Double Trouble

[DianeC]

Hi all

My two are at childcare today so I have some uninterupted time to post Harry and Bronte go on Monday and Friday as I go back to uni in about 3 weeks and am trying to get a bit ahead of scheldule.

We got our single stroller in used condition and also our Boori cots which are really expensive new. We got them for about half price and in great condition. We are not so lucky where we live as there are no twin sales as our twin club is very small. We live in a regional area BUT we are moving to the big smoke so all that will change - yay!

Kim - our twins were born at 7.30pm. So our babies are very close in age - amazing! Except you are way across the water Harry is a big boy and a very happy baby. He is a bit behind in his motor skills but I put that down to his weight. Bronte is much more compact and not as heavy and she manages to raise her head quite well whilst on her tummy. She also brings up her legs now too. Harry is much more social though and smiles and giggles while Bronte now smiles a lot, she is not giggling. Much more reserved. We also have needles tomorrow! I am not looking forward to it - Harry screamed the place down last time.....

Moving - while on the one hand I am excited to be moving, on the other hand - what a nightmare! It is hard enough moving with no little kids but with two not even crawling - I find the whole thought of moving very daunting. It took me quite a while to get their room finished and now I have to start again - do not know how I will manage with the twins though. I will keep them in the same room whilst I can so will only have the one room to complete. The positive thing is that we will have more family around us when we move and have family in both areas we are thinking about. At the moment we have no family nearby at all so we feel a little isolated.

Kimberly, I agree the babies are all beautiful. I really enjoy looking at all the photos - it is great since we are all over the world. Kim, your Ellie seems to look a lot like you!

Malinka - your time will be here before you know it and then you will be very busy and challenged for the first few months. Enjoy getting your baby things together and rest whilst you can.

We get the 'are they identical' all the time! It is so frustrating as obviously they are not! I had a lady say to me oh, double trouble. I said to her with a smile, double joy! I hate it when people are negative - Grrr..... We also got the newborn comment for quite some time too.

Kimberly, I cut my two's nails every few days as they grow so quickly. They still manage to scratch themselves. So I don't think there is an answer for the occassional scratch !

Nice to see everyone so chatty and so many photos.

Take care everyone

Di
xx

[buckeyegal]

Hi gals, not much time....

Di, I hope the daycare situation goes well for you...good to practice before they "have" to go! I'm glad you'll have more family around you soon...I'm sure the relatives will LOVE having you closer! And yes, Ellie is my carbon copy...my baby photos look exactly like her! It's kindof eerie!

Kimmberly, we have lots of trouble with the nails too. I find it really hard to file their nails, since they don't seem to sit still. I tend to clip them. I'm only finding time to do it about every 5 days or so, but they could probably use it more....mine tend to scratch themselves at least once a week!

I've got to run...Ellie's fussing. We're way off schedule today, so I"m afraid of how tonight will go.

[teen]

Hello mummies and mummies to be

Wow Kimmberly and Lisa your babies are adorable and sound sooo content and chilled out!!

Everyone else your little people are real cuties and you can really see there personalities in there photos. bless..

Well i'm 36 weeks today and have another 16 days to go untill my C section I'll be 38 + 3, although both are head down so may even try for a natural. My hospital have all twins and above born in surgery so if you do run into any trouble and have to have help your already there.

Has anyone ever heard of twins being this big, I had a scan last Monday and my boy was 7.1 lbs and girl 6.11 lbs . I've had all the sugar tests and everything has come back fine. Suppose i just have big babies, and although i look big dont look that big.

Quita: I feel your pain, my bump is now so low, and very umcomfortable, carnt sleep or eat as there is no room left in the inn.

I truly can not wait to hold my babies in my arms so much so that when i think how close i am now my heart pangs!!

Take care everyone,

counting the days

T xx

[kholtan]

Good evening everyone!

Teen~ Nice job of making it to 36 weeks! What a great mile stone. Sounds like your babies are ready as ever to make their grand entrance at those weights. I hvae heard of people having twins that size and larger. My last u/s the day before I gave birth said the babies were 5.7 and 5.11 lbs but they turned out to be 4.13 and 4.10 so it was off by almost a pound. I think that u/s's are usually a bit generous in size. Good luck if you can make it much longer! Can't wait to see some photos once they are here.

