🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
Advice urgently needed
I am 3 months pregnant and have just found out it is twinsI am 3 months pregnant and have just found out it is twins. Although happy very nervous and scared at the prospect. I already have a 9 month old who willl only be 14/15 months when the twins are born. Just wondered if anyone else was in similar situation. Any advice, hints, tips would be greatly received on how to manage 3 under 2. Also advice on what car, buggy, cots, feeding ideas etc would be welcome. Where I live I have to use the car if I want to go out so how to manage with car seats and transport. Any ideas if there is any support for where I live we are in the Highlands, 60 miles north of Inverness..
0
Replies
I'm mum to identical twin boys who are 14 months and im 7 months pregnant, so will also have 3 under 2.
I would recommend contacting tamba and seeing if there are any twin clubs in your area as they are always a wealth of information and have lots of nearly new sales. Please dont think im being rude but is money tight? its just money is tight for us so ive got lots of tips which have helped me strech the money but dont know if they will be relevant to you, and my advice on what to buy would depend on if you had money to spend.
Do you know if they are mono or dichoronic twins (id or non id) as that will change things as well?
Also finally did you breastfeed your lo and/or would you like to breastfeed the new additions as with the right information and support it can be possible to successfully breastfeed multiples.
Sorry to ask all these questions but i wanted to try and tailor my answer to you. (obv its just my opinions etc but more than happy to share what has worked for us) xxDBxx
Its def a good idea to meet other twin mums, but this site and the tamba website have other twin mums to discuss things with.Having twins is different to having two children close together as they work together and act as one entitity but all that is along way in the future for you.
Firstly twin pregnancys are hard work physically, but if your carrying identical twins there are added difficultys which mean that you need to be scanned every 2 weeks from about 16-20 weeks as there is a risk of twin to twin transfusion, identical twins are statistically more likely to be born prior to 37 weeks.
Usually if money isnt a problem I would recommend the Jane twin power tandem as everyone i know who has got one thinks that they are ace. however as your lo will only be 14 months you are going to have to think about a triple buggy, (im looking into getting one as although carrying a baby in a sling is a option sometimes you need to put them all in a buggy.) There is a peg perego inline tandem triple buggy ~(which also has car seats that fit onto it) or a inglesia triple pram which would suit your needs, its worth looking on ebay they sell for between ??150-??300 secondhand any anything up from ??800 new. The benefit of an inline buggy is getting into shops, tamba also publish a second hand triple buggy list.
Regarding a car if your looking at getting a new one i would recommend the biggest one possible, double/triple buggys and 3 kids (plus dog in my case) means that i find normal estates too small. I have a slidey door Vauxhall Sintra, which for space is excellent but not the best car in the world, The peugeot 806 and 807 fiat ulysees and citroen synergie and citroen c8 synergie, chyrysler Voyager (although the ones made before 2007 have a reallly bad ncap saftey rating) or the Kia with slidy doors are what i would recommend, as they are roomy but not quite a minibus!
Regarding feeding for me anyway breastfeeding was a god send and i could tandem feed and have my hands free to eat, my boys had a top up of formula last feed at night but the rest i breastfed, this was a money saving god send as formula is so expensive. it was a hard slog but not having to sterilise bottles and make formula in the night for 2 babies was a god send. If you breast or bottle feed id recommend the eazy-to-feed-twins inflatable pillow as it really supports babies and your back making tandem feeding possible. if you have someone to help it will be a god send.
If you had your first baby normally then you will have a good chance of having the twins naturally, however a c-section is often a reality. Most of my twin mums regardless of mode of delivery spent an average of 2 weeks in hospital with their twins so as you have a lo its something that you will have to plan for.
Id reallly recommend second hand things, the fact you already have one set of things will def help, also do you have a local childcare college near you? (sorry dont know much about how far out you are in the highlands) its just often you can get help from the childcare college.
Anyway sorry its a long one
xxDBxx
If there is anything else i will be happy to give my opinion
Congrats on having twins - it was a bit of a shock for us when we found out but it's lovely having them here. You'll find everyone will be fascinated by the fact you're having twins. It's very special so enjoy!
I agree about TAMBA - they're an excellent reference source. I found most pregnancy books and websites only have brief references to twins, so TAMBA came in very handy.
After much searching - we got the Maclaren Twin Techno pushchair. I really really wanted a pram where they lie facing you, but couldn't find one that would fit in our car (unfortunately changing the car not an option!). It's a good pushchair - narrow enough to fit through most doorways. My 2 look a little small in it at the moment but it should last us for a few years.
I got a lot of clothes and equipment of friends/second hand - go for everything you can lay your hands on! I started looking at the more expensive items brand new in places like Mamas and Papas. After realising you could end up spending a few thousand in there, I lowered my sights a bit! You don't actually need as much stuff as you think you do sometimes. For example - you don't necessarily need 2 of everything. We've just got one baby bath (little plastic seat which goes in the main bath). Also we have just one cot with them sleeping opposite ends which works fine (if one wakes up screaming, it doesn't always wake the other).
I've had quite a few issues with the twins being in different hospitals & they've been in special care for 2 months, so I found breastfeeding a reall challenge. Mostly because I couldn't physically do it with one twin in Liverpool and one in Manchester! I tried expressing but couldn't get much, although I did manage to give them my milk in the early weeks. After much agonising and feeling a bit of a failure, I decided to bottle feed. We have a good system going and it works fine for us. My health visitor told me not to beat myself up about it. I think breastfeeding is best if you can manage it though - see how you get on.
That's it from me! sorry it was a long one.
p.s. ebay is good for getting things second hand if you're out in the sticks!
I would like to join a tamba twin group too - I live in a smallish town - and the nearest is 45 minute drive away...
My health visitor suggested i start a new group in our town today! However I am looking for advice - and don't really feel in a position to lead a group!
How daunting!
My twins will be arriving in about 5 weeks i think - and i have a 2 year old daughter.
I have bought the jane power twin - with a buggy board at the back for my lo. but i don't know if yours will be big enough to stand like that???
Also - i have no twins yet - so its not road tested!!!!
good luck with all your babies....