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Hi girls.....

I have just found out that I am expecting twins. I had a scan over the weekend as I had some cramps and had some spotting, but everything is OK and we were shocked to find out that there were 2. Twins run in my hubbys family and don't know about mine as I don't have anything to do with my natural father.

I don't know ANYTHING about twins, we have a meeting with our obsteotrician this week to go over anything. But I am so confused, what will be different about the pregnancy, will I still have a natural birth, will I start showing alot earlier, will there be more risks?? xxxxxx
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Replies

  • Hey,

    I know the shock of finding out about twins! Im now 25 weeks but I found out that I was having twins at a private scan at 10 weeks after an early miscarriage the month before.

    When you meet you need to think about a few things - are they identical? If they are, do they share a placenta and sac, or just a placenta? You will then be given a 'type' of twin - mine are MCDA which means they share a placenta (monochorionic) but are in their own sacs (Diamniotic)

    This determines a few things if they are identical. If they are non-identical then these things dont matter as they will have their own sac and placenta anyway.

    Identical twins pose more risks. I am being scanned every 2 weeks now because if they share a placenta there is a risk of Twin To Twin Transfusion, where one twin takes more nutrients than the other and this can cause problems for both twins. I also wont be having a natural birth, although there are very few reasons not to. I have chosen to have an elective section as I am concerned about my hospitals policy (maybe be normal, I dont know) that if twin 2 is not born soon enough they will take me in for an emergency section and im totally against this so have opted for them both to be born with a section.

    I didnt show any earlier and am not really much bigger than a normal pregnancy. This does pose problems as my boys are very squashed inside me which makes things uncomfortable for me but doesnt pose any problems for them! I was also very very sick for a long time in this pregnancy, however, there is nothing to say that this is due to it being twins as some people suffer massively with one and some with twins dont suffer at all!

    I hope this has helped a little, although it is only my experience and everyone is different. Feel free to ask me any questions. Ill try and answer if I can.

    CONGRATULATIONS!! It took me a long time to come to terms with the fact that I was having 2 babies, and im still in a state of shock if im honest, but also quite excited!

    Gemma and double blue bump 25 + 3
  • They are non identical, they are in 2 seperate sacs, but they say it's too early to tell if they share a placenta, I have another scan in 2 weeks.

    I think that because my last pregnancy was a still birth I will be regularly monitored anyway. Have you started buying things for your twins yet? Are they all much more expensive? And can you find out the sex of twins or is it too hard to tell? xxx
  • Non identical is much less risky. Its also unlikely they will share a placenta, although not impossible and if they do it will be because the 2 placentas have fused rather than because only one developed. Sorry to hear about your still birth. My stepmum lost my sister to still birth at 38 weeks so its an issue that has been close to my heart throughout this pregnancy. They should monitor you more closely.

    Weve nearly finished buying for our twins. Just have the buggy to get and going to get that tomorrow. I believed I would end up huge and wanted to enjoy shopping for them so started early. I am quite uncomfortable now, although im a teacher so have now finished school which is nice. We havent found it to be massively more expensive as you find that you are much more clever in your spending, buying what you need and not what the companies market at you, and working out what you need 2 of and what you can cope with one of. We have carseats that we spent more money on, but our double buggy is not hugely expensive. We bought furniture from Ikea and have tried to buy things in sales, or borrow from friends. All clothes can be cleaned so we have bought some of them from car boots. Also, Tesco and Asda are great for baby things.

    Im having 2 boys. Theyre not shy!! We found out at 16 weeks that they were boys and its been confirmed at every scan since!!

    I have scans at 12, 16, 19, 22, 24 and every 2 weeks after that. You wont have as many with yours being non identical, although you would have more than a singleton pregnancy.
  • God Gemmiebaby, thank you so much for all the info, feel so much better. Yeah tesco seems great for baby things.

    Sorry to be a pain, but what have you worked out you could do with one of? And what did you need 2 of? xxx
  • We have 2 carseats (obviously), 2 moses baskets (only because hubbys mum wants to buy them but if it had have been us buying them we would have had 1). We only have the same amount of bottles, and only a few more clothes, than if we were having 1. We only have 1 activity mat and 1 bouncy chair. We may get another chair but going to wait and see. We only have one baby carrier, and that was because it was given to us. Dont think we will even bother using them to be honest as we have to be going out together and plan on using the buggy for this.

    Also, with regards to the buggy. Some fo them are VERY expensive. For example, the iCandy Pear works out at about ??900 with all the accessories needed to make it a travel system. However, when we tried it out fully prepared that it was going to cost a bomb we hated it. We found it very flimsy. Its definitely worth trying them out first before panicking (like we did at the prospect of ??900!). Were getting the Nipper 360 with Phil and Teds carrycots for when they are tiny.

    We only have one baby bath, bath box etc, and only one change mat.

    Definitely take anything offered by family and friends, even if youre not sure you want it, as it will probably come in handy. Look around carboots as, if its soft and in good condition, it can be washed! Also, ebay has been good, although we havent actually bought anything from there as we have found Tesco, Ikea and Matalan to be fab.

    Dont worry about asking me questions. If you havent guessed already, I love talking about it and people around me are SO fed up now! lol!
  • Hey orangetiggs - Just suggested you look at this post as I had answered many of your questions on here.

