Found Out Yeterday We Are Having Twins!

Keep a sense of humor, always!!

I have fifteen-year-old triplets. Congratulations and best wishes.

Seek out a good support group! Keeping Pace with Multiple Miracles is in West Bridgewater ###-###-#### They are awesome, and have a meeting this Tuesday evening at 7:30, 194 South Main Street! Congratulations, I have triplets plus two, you are VERY blessed! -P.

Being the mother of multiples is the ride of a lifetime. It is a ton of work and a ton of fun. My twins were also a surprise; they are our first children. Having a toddler will definitely add to the fun! I am in constant awe of my boys.
Remember to take care of yourself during the pregnancy -- keeping those little guys in there as long as possible is important. Try to get lots of rest (I know that's not always realistic with a toddler) and drink lots of fluids.
Best wishes and definitely post more specific questions if you have them.

Congratulations! I have a friend that experienced the same situation! Know your feelings of shock are so normal!! There is a wonderful resource for parents of multiples....Keeping Pace with Multiple Miracles...they are in the bridgewater area and are wonderful! Their website is www.keepingpace.org Best wishes and Much Luck for a wonderful pregnancy and delivery!!

Hi K.! Congratulations! I have 3 year old twins and I know what a shock it can be to find out that you're expecting twins. But trust me, it will be well worth it in the end as my twins bring me such joy. I can tell you, do not be surprised if you go into pre-term labor or if you do not carry them to 40 weeks. I carried my twins to 38 weeks and that was considered full-term for them. Good luck!

I have 3.5 year old boy/girl twins and they are just amazing! So congratulations - you are in for a wild and wonderful ride. The only advice I can give for pregnancy is take the best care of yourself as you can - I also gained a TON of weight (seriously, like 80 pounds!) and babies were delivered at almost 38 weeks at 5 lbs 14 oz and 7 lbs 8 oz. I used the Dr. Luke book (Expecting Twins, Triplets, and Quads) to set up my diet and as someone else mentioned, tried to gain the majority of weight prior to 20 weeks in the hopes the babies could be as big as possible should they have been delivered prematurely. Also, not that this happens to everyone, but I DID have to go on modified bed rest around 31 weeks when I went into premature labor, which they were able to control by meds. I did spend some time in the hospital during that time to try to contain the contractions and was finally sent home to bed rest until they were delivered 6 weeks later.

I'm sure you will have tons of questions along the way - please feel free to e-mail me directly. Also, not sure where you are located in MA but there are many multiples support groups (I belonged to one that met in Danvers called Mothers of Multiples (MOMs) that was very helpful in the early months/first year or two). I made some very good friends there who had twins close in age and we still meet up for playdates on a weekly basis! It's great to have fellow Moms who can relate and understand the specific challenges twins or triplets can present.

The shock will probably take a while to wear off (honestly, some days I look at my two and am still at some level of awe as I'm sure any mother is of her child/children!) My two are the best of friends and it is amazing to see the bond they share. You are truly doubly blessed! :) Good luck!

Hi K.,

Congratulations, twins are so very special and being a mother of twins is even more special!!!

Make sure to join the West Suburban Chapter Massachusetts Mother of Twins Association http://www.wscmmota.org. The information will be of great help to you. You can also meet other expecting Mom's there!

Good luck!

S.

Congrats to you!!! I dont have twins but I have been told that the "self feeder bottles" are a MUST!!! Esp. for you with a 2.5 year old running around too :) Good luck!!!

K.,
I'm sure someone has mentioned this but you should really join your local chapter of Mother's of Multiples ASAP. They let expecting moms come for free and are an amazing resource!
M.

