Want to see DD’s ultrasound ????

[Lecka]

I worried about it, I read that shorter women are more likely to deliver early.  There is just not room to grow.  At the same time — I read a lot of things that never happened with me!  And my son who took a bottle in the hospital went to nursing with no drama, and that is something I worried about at the time.  
 

My doctor never mentioned any kind of concern about my height, though.   But they expected me to go into labor earlier and also expected me to develop pre-eclampsia because I was very swollen.  But, my blood pressure never went up.  I had a scheduled induction with both pregnancies, and ended up having a C-section with my twins.  But that turned out to be much better for me compared to having a broken tailbone.  The C-section went very smoothly for me and I didn’t have any problems with recovering from it.  

[Lecka]

My great-grandmother also had fraternal twins (also boy/girl) and she didn’t know she was having twins until she delivered the second baby.  As far as my mom knows, at least.  She was shorter than me I would guess she was less than 5 feet tall.  My mom is less than 5 feet tall, she is 4’11.  

[Kassia]

32 minutes ago, Lecka said:

I am 5’3 and have a medium-large build.  I was huge, I looked 2-3 months more pregnant than I was at every step.  But, it was my second pregnancy.  

 

I looked as pregnant as I looked with my first child, at 5 months.  I ran into people who couldn’t believe I hadn’t given birth yet who didn’t know I was having twins.  I went into maternity pants before my 12-week appointment.
 

 

When I was pregnant with twins, I was told that you're generally at full-term size at 28 weeks.  

 

21 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Yes that’s a big concern for her, she wonders if she has the frame for this 😑.  I’m sure plenty of small women have had twins before? 

Yes, I'm sure they have.  ❤️  Definitely something to bring up with her doctor though if it's a concern.  

[BusyMom5]

1 hour ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I should mention that her biggest concern is how big she’ll get. She’s small, 5 foot and wears a kid’s size 3 shoe and kid’s gloves.  

How bad was it for y’all? 

@Farrar and @Kassiaand @Lecka @Bnogo24 @BusyMom5@mlktwins

I'm 5' 2", and at that time around 130lbs- maybe less???  I stopped looking at the scale when I got into the 180s.  I was huge, just ridiculously huge- it looked fake.  My boys were 6lb 15oz and 6lb 11oz.  They were born at 37 weeks and 4 days, healthy, home after 24 hours, no issues at all (I worried).  I highly recommend following this diet:

https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Expecting-Twins-Triplets-Quads/dp/0062379488/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?crid=3TMNE1BDYYKAM&keywords=twins+triplets+and+more&qid=1660095025&sprefix=twins+triplets+and+more+%2Caps%2C259&sr=8-15

I did follow it, and I think it helped me have a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies!  It isn't going to be easy.   MybDr told me at my appointment that my babies didn't have anywhere to go but out- short torso.  By 6 months I struggled to wash dishes in the sink- I remember turning sideways to wash them.  I got to a point I didn't trust myself on stairs, and I stopped doing laundry bc I couldn't change it in and out of the dryer.  I also hated grocery shopping- no Wal-Mart pickup!  Pushing the cart was uncomfortable.  They were still worth it!  Just help as much as you can and remind her that her #1 job is growing babiez- everything else can be outsourced!

[Lecka]

I carried small and low with my older son.  I was still taking long walks my entire pregnancy.  I wore my husband’s jacket and could zip it over my stomach.  
 

I carried high with my twins and then just expanded.  
 

My understanding of what they said is that my placentas were each a normal size for a single birth and larger than usual.

 

I definitely was huge, early, compared to before.

 

I think maybe more than other people for the stage of pregnancy.  But I heard at the time that would happen with 2nd pregnancies compared to 1st.  
 

I could barely buckle my seatbelt and my mom came to help me at the end, i was really struggling.  Then she left when the babies were two weeks old and we were doing well 🙂

[Bnogo24]

I carried to 38 weeks 2 days (I am 5’8”). 
Mine are di-di twins. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/di-di-twins#definition

 

I  nursed until 14 months (babies self weaned). I used tandem nursing as soon as possible (once on the hospital) and  as often as possible with the huge twin pillow.

