Oh MY, we're expecting...twins!

Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
1

I had to trumpet the news from the highest mountain, but things are rather flat around here, so I’ll tell all of you!

We knew we are pregnant (yes, I read the thread about she/we are pregnant), but yesterday was our first ultrasound, and discovered that she is bearing 2 babies! We are thrilled…this will be an instant family!

This is our first pregnancy and are now 14 weeks. We were planning on having 2 kids, but were going to separate them by about a year and a half. After this though, I guess we’re done. This was highly unexpected, as we know of no-one in either extended family that has had twins.

We haven’t had a chance to pick up any books or do any research yet, and so I ask you, those who have much to contribute, what the hell should we expect? Are we in for a busier time, or is it actually easier as the babies require the same sorts of work at the same time?

Any input would be appreciated.

2

Mazeltov!

I just became a father this year and it’s been great. It is quite of bit of work but it’s been worth every bit of it!

Twins run in my family on boths sides (including a set of brothers) and it looked like some help was required. I can’t really speak to it myself as lil baby Kate (last time she stopped moving so I could count) was in the singular.

I wish you all the best! It’s an adventure but a vastly rewarding one!

3

Congratulations! That’s wonderful news! I’d catch up on sleep now, while you can!

But you know, with a little effort, you still could seperate them by about 1 1/2 years…

4

throws confetti Congratulations on the little ones!

5

I’ve only got the one, but I’ve heard it’s harder at first, but then when they are in the toddler/pre-schooler stage it’s easier than having two kids of different ages.

I’ve also heard that the strollers where one kid sits in front and the other sits in back are better than the side by side kind.

Sniff. I am soooo happy for you!!! :smiley:

6

I can’t offer advice on having multiple young 'uns, and I’ll not point out that before you know it, you’ll have simultaneous teenagers… I do think the best advice for all new parents is: “Trust your instincts” and enjoy every minute. My guess would be that in some respects, two will be more than twice the work of one, but there will be times when they entertain each other and you parents may grab a moment of peace.

Take all advice with a grain or two of salt and have fun with the whole experience. And find a good, reliable babysitter - kids are happiest when Mom and Dad are happy, in my unprofessional opinion!

Oh yeah - and congrats!! :slight_smile:

7

TWINS?

[Louella Parsons voice] “My dear, whatever got into you?”

8

My wife and I had our two 13 months apart. So, while not being twins, I can advise you to sleep now. :smiley:

On one hand, you have twice as much work, twice as much to buy, and twice as much to toss out (either get a diaper genie, or a 55 gallon garbage can). Oh yeah, and twice as much to feed and pick up and clean off. And you get half as much sleep, if that.

On the other hand, you don’t have to do all this over again in a few years. :smiley: You get it all over with at once, so eventually you’ll have two bugging you for hamburgers or whatnot.

Good Luck!

9

I literally cannot imagine happier news. I’m so glad for you!!

For what it’s worth, a close friend of mine was a nanny for infant twins and a 3 year old. She said after a few weeks, she just got used to having one in a carrier on her front, and one on her hip. Good luck to you- and keep us posted, OK?

Zette

10

Congratulations!

My two are six years apart, so I have no experience with having two babies at the same time. See if you can find a parents of twins club in your area (e.g. Mothers of Multiples) - they will know more about living with twins than any of us parents of one-at-a-time kids could. The maternity ward of your local hospital will have the number.

11

Congrats on the bundles of joy!

I know Biggirl has twins (a boy and a girl) - hopefully she’ll drop in and tell you what you’re in for.

12

congratulations! this is fantastic news!

here is my two cents: there are 2 of you and 2 of them, divide and conquer. perhaps you could add a border collie into the mix; they have great herding abilities and should keep wandering todlers in line.

13

Congratulations!

Our twins are now 15, but I can remember the newborn days clearly.

I can tell you that twins are more work than a singleton (our oldest was 2 1/2 when the twins were born) but you haven’t had a single baby, so you have nothing to compare it to. Lucky you.

Mrs. Kunilou was a member of a Mothers of Twins club for years. Her observation was that couples who had twins first often had other children later, because after taking care of twins, singles were a breeze. On the other hand, couples who had singletons followed by twins often stopped right there.

Advice? Organize, organize, organize. Keep that formula already made, so that while Mom is nursing one, Dad can bottle feed the other. Keep plenty of pillows handy so Mom can rest the kidlings on them while nursing both simultaneously. (Yes, it’s possible.) You think they’ll need things at the same time, but they won’t. Deal with it.

