Double Trouble

Announcement of pregnancy and birth following assisted reproductive treatment.
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buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Hey gals,

Di--I'll try to post more pics soon. I feel like we just got our 3 month photos up...it's amazing how time flies! Mine will be 4 months on Sunday! Yikes! About the circumcision, we were SOOOO close to not doing it. My DH didn't want to do it at all (even though he is circum.). I guess I bowed to the idea of peer pressure. Here in the states, most boys are still circumcised, although, there are more and more people choosing not to. I had a hard time making the decision, but I am glad with what we decided....I hope Braeden's okay with it down the line! :wink:

malinka--yeah, girl, you should get going! You never know if you might be put on bed rest with twinnies, so better safe than sorry. My two are still sleeping in the same crib, but I have a 2nd crib up and ready for the night when they just cant handle sleeping together anymore. I hope they sleep together a little longer, they're just too cute! I only got one swing, two bouncy seats (a must!!!!), a double stroller, 2 car seats. Like Di, I skipped the pack n play because I didn't think with twins I'd be able to use if for very long. As for feeding, I breastfed until about 9 weeks with both and then started weening. However, I had to supplement with formula that whole time...so feeding was a major hassle for us. Tandem feeding means you feed both babies on the breast at the same time. It's a time saver, but it can be a challenge, especially when they're young. I also had an electric breast pump, and needed it the whole time I was breast feeding so I could increase my supply to keep up with the babies. As for supplementing, your pediatrician will guide you in that decision. I would have preferred NOT to supplement, but when they're soo small, you don't want to risk anything. Who knows, maybe you'll have 7 pounders! Then, you won't need to supplement at all! You'll need LOTS of bibs, burp cloths and diapers, of course! Early on, mine were going through about 16 diapers a day. Now, we're down to about 12 or so. :shock: I live in a 2 story house, so I also have a changing station set up on each level---a must with two babies. :)

Kimberly--I still am amazed at how well you are doing all by yourself! Are you drinking red bull or something???? ha ha, just teasing. Seriously, it can be a challenge at times, so don't get too hard on yourself. It's okay to ask for help from time to time. It's not a sign of weakness, it's just a chance for some quiet time for mommy to get refreshed. :)

I'm off to check out the bucket and pay some bills and head to bed....wow, Friday nights used to be so much more exciting! I wouldn't change it for the world, though!
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Kimberly and Di--the babies are beautiful! Kimberly, I love the pic of Bodie with his hands up to his face in the NICU--my Braeden used to do that all the time! You look great in your family photo! Don't look like you could have given birth to 2!

Di--how big are your babes now? My ellie looks likes she could keep up with your two, but Braeden is a light weight. We go for our 4 month check up soon, so I'll find out their weights then. I'm guessing Ellie's around 14 or 15 pounds, but I think Braeden may only be 13. He's always moving around, so I guess he burns off all those calories. Just like a man, right? :wink: Although, they both started eating a LOT more lately (7-8 oz per feed), so they may start porking up more soon.

goodnight!
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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LauraLou
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Post by LauraLou »

I checked out photobucket and everyone has such beautiful babies! I added 2 new ones of the boys. I think my babies started out the smallest, as they were 4lbs at birth. At their 4 month appt, they weighed 13 and 14lbs.

Malinka- I have 2 cribs. They slept in the same crib until they were about 4 months old and then they started kicking each other, so I separated them. I had a twin pack-n-play in my room for the first 3 months. When they were waking up every 3-4 hrs, it was easier to have them close. Once they stared sleeping thru the night, I moved them to their cribs.

I have 2 strollers. One is a Snap-n-Go, which is a frame that holds their carseats. It is really convenient, as you don't have to take them out of their carseats. I also have a side by side double stroller that I use at the mall or other places where they will be in the stroller for a long time.

I formula feed my boys. I know that breastfeeding is better for them, but it just wasn't for me. We had them both circ'd. It was done in the hospital before they were discharged.

Kimberly- It sounds like you have really well behaved babies! Mine were colicky and cried for hours nonstop. Without help, I would have lost my mind. I hope your stay so mellow.

Jeremy and Nicholas will be 5 months on Monday. They are so much fun! They smile and laugh and love to play in their exersaucer and jumperoo! Once we got thru those first 3 months, everything has been wonderful. I am the happiest I have ever been in my life.