The twin connection is amazing to observe.  Mine are boy/girl so I wasn’t expecting the tight “twinness”- they are so bonded and so crazy in sync - though they seemed to ignore/avoid each other as newborns for the first 3 or so months. I was so sad & then they truly discovered each other and never looked back!!  I often felt like an outsider looking into their cool world ( really only because I had a 2 year old singleton boy to compare to).

So awesome you are nearby and able to help!!! 
Enjoy the crazy ride!

[Ann.without.an.e]

6 minutes ago, Bnogo24 said:

I carried to 38 weeks 2 days (I am 5’8”). 
Mine are di-di twins. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/di-di-twins#definition

 

I  nursed until 14 months (babies self weaned). I used tandem nursing as soon as possible (once on the hospital) and  as often as possible with the huge twin pillow.

The twin connection is amazing to observe.  Mine are boy/girl so I wasn’t expecting the tight “twinness”- they are so bonded and so crazy in sync - though they seemed to ignore/avoid each other as newborns for the first 3 or so months. I was so sad & then they truly discovered each other and never looked back!!  I often felt like an outsider looking into their cool world ( really only because I had a 2 year old singleton boy to compare to).

So awesome you are nearby and able to help!!! 
Enjoy the crazy ride!

The doctor was pretty happy that dd has mo/di twins. She says there are less complications with di/di and mo/di than mo/mo. 

[Farrar]

4 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I should mention that her biggest concern is how big she’ll get. She’s small, 5 foot and wears a kid’s size 3 shoe and kid’s gloves.  

How bad was it for y’all? 

@Farrar and @Kassiaand @Lecka @Bnogo24 @BusyMom5@mlktwins

Very? People already looked uncomfortable to be around me by the start of my third trimester. Like I was going to go into labor any second or something and I'm like, uh, no. Not even close.

I went to term. Better to get big with healthy babies than not. Mine didn't need time in the NICU or anything. Obviously luck and genetics were probably a part of that. But also... she should start mainlining protein all day long. They say you should get 100 grams of protein every day for multiples. There are studies that correlate it to positive newborn outcomes. But most doctors don't seem aware and never talk about it. Or, at least, that was the case back when I had mine. Maybe it's gotten better. 

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

My great great grandmother was not even 5 foot and from the pictures weighed about 100 pounds.

she birthed 11 children, and two sets of twins.   

[Ann.without.an.e]

15 minutes ago, Mrs Tiggywinkle said:

My great great grandmother was not even 5 foot and from the pictures weighed about 100 pounds.

she birthed 11 children, and two sets of twins.   

Total rockstar genes you've got there 😉 

[Ann.without.an.e]

I need to have dd make a WTM account lol. She is asking about prenatal vitamins? She hasn't been taking them at all. She has a good chelated iron supplement she's been taking because she is struggling with anemia. I can put a picture in a post below with the supplement ingredients. What do y'all think? I think she should take a prenatal too?  @Farrar @Kassia @Bnogo24 @Lecka @BusyMom5 @mlktwins 

I just realized I'm on my Mac and pics won't post this way so I'll put the supplement facts in a post below from my phone. 

Thanks for all the help ❤️❤️ 

[Ann.without.an.e]

[Farrar]

I don't know about the vitamins... That stuff changes all the time anyway. The midwives I worked with were like, meh, they're all the same, just take whatever you can get down that doesn't make you sick, though these days I don't know if that's true. It's the overall nutrition piece that I think matters a ton for good weights on the babies.

[Kassia]

53 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

I need to have dd make a WTM account lol. She is asking about prenatal vitamins? She hasn't been taking them at all. S

 

3 minutes ago, Farrar said:

I don't know about the vitamins... That stuff changes all the time anyway. The midwives I worked with were like, meh, they're all the same, just take whatever you can get down that doesn't make you sick, though these days I don't know if that's true. It's the overall nutrition piece that I think matters a ton for good weights on the babies.

I'd have her check with her doctor.  I took prenatal vitamins and supplemented with iron (doctor's instructions) but my twins just turned 28 so I don't know!  @Farrarmy babies were good weights but my nutrition wasn't good due to nausea.  

