Hi all

New thread time

Previous thread

Regards

Ali

GOLD. .



Hope everyone is well

Hi girls
We are expecting twins on the 3rd Sept. We find out in 2 weeks what sex they both are and are very excited.
I just also wanted to know, I have been told I have an Anterior Placenta for both (I think both)..Just wondering when I should be able to feel any movement?

Hi all,

Hope things are going well.

Puddycat - are the issues you were having sorting themselves out? I hope so.

Kitty - hope your stitch is doing its stuff & keeping those gorgeous babies safe.

Cazza - you are due the same time as me. Congratulations.

AFM - I am back in hospital again thanks to the hyperemesis. the babies are both moving around heaps & every time they move around I'm vomiting. They also seem to be tag teaming - while sometimes I can feel what appears to be both of them, it also seems like at times one will stop moving only for the other to start. Also started having what my ob has said are braxton hicks over the past few days - has anyone else been having them from around 17 weeks or so? Am finding pregnancy horribly tough & just completely over it & now getting really stressed out because I haven't even started thinking about what to get in terms of baby goods. I know I need a new car, don't now what I want in the way of car seats of pram & have also just realised that I know nothing about basinets etc - I would like to have a basinet for them to be in together to start with but don't know whether that is a good idea or not, whether they fit or not or whether you can get special ones they will fit in. All too many decisions & I'm feeling too crappy to do anything about them.

April 2011

May 2011

Our Babies

Let me know if your details need updating or you are missing. For the newer members, can you please send me the following:

Username/Real name:
Location:
Twins due:
Sex of twins/ID or fraternal:
Hospital:
Other children:

Hi All,

How is everyone??????

Cazza44 - Welcome!! How exciting for you. Its an awesome feeling to know you are going to have TWO babies. Congratulations! Do you know yet if they are in separate placentas??

Peppa - You poor poor thing. Are you still in hospital? I am so so sorry you are feeling so sick. It must be horrible. Are you well enough to do some online shopping? Thats pretty much what I have been doing, as I'm under "house arrest". I do all the research etc and have just made a list of what I "think" we need. Then if necessary DP can go out to buy it. I did make a foray out to the baby shop the other day (my mum and his mum were here) and we got the nursery furniture ordered. It will be 4-6 weeks until it gets here. Other than that, Ive been searching gumtree and e-bay, as we wont have any more kids after this, so I figured it wasn't worth buying everything new. It would be different if we were to have another child, but I highly doubt it! (These two took us too long to get!). Where are you? If your in Brisbane, I'm happy to come and visit you in hospital and keep you company for a while????

Well, I'm just cruising along slowly. My cervix at the last appointment was behaving itself and was sitting at 30mm. So thats good. I'm hoping that my next scan (10 days) will be the same. If so, then I will take myself of the house arrest I am under and go out a bit here and there. I'm working 20 hours a week from home still (and taking 18 hours a week sick leave so I'm still on a full wage at the moment, which is great). Only problem is that Ive now got the dreaded SPD (Symphis Pubis Dysfunction) which HURTS! So, in one way or the other, I'm pretty much going to be stuck on the couch for the rest of this pregnancy!!! Oh well, as long as these babies arrive safely I don't mind.

I'm stacking on the kilos! I'm 24 weeks tomorrow (yay!) and Ive put on 14kg!!! Yikes.

Come on people............its so quite in here. Where are you all hiding?????

Hi All,

I thought i would post this link to four on line 20 min videos of families in the UK who are expecting multiple babies.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/tv/show/ba...0307-1bknl.html

For novices like us, we really enjoyed the series.

yay to your cervix behaving itself Puddycat. I haven't done any shopping or much research on anything yet - really need to start. We definitely won't be having anymore after these either (like you they were a long time coming & there's no way in hell I'd go through pregnancy again). I'm in Vic so a fair way away.


AFM - still in hospital - still sick & have been struggling with a depressive episode (I have pre-existing mental health issues which made getting pg in the first place an even bigger decision for us). I think I've given up on the whole idea of actually getting to enjoy any of the pregnancy & instead am trying really hard to think of the time ahead instead. I have my morph scan next Tuesday so hopefully that will help turn my negative thinking around.

Oh Peppa - You poor thing. How horrible it must be. Especially as you went though so much to get to this stage. I really feel sorry for you. Fingers crossed you feel better soon. Ive got a (pretty detailed) excel spreadsheet of the things that I "think" we will need. Obviously never had a baby before I could be way off track. But I have been posting LOTS of questions in the baby sections of various forums. If you PM me your email address, I'm happy to send it to you. It might point you sort of in the right direction. I did it up in case I was hospitilaised and DP had to go out and buy all our stuff (heaven help us!!). Also, have you joined the AMBA forum? There is lots of good advice on there. Thats exciting that you have your morphology scan next week - be warned, they take AGES! Mine took 3 hours (but should have only taken 2 - they wanted to re-scan some parts to check my "growth" and my cervix issues again).

Hi Girls
I hope everything goes well for you Peppa

Username/Real name: Carrie
Location: Rural WA
Twins due: 3rd Sept
Hospital: SJOG Murdoch
Other children: 0

Hi Ladies...

Username/Real name: MayaMax
Location: Brisbane
Twins due: 31st May
Hospital: North West Private
Other children: None

Greetings from the couch/bed I'm on my first week of leave and things have been good (fingers are crossed) apart from the occassional bouts of boredom which gets replaced with sleep. Had a shopping date with my mum yesterday then we had a relaxing pedi together ... will be a while before I have a day like that again!

I'm 32 weeks now. Saw OB today and turns out baby boy is now breech (this is after they were both head down a month ago), but OB didn't seem to be too concerned as 'there is plenty of time for him to change positions'. Last U/S next week, where we will see if there is any changes to the VSD in his little heart.

Finished my shopping, pram bought, baby capsules installed..nursery is ready...wat now????

Hope all you mummies-to-be are doing well !