If anyone is thinking about getting highchairs, I highly recommend the Fisher Price Space Saver. It fits onto your regular kitchen chair, so it doesn't take up much room, which is good when you need 2! It also reclines back, so you can use it with babies that don't sit up yet. It also converts to a booster seat when they get older. The boys love to play with their food, so it was getting too messy to keep feeding them in their bouncy seats.
Me 38, DH 52
1st IVF 5/06- BFP m/c
2nd IVF 9/06- BFP identical twin boys!!
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kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Thanks everyone for the comments on the babies! We, of course, think they are the most amazing babies on the planet but then again. . . :wink:

We seriously are so thankful that they are well behaved right now because having people in my house drives me nuts!!!! I love visitors but people trying to "Help" has been of no help to me at all. Perhaps it's because everyone thinks they know better or is trying to tell us how to raise them and it is like nails on a chalkboard to me. Of course, we try to just let it roll off our shoulders but after a while it is annoying no matter how hard we try to ignore it. The #1 thing people comment on is the b-feeding. Everyone seem to doubt that the human body can support two babies and assumes we are starving our babies. They have gained over a half an ounce a day since coming home but people can't get past the fact that they are still so tiny. At 6.5 lbs. we thing they look huge now! Go figure! All that matters is our little ones are happy and healthy.

Malinka~ We co-sleep the babies in the crib or pac-n-play which we got because we travel so much and find it very handy. So far the must haves are lots of blankets, a twin nursing pillow ( I could NOT live w/o this thing!!!) the snap-n-go stroller is a must, 2 of any item they can sit up in, and a good sense of humor! The other night the babies were fussy and dh and I could not get them settled so we just sat them down and they screamed while we ate dinner. We looked at each other and with our choir in the background just laughed. It's funny to realize that this is what we wanted and know it's this tough some moments. Also, I do recommend getting ready early! I am still sewing the bedding for crib #2 since it's what I was woking on when I went on hospital bedrest. I am most annoyed w/ myself for not being more ready. Good luck!

Lauralou~ 5 months!!!! Holy cow! How does it go by so fast??? The photos are precoius of your boys on photobucket! Love seeing all these babies!!

Duty just started calling and now I have soaked the shirt I am wearing! Yikes!!!! Take care everyone!
Kimberly
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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Malinka
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Post by Malinka »

girls, thank you so much for your input. I actually just realized that I am 28 weeks and have to get things moving. Wake up call lol.

anyways, girls, what strollers are you using?

I was thinking about snap and go too , is it practical? And it works for what, 6 months right? Any other suggestions?

Laura congrats on 5 months, time flies!!!
kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Malinka~ The snap-n-go works until they are 25 lbs. I believe. It's just so handy and easy to use. I also have a Maclaren double stroller but haven't even busted it out yet as well as a double jogger.

Crying is calling. . .
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Malinka, I also have the snap-n-go. It was wonderful early on when they were tiny! I still use it occassionally when we're going to the doctor or on short trips. But, when we go shopping on a longer outing, I either take the double jogger (for outdoor things like festivals, where we might be going through the grass, etc.) or our side-by-side. The snap-n-go keeps them all bunched up in their car seats and they can't see what's going on... I actually just broke out our side-by-side today! The directions said it was for 6 months plus--but we tried it anyway, even though we're only 4 mo. It worked beautifully! It's the Chicco c5 twin stroller. It's like the Mclaren (sp?), but it's not as expensive. I wanted the McLaren, but since this was our THIRD stroller, DH made me tie the purse strings a bit. But honestly, it worked so well, I think I made a good choice. I know it seems a bit excessive to have 3 strollers, but the snap-n-go will only last as long as your babies are in their car seats. Since I'm a runner (or used to be anyway), the double jogger has helped me get back into some sort of work out routine. It's hilarious, really, you should see me every morning toting around 2 babies with my 100 pound labradoodle running beside us on his leash! :D The neighbors are amazed! The downfall about the jogger is that it's very wide and doesn't turn well, which makes shopping or excursions where there's a lot of people very difficult. Hence, that's why I have 3 strollers! ugh!

Kimberly--The human body can TOTALLY make enough milk for 2 babies. Your body will make as much as you need....is the pediatrician okay with their weights right now? If so, then no need to worry. They do sound a bit small, but I have to remember that yours were born a bit earlier then mine....I also had the twin nursing pillow, but it just didn't do it for me. I honestly think mine were at awkward angles (which might have led to improper latching and my PAINN!!!) You have to trust your own instincts. Your instincts are telling you to BF exclusively. My instincts told me to start bottle feeding. You have to do what works for you. I'm sorry your relatives have been so pushy. I guess my helpers were just as clueless with twins as I was, so it was like the blind leading the blind! :roll: I totally needed them...however, it wasn't until I started doing things myself that I came up with the solutions that worked for me. So, in some ways, I don't blame you for going it alone. You'll just come up with your solutions faster than me. :wink: (Of course, my babies' grandmas would have sobbed if I would have told them to not come...they just loved holding the babies! They still do, when I let them come over...ha ha!)

