwinsetsRus I agree - a friend of mine is a twin and has advised me against treating them as ‘the twins’ - no matching outfits over the age of 1, allow them to be individuals, try and put them in different classes at school etc, encourage their individual hobbies. I’ve taken it all on board as excellent advice!

badtime · 14/09/2019 10:47

Did they tell you if there is one placenta or two? That will make a difference to your antenatal care (with one placenta, you will get more scans and will probably need a section. They also consider 36 weeks term for one placenta, 37 for two).

They will tell you that a twin pregnancy makes you high risk for pretty much everything (preeclampsia, gestational diabetes etc), but the actual statistics show that the risk is only slightly increased (I was fine and I was also supposed to be high risk because of my age).

For the love of God, don't give them matching names.

KittenMittens1 · 16/09/2019 08:25

@badtime I have 2 sacs and 2 placentas.

@MrsEG Ah i'm already so tired all the time, everything is aching already.

can I ask when you started to get a bump? as i'm only nearly 7 weeks and already people are guessing i'm pregnant! Surely can't be showing this early!

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MrsEG · 16/09/2019 09:28

@KittenMittens1 I started showing at 8-9 weeks, had a noticeable bump and was in maternity clothes at 10 weeks! Have you booked in with your midwife yet? Now you know it’s twins try and do that soon, they might want you on a higher dose of folic acid. As others have said you’ll get plenty of extra care/scans. Congrats!

KittenMittens1 · 16/09/2019 09:32

@MrsEG yes not seeing midwife until next week, already had one scan at the EPU.

wasn't sure if the little bump i have is gas or the babies haha.

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PaddyF0dder · 16/09/2019 09:36

Our twins are 2.

For the pregnancy, a lot depends on the type of twin pregnancy - our twins were dichorionic diamniotic (and by definition non-identical) which made the pregnancy straightforward enough. Expect some complications though. Twin pregnancies are always riskier than singletons.

My wife’s pregnancy was mostly uneventful. We got very frequent scans and check ups. One of the twins growth slowed towards the end, so she was induced at 36 weeks. Delivery was ok, but hard for her. Twins both went to incubators for a day or two as their breathing was a bit shallow. One of them had an inguinal hernia, so had to have surgery (under a general anaesthetic) at the age of 3 weeks.

Since then, they’ve thrived. At 2 they are healthy, bubbly, adorable handfuls. It has been extremely hard work, particular for the first few months. Now we’re just used to it. We’re a twin family, and I’m really proud of how well I think we cope.

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