Hi Ladies,
I was wondering if I could join in here. I found out today I am expecting twins and I am shocked to say the least! This was meant to be our 3rd and final bub but turns out we got 2 for 1 this time around. No idea how I will cope as DS2 will only be 17 months when these bubs arrive. 3 under 17 months!! Holy cow!!

Im still trying to get my head around it all. My ob saw 1 bub with a really clear heartbeat and a line dividing the babies and the second bub was slightly further back but he still thought he saw the flicker of a heartbeat. I have another scan next week so we will know more then.

Look forward to getting to know you all better and learning from you all!

Humpty Dumpty

Just popping in to say hi to all.. the twins are finally both home from hospital and we are loving life... it sure is busy.. hell last week we had 14 doctors appointments... some ranging from 40 min away to 5 hours... but im loving motherhood.. amazing for someone who said she never wanted kids!!!

Two is so much better than one!!!

Hi All,

Bellazeus - Oh wow, what wonderful news. I'm so so happy to hear you are all home and all is going as well as can be expected. Thats just fantastic.

Humpty Dumpty - Welcome! Congratulations on your pregnancy - and a twin one is all the more better! There are lots of others who have young children (not me though) so I'm sure you will find lots of support here. Let us know how your scan goes next week. How exciting.

MayaMax - Well done on making it to 32 weeks. Thats a great milestone. I bet you are glad not to be working anymore. I am only 24+5 and I'm huge, so I can only imagine what size I will be when I'm 32 weeks. It sounds like you are very organised, which is good. What about cooking some frozen meals? That could take up a bit of time for you, and I'm sure you will be grateful of them when the babies arrive! The other plan I have is to go though my mobile phone and update my address book (in case I loose my phone).

Cazza and MayaMax - Ive added you to the main list on the first page. Thanks for your details.

Peppa - how are you going?

Kitty - How is your cervix going? Whens your next scan?

Well, I'm just plodding along. 25 weeks on Monday. Time was going so fast, but since my cervix issues and the fact that I am now only working 20 hours a week from home and am meant to be resting time is going really slowly. I ended up a the hospital yesterday as Twin B (usually the most active one) had been really quiet for a few days. But they found two heartbeats, so all is well. My next scan is on Wednesday. This is a growth scan and one to check my cervix. I cant wait to see them again. My PSD and sore tail bone are making movement pretty hard - it HURTS! But seeming as I am meant to be resting, then I guess its just Mother Natures way of making sure I am resting!!!

this is a cut & paste from my DIG after my scan today

Hi Everyone,

Am now 26 weeks - getting bigger, all going OK on scans (these babies are not cheap - 3-4 weekly growth scans at $300 each!). Both head down as of last week, but will wait and see over the next few weeks if they flip again - certainly by the movements it feels like they are doing somersaults all the time! Lots of 'alien' -type action with punches visible through my tummy!
Morning sickness now replaced by heartburn (yuck).
Also got nerve pain over my stretched tummy - got this last pregnancy, although it came on much later. At least I know what it is this time, and that it will get better after the babies are born.

We went to the Australian Breastfeeding Association 'Breastfeeding Twins' session last month, it was really helpful. Discussed breastfeeding in general, but also suggested to think about the posibility of babies being prem - and how to express/do Kangaroo care in Special Care nursery to increase the chance of successful breastfeeding.
Also suggested that in the early days (6-8 weeks) it may not be possible to 'schedule' the feeding to every 3 hours, or to feed both babies together - so to try and be flexible and outsource cooking/cleaning/other chores while you are busy feeding (and sleeping when your bubs do). Also to experiment with breastfeeding pillows - not every brand suits every family. It made me more optomistic about breastfeeding twins - but also more realistic - if we end up bottle feeding or doing both it's not a huge problem.


Peppanickel - hope all goes well over the next few weeks. Fingers crossed that Twin 1's growth and blood flow remains stable, but good news that Twin 2 is thriving. Is there anything that is helping the vomiting at all?
I've also been getting significant Braxton-Hicks - from 14 weeks or so (particularly if I have a full bladder) - but thankfully no cervix issues.

Puddycat - thanks for the link to the multiple babies program from the UK - was quite reassuring to watch too. Hope your time at home is going OK and cervix also OK. Do you have a pelvis 'brace' for the SPD?? I had a very ugly support band last pregnancy and found it fabulous - the specialised women's physio fitted it for me. Unfortunately it must be in storage somewhere - can't find it at the moment - although I'm driving everywhere and not walking more than 50m at a time currently - so it's keeping it more under control.

I ordered our BJCS from Baby on the Run this week - with the Aussie dollar it actually came out a little cheaper in AUD than USD! Looking forward to playing with it when it arrives - not sure how long that will take.

Hi to all the other multiple mums-to-be - hope your pregnancies are going smoothly.

Hi All,

preg2 - Im 25+3 (so just behind you). I ordered my pram from Babies on the Run as well this week . What did you get? I got the BJCS in diamond colour plus loads of accessories (parent console, rain covers, toddler trays etc). I cant wait for it to arrive, but it does say on the website that it doesn't get shipped until the end of April for the 2011 model. Oh well - plenty of time! I'm jealous that the ABA had a twin class on. We don't have any twin classes in Brisbane. I did ask. Glad you liked the TV series. MY DH really got a lot out of it I think. Yes - I have a "lovely" velcro garter belt thing that I wear if I'm walking. It is so ugly, but gee it makes a difference. The babies don't really like it though - and kick a fair bit when i have it on, which is cute.

Peppanickel - My cervix got down to 18mm, and was 1cm dilated. I was put straight back on the delightful pessaries (thought I was done with those after 8 rounds of IVF!), and within 2 weeks my cervix had lengthened to 30mm again and was no longer funnelling. Are you on pessaries or anything like that again? Kitty was similar and put on crinnone I think and had similar results (she also had a stitch though). So it does work. Having twins can be scary cant it. I get worried before each scan. I don't know much about the sizing of twins. i get confused about my own results LOL. So I'm not much help sorry. I hope that Twin one has a growth spurt soon. When is your next scan to check on their growth? Good on you for not finding out the sex (we didn't either!).

