Expecting twins!

[Teaandcake90]

Hi all,

I had my 12 week scan this week and found out I’m expecting twins!

I’m shocked - I got pregnant the first month of trying and I’d only just got my head around that, after seeing so many friends try for years before getting pregnant. There are no twins in either of our families so it hadn’t crossed our minds as a possibility!

Is anyone in the same position? Does anyone who has twins have any advice or tips - paid help, sleeping arrangements, things to buy etc.

Hey! Firstly congratulations!!! Not much advice as I’m not a twin mum YET but wanted to share with you.. I’m currently 30 weeks with twins. I found out quite early at 7 weeks. At first I was so shocked & scared & so overwhelmed! Now at 30 weeks I’m feeling so blessed and excited to meet them. I know I’m going to be a great twin mum, I’m so ready. Do you know what type of twins you are having?
im having non identical and have been blessed with one boy & one girl! 😌❤️

Thanks so much for your lovely reply!

Congratulations to you too. I’m so pleased for you that you’re feeling so positive and prepared - I’m sure you will be a brilliant twin mum!

It is very special and we’re lucky to have this experience but I also feel a bit overwhelmed about how I’ll cope and how to prepare!

I’m also having non-identical - I can’t wait to find out the genders!

A few questions of things on my mind if you don’t mind me asking:

• Are you planning to have a natural birth?
• Have you got a double pram? If you’ve done any research I’d love any info you can share!
• Can you use a next2me? I’d planned to use that or a Moses basket but then thinking it’s nice for them to sleep together now and I think they can only do that in a cot.
• Can you use a sling?
• Have you thought about whether you’ll exclusively breastfeed, combi feed or not at all?

No judgement, just interested to hear someone else’s rationale to help with my thought process 😊

Congratulations! How exciting!

No advice as I'm not a twin mum (but twins run in my family so who knows in the future), however I also got pregnant the first month we tried after seeing friends try for months/years with no success, so I can understand your shock!

Best of luck with it all :)

Good luck - we have b/g twins now in their mid 20’s. The way we survived was a routine of them being able to nap anywhere (car, cot, pram), accept any help offered (friends were happy to give bottles as well load the dishwasher or put on a load of laundry). We kept them in babygros until they were nine pounds (put whichever one you picked up on the first baby - colour is irrelevant). We used a playpen from day one - helped them get use to it. We also did gentle sleep training at five months in time for moving them to their own rooms and me going back to work. Nursery places when you need two are harder to find so get your name down as soon as you find the one you like.

My b/g twins are now 16! I also have an older child. It was difficult but I would say first 2 months then 2-4yo is the hardest in terms of energy requirements. Mine took it in turns to be extremely ill in the early days so that was very hard emotionally and physically. My tips:

• Set up what you can in advance. I bought a tumble drier and a spare freezer. My uncle gave me 100 nappies!
• Get some paid help if you can. We weren't loaded but I used someone's au pair who was available during the day whilst the child she cared for was at school. I paid her minimum wage which was much more than au pairs get - but much less than a proper nanny. It was a few hours a week but helped so I could do things like nursery school pick up (my eldest was 4 by then). I was generally around but it was just an extra set of hands to take them for a walk in the buggy or sort washing etc.
• Use all offers of help. My parents also took it in turns to come 2 days per week and slept over a night. They now have a really strong bond with my kids.

I exclusively breastfed but I had a lot of milk which came out very quickly so they only tended to feed 10-20 mins or so, so I just fed them 'individually'. Nights were hard. I co-slept in double bed with them and DH slept elsewhere. I was quite ill myself just before I had the twins and in the first 2 months but I just found breastfeeding easier (even though we tried bottles a few times so that I could get more sleep. It just seemed a lot of hassle/ organisation to prep them).

I had a C-section which was a blessing after a very difficult birth with my first baby. My consultant kept saying from about 24 weeks that 'they could come anytime now'. But I had the section at 37+4. I also had gestational diabetes, so that was a bit difficult to manage (injections etc) and babies were big for twins. One of my babies was in SCBU for a week. He was so big compared to the preemies but he had a chest infection and nearly didn't make it one night. What a rollercoaster!

You will find ways which work for you. I had so many wonderful moments with my kids and was lucky to be with them at home till they went to school. Exhausting - but I did lose all the pregnancy weight and more (without trying!) by the time they were 2.5! We even took them to Sri Lanka at just over 2, which was mad but amazing.

Now they are just wonderful young adults about to take their GCSEs!

That is exactly how I felt at the start, how will I cope how will I manage my life is over!! But now at 30 weeks I’m much more calm and prepared.
Are you in the UK? There is a group on Facebook called Twin UK support group. I’ve used the page to ask loads of questions I needed too!
Also, I have been given my own midwife (NHS) who deals with only multiples pregnancies & births, so she has a lot less patients. She has attended most of my scans and has been a lot of help.

• Are you planning to have a natural birth?

I have planned to have a C - Section. I have done a lot of research and I’ve seen most twin mums do go for a C section and have had a pleasant experience. Firstly I did want to go for natural but changed my mind. I have an appointment next week to discuss my C section date.. exciting!

• Have you got a double pram? If you’ve done any research I’d love any info you can share!

I have gone for Baby Jogger city tour 2, with two bassinets as my twins will be winter babies I want to keep them warm in their bassinets. The pram does go flat to use from newborn though. The baby jogger is a very slim pram only 65cm wide and is made to fit through all doorways. You cannot attach two car seats though which I’m fine with. All prams I tried with car seats attached just seemed so big and bulky which I wasn’t keen on.

• Can you use a next2me? I’d planned to use that or a Moses basket but then thinking it’s nice for them to sleep together now and I think they can only do that in a cot.

Yes I have one next to me which they will share until they can’t anymore and then I’ll put a cot next to my bed for them to share, until they go into their own rooms in own cots. Midwife is very happy with them sharing at beginning.

• Can you use a sling?

I haven’t bought one yet, but yes I’ve seen you can.

• Have you thought about whether you’ll exclusively breastfeed, combi feed or not at all?

I will try to exclusively breastfeed but if it does not work I will combi feed ☺️

Im no expert of course hahah but this is what I’ve gone for!
I also follow twin mums on instagram & TikTok who share their experience
We bought a lot of things second hand in good condition which has saved us soo much money. Swings & bouncers from Facebook market place, which we can re sell. All clothes have come from Vinted!!

I have 4 year old b/g twins - it is SUCH fun (and hard work but so worth it). Bugaboo donkey and out n about are the two pushchairs all of the twin mums locally have. We had 2 next2mes and I bf one, and bottlefed the other. Good luck!

I think in the early days my advice would be you can never have too many safe spaces to put them down in every room. I had a couple of Moses baskets on wheels , they were handy in the early days. A lot of the things you can do whilst baby is in a sling or being held. Much trickier when holding onto two.