Twins due 2024

[Lavender2016]

Hi all. I’m 7 weeks pregnant with twins. I had an early scan due to a previous ectopic which revealed two growing babies with heartbeats. I’m looking to chat with other mums who are expecting twins or have had twins. I’ve read lots online but a lot the chat threads seem quite old. Is there anyone else out there? Thanks!
I have two DDs aged 7 and 4.

Hi all,

Joining this thread because I found out at our 12 week scan that I’m having MCDA twins. It’s my first pregnancy and a complete surprise and feeling a bit overwhelmed at having two newborns! And all of the things we need to get for them.
and a bit worried about moving into a high risk pregnancy - and what that means for the babies

Hi @RP20 welcome 😃 how exciting to find out you are having twins. I’ve got two older girls and it was a real shock for us too. I’ve been reading everything out there, I’ve found the twins trust website particularly helpful. They have a comprehensive guide all about what to expect from twin pregnancy.
I don’t know what type of twins I have yet, we only know they each have a sac. I’ve got
my NHS dating scan on the 6th Feb x

Good luck with the dating scan!
and thanks I’ll check out the twins trust website

@RP20 I’m in the same boat. We knew we’re having twins but believed they were DCDA from early scans. Found out they’re MCDA which shocked us. Like you, feeling nervous about all the scans and medical intervention. We were given lots of information about different risks which I think made it all seem more real! How are you feeling?

Hi ladies if you need any advice or anything I had my identical twins 6 months ago
good luck with all your pregnancies

@Twimum23 Thank you!

I guess and tips or advice on navigating these still fairly early stages. I’m almost 14w (was put forward a week at the scan) and even though we found out at 7w…it just feels like I’ve just found out.

When you sit with the midwife and they tell you all this scary stuff about the risks of twins (MCDA) it just makes it all seem real. How did you cope with all the scans, appointments, the constant worry of them finding something…I think that’s where I am right now x

@GeographyTeacher I know how you feel felt like it took me for ever to get my head around it…..our friends was joking around say I bet it will be twins right from the start it’s like they jinxed it lol….scan wise it was all good the midwife we had was very good and helpful the whole way.
appointments we had every two weeks which was good and the only thing the midwife did say was about ttw syndrome that happens sometimes with twins but that never happened.
try not to worry and enjoy your pregnancy. Are you thinking of c-section?
they said to me that because they was identical that they would be born at 36wks but the buggers decided to come at 33wks instead

Hope everyone is ok!

@Twimum23 congratulations on your twinnies 🥰

I'm 14+4 currently and thinking ahead of everything we need etc, just to make lists more than anything 😂
Hope you don't mind these questions..

Did you have your twins together for sleeping at night, or 2 of everything?
What pram do you have?
Any twin baby must haves?

@User491 hiya congratulations on your twins
we got the boys sleeping together from the first night and still do now and the good thing is if one wakes or cry’s the other doesn’t which is good.
we got a tandam style buggie it’s so much easier in shops and you can have the seats in different positions have a look at the slate barn Wallingford in Oxford that’s where we got ours.
i just doubled up on mainly bottles.
r u gunna dress them the same ? We do so just buy two of every thing.
I would suggest getting a double feeding pillow comes in handy for feeding and even just for them laying on

Thank you 🥰 so so excited!
We aren't sure but I have a feeling we will have one of each, so matching clothes may not be a possibility for us.
I bet your two look so cute though 😍😍

I would love to have them sleeping together, but a lot of info says separate, so I was keen to hear other peoples view on this, thank you.

We've looked at some prams, as the place we are getting it from said there are a lot of delays due to the on-going issues in the there sea. We looked at the tandem style cybex gazelle. And I was very impressed with it.

I am very nervous to get things this early
On, but I thought if I order the pram, and make lists of everything else I am a step ahead ☺️

@User491 i found them sleeping together a lot easier as they was sleeping together when they was born as they had to stay in nicu a bit as they was early. we have just brought them a new bed as they are getting bigger now so they will be in their new bed this weekend.
I went for the Phil and Ted voyage.
I think I getting little bits around that mark but nothing big till a bit later on.