Today we took Bodie in to have his belly button checked out. As it turns out he does had an umbilical hernia. They don't do anything for it unless it doesn't go away by age 2 and luckily his is quite small but I'm still a bit sad for him. Apparently it is quite common and not painful but it is just heart wrenching to see anything wrong with your sweet babies.

Thursday we are getting some fabulous photos taken at a place here in town that is amazing with babies. They have a web page (cherishedimages.net) if anyone wants to take a look. I just can't believe they grow up so fast and although it is a bit pricey, I just couldn't resist the chance to freeze some special moments. If anyone takes a look I would love to hear favorites or suggestions. Has anyone else done this?

Better get a run at dinner so there is a chance I can finish the babies window treatments tonight as well. The nursery is almost done! YEAH!!!
Have a great night everyone. Hugs and kisses to all those sweet babes!

Kimberly

[buckeyegal]

Teen, good for you! Like Kimberly said, sometimes the U/S can be off by a pound plus or minus. Mine were measuring 6 pounds plus just a week before I delivered, and my babies were both under 6 pounds. HOWEVER, my coworkers daughter just had twins two weeks ago, and they were both over 7 pounds. Are you on the taller side? If so, that helps..cause your babes have more room. If you're a shorty like me (5'4"), then the inn fills up before the babies can get that big--sometimes. As for the surgery room, my hospital did the same thing. They don't want to have to cart you down the hall in case one baby decides to be difficult!

Kimberly, sorry to hear about the hernia! My DH actually had that as a kid. I'm sure Bodie will be fine. Is he in pain? I'll check out the website...I have used Portrait Innovations for my babies' 3 month pics, and I loved them. Their prices are pretty reasonable, and I know they have locations nationwide.

Rough day for me...car battery died, got it jumped, was running late, and got a speeding ticket!!!! AAAAHhhh, just couldn't win today! I keep begging my DH for a new car, but he says it's fine....now that I"m only working part time, the $$$ is tighter....

We stopped swaddling the kiddos last night (I think I'm late on that one...) and started using the sleep sacks. I was very nervous, as both my babies tend to like to be swaddled most of the night. They did pretty well, though. They slept from 9 until about 5. Not their normal 9-6:30ish....but I'm sure we'll get back to that. Now that their not swaddled, they're swinging their arms and hitting each other in the middle of the night. They didn't wake up screaming or anything, but I have a feeling I'm going to have to separate them into different cribs soon.

[buckeyegal]

Kimberly, I checked out the website--GORGEOUS!!! Yes, pricey, but oh, the pics will be precious. I didn't manage to get out to a studio that early...but my Father in Law is a photographer by hobby, so he took some pretty pics around the 4 week age. Nice thing about pics this early on is they are so sleepy, you can put them in almost any sleepy position--just like Anne Geddes pics! I personally love the naked baby pics, but that's me. Just a warning...I learned the hard way at our 3 month pics...limit how many outfits you take because the pics will be so cute, you won't be able to choose, and you'll end up buying them all--yikes! At 36 per pic, that could add up FAST!

[teen]

Kimberly, Had a look at the website too and the photos are beautiful. I'm with Kim and like the naked baby pics, plus the flower pot ones are really cute aswell. Sorry to hear about Bodie's hernia, bless him. x

Kim I'm 5'6 had a good look at myself tonight (been avoding the mirror) and my belly can now be described as huge!!!!. Sorry you had such a rubbish day.

Back at the hospital in the morning for the babies weekly ECG, finding them really hard to carry now and hardly leave the house.... Still they will come when they are ready and not before no matter how much i try to convince them

Take care everyone.

T xxx

[kholtan]

Alright mommies. . .we have hit a hump at night!
All of the sudden about 5 days ago, the babies just simply decided that I was too well rested. I started some sinning. . .letting the babies nurse when they wanted at night, falling asleep on the bb, not getting them both up at the same time, and the list could probably go on and on. Now I am trying to correct my sins and get these little ones to have a good nights sleep. AHGHGHGH!!!!
When did your twins start sleeping better at night? We were doing so well and then their due date cam approaching and all hell is breaking loose! Actually from 3-10 am these chldren sleep like angels but it use to be from about 10-10. I've always had to feel every 2-4 hours but it was very peacful and quick. Now they, mainly her, cry like I'm killing them when trying to go back to sleep. I naturally do more of a "Babywise" style of care taking and bought the book yesterday to see if it can help me but I will take any and all suggestions! Thank goodness for the mommies on here who go before me!