Congrats!
We found out at 5 months that we were having twins as well! We, also, were completely shocked! As another mom of multiples, I would say that the first year is the hardest. But, taking it one moment at a time, is really the best way to handle it. It's amazing to watch them bond and connect~ We are still nursing and that helped the three of us bond as well. I decided to nurse only one at a time so that I could have the individual time as well. I found keeping them on different schedules worked better, allowing for alone time with each baby. They still sleep in the same crib, and that que came from them. I tried a few months ago to separate them, bc I thought they looked squished, but they didn't like that, so back in the same crib they went! Teething can be tricky with two, but your oldest, I am sure, will want to help! =)My pregnancy and delivery went smoothly. they were born 5 weeks early and spent some time in the NICU, just to gain weight. the hardest thing about the pregnancy was when they really started to gain weight. I had to sit down a lot, I would get very tired. But, my labor was fine. 21 hours~ no complications or tearing. I had a midwife and I really think that made a huge difference. I hope that helps. If you think of anything specific, please feel free to message me!
Good Luck!
S.

Congratulations! I do not have twins... but I am an identical twin! I feel blessed each and every day to have been chosen to live my life experiences with my best friend! Don't get overly concerned with the stress of trying to make them individuals! Once you have them and see how they are with one another, you will be able to gage your decisions just as you do with the daughter you currently have. From a twins perspective... the simple fact that I was granted someone to go through life's ups and downs with ... I would have been upset if someone was purposely setting up my world to go through all of it without her ... for the sake of making sure I was an "individual". Trust me ... we are two different people ... but we are best friends who do not take for granted the gift God gave us to walk through this life together. Congratulations again!
Pam

Congratulations! My twins were a surprise also and they are now 3 years old and lots of fun (I also have a 5 year old). Definitely join your local twin club - it is a huge source of support: http://www.nomotc.org/

I second what Britany G said"what could be better".Have funnnn!!!Im actually kind of jelous!!Sorry i have no advice though!!Just good Luck and I hope you have an easy/healthy pregnacy!!

dont worry you will be fine dont worry if i can do it you can i am a 22 year old single mom of seven week old twin girls! i live in dunbarton which is very close to you! if you ever need anyone to talk to feel free to e-mail me at ____@____.com i was shocked when i found out i was having twins too!! but its just normal to me now. really dont worry too much!! its not as bad as you first think its gonna be!

look into getting a night nanny for the first 6-12 weeks. twins are exhausting.
sorry im editing my post because I felt that what I said wasn't positive enough sounding.
I was typing and nursing ...so sorry
twins are great and you get double the fun in the long run. It is a lot of work but then again so is one. I second the idea of joining a multiples group as well. set up a good support system now. it will help

Congratulations K.!!

I am a soon to be mom of twins. We just started our 39th week. We were pleasantly shocked when we found out and I have to say I still have moments of OMG we are having two??? If you have any questions for me, please feel free to contact me directly. I am not an expert, but I can let you know what worked/works for me so far. Hopefully we have experience with the little ones soon.

I in awe of the women who only gained 15lbs. with her twins. That is incredible. I am sad to say that I just tipped the scale this week at 50lbs. Our babies are larger than most twins so I don't feel too badly. They are both almost 8lbs each. I am constantly trying to guess how much of the 50lbs will be lost when we deliver.

I have lots of tips for you, but the biggest is that every pregnancy is unique...as you already know. One thing I found...clothes are hard to find. I had to throw most of my dreams of being fashionable out the window. Once I hit my 7th month I was outgrowing clothing just about every other week.

I am also a workout junky. I thought I would be working out until I gave birth. I actually made fun other twin mothers who were not doing anything for exercise. Well around 6 months I was told to lay off workouts (I ignored them slightly), but at my 7th month I had to say good by to the gym. I am still an advocate of doing some walking and some exercise everyday, but it has been next to impossible to stick to my own mantra.

Nutrition wise...I ate everything I was told. I am 39 almost 40. My doctor was concerned that our babies would come early. So I tried very hard to gain the recommended weight prior to the 20th week to help reduce our risk of a premature delivery. I found the multiples birthing class at Isis helpful. The book they give you has an easy nutrition menu to follow.

Twin on-line networks are great. It looks like you received a couple already. They are especially helpful when you are picking out baby gear for your twins. I could tell you what we did, but we haven't tested out our decisions yet.

