Is there a "normal" twin pregnancy discomfort timeline?

Manada · May 2014

So far for me it would go something like:
4-6 weeks: grateful to be pregnant, wake up and eat alot. Buy new bras because body now hates anything synthetic.
6-12 weeks: nausea and bone crushing fatigue that makes
You wonder if you will ever be productive again...
12/13 weeks: belly one day suddenly looks less bloated and as if it sits on an invisible shelf. Continue tired.
13 weeks: suddenly those sweat pants you thought would last awhile in pregnancy are just way too tight. Pack away pretty bras and kiss underwires goodbye for foreseeable future. Buy $5 cotton sports bras to sooth burning nipples.
14 weeks: enter reflux. Wake up in middle of the night gagging because stomach seems to want out via throat. Gag dramatically all the time.
15 weeks: reflux subsides thanks to baby B moving down, belly staring to feel super awkward. Ab muscles seem to have jumped ship, now roll out of chairs, beds and couch. Gravity is becoming a jerk. Sleep is a delicate negotiation of belly needs and shifting consistently to avoid squishing organs....

What's next? I feel the singleton books/blogs have not prepared me well.......

ETA: I am insanely grateful for this group and its accumulated wisdom. I feel a bit like a fast-growing freak many places and love that you guys get this....

I also complain some, but am totally psyched to have our littles on board. I am both impatient for them to grow so that they can come safely, and also terrified that I cannot prepare adequately for this huge unknown.

katekat8721 · May 2014

I was sick until 18ish weeks, with it totally gone around 20 weeks. After that, I felt awesome. My hair and skin were beautiful and I was totally "glowing" and we got a lot of stuff done around the weekends because my energy was up! We did maternity pics at 26 weeks and had our showers at 23 and 28 weeks (which was perfect!)

Around 27 weeks I did start getting a bit more tired, and my doc put me on half day schedule. At 30 weeks I hit a wall, and from the twin mamas I've spoken with they seem to also hit a wall in the early 30s. I was taken off work entirely and am now just focused on existing at this point haha.

I'm nearly 34 weeks now. Physically, I am pretty miserable these days. The current scoreboard is that I have anemia, asthma, carpal tunnel, SPD and horrible RLP from these kiddos. I don't sleep at night, heartburn is hit or miss depending on baby B's position, getting up and down from the couch/bed is dreadful.

I promise I'm not saying this stuff to scare you. I know other MoMs who have had it easier and some who have had it harder. I honestly had such a good first and second tri (despite morning sickness that lasted forever) that I was a little surprised by how much 30+ weeks has hit me. I wasn't really prepared.

From 16+ weeks onwards I'd focus on getting comfy - get roomy clothes, get used to new ways of getting in and out of bed, find the stuff that stresses you out and avoid it lol, get used to having wifey take care of you and the house, all that good stuff! If you feel good in second tri seize that energy! Get all the big stuff done early and focus on the little, easy stuff in third tri. I used to think it was important to get stuff done early because the little ones could come early. While that's true, it's also just the fact that it's good to get stuff done early because later on you will NOT want to do it haha.

Also, expect to be taken off early, even if you're doing pretty good now. Get some crafts and TV shows lined up because being at home all day is more boring than you'd think lol.

You'll do great. And it's always ok to complain. We love these little ones but seriously, growing humans is exhausting :P

eta:
tl;dr version... I don't think there's a "normal"... just expect third tri to suck

Odebdo · May 2014

I think with twin pregnancy...there is no normal...

For me, things have come and gone...and there are days I felt pretty good and I just try really hard to enjoy those...and there are nights I sleep really good...and I am thankful for those when they hit...

At 31 weeks 3 days...I am learning a new level of discomfort...and so many people tell me, Aren't you just done? I bet you wish those babies would come now...um, no. I don't. I don't care how uncomfortable I get, how little I sleep, how bad the heartburn is...how much it sucks having GD and checking blood sugars 4x a day and tracking what I eat etc...I want these babies in as long as they can stay in safely!