Oh, Malinka, something else you might want to get...THE MIRACLE BLANKET! You can order it online at miracleblanket.com. It is the BEST swaddling blanket. It's literally a straight jacket, and it made such a difference in how my babies slept. I'd tried soo many other swaddling blankets, but this one was the best.

Well, gals, I'm exhausted. My sister and I took the babies to an outdoor mall today. We had a great time, and the babies were great! But, I'm beat! By the way, if one more person asks me, "Are they twins?", I think I'll scream! They were dressed in coordinating boy/girl outfits. They're the same freakin' size....honestly, people, what do you think? :roll: :roll: We were like a walking freak show...people kept stopping us. It's nice at first (and of course, I'm sooo proud of my beautiful bambinos), but then when they're blocking the aisles while we're trying to shop--I was tempted to run some of them over! Sorry, had to vent!

Oh, by the way, it was exactly a year ago today that my eggs were retrieved for IVF.....isn't that crazy! What a year! Thank GOD!
Good night!
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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Malinka
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Post by Malinka »

Girls, my head is spinning with all those different choices for car seats, cribs, strollers, bottles etc. You made me feel lot better with your sharing and advising, THANK YOU GUYS!!!! [/u]
buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

Okay gals, just kidding, I didn't go to bed...I posted some pics on the bucket!

By the way, I posted a photo of the fam...just so you know, I'm not a midget, but I was ducking out of the way, so you could see the HUGE clysdale horse behind me.... ha ha! Plus, I was hiding my HUGE boobies! :shock:

Malinka, sorry if we gave you too much info at once....but hey, get used to your head spinning....it's good practice for what's to come! :wink:
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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DianeC
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Post by DianeC »

Hi all

Gosh, everyone is very chatty at the moment :D I just went to photobucket and the first page all belongs to this thread! Thanks to everyone for sharing your photos :D Kim and Laura your babies look great and so big. Kim my two were weighed 2 weeks ago and Harry was a whopping 16.5lbs and Bronte 13lb 2oz. Kim your twins and mine were born on the same day - yours in the morning (I think)and mine in the evening, 14.06.07. Since others have shared a photo of themselves I will post one which was taken a month or so ago of me and Harry. I don't have one with all the family :(

Malinka - I have a Mountain Buggy and a single stroller as well. The mountain buggy is great as it will fit through most doorways and is very light to push. The seats have many positions which is great. This stroller gets a lot of use so was well worth the investment!

Laura - I also purchased the same Fisher Price seats as you. I too thought they were better value and a lot more versatile than the regular high chair, which I have always loathed.

Well it looks like we might be moving in about 6 months so we will have to sell our great home and look for another. We will either move 700 km or 3000 km depending on which job my husband takes! I cannot imagine how we will house hunt with 6 month olds :shock: Not to mention the packing.....

Cheers Di
9th attempt IVF - TWINS born 14/06/07

Harry Bede - 5 lb 14oz
Brontë Mathilda - 4lb 12oz
DianeC
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Post by DianeC »

Hi

I have posted my photo on photobucket.

Thanks again for all who shared photos as I think it is great that we can put a face to the name..........

Cheers

Di
9th attempt IVF - TWINS born 14/06/07

Harry Bede - 5 lb 14oz
Brontë Mathilda - 4lb 12oz
kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Ok everyone. . .maybe I am biast to our group of IVF'ers but do we have the cutest group of babies or what??? I just got off photobucket and couldn't stop the "ooohh" and "ahhh" ing over every baby! What cuties!!!!

Diane~ AHHH! Moving? hopefully it will all go smoothly for you. The only thing I can think of when I imagine moving is tons of help! At least at 6 months there will most likely be a set napping time that you can try plan packing and such around. Your babies are getting so big! I can't imagine what 16 lbs will be like in a few months. I do love how in the photos the babies smile and have such personality. It seems that right now my little ones are hard to get a photo of doing anything but laying down. Good luck and keep us posted on your upcoming moving plans.