There are a few good twin books out there. I do recommend finding one that you like. I spent most of my pregnancy using the "What to Expect" book and trying to convert it to a multiples book. Two very good books are, "Mothering Multiples Breastfeeding and Caring for Twins and More!!!" by Karen Kerkoff, and "When you're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads" by Dr. Barbara Luke Tamara Eberlein.

I've gone on long enough. Good Luck!!!! And congratulations!!! Again, please do not hesitate to ask me any questions. Other twin moms have been a huge help to me so far.

R.

Hi K.,
i am a mother of 1 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. We did fertility treatments but even so...it's a lot to take in. Like many women already said - read books, try to eat as best as you can - and try to find your local mother of twins group. Go to a meeting while your pregnant. Don't get frightened by what other people tell you. Every pregnancy is different. Get to know which hospital in your area has a good nicu. You hopefully won't need it but it'll give you peace of mind. My twins were 3 lbs 13 oz and 4 lbs 14 oz. And just needed to gain weight. Good luck.

Congratulations K.! I am a mom of 8.5 month old twins and a son who will be 3 on Tuesday, so I know exactly the boat you are in!! My best advice is to find somebody/anybody who can give you some time off even for an hour or two a couple of times per week. There were some days during my pregnancy that I just wanted and probably needed to sleep...hard to do with a toddler running around. Best of luck to you, and keep us up to date and the questions coming. M.

Congratulations! The same thing happened to me, but my older son was only a year old when I found out I was having twins. My twins are turning four in two weeks. Feel free to drop me aline as questions arise. I know that I had a ton of them! I joined a yahoo group for twin mommies that was a big help and was very supportive. One thing is that I felt very tired and sick the first three months, then ok the second trimester, then the third trimester I was just so big and uncomfortable that I could not do anything, but I only gained 15 lbs with the twins. I gained 35 with my singleton. Anyway, feel free to contact me.

K.,

Congratulations on your twin pregnancy. I am a mom to 18 mos. old boy/girl twins. While I did go through fertility treatments and was aware of the risk of having multiples, I was still pretty shocked when I found out I was pregnant with twins. I belong to a twins/triplets and other multiples group and that has been a life saver. There are several groups in Mass. and you should be able to find a local one for you. I belong to the West Suburban chapter and they have been a God send. I strongly urge you to get connected with this group or a similar group dedicted to multiples see ( www.mmota.org ). The members have a vast knowledge of experience in just about every situation/question/milestone for twins. Within the West Suburban group, there is asub-group dedicated solely to moms with a singleton prior to twins, which would be your case. One piece of advice I can give you is to line up as much help as possible. You'll need help with your daughter, so you can spend time with the new ones and you'll also need help with the twins so you can spend some time with your daughter alone. Good luck with everything.