    Are you planning on finding out what they are?
  • Just a chat really. Need a urine sample (something they never told me!) and they talk through some of your options. With non id twins you shouldnt have as many complications as they should have their own sac and placenta, but its good to check this. They will also tell you when you should expect scan appointments. I had my first appointment at 16 weeks (we found out I was having twins at a private 10 week scan due to a previous mc) so they made the appointment there and then. To be honest, I was a little disappointed with the consultant, and have been ever since. They test my bp, urine and ask if im ok then I go! They dont know much and I have found I dont ask anymore but have made my own appointments with a midwife!!

    Yours may be different but this is my experience.

    What have you bought? We bought all the nursery furniture at 10 weeks, the day of our private scan, as we were so excited. Realised how silly that was afterwards but was so excited at the time. We then took parents up to the room with 2 cots assembled to tell them I was pg with twins!
  • ooohhh, very nice! I would love to go to Orlando! Bet you will be able to get lots of little bits there. Im glad someone else has bought a few things. Were buying our buggy today then I think that may be almost it, apart from odds and sods. I love shopping for baby things!
  • Hi Vickic

    Congrats on your twin pg.

    Im sorry to hear about your still birth, i cant begin to understand what that must be like.

    Regards twins running in families, your dh doesnt have anything to do with it, (well apart from the obvious lol) Id twins are a unknown blessing, whereas non id are created through hyper ovulation where the mother releases more than one egg, this is what can be passed down through families so if you have a daughter she too is statisticaly more likely to have twins. so twins can only be passed down through mothers side.

    Regards natural birth most consultants support vaginal births as it is better for the babies. I tried for a v birth but ended with em section, twin births are statistically more likely to end up as a section so it is something to be prepared for.

    Regards buying things i didnt buy anything till after 24 weeks and didnt buy cots or prepare their room till they were born. (Id had a m/c at 16weeks and it made me feel uncomfortable about buying things)

    I found nearly new sales a god send, esp if you can find one that is run by a twin club as you can get two of everything, for me the best buy were two swings, i spent most of the time alone with the twins as dh runs his own buisness and works long hours, by using the swings it meant that it would calm down one whilst i changed the other. also found it very helpful when they were colicky.

    I agree with Gemmiebaby regards prams, (again depending how you feel and your finances you can get some real bargins off ebay) they can be expensive and impractical (try fitting a side by side double buggy on a 15th century market towns pavements) its def a case of trying and finding one that suits you and your lifestyle. I swapped when my twins were 6 months to a tandem (has to be when they are 6 months as the front seat doesnt recline completley without car seat attachment and i dont like babies in car seats)

    I dont know how you feel about breast feeding but that is def possible, i fed my twins till they were 8 months so if you have any questions I will try and help.

    Anything else i can help with just post, my id twin boys are now 2 and half, and ive got a 10 month old and 20 weeks pg, so it cant be that bad having twins lol

    xxDBxx
  • God you girls are all so helpful. Do any of you have your scan photos? Just I don't really know what to expect to see on twin scans? I couldn't really make out anything babyish on the scan at the weekend, but I am only 7 weeks. xxx
  • Ive got a few...

    These are the boys at 23 weeks

    http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/gemmiebaby_2008/Twin1226.jpg



    http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/gemmiebaby_2008/Twin2226.jpg

  • And this was the 10 week scan where we found out there was 2!

    http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/gemmiebaby_2008/img003.jpg



    http://i305.photobucket.com/albums/nn227/gemmiebaby_2008/img006.jpg

  • Sorry, theyre huge!!
  • hi and welcome!
  • Awww EM1983, your twins are gooooooorgeous. I'd love twin girls. Are they identical? xxx
  • hi i'm 21.4 with identical twins think they are girls but scan wasnt too clear gonna check again tommorrow.. cant wait got 2 girls already and a boy.. gemmiebaby your post was very useful.. some i knew but someone else telling me seemed easier... can you feel the two of them kick you or just more and bigger kicks?.. i get confussed by it!! lol.. was gonna ask something else but cant remember duh!!!!
  • Congratulations on your twin pregnacy, hopefully its settled in a bit more now.

    We're currently 17+2 with we think non-identical twins should find out for definate next friday.

    In regard to buying stuff EM1983 has been advising us on what to get and not to go crazy buying 2 of everything.

    So far we have:

    *icandy pear, which i love and found it really sterdy and easy to manover- but every1's different.
    *2 maxi cosi car seats.
    *2 cots for when they start distubring each other as they'll be sharing DD1's cot bed intially.
    *1 travel cot, EM's recommendation instead of moses.
    * bottles
    * sterliser
    * few clothes

    Thats its i think.
    Good luck.

    Lilac* 17+2 twin beans
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Only during the day they will be in a cotbed together at night as we already had this.

    According to the instructions and everything i read online its fine for them to sleep in them. I hadn't thought of doing it until EM1983 recommended it and a decent travel cot and i think SODA told her????

    I'm quite keen on keeping them together until they start disturbing each other so this seemed like a good option, and i was going to buy a travel cot anyway.

    Lilac* 17+3 twin beans
    xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Hey Vickic - have you joined our twin mummy Facebook group?! I can't remember who has joined so apologies if you already have! xx
  • I haven't. Have you got a link? I can't join yet as none of my friends know that I am pregnant yet, but once it is common knowledge I will join you.

    xxxxxxxxxxx
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