@Twimum23 thanks for that I appreciate it! Aww bless them, so pleased they were ok 🥰

What bed did you have for them to start with please?

My message should have said the issues in the Red Sea - it's apparently holding deliveries up.

Yeh I think I will hold off a little longer then start ☺️

@User491 https://www.argos.co.uk/product/3111219 that’s the bed I got but just in grey it’s good because it’s got the insert so once they get bigger you can take it out and changing table on top vibrates and plays music and stuff really good and we just got a normal travel cot for when we stayed away.
they was born at 33wks and weighed 3.9oz and 4.1oz so they stayed in nicu for a week now they right little chunks

@User491 I have 18 month old identical twins and here is my advice.

• Sleeping - was planning on having them sleep together in a next to me crib. But gave up with this after a couple nights. They would just wiggle around and then disturb each other. But don't know if this was an issue because they were separated in special care for a month before they came home. So then had them in moses baskets, which they stayed in till 6 months (they were really small).

• We have a bugaboo donkey and yes it is wide. But I liked that you can see both of them. Also this was useful to have them side by side when weaning, I tended to sit them in this to wean initially. As they were always too small for the highchairs in cafes etc till about 9 months. I found I could get this in most places but if I went somewhere I knew it wouldn't fit I would take in in single mode. When the twins were tiny would put both in 1 carrycot. Then when bigger put 1 in a sling. Although I did once get the pram stuck in the doorway of a second hand book shop!!

• must buy things are a twin feeding pillow. We used this to place them on the sofa in the day when newborns as well as to bottle feed. Also had a piglet and peanut breast feeding pillow.

Virtually the only thing I would buy 2 of for newborn time is a bouncy chair (or similar) so you can put them down. Obviously 2 cribs, moses baskets if sleeping seperate. In terms of clothes I have identical girls and then an older daughter so most of their clothes are hand me downs. I don't tend to dress them the same, apart from when people buy them matching outfits. One reason for not dressing the same are I tend to buy second hand a lot of the time. Secondly my girls are so identical the only way people can tell the difference is when I tell them what they are wearing.

Sorry I’ve not updated it’s been an emotional 48 hours. At my scan on Wednesday where my consultant was concerned about 1 twin. That evening I received a text to go to Kings in London yesterday. We have TTTS and have to go back on Tuesday for the laser procedure to cut one of the blood vessels. They seem very confident that will rectify the issues and both babies will then be ok. I think they have caught it very early on as both babies are similar sizes so not affected too much yet.

@MummyBear2519 sorry to about that they said that when I had my scans that it could happen but never did and that the procedure is so good and it is more common than we think

Hello @Lavender2016 and fellow twin mamas and to be

My boy/girl twins are now age 2, they are my 5th and 6th (though technically 4&5 as I have a baby boy in the stars) it’s certainly a shock and adjustment finding out there is 2 babies, you could have knocked me down with a feather for days afterwards.

Possibly useful info:

I had x2 of everything pretty much to start with, 2 Moses baskets (second hand), 2 next to me cribs (new Babylo brand), 2 Joie Sansa chairs (honestly one of the best things I bought) they swing/rock/vibrate/music and portable, my twins loved them plus a 5 point harness so can use these well past 6 months so they last much longer than typical bouncer chairs, x 2 single feeding pillows - I never got a double as the pillows were from my singletons so I just used these and actually found them better than a twin pillow as I could have one either side of me for breastfeeding or comfort on the sofa/floor/bed etc. I chose the silver cross pioneer twin/tandem to start with and when they were tiny in the carrycot stage it was brilliant as it fit everywhere, so useful for doctors visits as it fit in the consulting rooms, however as they got older it was heavy so I switched to a baby jogger side by side as much easier to steer and the twins like to see each other. Muslins, muslins, muslins…buy lots!! Sleepsuits, mine basically wore these most of the time in the first few months (year 🙈) when you are changing 2 babies the zipped sleepsuits make all the difference in time saving, so much easier than fiddling with the poppers.