[mlktwins]

Everyone has a different experience with being pregnant and giving birth.  I carried mine 37 weeks 5 days to scheduled c-section.  Mine were IVF babies and I had just turned 38 when I had them.  I was 5'7" and weighed about 150 when I got pregnant.  We had 3 issues we dealt with during my pregnancy.  One was we did a nuchal translucency test early on and they could not find a nasal bone on DS1.  There was concern for downs syndrome and the doctor wanted me to do an amniocentesis, which we declined.  We weren't going to risk both babies and it wouldn't have changed anything for us if DS1 did have Downs.  It wasn't until our 5 month ultrasound that our doctor was pretty confident he would not have Downs and he ended up being just fine at birth.  I failed the 2nd hour of my 3 hour glucose test.  I was put on a strict diet and had to prick my finger for a glucose check 4 times a day.  I never had any issues with this during the rest of my pregnancy and I am still not diagnosed with diabetes 17 years later.  The 3rd issue I had was a placenta previa.  I was basically not allowed to lift anything over 5 lbs once I had that diagnosis.  

I did go on home bedrest for the last 3 months of my pregnancy.  That was the protocol at my doctor's office (both my high risk doctors and my OB/GYN).  I was very strict about it, ate what I was supposed to eat, did a little exercise each day, and was on my left side most of the day.  This was ok with me as I had a lot of leave to use at work and wasn't planning to go back.

I only gained 31 pounds during my pregnancy and DS1 was 7 lbs 8 oz and DS2 was 6 lbs 5 oz.  I used to get asked often when I was due and I would say 4 or 5 months.  They would be shocked until I said I was having twins.  I stayed slim all over except my belly stuck out in front like a bullet.  My stomach was forever changed -- LOL!  I do have an umbilical hernia from it.

I tried to breastfeed (and pump), but I was not successful.  I was upset about it for a good while, but I did the best I could.  Not everyone is successful at it.  I brought in someone to help from the hospital when they were born and that was a disaster. She was horrible and more than one person (my husband, sister, and MIL) all said she was.  I brought other experts to help at home.  It just did not work for me.  It was hard to let go, but we did formula and both my guys are big, strong, and healthy.  

We did not have anyone stay with us to help, but my dad came over often and held, fed, and played with them.  I could not leave them alone with him. Both of my ILs lived about 10 minutes from us and they were over every evening for 3 hours - that went on for about 6 months.  I could sleep or run errands when they were there.  Both were a blessing.

Now they are starting their senior year and the time flew by!!!

 

 

[busymama7]

Congratulations!! So exciting!

This is a small sample size of course but I am a midwife and all my twin mamas (4) have carried to at least 38 weeks eating the brewer diet for twins which is 150 grams of protein a day.   I had one who was maybe 110 lbs soaking wet and short and she carried straight out. Had her babies at 38 weeks and they were both 5+ lbs and did great.  She took eating very seriously and considered it her only job 😉.  

The vitamins look good.  I don't think she should necessarily ask her Dr because they are usually fine with synthetic vitamins and don't see a difference. There is though and I like the forms of folate and b12 that are in these.  She can also consider dessicated liver pills in addition or in place of a prenatal.  

She really needs to do her own research and advocate for what she wants for her birth.  Most Drs are no longer trained in vaginal breech birth which is neglectful in my opinion and she should find one NOW that is trained for VBB if she doesn't want a c section because it is just more common for one or both twins to be breech.  She can look at breech without borders for information.   

[Paige]

On 8/9/2022 at 7:58 PM, Ann.without.an.e said:

I should mention that her biggest concern is how big she’ll get. She’s small, 5 foot and wears a kid’s size 3 shoe and kid’s gloves.  

How bad was it for y’all? 

@Farrar and @Kassiaand @Lecka @Bnogo24 @BusyMom5@mlktwins

Congratulations! Twins are so much fun! She should be prepared to be a celebrity wherever she goes for the first few years! Mine are 18 now. I was worried about how big I'd get but I really didn't get that big and mine were di/di. I think I gained about 25 or 30lbs and I carried to the side more than the front- I could feel them behind me when I sat back! I was only 5'2 and about 90lbs when I got pregnant with mine and my doctor didn't seem to think my size mattered. I ate SO MANY calories and drank so much water. It was ridiculous but I think it definitely helped. My girls were early because of PROM but they were mostly feeders and growers. 

I rarely tandem fed- hated it. I much preferred to feed them one at a time. I felt like a cow when tandem feeding. My milk supply was no problem. I pumped in the NICU, did not breastfeed at all until we got home (b/c I didn't like the NICU helpers/rules) and we transitioned to breast feeding within a few weeks once they got home. It was much easier than bottle+breast. 