Today is our photo day! WHOOHOOOO! I love the naked photos also and am going to do more of those than anything. Hopefully the babies won't be too stimulated and stay awake. They said that usually the babies need to 6 weeks or younger for them to get those shots with ease but we'll give it a try. I sure don't plan on buying many photos but I had to at least try it once while they are so small.

Obviously, they are sleeping like a log right now. . . Has anyone returned ot their normal weight to find their muscle completely gone????? Sure, I was fortunate enough to return to my normal weight by the end of the first week but I have found that my muscle has left the building! Where the heck did it go??? It's not like I wasn't active! I would rather have a few lbs. to lose than have muscle to try gain back. That's work and quite frankly, we are out of time for more work! Just curious! You would also think a few extra lbs. would be melting away from nursing twins right? WRONG! Nothing! My body is determined to stay the same weight and to add injury to insult I think my period is already back!!! Did that happen to anyone else out there? I was hoping it would be MIA for a year or more!

Lastly, to all the moms waiting to deliver. . .GET SUPPLIMENTAL INSURANCE!!!! We are so grateful for it after the babies spent time in the NICU. We got paid, a tax free $1000. per day/per child that they were in the NICU. We ended up getting enough to cover all our deductables and the entire cost of IVF! It was worth the whole $11 a month! NO KIDDING!!!! Best money ever spent!

Better get ready for the day and quite typing a novel. . .SORRY!
Take care everyone and kiss the babies for me!
Kimberly

[Malinka]

Kimberly sorry about Bodie's hernia, I hope everything will be fine!

pics are so adorable, please post some when you will have it done.

[DianeC]

Hi all

Kimberly - Our Harry has a hernia as well. The doctor said it should fix itself in time so not to worry about it at this stage. Harry also has a problem with fluid on his testicles but again the doctor said not to worry as this should clear itself up.

Unfortunately the muscle tone of the tummy is going to be hard work. Even when carrying a singleton you have to work to regain your tummy muscle tone after birth. Lots of situps.......

All broke loose when our babies hit about 6 weeks. We had Harry crying most of his wake time! They both fought bed at times. BUT we got them into a routine very quickly and kept them to it - it helped and now that routine is what keeps me sane Sleep time is after that 9 - 9.30pm bottle and the bed at about 10.30. Both have tested that and both have learned that nobody comes if they whinge. Of course we have a few nights when they would put it on and DH or I would go in comfort them like give the dummy and talk softly to them BUT we never pickup them up unless they were really crying. We would settl;e them and put them back to bed. This would keeep going until they went to sleep. Perservre as it does work. Sure it is a nightmare to work through but be consistant and it will pay off in the end.

Our babies started to sleep through from 3 1/2 months old. Now bed time is their bottle at 9 - 9.30pm and bed at around 10.30pm. They are wrapped , cuddled and kissed and put into their own cot. Then the light is put off and the door left open. I can tell you we do not hear a peep even when they are obviously awake and not too sleepy. Sometime we can hear then cooing and baby talking but no whinging or crying They finally drop off to sleep.

Even when they try to wake for a bottle at 3am we do not feed them. We perservre and give them a dummy and eventually they go back to sleep. So they know if they wake for a feed they will not get it. I know it sounds hard but with two you could be on a rollercoaster for months if you are not careful. The babies are learning and you are teaching them the expected behaviour. If you reinforce the expected behaviour they will eventually not know the difference and act accordingly. All behaviour is learnt so we have to learn it from our environment.

My two are at childcare today so have to study - Uni semester starts in 2 weeks so want to get ahead.

Good luck to all expecting their babies very soon - woohoo

Cheers

Di

[Lindsey_08]

Hi Ladies,

Sorry to crash but I just wondered if you could answer a quick question for me...

How long did you continue to work when pregnant with your twins? I am very early but am just wondering if I should expect to be taking off at some point?

Thanks for your words of wisdom!

Lindsey

[buckeyegal]

Lindsey--It probably depends on your type of work and your condition. I'm a first grade teacher, so I'm on my feet the whole day. Around 30 weeks, I was cut back to 1/2 days, and around 34 weeks, I was kept home. Good luck to you!

