Pregnant with twins

Merel Guest 3 months ago #2

Hi! Congratulations! How are you feeling? I gave birth to twins four months ago. So if you have any questions or anything, feel free to ask, haha!

IvyB started this 3 months ago #3

Hi Merel,
First of all, congratulations

I think the questions will definitely start coming

I’m the only one in my friends and family circle who’s pregnant with twins.
And while I find all those apps nice and funny, they’re all based on having just one baby.

I’m going to dive into bed soon because I’ve been sleeping all day already hahaha
Hopefully, that’ll be less of an issue later on

Best, IvyB

ZwangereMonique 3 months ago #4

Congratulations Merel

What did you get? How did you experience your pregnancy and everything?

I'm also pregnant with identical twins. Currently I'm 12+4. I actually feel really good. No real pregnancy ailments - I was just tired in the beginning and mostly got out of breath quickly haha

It was still a bit of a 'thing' when we found out it was twins. It seems mainly very impractical. If you're alone, you literally have your hands full.. And how do you give them equal attention etc.
Normally you can just focus on 1 child, but now you have to keep 2 happy

I'm curious to hear your stories!

Merel Guest 3 months ago #5

Congrats too, Monique! That's so special, right..
I had identical girls. The pregnancy felt lead-heavy.. I got sooooo mega fat. Gained a whopping 34kg. They were each 6.5 pounds at birth. Induced at 37 weeks. You really have to enjoy this time while you're still so mobile hahaha!
What you say is so true.. It's not easy to give two kids attention. I think if you've already had one kid, you have a sort of 'head start'. Then you know how it works, you know.. That's what I found and still find the hardest. Of course you know a lot, but once they're here and they're your first kids, it's really hard to get used to. Getting to know two kids is just difficult.. Sometimes I'm jealous of people who have only had one kid hahaha. All the attention and then you can focus completely on that.
Once you've given birth, I'll do as little as possible and meet up if I were you. Take your time to get used to your kids! Do you want to breastfeed?

IvyB started this 3 months ago #6

@Zwangeremonique,

Oh, I really have those same ailments... bah, by 9 PM I'm completely exhausted and out of breath..
My partner is already teasing me about it, saying "oh wow, this is going to be a lot"

Breastfeeding, yes, if it works; if not, pumping, and if that also turns out to be a disaster, then there's no other choice but bottle feeding.. Mother Nature is Mother Nature, and with my first, I couldn't breastfeed because of the short pregnancy duration. So I pumped everything. I managed to do that for about 7-8 weeks until my body was completely drained and I was super tired etc.. (emergency C-section at 27.4 weeks)
Now she's a real 6-year-old, hahaaahhha

ZwangereMonique 3 months ago #7

Hi Merel,

OMG, wow, so you really put on a lot of weight then! Phew.. Is that 'normal' or did you just happen to retain a lot of fluid or something? It's a shame you had such a tough pregnancy, but I guess I'll just enjoy my symptom-free pregnancy so far haha.
It's nice though, two girls

So you also have identical twins

We always hoped for a boy and a girl, but that's not going to happen.
This is our first baby (babies, so) so we just try to keep thinking: we don't know how it is with one either, so we'll just let it come to us and see how it goes. There's no point in stressing.. We'll just have to find our own way. But one would have been 'easier'.
I can't breastfeed, I already know that. But I don't mind either. Then my partner can do just as much as me

Especially with two, that's handy haha.

@IvyB: Whoa.. yeah, if I've climbed a few stairs I already feel like I've run the marathon haha, it's really tough. But well, in the first 3 months your body is working extra hard because everything is still being set up, right? So let's stay positive. Besides, you're feeling okay too, from what I hear? That's nice! I'm a bit afraid of heartburn later on haha.
And OMG, it was intense that your first one was born so early! What was going on? Are they viable from 27 weeks then? Seems really intense, so small and then in the incubator for so long! I guess everything is okay now though?

IvyB started this 3 months ago #8

@Zwangeremonique

Yup, it really is a drama... I also take my kid to school and pick him up by bike every day.
I leave home 5 minutes earlier now so I can cycle more calmly

And the other moms at school don't just stare like "uhhh, is everything okay...?!"
No one at school knows, so yeah, I have to figure something out..
The stairs, yes, exactly the same, so my partner takes the laundry etc up the stairs, and I'll do it myself again when I feel better.
I'm already used to heartburn, so yeah, then it's mainly lying upright in bed, nose in, mouth out breathing, and calm breathing... Some lie on their left side, others on their right, and just warn your partner in advance that you're going to fart

And with me, it sometimes bursts out really hard

I had pregnancy-induced hypertension, the pre-eclampsia variant.
Extremely high blood pressure. What was scary about it was that I felt fine while I had all the symptoms, and even the ambulance guys looked at each other like "uh, why is she so alert and talking normally...?!"
I'll quickly look up my old forum topic and send you the link via private message.. at least if you want to..?!
Our son is now 6 years old and yes, a real 6-year-old..!! He's now in grade 2 and doing really well considering where he comes from, he's a real little miracle.
When we have check-ups at the UMCG because of his birth, we always stop by the NICU (neonatal intensive care unit).
And then everyone really goes "oh oh oh" because it's a guy again...