Like Farrar I was pretty upset at first. I had the world's colickiest first child and couldn't imagine 2 babies like my oldest but the 2 were easier than the one. 

Mine are identical and the nature/nurture stuff is so much fun and fascinating even now. They would fill out short answer questions exactly the same way and can't play guessing games like guess the animal with each other. On the other hand, I can clearly see how if they were raised separately, they'd likely be more similar in many ways. You can see them making choices to differentiate themselves that probably wouldn't have happened without a twin. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

On 8/9/2022 at 9:35 PM, BusyMom5 said:

I'm 5' 2", and at that time around 130lbs- maybe less???  I stopped looking at the scale when I got into the 180s.  I was huge, just ridiculously huge- it looked fake.  My boys were 6lb 15oz and 6lb 11oz.  They were born at 37 weeks and 4 days, healthy, home after 24 hours, no issues at all (I worried).  I highly recommend following this diet:

https://www.amazon.com/Youre-Expecting-Twins-Triplets-Quads/dp/0062379488/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?crid=3TMNE1BDYYKAM&keywords=twins+triplets+and+more&qid=1660095025&sprefix=twins+triplets+and+more+%2Caps%2C259&sr=8-15

I did follow it, and I think it helped me have a healthy pregnancy and healthy babies!  It isn't going to be easy.   MybDr told me at my appointment that my babies didn't have anywhere to go but out- short torso.  By 6 months I struggled to wash dishes in the sink- I remember turning sideways to wash them.  I got to a point I didn't trust myself on stairs, and I stopped doing laundry bc I couldn't change it in and out of the dryer.  I also hated grocery shopping- no Wal-Mart pickup!  Pushing the cart was uncomfortable.  They were still worth it!  Just help as much as you can and remind her that her #1 job is growing babiez- everything else can be outsourced!

 

Just wanted to wrap back around and say thank you for this. She is really loving this book and it is helping so much. She tends to just not eat and never eats enough. Add morning sickness to that and I was really afraid she just wasn't getting enough of anything. This book has been the scientific info she needed to trigger her to focus on food/eating. She keeps reading me excerpts and talking about it and she's finally eating. So thank you thank you ❤️ 

[Kassia]

1 hour ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

 

Just wanted to wrap back around and say thank you for this. She is really loving this book and it is helping so much. She tends to just not eat and never eats enough. Add morning sickness to that and I was really afraid she just wasn't getting enough of anything. This book has been the scientific info she needed to trigger her to focus on food/eating. She keeps reading me excerpts and talking about it and she's finally eating. So thank you thank you ❤️ 

That's wonderful!  I'm sure you are so relieved!  

[Guest]

Yay! So happy for her and you!

[BusyMom5]

3 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

 

Just wanted to wrap back around and say thank you for this. She is really loving this book and it is helping so much. She tends to just not eat and never eats enough. Add morning sickness to that and I was really afraid she just wasn't getting enough of anything. This book has been the scientific info she needed to trigger her to focus on food/eating. She keeps reading me excerpts and talking about it and she's finally eating. So thank you thank you ❤️ 

You are welcome!  Prayers for a healthy pregnancy and two healthy babies!  ❤❤

[Ann.without.an.e]

I feel like I need to start a new thread just for twin mamas or just encourage her to start a WTM account lol. She wants to homeschool one day, she needs to just go ahead and get pulled in 🙂 

 

Ok so @Farrar@Kassia@mlktwins@BusyMom5@busymama7@Lecka @Bnogo24

I know that an elevated heart rate is normal and to be more elevated with twins is normal? But how elevated did yours get? She's zipping at 120+ and that seems high. She's been struggling with anemia too. She's taking iron and trying to get her levels up. 

[Farrar]

Mine never got much higher than that.

Nutrition is one of the few things in her control. Can’t solve everything, but can help more than doctors suggest. I started eating more iron because the iron supplements made me sick.

[Ann.without.an.e]

4 minutes ago, Farrar said:

Mine never got much higher than that.

Nutrition is one of the few things in her control. Can’t solve everything, but can help more than doctors suggest. I started eating more iron because the iron supplements made me sick.

