Is anyone else pregnant with twins?

Hey Mandy,
I'll ask the gyn about it too.
I only know that twin pregnancies often don't go beyond 37 weeks.
Your gyn is being honest, you can take that into account.

We thought of the bathroom when I was about 3 months pregnant. It was either do it now or wait until the kids are here and then finish it, or after the pregnancy but I didn't see myself doing a renovation then.
We now shower in the bath where I almost slipped once, so it's getting more dangerous and we don't have a toilet upstairs. In the new bathroom, we can have a bath, a shower, and a toilet built, which will be easier once the kids are here. The old bathroom will become a laundry room with washing machine and dryer etc.
I don't do anything myself except give my opinion hihi. Luckily my husband is handy and does everything himself and my dad comes to help sometimes.

We chose 2 separate rooms for the kids.
The baby room that was already ready from the previous pregnancy is too small for 2 but we wanted 2 separate rooms because when they're a bit older they'll also need their own little room. What I also secretly take into account (also heard from others etc.) is if there's one crying baby and one baby who can sleep well, the one will keep the other awake with crying. One might have more trouble sleeping than the other. What I also often heard from interviews with twins themselves is that it's good to do things alone because if they're together with everything they don't dare to do anything without the other. So they become independent and dare to do things alone (but that's more in a later stage).
But the first months they'll definitely be with us in the bedroom and then in the afternoon and when they're a bit older in their own little room. But it's just trying everything out. If it doesn't work I can always put them together in the other baby room (which I still need to fix up...).

I was already thinking about pregnancy yoga..
Because the babies can feel your tension and then they stay quieter.
I do feel them more often when I lie down and relax so relaxing definitely does something to them. I'll definitely think about it more. It's good for yourself and the kids.

Went to the 9-month expo yesterday, pffffff, can't anymore!!
It was nice and bought a lot of cheap things but after three and a half hours of wandering I had seen enough, got pain in my back and belly. Now just resting for 2 days hihi.

Love, Jo

Hey missliss,
yeah.., definitely annoying being sick and it's already my 2nd time
if it's not over by next week I'll go to the doctor anyway because I've been dealing with it since March 17th, this whooping cough just won't go away.

That's nice that the nursery is done!
Yeah.., it's better to wash everything before the birth right.., I heard that too, clothes, crib sheets, bedding etc.

What good news that your little ones are growing so well!
I thought you were also pregnant with fraternal twins right?

I can't do birth announcements yet because I don't know what it's going to be, we want to keep that a surprise until the end, as hard as that is..., it's really bothering me though...

I'm going to buy those big shirts for the hospital.
Then you don't have to look for a store that sells maternity fashion but you can just go to the plus-size section (for really big people) in a regular clothing store and that size fits a pregnant woman perfectly too!

Good luck to you too in the coming weeks!

Hey Lynn,
Condolences dear, that's terrible, I can imagine it's been a rotten week for you..
I hope you can get enough support from the people, family and acquaintances around you and that you can indeed enjoy your last few weeks again.

That's nice that everything is going according to schedule! That gives you a reassuring feeling right!

I'm also suffering from heartburn, lower back and pelvic pain, belly is getting heavier and bigger, you don't even know how to lie or sit anymore so just keep going like this. You just have to try to take it as calmly as possible and put up with it because I do want them to stay in as long as possible.

Had an ultrasound last Wednesday. They're growing well, they're still on schedule and one is slightly bigger than the other (about 1 or 2 days, so that's basically nothing). From now on they could develop a slight growth restriction because a body isn't really built to take care of 2 placentas and 2 babies. And because the space is getting less. And from now on blood pressure could go up a bit. So far it's still 110/70 so let's hope it stays that way. All just wait and see but you can feel it's getting more and more exciting. Next check-up in 3 weeks (due date..).

Well dear, strength with everything and I hope you can enjoy it a bit more.

Take it easy everyone.., and enjoy it as long as you can!

Love, Jo

Lynn,
What an incredibly cute photo in your profile! So nice with all those hands on your belly!

Mandy,
Hopefully you're getting some more rest now that your leave has started and you can enjoy it even more!
Lovely story about your daughter, you just melt when you see and hear that!
Yeah.. quite a thrilling idea, isn't it, that it could happen between now and 10 weeks.. It's not very long anymore.. I also hope they stay in as long as possible.

The bathroom here is also on the right track, the shower and toilet are already installed and working, wall tiles are done and now he's working on the bath, then just a radiator, a sink and a cabinet. The second baby room will probably go faster, I basically have all the stuff already so it's just a matter of painting everything like the ceiling, walls, stove, frames and door and then the curtains.
Fortunately, I have a handy friend and he's really doing his best, I feel bad that I can't help him anymore.

Just waiting for the next ultrasound.. thrilling!

Love, Jo

Hi Lynn,
Today I’m exactly 28 weeks.
Hahaha, I know that forgetfulness
Last night my boyfriend was going to bed and still took the dog out.
I just kept doing my thing and he came back home in the meantime.
At some point he said, 'come let's go to bed, you go upstairs first and I'll finish up here', and I said, 'okay, should I bring anything upstairs?', he said again, 'take Jairo (our dog) upstairs first', and I was very dry, 'but he still needs to be walked.... . So he told me that he had just come in from the walk with Jairo 5 minutes ago.., well.., sorry..., but I really couldn't remember it anymore.., stupid right!! Everything goes to those little ones hihi, they also call it 'pregnancy brain', you often have trouble with that in the last trimester.