Dear K.~~
How exciting!!!! I also have twins. They are now 13. That in itself is so hard to comprehend that they are now teenagers. When i found out i was pregnant -my husband and i were actually questioning the fact of wether we could even get pregnant because we had been trying for 2 yrs and nothing. On our actual 5th wedding anniversary i had a drs appt to find out what our next step would be and i found out i was pregnant!! What an anniversary present right?? well then when i was 6 weeks along i had an appt. with the Dr. and they couldnt hear the heartbeat ect. So right away they did an ultrasound and thats when we found out that we were having twins. I think i went through every emotion there is. I had my mom with me that day cause my husband had to work and he just couldnt get away and my mom and i both at first cried , then we were laughing then crying again it was just such a shock but so amazing!!! I was suppose to go to work that day myself but with all the emotions going on there was just no way so my mom called the ofc and gave them the news and they were so excited that they didnt care i wasnt going to work. Then i went to see my husband and gave him the news and he was just speechless (only time in his life haha) Let me tell you -there is nothing like it. Of course i dont have anything to compare it to because the twins are the only children we have but oh what a blessing!! You have so much fun ahead of you. Treasure every moment and write things down because you will be so amazed of all the things you will experience during the pregnancy and afterwards as they grow. Tyler and Savanna did give us a scare because they tried to come 10 weeks early and i was in the hospital for 10 days on medication stop the contractions and then i was on complete bed rest until they delivered at 34 weeks. Dont worry though-its a very normal thing for twins to come early as your doctor has probably already told you. The crazy thing was is that the drs held them off until dec 27th 1994 and that day they had to do an amnio. to make sure that all was ok and they found that tylers fluid was low so they then admitted me to the hospital and started inducing--can you believe that??
i was in labor from the evening of the 27th until dec 30th and they were born at 4:28 and 4:32pm in the afternoon. They weighed 3lbs 10oz and 3lbs 3oz. and yes they were in the hospital for 2 weeks but then they were able to come home and you would never know now that they were such tiny babies and that they were 6 weeks premature. Its been a wild and wonderful ride. Twins have their own way of communicating, and if one does something the other is sure to follow either the same day or the next. They are the first to squabble with each other but they are always the first to protect each other also. When they were in the hospital and aftger they came home they shared the same crib for a long time and even now they still have that strong bond of always wanting to be together. Its funny because if tyler lost a tooth -savanna would end up loosing the same exact tooth and vice versa. One day i had tyler with me and savanna was at nanas and tyler happened to turn over on his back for the first time and no sooner did he do that and my mom was calling me and telling me that Savanna had done the same exact thing. Its just amazing. You are going to have so much fun. The thing to really remember is that to always do your best to mot make anything a competition or say that well so & so can do this why cant you?? They are their own person and they need to know that and have their own identity. I found that its so much better to refer to them as tyler and savanna not the twins. Especially now-they dont want to be referred to as the twins. They love being twins but they want to be known for being their own person. Oh i am so excited for you. If ever you have any ??'s and i can be of any help please e-mail me and i will offer any help i can.
I wish you the best and good luck. There is just nothing like it. This will be very exciting for your toddler also as you can share everything --letting your daughter share in all the changes you will be going through-the thrill of feeling the babies move ect. Including her in setting up the nursery ect will make her feel so important. oh and by the way--i didnt use any fertility drugs either. twins are on both sides of the family but 4 generations ago so it was truly a miracle.
Again best of luck to you and your growing family. there are many support groups for parents of multiples and also as i said -any time you want to talk-i'm here. Take care.
R.

I dont have any advice but certainly want to say CONGRATULATIONS!!! Blessed twice - what could be better???

I don't have multiples but I know there are groups you can join for support. www.freecycle.org would be a great place to join if you haven't already to help defray cost of things. Congrats!
H.

Hi K.:

Reading your request brought back some memories for me. My husband and I had twin boy's May 2nd of this yr. We did not go through fertility either and even with my boy's being 6 months old (I'm still shocked). There are a lot of myths of conceiving twins, but I look at it as if its going to happen it WILL. I carried to 37 weeks and they weighed 7lb 5oz & 7lb 3 1/2oz which is amazing for mulitples. The best advise I can give you is take one day at a time. Do not worry about a dirty house, laundry, groceries, etc. That will all get done when it does. I found it best to get them on the same schedule as possible. I feared if not, then I'd constantly be feeding them and changing diapers. I chose to breast feed and still do. I tried feeding them at the same time and that was just too stressful. The best purchase I could of made was a Medela pump. Sort of pricy but most insurance's pay for one so look into it (especially with multiples). I'd nurse one baby and give the other baby pumped milk in a bottle. Then switch babies at the next feeding. When I changed one babies diaper I automatically changed the other one. I've been extremely lucky to have such support around me. I don't know what I'd do without my husband, mother and sister in law. The first three months are the most difficult. As you know with your first child, once they start to smile and recognize you it makes it all worth it. Every day is different so just go with the flow. I did buy two cribs but I must say they are still in our room (sleeping in the same co-sleeper) another great purchase. The front to back stroller is also a great one where both car seats lock right into it so I'm always outside for walks. A friend mentioned that the side to side stroller is hard to manover in store's etc. I could go on and on so I'll stop here. Any questions or concern's; feel free to ask anytime. That's what mother's of mulitples are here for. We have to stick together.