Not saying my husband does not know how bad my hips ache, and how hard this is getting to be...he knows the nights I get hardly any sleep because he is kept up too...but as we near the end...I know all this is worth it....

Just be sure to let your doctor know your aches and pains...some may be aided with meds (like the heartburn) and some it is just nice to know is normal...

Hang in there...

Ylvelill · May 2014

More fatigue, then just plain tiredness and being uncomfortable doing anything other than... Well nothing is really comfortable at week 28

On the other hand by then there should be tons of moving, I am pretty sure mine sleep in shifts

ckred27 · May 2014

Same timeline as PP. 18-20 weeks I was always tired and napping, once I hit 24 it really started to get hard to work and was put on bedrest, which helped, and worked from home (or from bed). At 28 weeks I couldn't walk to the kitchen with out getting out of breath, at 30-32 I just was flat out miserable and the last month (I had them at 36 weeks) DH actually started getting worried because I was losing weight in my face and it looked like the life was being sucked out of me ( I had gestational diabetes, cholestasis of pregnancy and my platelets were dropping like mad though) That last month was honestly hell on earth. If this had been my first pregnancy I would never had gone through it again. It hurt to stay still cuz my hips or back would start to hurt after 20-30 minutes in the same position and then would hurt to move. But 7 weeks post partum, its all starting to fade again....maybe in 6 months to a year Ill forget again!

2momsinCA · May 2014

@Manada‌ (hi!) all I've learned is that there is no standard twin pregnancy. I can't read the singleton pregnancy books anymore because I feel like my experience is totally it's own thing. I measure anywhere from 5-8 weeks ahead at every appt so perhaps discomfort is relative to that measurement? Not sure.

For me, weeks 7-15/16 vomiting, major heart burn, terrible fatigue, lost weight, did not look pregnant but felt generally awful. Weeks 16-25, unbelievable belly growth and weight gain. Heart burn comes and goes daily. Sometimes light headed and feel faint depending on where boys are positioned. Fatigue hits in the afternoonish, but not as intense as first tri. I love and cherish my leachco maternity pillow and I roll out of bed for sure. I have no idea what the third tri holds for me but I already can tell decreased mobility and just general discomfort associated with a belly the size of a beach ball.

shanaynerz · May 2014

From what other posters said before, think of it as the longest 3rd tri and almost no 2nd tri. I've been exhausted since around 16 weeks and now for the past month or so I'm just in pretty constant discomfort/pain, all through my back, legs, hips...

As others said, you'll wanna just be comfy for the remainder. I still have good days where I'm not as tired, but I really can't do much anymore w/o being completely exhausted and super sore.

Sitting is more comfortable than standing of course, but even siting too long kills my legs and hips. Laying down is sometimes the most comfortable, but even then getting up is so hard! Oh and constipation's hit me bad this last week, and it's gonna get worse b/c I'll need to take iron pills. Joy!

It'll be totally worth it, but the discomfort you get with twins seems to only get worse and is totally normal.

CJnKR2014 · May 2014

katekat8721 said:
I was sick until 18ish weeks, with it totally gone around 20 weeks. After that, I felt awesome. My hair and skin were beautiful and I was totally "glowing" and we got a lot of stuff done around the weekends because my energy was up! We did maternity pics at 26 weeks and had our showers at 23 and 28 weeks (which was perfect!)

Around 27 weeks I did start getting a bit more tired, and my doc put me on half day schedule. At 30 weeks I hit a wall, and from the twin mamas I've spoken with they seem to also hit a wall in the early 30s. I was taken off work entirely and am now just focused on existing at this point haha.

I'm nearly 34 weeks now. Physically, I am pretty miserable these days. The current scoreboard is that I have anemia, asthma, carpal tunnel, SPD and horrible RLP from these kiddos. I don't sleep at night, heartburn is hit or miss depending on baby B's position, getting up and down from the couch/bed is dreadful.

I promise I'm not saying this stuff to scare you. I know other MoMs who have had it easier and some who have had it harder. I honestly had such a good first and second tri (despite morning sickness that lasted forever) that I was a little surprised by how much 30+ weeks has hit me. I wasn't really prepared.