Kimberly--I have to admit, I was wondering if this would happen to you. I've heard that babies born preterm (like many of ours were), are so sleepy and pleasant early on because they're just too tired/weak to cry too much. Then, when they get to "full term", you better watch out! Like you, I read babywise from cover to cover, and I swear by it...I think the routine is soo soo important. The book emphasized that the babies need to be put to bed awake (which was hard for my two....they tended to get sleepy every mealtime). But I tried my darndest to keep them awake to play for at least a little while before settling them down. Now, we seem to be in a good routine, and I'm able to tell when my kiddos need a nap. They're not always on the exact same nap schedule, but they always go down for the night at the same time. They started sleeping through at 11 weeks, and they've been doing it nearly every night since. They tend to go down after an 8:30 bottle, and they sleep until about 6:30 or so. Of course, every once in a while, there's a glitch, but I think that's pretty normal. My problem now is that Braeden seems to wake earlier than Ellie, and he starts gabbing/cooing (which is adorable), but it wakes her up. So, I might have to put them in separate cribs soon. I'm just trying to avoid it because I love seeing them sleep together (I know, I"ll pay for it, right!?)

Oh, as for the weight...how much do I hate you right now???? ha ha! Just kidding. But seriously, I've been working my TAIL off to try to drop the pounds. Initially, I dropped a bunch, but then it just stalled. I still have about 20 to go. Breastfeeding didn't really help me lose weight because I was eating well to ensure the babies got what they needed. Once I stopped breastfeeding and cutting back on calories, I started to lose some. Ironically, I still have fairly good muscle tone (granted I worked out through most of the pg). I still have this little blubber at my lower belly that won't seem to go away, but I think more cardio will eventually curb that. Now, despite all my efforts, the worst part for me is my hips! I can't even get some pants up to my waist to see if they'll button because my hips have spread so much. It didn't seem like it when I was pg because I seemed to carry it all up front, but I guess these baby making hips did what they were supposed to, huh? Anyone have any idea on how long it takes your hips to go back to normal? Or do they ever?

Oh, kim, one more thing....do your babes have gas? That was a problem for mine for a while there. We have it under control now, but early on, it would wake them up and they'd be screaming...just a thought...

[DianeC]

Hi all

Kim - Harry wakes Bronte up with his crying, cooing, baby talk so I don't even sleep them in the same room of a day. They have had seperate cots from early on too as they kept waking each other up.

Is anyone elses twins noticing each other. Just recently my two have started to take an interest in each other and it is so cute! Harry will look at Bronte and give her the biggest smile and Bronte will check Harry out for ages. I try to put them so they can see each other when they have their play time. They also love seeing themselves in the mirror - too cute!

We had the second vaccine the other day. Bronte was extremely unsettled for the whole afternoon. Really crying and fussing - poor thing. They had their needles on Tuesday and today is the first day they are OK. I am dreading the next lot at 6 months.

We also had the babies weighed. Harry is 17lbs 4 oz and Bronte 14lbs.

Cheers to all

Di

[Lindsey_08]

Thank you Buckeygal!

[kholtan]

Good morning mommies!

Lindsey~ I agree with Kim that it depends on your work. My job is quite physical with climbing ladders and doing decorative interior finishes so I got cut back pretty early but only a few hours a day. Then I got cut back to 1/2 days around 6.5 months. I worked up until the day before I got put on hospital bedrest and have to admit I was probably WAY too active. My twins were born healthy and good sized for their 34 weeks but I know my job took a toll on me even if I didn't notice it. I kept on working because I physically felt great. I thought that since I felt so great and was still so small that I was fine but I should have relaxed more. So, listen to your own body but also know that if you are a really active person you may have to listen to your head. Good luck to you!

Kim and Di~ We are cracking the whip at this house. Annelise slept 10 hours and only woke once! Bodie was every 3 hours like clock work but at least I got a decent amount of sleep. At night it use to be if one woke up I would wake them both but I found that it is actually easier to let them schedule themselves at night. My Annelise is a better sleeper at night and it just seems that he's not there yet. Did you guys continue to keep them on the same feedings even at night? I am keeping them the same during the day still but when they go down after their 9 pm feeding I have started to let them go their own route until we wake for the day at 6 am. I know the book says to wake them both but I'm not sure if that is what is best for them?

gotta run. . . guess why!
Take care,
Kimberly