Kim~ Again, super cute photos! I know what you mean when people ask if they are twins. I love when they ask if mine are identical? I guess I assume that people see a boy and a girl and would know that they aren't identical but I guess not. One of my close friends came to the NICU when the babies were down to 4.2 lbs. and asked "Are they actually fully developed and can their eyes open?" It's funny how little most people understand about premature babies. When we go out, people assume that my babies are just days old and that I am some horrid mother for taking my babies out already. These children didn't go out of the house until they were 4.5 weeks old except to a Dr. appoinment. What can you do?

It's so funny that you joke. . "When we let them come over". We are the same way. People love holding them and they have had TONS of visitors but FEW people have held them. Although the pediatrician is thrilled with their weight gain and progress, we are super careful about them getting ill and don't have one ounce of guilt for it. Now that they have hit a normal birth weight and their actual due date we are easing up on the strictness but only as we feel comfortable.

Last bit of stroller advice from me. . .I found my Maclaren and jogger stroller lightly used and saved a ton of money! The Maclaren is a side by side and very narrow so it fits through almost any doorway. They are expensive so I had to go used myself. Local twin groups often have huge garage sales and often hand down stuff like worthy strollers. Just a thought!

The babies are already in for their early morning nap so I better get showered or I never will! Sometimes my 10 am goal escapes us if we aren't careful!

Have a great day everyone!
Kimberly
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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buckeyegal
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Post by buckeyegal »

We are chatty, huh? Di, mine were born around 4:20...so we're pretty close! I think both your babies are bigger than mine, which is ironic, since yours were so small early on....although, my Ellie is packing on some heat...we'll see at the appt. We were actually supposed to go tomorrow, but had to reschedule, so we won't be in until the first week of November. Again, the dreaded vaccines....ahhhh!

Kimberly--You lucky duck that you got the Maclaren used!!! We have an incredible Mothers of Twins club here in Ohio, and they have a twins sale every spring and fall...but it's a mad dash to the stroller section, and I didn't make it there in time to get the top of the line! It's funny, the club is so popular (and there are TONS of twins in this area--fertility treatment anyone?) that they have strict start times to their sales, and you even have to get a number when you get in line....very official....I still manage to get great stuff, but nothing that awesome yet! About the "out in public" issue, you'll be dealing with the "newborn" question for a while. When mine were two months old, we drove them about 3 hours north to Lake Erie. We had to stop midway for a feeding, and I was changing the babies in a restroom at a restaurant....so many people asked, "Are they newborns?" I wanted to answer, "Yup, just had em yesterday, and I thought I'd bring them to McDonalds!" I get the Identical question a lot too...but I DID see on a National Geographic special last winter that there have been a handful of identical boy/girl twins born...not sure how that can be identical since one has a sprinkler and the other doesn't, but somehow they came from the same egg. Who knew? Of course, mine are fraternal, but the questions do get aggravating from time to time.

Di, you're moving! Holy cow--you'll have your hands full, but I'm sure you will manage. At least you can stuff the babies into an exersaucer for short jaunts while you pack. Plus nap time. Good luck! Plus, you get to do a nursery all over again! Will you keep the babies in the same room or separate them? Or, maybe I should ask that question once you've found a house? Nosy me.....

gotta run!
Kim
me--34, DH--38
IVF Oct. 06--BFP--TWINS!

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kholtan
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Post by kholtan »

Just chattin' it up while I have the time! :D

The answer to the identical boy girl twins is this. . .the egg actaully carries an XXY instead of just XX or YY like a typical egg. Then when it splits that extra X, which cause no abnormalities, makes way for the boy girl identical thing. However, it is the rarest of all twins and is said to be less than 1% of all twins. Since mine had two seperate sacs the odds are very unlikely that they are identical.

Quick question on nail filing. . .I file the heck out of their little nails and still they can scratch the daylights out of their little sweet faces! My little ones will NOT wear those mits and cannot stand being swaddled unless they get to keep their arms free. What the heck do I do so they don't look like Edward scissorhands????

Annelise has spoken. . .must run!
Me 35, DH 35
Ectopic Oct. 2005
IVF transfer 1-21-07. . .TWINS!!!!
ww.batesbabies.blogspot.com

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Malinka
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Post by Malinka »

Girls your babies are adorable!
I know I have to cook mine for a bit more, but I can't wait till I can hold them in my hands:)


Kim, don't feel sorry, I am so grateful that I have you girls, and welcome any piece of info that you would give me.
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