Sleeping is also becoming more difficult for me. My belly is getting bigger and heavier. Often I don't get enough air then, it goes reasonably well only on my left side. Turning from side to side is also not so easy anymore. It's getting heavier and heavier, but despite that I still want them to stay in as long as possible, I just have to put up with it for now.

I went to the doctor yesterday because I still have that dry cough from the flu and I wanted to make sure it had nothing to do with my lungs. I also have trouble breathing, especially after climbing one flight of stairs or vacuuming for a bit. And what do you think.., nothing with my lungs but there was a heart murmur detected.., I have that again.. Next Tuesday I have to go to the hospital to see a cardiologist, get an ultrasound of my heart done, etc. It could be due to the pregnancy, that I have to pump 50% more blood around because of that, so my heart is now pumping for 3 and has to work at full capacity and then it can hit somewhere which causes that murmur or I really have a murmur in my heart. Just wait and see..

Hi Mandy,
Oh my, that must have been quite a shock..
You thought, so many hard contractions that must not be good. Good that you followed your instinct and went to the hospital and luckily it didn't affect the cervix. It's not nice to not be at home now but you are well monitored now. If something happens you are in good hands.
I hope you feel better soon and that you can go home again.
Oh my.., and then you're also just on leave, I really think it's rotten for you!

Well girls, take it easy as far as that works and I hope for a very good pregnancy with a good course for all of us!
Love, Jo

Hi Mandy,

How are you doing?
Are you out of the hospital already?
I hope you're feeling better and that you're comfortably back at home.

Love,
Jo

Hey Mandy,
That's so nice for you that you're back home with your little family and that everything is going well again!
And it's great that your baby is doing so well!

It's annoying, right, those people who feel the need to comment on your belly/pregnancy!
I can't stand it either! I deliberately don't make eye contact with them so they don't start talking to me, then I ignore them and just focus on my shopping.

My heart murmur that I had to go to the hospital for turned out to be nothing serious.
One of my heart valves is leaking a bit, which causes the murmur sound, but I absolutely didn't need to worry about it; it was nothing serious. I just need to take it easy and listen to my body. My heart has to work harder anyway because it pumps 50% more blood and has to pump for three people, so you can quickly get out of breath and feel short of breath. So take it easy...

Well, girl, take it easy too and enjoy it!

Love, JO

Last Sunday I was exactly 29 weeks, one step further!
Next Wednesday a check-up at the hospital with an ultrasound to monitor the growth.
Next week we're going to see if we can get a pre-birth ultrasound done. I've already made an appointment. They'll first check how the babies are lying and based on that we'll see how we can get the ultrasound done, either in one go (if they're both lying well) or in two sessions (if one is, for example, hidden behind the other and not visible).
Exciting! It's nice to have a pre-birth ultrasound, you really see the contours and all that!
The little ones' movements are getting more intense, sometimes you see my whole belly going up and down, hihihi.

Hey Mandy!

First of all, congratulations on your 2 beautiful boys! I'm so happy for you that everything went well! And what beautiful names too!

You haven't heard anything from me for a long time because I had to go to the hospital often and also had to stay there often, especially because of my high blood pressure. After that, I just never got around to checking in on the Brabbelsite and replying, busy, busy, busy!!

I can tell you with great joy that everything else went well and that I've now given birth to 2 healthy daughters! Caitlin and Lindsey were born on June 12th! Caitlin came first and weighed 2320 grams, and 40 minutes later Lindsey came and weighed 2690 grams. It was a natural birth and I was induced at 37.1 weeks. I didn't have an epidural and I really felt that, oh my goodness. After the first one I was completely exhausted and then the second one still had to come, and then the placenta too, I couldn't take it anymore! I was also very nervous because of the previous pregnancy.. It was also a total surprise that it was 2 girls (because we didn't know until the end what it would be). When we heard the first sounds tears streamed from our eyes! (because we missed that with Mikey). We are very happy and proud of our 2 girls!! It is quite hard taking care of 2 babies at the same time. You just run out of hands. Especially when you want to comfort them both at the same time.. I'm also breastfeeding combined with formula. But no matter how hard it is, you just have to get through it, we shouldn't complain because we are already happy that the girls are healthy, and it will only get easier and more fun in the end. The interaction between them is also very nice! And they babble more and more and give a big smile more often and that makes your heart melt.

I hope you're doing well too, apart from maybe that terrible fatigue..

Oh, I have to get back to work again, they're calling hihi, hungry!!

Hope to hear from you soon!

Lots of love from an exhausted but proud mom Jo
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hi Anoniem,

Thanks for the compliment!!
The birth was indeed very hard, but as soon as you see those 2 little miracles, you quickly forget how tough it was .
It's quite a lot of work with 2 babies, but you get a lot back too, like a double smile and double babbling, as they often say, twice as hard but also twice as much fun!

But once again, thanks for your compliment!

Greetings,
JO