Yes she seems stressed about all that can go wrong with twins, especially identical. I keep telling her that all she can do is eat good and the rest is literally out of her control. She has to just let it go and not worry herself over it. 

[Kassia]

34 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Yes she seems stressed about all that can go wrong with twins, especially identical. I keep telling her that all she can do is eat good and the rest is literally out of her control. She has to just let it go and not worry herself over it. 

I agree but sometimes that's easier said than done.  She's so lucky to have you there to care for her emotionally and physically. ❤️

I don't remember anything about my heartrate - my twins just turned 28!  It was so long ago.  My doctor did prescribe iron supplements.

[easypeasy]

Awww, how exciting!! Congratulations! I'm betting a lot of her anxiety will lessen as the newness and overwhelmingness of it all starts to fade a bit. It's a lot to take in! How awesome that you live just a few miles from her - what a support you are going to be in these coming months! She's a lucky mama-to-be! ♥

[Lecka]

I don’t think I had an elevated heart rate?  Or if I did it was not considered a problem by the doctor.  
 

I had breathlessness that they would think might be a heart problem but then it was always just the way I carried (pressing my lungs) and then it got better after their position changed.  

[Lecka]

Mine are 13 now 🙂

[Bnogo24]

I did not have elevated heart rate concerns. Hopefully the anemia resolved & she stays hydrated.

How is she feeling? Physically? Emotionally? 

[Ann.without.an.e]

On 8/22/2022 at 10:36 PM, Bnogo24 said:

I did not have elevated heart rate concerns. Hopefully the anemia resolved & she stays hydrated.

How is she feeling? Physically? Emotionally? 

 

Sorry I haven't been here much. I will update below 🙂 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Just a little update. She is 16 weeks now. Everything looks amazing. She sees a high risk specialist who monitors her with detailed ultrasounds every two weeks. No signs of Transfusion issues, placenta is strong, babies are in the 70th percentile which is a-mazing for twins. And they are ....

Girls 🥰🥰

Thank you all again for so much wonderful info and for helping steer her the right direction ❤️ Y'all are some amazing twin mamas. 

[mommyoffive]

1 minute ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Just a little update. She is 16 weeks now. Everything looks amazing. She sees a high risk specialist who monitors her with detailed ultrasounds every two weeks. No signs of Transfusion issues, placenta is strong, babies are in the 70th percentile which is a-mazing for twins. And they are ....

Girls 🥰🥰

Thank you all again for so much wonderful info and for helping steer her the right direction ❤️ Y'all are some amazing twin mamas. 

I am so happy everything is going so well!!!

Congrats on the twin girls!!  Super exciting

[Bnogo24]

Congratulations!!! I was thinking girl vibe for some reason!  Hope she is feeling good!

[BlsdMama]

7 hours ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

Just a little update. She is 16 weeks now. Everything looks amazing. She sees a high risk specialist who monitors her with detailed ultrasounds every two weeks. No signs of Transfusion issues, placenta is strong, babies are in the 70th percentile which is a-mazing for twins. And they are ....

Girls 🥰🥰

Thank you all again for so much wonderful info and for helping steer her the right direction ❤️ Y'all are some amazing twin mamas. 

You can never have too many girls! ♥️ Such fun news and I’m so glad she is doing well. 

[Corbster98]

What exciting news! Congrats!! 

[Kassia]

Aw, @Ann.without.an.e- so so thrilled for dd and for you and your family!!!  ❤️  ❤️  

[Ann.without.an.e]

13 hours ago, Bnogo24 said:

Congratulations!!! I was thinking girl vibe for some reason!  Hope she is feeling good!

 

Yes, we all totally had a girl feeling so we weren't surprised but it was nice to see it confirmed. ie....an excuse to start buying cute coordinating clothes lol. 

[Ann.without.an.e]

Funny story though, the u/s tech made a comment about how the girls have really long femur bones. DD is very petite at only 5 foot so SIL said "wow, babe, you are helping them grow something that you couldn't even grow for yourself" lol 

Edited September 30, 2022 by Ann.without.an.e

[mommyoffive]

26 minutes ago, Ann.without.an.e said:

 

Yes, we all totally had a girl feeling so we weren't surprised but it was nice to see it confirmed. ie....an excuse to start buying cute coordinating clothes lol. 

Let the shopping commence!!