Make sure your washer and dryer are in good operating order now. If they break down after the kiddies are born, you will NEVER catch up on the laundry.

Even if you use cloth diapers, keep disposables with you at all times.

Find a pediatrician who has other twins in his/her practice. Twins can be different, and you need someone who understands that.

Join a support group – Mothers of Twins, Mothers of Multiples or one of the other. If nothing else, it’s a night out once in awhile.

NEVER turn down an offer of help, a night of babysitting or any other kindness your family and friends might offer. If nothing else, at least you can take a long bath and nap for an hour.

Enjoy frequent, loving marital relations now. It will be awhile before either of you want to have them again.

I leave you with this piece of hope. Every photo we have of us when the boys are small shows that we were all smiling.

14

Congratulations! You are going to get a double gift!

As usual, kunilou has great advice, I agree wholeheartedly. Stock up on sex now, you may not have the opportunity or desire later on.

The best piece of advice I got when I was pregnant was this- your baby is not a book. It’s fine to read the books as GUIDELINES, but your children will be unique individuals from the moment they arrive. Don’t let yourself get caught up in the game of “the child WILL roll over/smile/crawl at THIS AGE.” It will only make you freaky (and believe me, you will be plenty freaky already!).

Your instinct are best, and almost always right. Ask for help, always accept it when it’s offered, and don’t forget us when you have questions. The dopers were so helpful to me the first time Zack got sick (9 months old, very lucky it was so late).

15

Congratulations! What fantastic news. My ex-mother-in-law had a set of twin boys - one of them was my ex-husband. Her oldest son was 2 when she had the twins and then 15 months after the twins were born she had a little girl. Can you imagine how hard that must have been!

I only offer the advice that any parent will offer… enjoy every moment because they grow up fast! Also, take lots of pictures and videos. It’s amazing how much they change during the first year. I took a poloroid each month (on the day of their birth and always sitting in the same spot) for the first 12 months of my kid’s lives and I keep the pictures in a seperate photo album along with their sonogram pictures. It’s kinda cool to look at those pictures and see how much they changed during just one month.

I wish you the best of luck! Keep us updated.

16

Wow, how amazing, cantara! Congratulations and the best of luck to the four of you!

corvidae

17

Congratulations!

I have been lurking for some time but realized I must put in my two cents worth.

My twin boys are currently 2 1/2. They are a blast. It was tough at first because it is more like three times the work instead of twice the amount of work for a single. For the first months, you will forget who each other is. or you will not recognize the other w/o a baby in hand. Once they are up and around, the fun begins. My two refuse to do anything without the other.

We never joined a support group or anything, but looking back, wished we had. The only other advice I can offer is to establish a good relationship with your doctor. Multiple pregnancies (sp?) can be more complicated than a single.

Good Luck. And have fun!

18

::gets into cheerleader outfit::

Push 'em out, shove 'em out . . . wait, this is the wrong room.

Goooooooo cantaras!

19

Bwahahahhahahaha!

You’re life is about to change as you knew it, forever!

Our twins are now 14. I’ll agree with three times the work, but at least you’re doing it right by having them first. Ours came with the second pregnancy.
Our first spoiled us; slept through the night at 4 months, going down at 8 PM and sleeping 'til 10 the next morning.
Then the twins came along, entering with a vengeance (emergency C-section at 8 months). They whipsawed us, and didn’t sleep through the night until they were 2 years old.
I know precisely what sleep deprivation feels like, and have no desire to ever participate in any of those experiments, thenkyewverymuch.

Some hints: Never forget the diaper bag (you’ll only do it once).
When they reach highchair age, spread a large piece of plastic sheet on the floor underneath, and buy a dog.

When they start teething, frozen veggies on the highchair tray are good.

Do not let them sleep in the same bed with you; it’s a hard habit to break them of.

Do not let them wear night diapers when potty training; it confuses them and lengthens the process. If you want detailed info on this, email me.

Congratulations, and best of luck!

20

I’ll vouch for that! But in fairness, we only wanted three anyway, and Mrs. Blue was so wretchedly sick 24/7 throughout each pregnancy that she didn’t want to be tortured a third time.
On the other hand, there was no labour to speak of; with our first, her water broke, and 18 minutes later we had baby. With the twins, they were a c-section, as mentioned, because Blue #2 was a breach presentation. But for that, there is no doubt in my mind that I would have delivered them at home, at 4 AM.