Hello. Im new to this forum. My huband of 2 yrs and I just recently found out that we are expecting twins in June. Now that we are over the shock of the news reality is setting in about how we are going to handle all this. Don'get me wrong this is a blessing, as I miscarried my first child earlier this year but who would have ever guessed I would end up pregnant with twins! I'm up for all the advice anyone is willing to give. I guess my first question is about the Level II ultrasound that I have coming up in January. I've been reading all over the internet about it and now I'm a litle freaked out, is this normal? im afraid of what the results might be as my first miscarriage was very difficult to handle. Any advice would be apprecited to set my mind at ease. My next question is how the heck do you women breast feed two children at the same time? is it as difficult as everyone says...is it impossible? Do you have any recommednations on finding a good pedicatrician?
Hello. Im new to this forum. My huband of 2 yrs and I just recently found out that we are expecting twins in June. Now that we are over the shock of the news reality is setting in about how we are going to handle all this. Don'get me wrong this is a blessing, as I miscarried my first child earlier this year but who would have ever guessed I would end up pregnant with twins! I'm up for all the advice anyone is willing to give. I guess my first question is about the Level II ultrasound that I have coming up in January. I've been reading all over the internet about it and now I'm a litle freaked out, is this normal? im afraid of what the results might be as my first miscarriage was very difficult to handle. Any advice would be apprecited to set my mind at ease. My next question is how the heck do you women breast feed two children at the same time? is it as difficult as everyone says...is it impossible? Do you have any recommednations on finding a good pedicatrician?
CONGRATRULATIONS!!! I have had a level II ultrasound once a month starting at 9 weeks and at 30 weeks we went to weekly! and that was at the peri's office - I also had monthly ultrasounds at my regular OB's office - now starting at 32 weeks they do nonstress tests weekly and if both babies don't cooperate they do an ultrasound! So yes expect many visits and ultrasounds as your doctors will keep a close eye on you - my doctors label everyone that is pregnant with twins "high risk" the breastfeeding forum has some great advice about breastfeeding - I havn't had that experience with 2 babies yet - but I'll let you know after Jan 3rd!!
First of all, congratulations on your twins! I had also lost a pregnancy before this one, so I know it can be scary, but the further along you get the less you will worry. (At least that is how it has happened for me.) I had a level II ultrasound at about 21 weeks. It was very cool. They measured the organs, and got a very good picture of the babies' health. I would not worry about this at all... the odds of it going well are very much in your favor. As for breastfeeding... I have heard a ton of success stories on this site, especially in the breastfeeding forum, so I am hopeful I will be able to do it. I also have to find a pediatrician, but I have an hmo... so they do most of the looking for me. Hopefully I will find a good one among those I can use. I would ask around for recommendations from local parents. They would be the best place to find out about local doctors. You could also do another post specifically asking for good pediatricians in your area... there are a lot of moms on here, likely some are in your area. Good luck and again... congratulations! Helen
Hi and welcome to TS! The expecting moms and been there done that moms here are great! You are in good company. Finding out that you are pregnant with twins can be really overwhelming. I know so because at 22 weeks I still feel a bit overwhelmed but you'll get used to the idea afterwards. Sharing your feelings here will truly help you during this stage of shock. As an expecting mom of twins, expect a lot of ultrasounds. The Level II ultrasound is done between weeks 18-22, usually around week 20. It takes about 1 1/2 hours depending on how cooperative the babies are. My boys were pretty cooperative so we were done in a little over an hour. They check everything: fluids, heart, umbilical cords, placentas,brains, genders (if you don't know yet), and cervix baseline measurement. It can be scary I know I was a nervous wreck beforehand. I was just so lucky to end up with a great ultrasound tech who made me feel more comfortable. Hopefully, things will turn up great for your Level IIin Jan...I'll keep my fingers crossed and say prayers for you as well! As far as breastfeeding works, I've read about a lot of moms here who were able to do it. At a twins class I attended they said it is possible and finding a good lactation specialist is key as well as buying a really good breast pump. Hope this helps! Take care and congrats again!