Well, I will be back later today to update, but I'm off for another growth scan and a cervix check today. I cant wait to see the babies again. I'm hoping that Twin A has had a bit of a growth spurt as it was a bit behind its big boofa sibling Twin B. I'm also hoping that my cervix is behaving itself and is still at 30mm.

The bad news is that I think I have carpal tunnel. My fingers are soooo sore. I have an OB appointment today, so will ask if I need to see a physio. Along with my SPD its going to mean a long rest of my pregnancy. But thats OK, as I'm pretty much on rest anyway, so as long as I keep my eye on the prize I will be OK. I cant wait to meet our babies. Will pop back tomorrwo to let you know how the scan went (we have an ante natal class tonight).

Bellaruz - thanks for the update, I'm super glad to hear you have your precious bubbas home and are enjoying them so much

preg2 - I can't wait to get my pram, will probably order it at about 26weeks and will be getting the baby jogger city mini! i'm glad you found the aba session helpful - i can't get to any classes or info sessions at all, so will be winging it a bit. I wholeheartly agree with getting an idea about expressing - you may not need to do it at all, but I knew nothing about it when my DS popped out at 31weeks and I ended up expressing full time for 6weeks.

puddy - hope your scan goes beautifully today, and your cervix is still behaving. i was put on crinone at 19weeks, and as much as i hate it, since i've been on it my cervix doubled in length. i think the only reason i was put in for the stitch so quickly was my history and otherwise they normally wait until it gets down to 1.5cm. my ob didn't think the stitch would lengthen the cervix, just hold it at 1.8cm, so it seems the crinone is doing the lengthening.

humpty - welcome,and congratulations! goodluck with your next scan.

mayamax - 32 weeks omg how exciting. you sound all organised so I guess its just a matter of waiting - do you know the gender of your little ones?

a big hello to anyone i've missed!

afm not much happening, my strict bedrest is now more a house arrest (i'm pretty sure it was just the two weeks post stitch my ob didn't want me getting up at all) and i'm just waiting for my appointments next week. i see my ob on monday and on thursday next week I go for a specific growth scan to check for TTTS (i do that every three weeks now).

I just thought I would let you know how yesterdays scan and OB appointment went - basically all is going well, so we are really happy.

Baby A needs to have a bit of a growth spurt though, as it is lagging 15% behind Baby B.

Baby A is currently 775g and currently in the 25th centile.
Baby B is currently 906g and currently in the 63rd centile.

They don't worry until there is a 20-25% size discrepancy, and then they only start being seriously concerned when the size discrepancy is more than 25%. However, they are closely monitoring them and I will be having scans every three weeks. Thats Ok though, as we get to see the babies regularly!!!

The good news is that my cervix is behaving very well and is no longer any cause for concern. Yay.

The growth has apparently grown by 14%, but if you compare it to other scans it was actually 3mm smaller this time. One sonogropher did mention to me that she wasn't sure which angle to take the measurements on, as it varied in size from side to side. Im not concerned about it anymore. It doesn't appear to have changed as far as I can tell, and it simply depends on the sonogropher and the machine on the day.

Im off to the physio tomorrow though, as Ive now got carpal tunnel - which Im not at all concerned about. It just inconvenient more than anything. It will go when the babies arrive (hopefully!). Its a bit painful in the morning, but its bearable. The OB just said to not have a hot drink for the first hour or so, as Im in danger of dropping the cup and burning myself - which was good advice. Will be interesting to see if the physio can do anything.

In regards to their impending arrival, he has advised that as 38 weeks is considered full term for twins, so the caesar will be performed at 37 weeks. This brings it forward to 2nd July (which is a Saturday, so I will ask for the Monday the 4th July). Or even later in that week if he agrees. I really want to keep them in there for as long as possible to enable their lungs to be as developed as possible and for their breast feeding reflexes to be stronger. 37 week babies still have a few issues and may need oxygen etc for a few days. plus they can be really sleepy, which makes breastfeeding harder.

I had the glucose test (diabetes test) yesterday - and unless I hear from them in the next couple of days then I am to assume I passed. They will only contact me if there is a problem, which Im sure there wont be.

So all is well with Bubble and Squeak. They seem to be quite comfortable in there now, so lets hope they stay that way for a good while longer. I cant imagine how on earth they are going to fit in there for another 12 weeks, but apparently thats the plan!!!

How is everyone???? Its very quiet in here?

I'm 26 weeks now - which I am VERY relieved about. I love all the kicks I get now. Its so beautiful to feel.

Hi guys,

Great news puddycat about the cervix scans. Hope that bub A grows a bit more....although I believe ultrasound weights and measurements are always + or - a bit with accuracy - so not always such a dramatic difference in real life. I suppose it's the best approximation we have, however, so have to go on those measurements.
Hope the carpal tunnel is improving. Fingers crossed for your GTT, I had mine last week - all OK, but I felt quite sick due to the fasting on the day - yuck.
Yes am also getting heaps of kicks - sometimes feels like they are both somersaulting at once!

Kiity005 - glad to hear your cervix is behaving itself. How did the TTTS scan go?

Peppanickel - hope all is going OK with you too.

Humpty dumpty - hope all is going well, are you getting morning sickness? how was the 2nd scan?

Mayamax - Hope your leave is going well. How was the scan for the VSD? Have the drs recommended any thing different for the birth because of it - or do they just see how bub goes in the 1st few days? I don't know much about VSD or the follow up needed. It's amazing what can be picked up on the scans when the heart is SO tiny isn't it?!!

I'm nearly 28 weeks - although no major medical problems just getting sick of being pregnant! Am tired, heartburn is starting to wake me up overnight, still get nauseated if I don't eat properly all the time, mild SPD, and now have yucky nerve pain on my right tummy due to stretching of intercostal nerves. Am looking into hiring a TENS machine to see if that can help - as panadol and ice or heat packs don't do too much.