@Merel, yeah, it's indeed quite a bit of weight gained. But yeah, everything for a good cause.
I'm also planning to keep things as calm as possible and only have extra help (family, friends) over for help regarding our son.
I'm likely to get a C-section soon anyway, so I need to rest extra long, etc.
And my recovery from my previous C-section took quite a long time, so I'm really taking that into account.

Love, Ivy

Merel Guest 3 months ago #9

That was intense, man! What's the reason you're having another C-section?
The weight consisted of a whole lot of fluid, indeed.. I've been walking in flip-flops for months haha. It's all worth it double and triple! Do you know twin parents on Facebook? Highly recommended for lots of fun tips and facts.

IvyB started this 3 months ago #10

Hey Merel,
The reason for another C-section is just advice, you know.
But to be honest, I don't mind it or anything.
They can just make the scar look nice again

During my endometriosis surgery, they used a C-section to remove it.
Unfortunately, after 3 days I ended up back in the hospital urgently due to an infection.
They cleaned out the scar to clean it, but it didn't work.
So after 5 days, I went back under the knife urgently and got an open wound added to flush everything out.

So now I have two ugly spots on my lower abdomen, one of which is in the C-section scar.
So I'm hoping for a 2-in-1 deal

ZwangereMonique 3 months ago #11

I thought you always get a second C-section if you had one the first time? But maybe I'm totally off base here

Haha, it's quite something, right, with the shortness of breath! But well... Just let them know that you're feeling a bit less fit for the moment

haha
And indeed, just do what you can... It'll all come back to normal on its own.

Sounds pretty intense though.. Disgusting that you feel so good yourself, while everyone else is sounding the alarm bells.
Fortunately, it turned out okay in the end, both for you and for the little one

And it's nice to hear that he's already a real boy now

I'm glad that everything ended up on its feet.

hns 3 months ago #12

Hi! Here's another soon-to-be twin mom, currently 33+5 weeks pregnant with two boys. As Merel said, enjoy this time while you can still do everything, because it's getting really tough now. I already have a 2-year-old toddler and a 13-year-old stepdaughter. Up to 30 weeks, being pregnant was still manageable with few complaints. But now everything hurts, especially walking. You only realize now how often you drop things and can't pick them up anymore. But despite all that, I'm absolutely loving the kicking in my belly and I'm really curious how they'll pull it off.

ZwangereMonique 3 months ago #13

Ohh welcome and congratulations, HNS.
That's special.. So you're indeed already a bit further along than we are

We're still at the beginning.
I can imagine that the end will be tough. But it's nice that you've had everything go well up to 30 weeks so far. Do you notice a big difference between a pregnancy with one child or now with two?
You'll probably have quite a belly too, right? Especially if you still have kids running around at home, it must feel even heavier since you're already more limited yourself.
Do they already know when they want to induce labor with you? Or is it still a wait-and-see situation?
Try to enjoy yourself as much as possible

I can imagine you're really curious about how they're going to handle things! That's fun

hns 3 months ago #14

The pregnancy with one kid was really easy for me too, especially since I could sit down or rest whenever I wanted because there were no other kids around. My oldest was around 10 or 11 years old at the time, so already quite independent. Now, it's not so easy to find time to rest because I have a 2-year-old running around who doesn't nap anymore in the afternoon. So yes, for me, there's a world of difference between being pregnant with one child or two. But it can vary for everyone. I can imagine that if you're extremely sick for 9 months, you'd find it much harder, and it wouldn't matter whether it's one or two kids.

We have another check-up coming up on Tuesday, and I want to ask if they can give me a date until when they'll let me continue walking, so I can arrange things at home. I've already heard that it can go up to 38 weeks due to gestational diabetes, otherwise the babies might get too big.

ZwangereMonique 3 months ago #15

Yeah, I totally get that. It’s pretty intense right now. But anyway, hang in there a little longer until those two little ones arrive

I’m curious to hear what they advise at your next appointment. I was already told that it’s best to be around 34–36 weeks for the birth, and I thought; wow, that’s early haha

But anyway, I’m not even starting my second trimester until Sunday, so taking it easy for now

IvyB started this 3 months ago #16

@hns,
Nice to have another mom-to-be around, expecting twins.
I'm trying to prepare myself for the fact that I'll be able to do less soon.
My son is 6 and luckily he's already a little helper

Oh, I'm curious about the due date!

@Zwangeremonique,
In principle, I'm going to have a C-section, but it's not mandatory. It's just advice, though, and I do stick to it

Yeah, it was quite a scary period (5 hours). Everyone said it would be like that, but I didn't feel that way at all.
But yeah, everything turned out fine. In terms of feeding, he's still medically supported. He gets tube feeding at night.
This is because he only started eating at 1.5 years old. Since 7 months ago, he's also having bread (without crust) and soft foods he can chew.
Meat, chicken, and certain vegetables are still hard for him to chew; if he chews too long, it becomes a lump in his mouth.
But everyone thought he'd never learn to eat and drink, and he does now, albeit slowly

Oh, that tiredness... bah bah... I already lay down twice today, almost falling asleep... I never like it when my partner is away and I'm alone with my son. So I ended up showering twice just to stay awake.
Tonight I'm going to bed early again (haha)... I really hope the tiredness starts to decrease around 12 weeks.
We'll see.

Pregnant with twins

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