Hi Erika, My name is also Ericka and I just thought I would introduce myself. I am 26 and my boyfriend and I just found out that we are having twins. This was not planned but we have been together for a long time and are very excited. I am a nervous wreck. I just can't wrap my head around actually giving birth to two babies. I keep thinking something is going to go wrong. Every doctor's visit I think they are going to tell me something is wrong. I am also 15w2d pregnant so we are probably going through a lot of the same things. I think we have to just trust that everthing is exactly as it should be and try and relax. But I know exactly how you feel. Anway Congrats!!1
Congrats on your pregnancy! I understand being anxious about the u/s. I had a m/c in Feb and then in March found out we were pg with twins. And for awhile, I was a bit anxious as to what they were going to find. But every u/s was fine and it was pretty neat to see how big the babies had gotten. As far as bf'ing twins, definitely check out the bf'ing forum. It can be done, but it is hard in the beginning. I am currently bf'ing my 9 week old twins. Get LOTS of support, read as much as you can. One thing I wish I would've done is read about bf'ing preemies. My boys came 6 weeks early and we had a lot of challenges. We have overcome them now and we're exclusively bf'ing. Make sure to find supportive people, including your pediatrician. Good luck and welcome!
Hi. I had a miscarriage last oct and I became pregnant with twins shortly after. I was so worried for the first 25 weeks or so. My twins are now 4 months old and are so happy and healthy. DOn't worry. But the many ultrasounds are a bitch!!! Good luck.
Welcome - I know how scary it can be - we found out 7 weeks 5 days and I was in total shock. Thank goodness for this board, it's been a lifesaver. I think most folks answered your questions. Enjoy your level II u/s, I enjoyed mine. I have only had 2 of them, one at 17 weeks and one last week only because there is a growth issue with my boy. Otherwise my dr. does u/s every visit (usually quick ones). These forums are a great resource and folks are very helpful. Miriam
Congrats and welcome to TS!!! You are in for an exciting ride!!! Please take some time, when you get a chance, to share with us your Upcoming Appointments and your Milestones. That way, we can help support and encourage you during your pregnancy! As for the Level II U/S, just sit back and ENJOY it, and savor each moment as you get to watch these little humans growing inside of you. It can get uncomfortable laying on your back for a long time, so don't be afraid to speak up if you feel sick to your stomach, woozy, or in pain. And ask questions. Sometimes the techs are only allowed to say so much, but they don't always narrate unless you ask them to. So ask what they are measuring and what they are seeing. It will make the experience more enjoyable. As for breastfeeding, visit our Breastfeeding Forum and become informed. I think the more you know going into it, the better. I was not 100% committed going into it, and when it became too much for me to handle, I quit. But if you are committed, use those ladies and the lactation specialists at your hospital for support. It will be invaluable. Lastly, for finding a good pedi, ask around. Ask your friends, neighbors, coworkers, etc. Or, you can do what we did, and just use the on-call pedi at the hospital...we fell in love with her and switched without hesitation at the last minute!!
Congratulations!!!!!!! Enjoy your ultrasounds, its amazing to see how much your little ones change every few weeks and you will most likely be able to keep track of which twin is where. You should also get lots of ultrasound pictures to share with family and friends. Breastfeeding your twins is rewarding if you are able to do so. I have been lucky with feeding my boys as they have fed at the same time since birth. I was unable to breastfeed my first son, so having everything work properly for the twins is great.
To the site Erica. You will find all the answers to any question here, and if we can answer we will jsut be there for you. I had a level II scan at 12 weeks and will have another at 20 weeks. In between i have ultrasound scans. It is normal and actually nice to know everything is going well. My doctor too consider a twin pregnancy "high rish" As for breasfeeding, I was wondering the same thing and actually invested in a good book about raising multiples. It helps alot
Erika- Welcome to T/S! You will love this website and all the info and support you will get here! Your fear is very normal. Having two babies to worry about instead of just one seemed to quadruple my concern! But you have made it to 15 wks and that is great! As hard as it is to do sometimes, try to keep a positive outlook and reduce stress as much as possible! It is best for you and the babies. (Easier said than done, esp. with raging hormones ) You will just love getting your u/s in Jan! If you are 15 wks already, then you should definitly be able to tell the sexes of your babies when you have it done. Well, that is, if you want to find out. I just HAD to know. The added bonus with twins is that you will have level II u/s done quite frequently! This really bonds you with your babies!!! Welcome again!
Hi Erika, I'm so glad that you found TS, so you can be among others who are also freaking out and those of us who have "been there". I remember being in your shoes. I also miscarried before concieving my twins, it seems fairly common. In addition to the Breast Feeding Forum here, I highly recommend the book Mothering Multiples by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada. It helped calm so many of my intial fears. Also, I want to point out that breast feeding does not have to be an all or nothing endevor, I don't know why so many people seem to get that message. I partially breastfeed my twins for 15 months. At the peak of my breast feeding they were getting 60% of their intact from breast milk, 40% was bottle fed formula. One of my girls had a slight sucking issue and we had a frustrating two weeks with nipple confusion for her, but I did not give up. I knew that every drop of breast milk she got in her was a good thing, after those first two weeks she joined her sister in comfortably switching between bottle and breast. (they were born at 35.5 weeks, BTW) I found the mix of breast feeding and bottle feeding convient with twins, the best of both worlds so to speak. I wish you an uneventful pregnancy! Try to enjoy it, it will go fast, I promise.