I know compared to many of you I'm sailing through things - but you've caught me at a whingy moment - sorry!
At least no diabetes on GTT.

All the best to you all, enjoy the 5 day Easter break!

puddy - 26 weeks how exciting! you're bubbas sound like a great weight, the 3 weekly scans are great for seeing them glad to hear the growth isn't growing either.

preg2 - whinge away, i'm only 24weeks and am finding things very uncomfortable. I hope the next few weeks fly by and you start to feel a little better.

peppa - as I said in other threads, will be thinking of you.

afm I had a check up with my ob the monday just gone, my cervix is still 4cm so i'm thrilled with that. we went over the various issues i'm having with the medications lots of headaches, dizy spells, heart palpitations (i often feel like i'm about to have a heart attack!) and heartburn as the main problems - the thing is the meds are making a huge difference to the contractions so i can't come off them, its just a matter of dealing with it until we get to about 30weeks and maybe then come off them and hope nothing happens.

today i had a growth scan, and no sign of TTTS twin a is 670g and twin b is 680g so we are very pleased with that. i go for another one of these scans at 27weeks, than again at 30wks with ob visits inbetween.

Hope all our multiple mummys have a great easter x

Sending lots of prayers and thoughts to Peppa and Quixote

I hope your babies stay baking for a long time.

Just in case someone missed it -

~QUIXOTE~ (Jess) gave birth to two beautiful girls this morning - Eden and Willow - at 23+6

Congratulations Jess on the arrival of your little girls and we wish you strength during your NICU journey.

xxx

I'm too gutted to read anything or personals atm - update on me as posted elsewhere

Things aren't looking good for the twins at this stage - in particular twin 1. On Saturday morning I was dilated to 8cm & a scan showed bulging membranes with one foot well down in the membranes. The membranes were pushed back up , medications changed & again hoping for the best. Overnight on Saturday night, twin 1's membranes ruptured. Since then the contractions have been anywhere from 1-2 & up to 5 mins apart. 2 weeks away from 23 weeks where anything can be done for either baby seems a lifetime, & in the meantime since survival of twin 1 is extremely unlikely we have been told that one option would be to deliver that baby & hope for the best for the other one

Peppa - as I said in the other thread I will be praying like crazy for you and your twins.


quiotoxe - wow what a weekened you've had! congratulations on the birth of eden and willow my thoughts will also be with you and your family as the girls go through their nicu journey. (puddy thanks for the updated)

Peppa - I'm so sorry to hear that your little girl couldn't stay any longer. Our thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, and particularly hoping Twin 2 stays nice and snug for at least a few more weeks xoxo

Quixote - what a sudden shock over the weekend - glad your girls are going OK in NICU, thinking of you, hope they and you stay strong.

kitty005 - so glad to hear the cervix has stabilised and contractions are settling. You are one super-mum putting up with the medication side effects - I'm struggling to remain cheery with normal pregnancy issues!

Puddycat - any luck with the physio for your carpal tunnel? How was your GTT and the latest growth scan? You must be getting lots of pictures of your precious little bubs.

Hi to everyone else - hopefully like me you are avoiding too many major pregnancy issues.

Peppa - I'm so so sad your little girl wasn't able to stay with you. You have had such a terrible time with this pregnancy, and for this to now happen it just horrible. I know you have had mental health issues as well, so I hope that you are getting all of the support you need during this terrible time. To be honest, I don't really know what to say to you at the moment, words seem so useless at a time like this. Please just take comfort in knowing that I (and many others from EB land) are thinking of you and are hoping that your other little one can hang in there for another few weeks. Can I ask what you named your little girl?

Hi ladies,

Peppa - sorry to hear about your little girl, my thoughts are with you.
Quixote - congrats on the arrival of your girls.
To all the other ladies - hope you are all doing well.

It's been a while since I have posted as things have been quite hectic for us. I enjoyed one week of my maternity leave before my twins decided to arrive. Lachlan and Maya arrived on 12th April at 33 weeks. They are still in the special care nursery however we are hoping they will be home soon.

Take care all.

Dear Mayamax.

Congratulations! How exciting to finally meet your precious twins - what beautiful names. Glad you got a week off before life became super-busy! Hope Lachlan and Maya are home soon with you, very best wishes for the next few weeks in particular.

Hi I just wanted to introduce myself, my name is Monica and I have just found out that baby number three we were expecting is actually babies number three and four! We got quite a shock at our 12 week ultrasound the other day, the instant she put the thing on my belly I knew it was twins My husband and I both burst into hysterical laughter to stop from freaking out completely I think!

We already have a 3 year old DD and an 18 month old DS, so I'm thinking we will be very busy come October/ November.

I look forward to getting to know you all

Hi Monicat - I have just found out the same thing! I have a dd turning 4 this week and an 18 month old DS. We had planned number 3, but also just found out we're getting one more than we bargained for! I'm so excited, but nervous at the same time!

Welcome cathy217 and Monicat! Im 28 weeks pregnant with what we presume is fraternal twins after 8 rounds of IVF. I'm loving being pregnant, even though Ive got SPD and carpal tunnel. Its a scary time (so much can go wrong in a twin pregnancy it seems) but also an amazing time. If you want me to add you to "the list" then can you send me the following:

Username/Real name:
Location:
Twins due:
Sex of twins/ID or fraternal:
Hospital:
Other children:


MayaMax - CONGRATULATIONS!!!! How lovely. I just checked the list and you were due on 31 May, so they came about 6 weeks early. What a lovely surprise. I hope they are doing well, and you aren't in the SCN for too much longer. Did you go into labour naturally? Please do come back and update us - let us all know what life is really like when the babies finally come!!!

preg2 - How are you travelling? You sound chirpy and are lucky enough to not be experiencing any pregnancy woes! Are you heading for a natural birth or a c-section?

Kitty - Hows your cervix holding up? I'm getting mine measured tomorrow (its been three weeks since the last measurement so fingers crossed its OK).