Sleep: Some twins like to sleep together and others don’t, plus there will usually come a point where you have to separate them for safe sleep anyway. When first born mine were small enough to share a crib or moses basket so we did put them together but as it turned out they were not that fussed about being together so it was useful to have the second crib so they could have one each.

Sorry that’s a lot all in one go 🙈 I hope it helps.

@Lillygolightly thanks so much!

the pushchair is causing me the biggest headache. I had a single baby jogger that I used for both my girls, however I’d love to be able to have a parent facing option for the twins but they are soooooo expensive!

I have a two year old and 5 month old twins. I’ve never been so tired in all my life, but my babies sleep pretty badly, which isn’t the case for everyone. Mine are breastfed though they were formula fed at the start because they were premature and couldn’t latch well for their first 4 weeks of life.

Congratulations! I don’t think having other kids prepares you for the unique challenges of twins, BUT having gone through the newborn stage before, you’re probably better prepared.

@Lavender2016 to be honest I really wanted the bugaboo donkey, it was DH that talked me out if it…he was worried it would be too big and wouldn’t fit anywhere. So the Silvercross was the compromise, we bought one second hand that was like new and I still use it 2 years later so it’s had plenty of use, but for certain outings the baby jogger is just easier, but anywhere I’m concerned about space I use the silver cross. I hear no end of moaning about having 2 prams from DH, but I told him we should have got the bugaboo and I wouldn’t have needed the second one 🤣

The bugaboo also holds its value much better for selling on second hand. That said lots and lots of twin mums seem to rave about the out n about nipper as the lightest to lift, push and steer, but not parent facing.

The My Child Easy Twin - have a look at this as a consideration, cheaper than the bugaboo but also has a parent facing option and is a side by side. Also the Mountain Buggy Duet - though I have heard this is heavy for lifting the frame in and out of the boot, but it’s meant to be great on all terrains and fab to steer and light to push, also has parent facing option.

Honestly the whole pram/pushchair choice is one of the hardest things to think about when having twins, no one pram seems to have everything you want and need!

Can I ask about twin feeding pillows? There's a range on the market- which is actually the fullest and provides the best support for the twins.

My plan is to formula feed so I'm not really talking about the Peanut &Piglet pillows. More like having a Twin Z internationally shipped compared to the Kinder Valley pillows? Or the Things for Twins pillow? Any help appreciated

@Arnot i brought mine on Amazon for I think about £25-£30 it’s a m shape on and really good they still use it now and they are nearly 7 months

@Arnot we had kinder valley from Asda.
Brought second hand for £5 from another twin mum. Worth looking to see if there is a local twins group or Facebook page as these and other twin stuff sold on this all the time.

Supported my girls fine from newborn till sitting themselves. This is my girls when about 5-6lb

I have a question about going abroad whilst pregnant with twins.

Im 16w with MCDA twins and my husband and I were thinking of getting away for 4-5 nights somewhere like Majorca during the Easter holidays. This is our only window as I’m a teacher and can only take holidays on set dates- il be 23/24w.

We are seeing both the twin midwife and consultant this week and will ask about it but from having a read around lots of consultants don’t recommend going abroad due to the risk of pre-term labour and the risk of complications with twins.

Has anyone booked anything already or those with twins have experiences with this? I know every situation is different but curious to see how others went about this.

Thanks In advance x

@GeographyTeacher
Personally I wouldn’t.
I am also pregnant with MCDA twins but 19+ weeks now. At my 16 weeks check I was told I have TTTS and within 24 hours I was seen in Kings hospital. Then 5 days later had a laser procedure to fix the blood flow between my twins.
Thankfully the procedure seems to have worked and scans since have shown 2 happy babies but I wouldn’t be travelling abroad during a high risk pregnancy.
I went to New York in my first pregnancy so not against travelling but now I want to be near my hospital just incase