Congratulations on the fabulous news about having twins! It's defintiely a shocker when you hear it as so many things start tumbling thru your head. But what a blessing! Don't worry at all about those ultrasounds - you'll no doubt be getting them regularly. I had a miscarriage right before I found out I was pregnant (2 months later) so I understand the anxiety, the fear, the inability to get 100% excited about the twins. That's totally natural and as 'kuchar' said, the further along you get, the better you will feel. Just remember that the odds are IN YOUR FAVOUR that everything will be fine. And, if you start going to a specialist, remember that it's their job to analyze every little detail of your ultrasound and pregnancy. Don't fixate on things that are beyond your control. I know it's easier said than done, but I spent so much time worring about every thing in the beginning that I forgot to enjoy my pregnancy, at least a little bit (now that I am 31 weeks - well - that's a differnet story!) As far as breastfeeding - I hear it's pretty easy once you find your groove! My sister bought me a big, double breastfeeding pillow from www.doubleblessings.com. There seems to be a lot of good press about it. I igure that if I can't seem to manage the double load, I'll just pump so the babies get all the benefits of breastmilk. Good luck!
Welcome to all the new expectant moms!! You will soon be wondering how you would have managed without this group. Everyone here is amazing! My dd had her twins two weeks ago, 2 days after Amanda did and she is also bf'ing both of them. Cameron had some problems the first few days, but when changed to the football hold he figured it out and now they are both doing well. It really can be done! Lindy, mom to Stephanie and Nana to Cameron and Corey
Welcome aboard. Hang in there as the first couple of months is very nervewracking. You'll find lots of good info here though. Good luck!
The ladies here are full of great advice and support. I'm sorry to hear about your previous loss. It does make it extremely difficult to not be worried about an already "high risk" pregnancy. And yes, you can BF 2 at the same time...check out the Breast Feeding forum. Congrats on your twins!!!
Congrats on the twins!! I also lost a baby before my son, it's definitely hard and makes you worry a lot during later pregnancies. But try not to stress too much - repeat miscarriages aren't terribly common. I have a level II u/s each week because of some problems the babies were having. It's nothing to worry about, and will likely just reassure you that everything is ok! As for the breastfeeding - I need to go look at the forum on here as well, cause I'm also wondering how it's possible! I had all kinds of problems nursing my DS, so I'm hoping it goes much much better this time! Good luck to you!
Congratulations and welcome to TS! I wouldn't be afraid of your level II u/s if I were you. Almost every woman gets one and it's something to look forward to. You may be able to see if the sex of the babies (if you want), they'll check all the measurements to see if everything is on track (the measurements will probably be off by a week so don't worry about that), and it will give you a really good look at your babies. The whole thing is quite fun. As for breastfeeding, definitely visit the Breastfeeding Forum and read the book Mothering Multiples. Both are invaluable. Lots of women breastfeed twins. Some start out feeding them one at a time but most end up tandem feeding. My girls never learned how to breastfeed so I pumped for them for 8 months.
Hi Erika and Ericka, I'm Erica. Sounds like a sitcome! I think I'm about 4 or 5 days ahead of you both, but basically the same (it's the 16th of December here (I'm in Japan) and I am 16wks and 2 days. Anyway, wanted to let you know my husband and I have known it's twins for about 6 weeks now - I think it took me about 4 just to get the "deer in the headlights" look off my face. Then, if you read my last post - I just had my gallbladder out - so one of these days I'll be able to start getting excited about having twins. I know it's coming soon! But, welcome, you'll enjoy this site - just know that everyone you tell will either be way excited or "oh, wow, do you have your work cut out for you, glad it's you and not me". I really haven't found anyone to be lukewarm about twins. And this site is nice because we are all going through the same stuff, you'll get a lot of good info and support. Nice to meet you! Erica.
Welcome! I am sorry to hear of your loss. I too miscarried before we got pregnant with our girls. I appreciated every fuss made over them so that I could rest easier. It was difficult the entire way really...so I was relieved to see them so often on the u/s screen. I did breastfeed my girls (tandem to boot) and it is not impossible. Definitely takes some work and you find what works for you. We made it to about 8 mos before we used formula full time. I would highly recommend treating them as a unit when it comes to schedules or you will go nuts! GL!