Hi cathy217 and Puddycat! The funny thing is I had to talk DH into having "just one more" so we were both pretty shocked to find out it was twins. Lol. My DH just turned 44 the other day, so he is about the same age as your Cathy217.

Username/Real name: Monicat/Monica (yes I know not very inventive. Lol!)
Location: Perth, WA
Twins due: 11/11/2011 (my sons birthday)
Sex of twins/ID or fraternal: my guess at this stage is Boy/girl, but will update if we find out
Hospital: Hoping for a homebirth, otherwise KEMH
Other children: Charlotte (3) Oscar (18 months)

monicat and cathy - welcome, I hope you have a nice smooth pregnancy. did either of you have any idea before the ultrasound? I did a stim ivf cycle, with one embryo transfered so I was definately shocked to see two heartbeats! i'll agree its a very exciting and nervewracking time.

mayamax - congratulations on the birth of Lachlan and Maya how are they coming along in scn? are they home? I hope everything is well with you and your bubbas.

puddy - how did your scan go? i hope that cervix is behaving. since i had the stitch/crinone/nifedipine mine has been stable at around 4cm, my ob wont check it now unless i start getting another run of contraction, which so far i haven't, i get maybe 5 or 6 BH a day, but they are nice and sporatic. Congratulations on supassing the 28week mark, i'm starting to get less scared and more exicited and i'm only at 26. Can I ask how you are going with the crinone? i'm getting a lot of joint pain and terrible emotions (the crying etc) my ob is blaming the crinone and says i can't get off it until 34 weeks. my next scan is next friday to see how big the babies are, which i can't wait for!

preg 2 - hope you are going along ok and aren't too uncomfortable.

quixote - I know you must be so busy, and may not check in, but i like many other am following you and your amazing girls, they are just beautiful. i am so sorry you've been affected by the actions of another member, but please just focus on you and your family and all those who are supporting you irl and on eb x

Hi everyone. I have been reading this thread for a little while but hadn't got around to introducing myself.

I am expecting identical twins on 1.11.11 . It was a huge surprise but we are absolutely thrilled. This is my first pregnancy.

Username/Real name: puddingclub / Jo
Location: Sydney
Twins due: 1.11.11
Sex of twins/ID or fraternal: ID
Hospital: St George Public
Other children: No others.

Now I am 14 weeks I am starting to think about the logistics of twins and all the things I need to get! Looking forward to chatting to you all.

Hi kitty005, and pudding club. Yes it was definitely a shock for us! We hadn't had a dating scan, so the 12 week scan was the first we knew about it.

Congratulations puddingclub - I'm starting to think about all the things we'll need too - like a bigger car and house (we live in a 2 bed duplex!) for starters. Plus all the little things like a pram, another high chair and bouncer, 2 more car seats. Thankfully we have one of most things we need and have a few friends who can lend us things too, which will be great and save some money.

Congratulations Monicat, puddingclub and cathy217! I'm still coming to terms with the fact we're having twins...and I'm now 30 weeks!
But being a compulsive babyclothes and accessories shopper - I found it quite fun planning new prams/cots/car seats etc.
We're in a 3 bedroom house, with a nearly 3 year old DS - so the babies will be in the same room. Unfortunately the only car seats that fit in our car are 3 x SNS compaqs - so won't have the convenience of capsules....

I was very excited to get my shipping number for the Baby Jogger City Select today...we're getting a ruby one from the US (baby on the run) - and I've also bought a Maclaren twin umbrella stroller for travelling / quick supermarket trips etc.

This week is my last week of work - and am really happy to finish. A work colleague who has twins said she was too tired to work past 28-30 weeks....and I had a bit of a laugh at this - as I worked happily fulltime until 36 weeks with my son - but I must admit she was right - even though I'm parttime 2 1/2 days a week, it's been a real struggle. I've been having a day nap at the same time as my son every chance I can, and there's been lots of Play school watching while lying on the couch lately!

Otherwise things seem to be going pretty smoothly with me - mild SPD, mild carpal tunnel (but only at night), some abdominal nerve pain due to stretching, but all to be expected I suppose. Our last growth scan showed bubs are weighing in at about 1.4kg each

I'm still debating with my obs about natural delivery vs elective C/S. There seems to be quite real risks for delivery of the 2nd twin vaginally.....but then again - if it all goes smoothly, then the recovery time and the ability to drive (and get my son to and from kinder...or to and from the hospital if bubs are prem in special care nursery) would be fabulous. I suppose we'll see if twin 1 stays head down - if they're breech it will be off for a C/S anyway.

Puddycat and Kitty005 - hope all is going well and your respective cervixes are behaving themselves! I have a lot of admiration for you dealing not just with a twin pregnancy but all of the extra stressors (and medication Side effects).

Hope you all had a great Mother's Day (or mother-to-be-day)!

Take care

There is definitely a higher risk for complications to occur with twin 2 than twin 1, but from all the research I can find - with 37 week plus twins the risks are roughly 1.3% with twin 1 and around 3.3% with twin 2. Yes they are higher odds, but that is still over a 96% chance of everything being fine!! There are also a lot of risks associated with CS! As you said recovery period plus difficulty trying to get into a comfortable position to breastfeed two babies. If I have the choice I will definitely have a VB. You can quite easily deliver twin one head down and twin 2 breech also.

I would just do some research of your own, so you are comfortable with whatever decision you make.

I haven't been at work for 3 years since my daughter was born, so as much as I'd like to unfortunately lots of shopping is not possible here, especially as we will soon have 4 kids!

Hi All,

Wow - lots happening.

Firstly though I have to say - I am so annoyed, p'd off and hurt by Peppa. Multiple pregnancies are stressful enough as they are, let alone her making her story up. Grrrrr. There are so many genuine multiple birth 'scary stories' out there at the moment on EB - I can name 4 just off the top of my head that I am "following" at the moment. How dare she fake her story. I supported her quite a lot, as my cervix issues started at the same gestation when she first thought she was going to go into labour. So I genuinely thought I was in a position to "help" her. Anyway - I just wanted to get that off my chest.

Cloudgirl - Im not sure if you are reading this thread anymore. Congratulations on the birth of your twins. I am so so sorry to hear about the loss of your son. I truly hope that you can find some joy in your other son to help you through this horrible time. I’ve thought about you every day since I hear the news. I can’t fathom what you must be going though. Please take good care of yourself.

Mayamax - Hows Lachlan and Maya? Has it sunk in that you actually have TWINS?????

Monicat - I’ve "seen" you on the AMBA forum as well. Thats fantastic that you still have most things and you have friends who can lend you the rest. We are starting from scratch, and these are likely to be our only children, so we have been buying as much second hand as possible. I can’t justify spending all that money on something that will only be used for a couple of months.

preg2 - I’m a week behind you - I’m 29 weeks today. My babies (99.9% sure they are fraternal) are very differently sized to yours. Twin A is only 1125 (and on the 33rd centile of the weight scale) and Twin B is a whopping 1525 (and on the 95th centile - so a real fatty!!!). I’ve been told that due to the large weight difference a vaginal birth is pretty much out of the question for me, as its too dangerous for twin B (fatty) and its likely that I would have a vaginal birth for Twin A and a c-section for Twin B. NO THANK YOU!!! (Plus I have other 'issues' which I will get to later). Re the prams, I got the BJCS (from BOTR) today. I got the Diamond colour. It’s beautiful. I’ve done a few laps of the lounge room in it and it handles really well. Haven’t worked out how to attach the sun shades yet, but will do that tomorrow. Interestingly, mu step-mother wants to buy me a Maclaren twin umbrella stroller as well!!! She thinks I will need a light weight "run about". I wasn’t sure if I needed a pram AND a stroller though??? (I posted the question in the main multiples forum earlier tonight).

puddingclub - Welcome!!! Congratulations. How exciting to be expecting ID twins. Do you know what sex they are? How have you been feeling so far? Good I hope.

kitty005 - The BH are really kicking in now. I get them a lot at night and a few during the day. I probably get 10 or so a day. The main problem is that they make me want to wee!!!! I’m not on crinnone, I’m on pessaries (but I gather they both do the same thing). Thats interesting about the joint pain. I’m getting LOADS of joint pain, but I just assumed it was due to the additional weight I am carrying! I don’t see the OB for another two weeks, but I will ask him then.

cathy217 - Has the fact that you are having twins started to sink in yet? It does take a while!!! How are you feeling? I hope your pregnancy so far has been treating you well.

Well, big week for us. I’m 29 weeks today (yay!). As I mentioned earlier - Twin A is only 1125 (and on the 33rd centile of the weight scale) and Twin B is a whopping 1525 (and on the 95th centile - so a real fatty!!!). This means there is now a 25% weight difference between them. Usually 25% is when they "get worried", but as Twin A is still within a healthy weight scale, they are letting me go another three weeks before my next scan. The good news is that my cervix is 'long and closed' - and sitting at about 4cm now. So the longest ever. I’m really happy about that. The other good news is that the funky growth in my cervix is no longer an issue. So this technically means that I can now maybe have a vaginal birth. However, due to the weight differences and cause the bugger twin will be the second twin delivered they are not recommending it. Also, Twin A is not "presenting" well. There is a big gap between Twin A (who is head down) and my cervix - and its a bit too much of a gap apparently. I didn’t quite understand it to be honest, but when the OB reviewed my scan and had a play with my tum, he agreed with the sonogropher. Also, Twin B is transverse. So the "official" outcome is that if I go into labour in the next three weeks (i.e. before my next scan) it is a guaranteed c-section. This will then be reviewed at my next scan and re-assessed then, depending on what they find.

Today we did a tour of the NICU and the SCN. It was quite confronting and scary, but I am sooooooo glad we did it. The lovely NICU nurse/midwife that took us round was the first person to say "WHEN you babies are in here" rather than "IF your babies are in here". It seems they are more worried about Twin A (smaller twin) and this obviously depends on when they are delivered, but if I make it til about 34 weeks there may be a chance that Twin B (fatty) will be OK in SCN and Twin A would be in the NICU. Obviously though, this depends on 1001 factors, so its pretty pointless even saying that!!! She showed us babies that are of a similar weight to our twins - and OMG, they are tiny. I got quite upset.

My knees are really really sore. I guess its cause they are carrying so much extra weight now? My SPD is sore, my carpal tunnel is getting worse. And then I had a really crap nights sleep last night (and for the two nights before) and was almost ready to say I was "over it". But now, after doing the tour, I want them to stay in there as long as possible!!!! All my misery and ailments are suddenly bearable again!

Anyway - if you get a chance, I really really recommend you do a tour of the NICU, just in case you do end up in there.

Hi Ladies,
I thought maybe it was time to graduate across from the HG thread now that I am feeling better.

We found out we are expecting twins after I suddenly began vomiting at 6 weeks which turned into full blown Hyperemesis. What a surprise! We already have 2 DS's who we absolutely adore and weren't planning on expanding our family so soon.

I look forward to meeting more twin mummies and getting some ideas on what to buy and expect during pregnancy.

Peppa was also part of our group too (even though I still dont understand why anyone would want to fake Hyperemesis) so I could imagine the mixed emotions it must have caused for your thread.

We have another scan this coming Thursday and we are eager to find out what we having (thats if they can see anything). Anyone heard of OB's only delivering twins by CS? Both my DS's were natural so I was surprised he said that I would have to look for a new OB if I wanted a natural with twins.

Here's my info:

Username/Real name: HeyYoYo (picked by DS) but real name Vicky
Twins due: 25th October
Sex of twins/ID or fraternal: TBA/Fraternal
Other children: 2 x DS

Hope you are all feeling well!

Vicky

Welcome Vicky. I love your Username! Good choice by DS.

I'm sorry you have been feeling so sick. I'm glad you are feeling better.

Good luck on your scan on Thursday - its a very exciting time. We haven't found out the sex of ours, but we are struggling BIG TIME with names, so now I'm thinking we should!

Are you going private? I found when I was looking at OBs that most private OBs were quite insistent on c-sections, however the public system was more welcoming for vaginal births. As a result we are going public (but it looks like I need a c-section anyway - which is a shame).

May 2011

Our Babies

Let me know if your details need updating or you are missing. For the newer members, can you please send me the following:

Username/Real name:
Location:
Twins due:
Sex of twins/ID or fraternal:
Hospital:
Other children:

cloudgirl - congratulation on having your twin boys. i'm so sad and sorry to hear that your son couldn't stay, and I hope you and the family are taking good care of yourselves.

puddycat - I felt pretty hurt by the whole peppa thing also, I felt I could relate to an extend as I had my regular contractions and stitch put in at 19weeks. Its a time when things can generally go pear shaped for multiple pregnancies, so to have it exploited for attention was very hurtful. I can't imagine how some members who have angel babies and offered her support feel, its just terrible.

Its fantastic to hear your cervix is behaving and your at 29weeks now, but i'll agree nicu is a scary place and a tour is a good idea. I wasn't prepared for it at all with my DS, he was a very suprise delievery and i found it quite shocking to see him ventilated in nicu. we had a fairly easy journey compared to what a lot of the earlier prems go through, but I still just don't want to be in there at all.

hey yoyo - welcome and congratulations on your pregnancy! I hope the HG starts to settle down for you, and you have a good scan on thursday. I am seeing a private OB, and delievering in a public hospital (with a nicu) as I did when I had my son (who was delivered vaginally). she is very supportive of me having a vaginal birth with the twins, and seemed a bit miffed that twins alone would warrent an automatic cesear. however she has also said, that it is more likely to have a complication arise that does warrant a cesear with twins, and if that the case I am more than comfortable with that. one thing i do know for sure is i'm having an epidural, i need to have a cervical stitch removed and my ob doesn't want to do it with out an epi as apparently my cervix is high and its in an awkard spot to remove - she is also well aware how badly i deal with pain from my drug free first birth and how eager i am to reduce pain as much as is safely possible!!. I have heard of a lot of private obs though who do seem to be ceaser happy - so i think your options are to hunt for a private ob who is supportive of vaginal delievery or go through the public system.

preg2 - enjoy your leave it sounds like you are really organised, which is great, I haven't got a single thing for the twins yet. our twins will be sharing a room, we have 4 bedrooms but the sizes are all different, one room is huge, the other is small, and the other average (and the master). so the twins can have the big room, DS the average room, and I'd like the small one to stay as a study. otherwise we lose a study and one twin gets a massive room and the other a tiny one, so i think they would be better off sharing.

1.4kgs is a nice size for 30weeks, and it sounds like everything is coming along nicely. do you know if your twins are head down at this stage? from what I hear they still have time to turn if they are not, but my experience with DS was he was head down at about 28wks and stayed there until delievery at 31. my twins now are both head down side by side, their heads seems stuck one in each hip, so im not sure what is going to happen.

monicat - I think 4 kids when you were planning 3 can sound a little daunting, particularly if you need a new house and car. once its all sorted though, i'm sure you'll have lots of fun with your new bubbas.

puddingclub - welcome and congratulations on your pregnancy! hope everything goes nice and smoothly for you.

afm im plodding along, counting the weeks, really looking forward to my growth scan on friday. its my 30th b'day on saturday, and i think its about time I did some shopping for these babies!! so i'm excited and nervous about that - its sound so dumb, but i'm scared if i go out and buy a bunch of baby stuff i'll somehow jinx things, but i've got to put that aside and just try to enjoy it.

Puddycat I'm sorry you were deceived by someone, I don't think people understand how much their lies affect other people

YES you will need a pram and a a stroller, trust me the lovely big pram which looks so comfy and cozy for baby, is a PITA to fold up and heavy to put in and out of the boot, will soon loose favour over a nice lightweight stroller which is easy to get in and out of the car and light to lift.

I'm lucky that I already have a second hand tandem ABC buggy at home for walking and am just going to have to buy a nice light twin stroller for the car. I was looking at the steelcraft one as I have the single version of that at the moment and it is great. Would love the maclaren, but a bit out of our price range unless someone is going to buy it as a present. Lol!

I hope that little bub starts to gain some more weight soon, and that both bubs will stay put for a while so you can avoid the NICU all together if possible! Do they both have their own placenta and sac?

kitty005 I'm sorry that you were hurt by these lies too. Sounds like everything is going really well with your bubs though, 26 weeks is great, and I hope your scan on Friday is all good news. Happy birthday for Saturday, I hope you have a great day and get really spoiled! Enjoy your baby shopping too, I was the same with my first baby and didn't buy anything until I was about 35 weeks pregnant!

We will find out tomorrow if the independent midwives I've been talking to will take us on, I am crossing my fingers and hoping so. After having one hospital birth and one lovely water birth at home, I know how much difference being submerged in the water made to the pain, so I really want that again if possible. Unfortunately they don't do waterbirths at all in hospitals in WA. It is crazy, it would save so many people having drugs in labour I think!

Thanks for the warm welcome ladies and adding me to the list so quickly!

Puddycat - I am glad you like the username. Its a little awkward when people call me HeyYoYo but its kind of sentimental now. Yes, we are going private. I think my Ob is more on the cautious side but it would have been nice to have the option. I didnt have any problems with childbirth with my first two. He says he delivers ALL twins via C/S, high risk or not.

Kitty005 - I had an epi with both my previous labours, and I am sure I would ask for it again if given the option of having a natural. Did you have to have a cervical stitch with your previous pregnancy too? Sounds wierd but I constantly think I may need one because I am worried about carrying the weight of 2 babies with my small frame. I lost alot of weight with Hyperemesis too which doesn't help either. BTW Hope you have a Happy 30th Birthday this weekend! What a lot to celebrate this year

Monicat - Crossing my fingers for good news tomorrow from the midwives. I spent the first part of my labour with DS1 in the bath and was disappointed when they made me get out. Its amazing how relaxing the water can make you feel.

AFM - Apart from the regular nauseous feeling, I really feel I am past the worst of this horrid hyperemesis. Now it just feels like 'normal' morning sickness (which was still bad for me but better than HG!). I also feel like maybe I am feeling some type of movements but I am not sure because I know it's too early. I did feel DS1 kick at 17 weeks which was very obvious. Can you start feeling movements with twins earlier?

Vicky

HeyYoYo I would definitely be finding another obstetrician, or at least getting a few other opinions. A lot of OBs suggest CS for all sorts of reasons, that if the woman were given the chance, she could probably birth the baby just fine. Twins who are in a good position for birth can quite easily come out of your vagina. Lol! Especially if you have already had 2 normal births. I would much prefer that to the pain of recovery from a CS, especially having other kids to look after too.

I haven't felt any movement yet, although my DD leaned hard on my tummy this afternoon, and I think one of the twins got a bit miffed, as it felt like it pushed her off!

AFM My midwives are going to take me on, which is great news. As long as the babies are in a good position and I am past 36 weeks I can have a home water birth with them. One of the MWs has done a lot of twin home births, so I am really happy at the moment

Hello all from the couch!
I'm officially on maternity leave as of today. Hoping to relax ++ and enjoy some peace and quiet (for the short term at least.....).

Puddycat - I've been following the pram vs stroller discussion. I had a mountain buggy with DS - which was great, as I walked or caught public transport everywhere and also managed some jogging around some local parks as my post-baby exercise. The large basket was great to fit in 1/2 a week's shop from the supermarket. We then bought a cheap umbrella stroller when DS was 12 months - mainly for travelling ( we hired a small car and couldn't fit in luggage + pram....and also for the airport - we could check the stroller in at the gate).
Gradually - we started using it more and more - unless we were going 'out' for the day and needed the space and reclining seat for his nap.
Now that we are a 2 car family - we rarely use the mountain buggy - the stroller goes in and out of the car so easily and is so much lighter to lift.
So I anticipated that aswell as the fabulous BJCS - we'd want an umbrella stroller at some stage - and the triumph still reclines for naps, and being Maclaren brand - probably has some resell value on ebay in a few years time!
I was tempted to also buy a 2nd hand double mountain buggy for jogging...however with DS about, I don't think I'll be doing much jogging realistically - besides DH would kill me - he already thinks I'm going overboard with baby 'essentials'!!
FYI - Glenhuntly baby carriages (in melbourne) have the triumph on special at the moment for $349 - I was initially going to buy it from the US - but when postage was figured out - the cost was similar to buy it locally.

Heyyoyo - welcome and congrats! Sorry to hear you had HG - fingers crossed the 'normal' nausea settles down soon too. Have you been on the maxolon/zofran etc etc? All the best for your scan - I found it incredible how much the babies kick each other on the ultrasounds - and quite surprised with all that activity that the membranes don't break early for everyone!!
My obs said from the start that she prefers an elective C/S for twins - but hasn't come out and said she DOESN'T deliver them naturally either.
I find the whole 'risk' thing in pregnancy quite difficult - as monicat has said - the risks for the 2nd twin are still 'low' in a vaginal delivery---however it's still a lot higher than for just one baby!!

Monicat - great news for you about the midwives - did you have to chat to many before finding the twin specialists?? Fingers and toes crossed that your little ones stay cooking for a long time - it would be lovely to have the HB you've planned.

Kitty005 - Hope you had a great birthday. Hope all continues to go OK - was the growth scan OK last week? - glad the stitch seems to be doing the trick OK. So you haven't started 'nesting' yet?? I also held off buying lots for DS (the pram arrived in stock at the shop while I was in hospital with him!!) - but for some reason have felt more relaxed this time after passing 28 weeks.

Cathy217 and puddingclub - hi and hope you've had a good week.

AFM - other than being a lady of leisure (...hmm full-time mum again) - no news from me

Take care everyone

Just a quick update on our scan yesterday. All is going well with the twins, both measuring exactly 16 weeks. We found out that they are definitely not identical. We are expecting a AND a ! The sonographer got an excellent shot of both of them at the same angle at the same time. I hope she is right, she was pretty confident.

Monicat - Great news about the Midwives taking you on! That must be such a relief for you. LOl!!!

Preg2 - Yes, I have been on Zofran since 6 weeks. What an amazing drug. I really could not function without it. I am taking it less now that I am feeling better.

We have a Mountain Buggy too, but I am guessing that wont be suitable for twins (especially considering they dont do toddler seats either). We are going to need 4 baby seats in our car. Lucky we just bought a 7-seater but I still dont know where the twin pram is going to fit. I might just have to stay at home permanently until they can walk!

hey yoyo - oh congratulations on your bubby boy and girl! glad to hear the scan went well and the hg is improving. I didn't have a stitch with my first, everything seemed to be going along fine until my waters broke 6hrs prior to him being born. So my dr was doing 3 weekly cervical checks this time round, at around 19weeks i was having regular contractions and my cervix shortened, funnelled so the stitch went in and i started anticontraction drugs and progesterone. i think most obs will check the cervix if you get regular tightenings, puddy had hers checked at the morph scan (i'm not sure if this was routine, or she asked? puddycat?).

monicat - great news on the midwifes, it must be a relief to have the care you want. most twins are both head down, so hopefully it all looks good for a homebirth

preg2 - no nesting but i think i'll take the plunge and order the things that can take a little while to come in over the weekend. i'm supposed to be on house arrest, so my reasearch has been net based, but i figure if i go straight to one shop, put an order in and come home its less activity than when i go for an doctors appointment.

afm i had my growth scan today - twin a is just over 1kg and twin b is 1.1kg. they are starting look a little pressed for room, but everything looked really good, so i'm pleased that went well. its my bday tomorrow, and the best present ever is still being pregnant

a big hello to all our multiple mummies hope everyone has a good weekend