From 16+ weeks onwards I'd focus on getting comfy - get roomy clothes, get used to new ways of getting in and out of bed, find the stuff that stresses you out and avoid it lol, get used to having wifey take care of you and the house, all that good stuff! If you feel good in second tri seize that energy! Get all the big stuff
done early and focus on the little, easy stuff in third tri. I used to think it was important to get stuff done early because the little ones could come early. While that's true, it's also just the fact that it's good to get stuff done early because later on you will NOT want to do it haha.

Also, expect to
be taken off early, even if you're doing pretty good now. Get some
crafts and TV shows lined up because being at home all day is more
boring than you'd think lol.

You'll do great. And it's always ok to complain. We love these little ones but seriously, growing humans is exhausting :P

eta:
tl;dr version... I don't think there's a "normal"... just expect third tri to suck

WSS^.

I'm at 34w2d, and at 30 weeks I hit that wall. Can't breathe, can't get comfortable, in the last couple days I've been having terrible insomnia (like laying down at 10 and not going to seleep until about 3am), back pain like crazy, I got the PUPPP rash (that crap sucks!) And just so uncomfortable and miserable in general. I can't make a trip to walmart witbout feeling exhausted at the end. Truly the only thing that makes it any better is feeling my guys kick and move. And even that sometimes sucks, cuz they kick me square in the bladder or they'll stretch out and I feel like my stretch marks are gonna rip open! I just keep remembering what and who I am going through all this for and it makes things a little bit easier.

CaliCarly77 · May 2014

The whole thing just plain old sucked.

https://thecrocketfamilyblog.blogspot.com/2014/01/the-bump-in-review.html

Ha ha I hear you on the sweat pants - I had to buy all new maternity clothes at like, 18 weeks, because nothing fit. I ended up just getting xl and glad I did.

The pain comes on so gradually, you know you are in pain in the end, but its not until you feel no pain after that you realize how bad it was.

Manada · May 2014

Thanks so much for the responses.... It is actually very helpful for me to have some idea of what's around the corner and that it's all normal. I'm hoping I get the sweet spot @katekat8721 had for a few weeks, it would totally boost my mood if I get another little burst of energy before getting too huge to move for the long haul!

Aurora1181 · May 2014

Great idea for a thread. I'm 19 weeks on Friday, and only this past week have I been able to stop my nausea meds. I still gag all the time, but no actual throwing up! progress. I am definitely more tired now and have been taking 1-2 hour naps after work the past two weeks.. and heartburn sucks.. My back has started hurting already too. I know it's just a sign of things to come!

all worth it, of course..

AJC&Maggie · May 2014

I am just going to take this as an opportunity to vent! 35 weeks. HORRIBLE pregnancy for me, but a blessing every day!
I still require daily anti nausea meds.
I've had the flu and pneumonia.
I am tachycardic. Resting heart rate 160.
Super anemic with a crit of 27.
Raging, constant diarrhea.
Carpal tunnel.
Heartburn, oh joy!
EDEMA
I recently quit my part time job (33 weeks) as a nurse practitioner doing 14 hour shift hospital rounds.
Just cut back to part time hours at my regular job (35 weeks). I plan to work until my c section at 38 weeks.

TRS48 · May 2014

All I can say is get as much done as you can now. The further along, the more complications you may face & you will likely start to slow down in general. I'm so glad I got as much as done as I did before 20 weeks because I got put on bedrest at 21 weeks and am still on it. And nothing is worse then your singleton pregnancy friends trying to complain to you how bad they have it when you are easily 10 weeks ahead size & symptom wise... Lol.

oughtonk · May 2014

Definitely no normal but here's my timeline

At about 20 weeks I was super uncomfortable most of the time, I started living in yoga pants and tank tops if I wasn't working. At the office I had to walk every hour because my hips would tighten up so much.

Around 24-25 weeks I hit a sweet spot and felt great, it was quickly taken away at 26 weeks when I was put on bed rest because my cervix was shortening. I wasn't feeling contractions at all and couldn't believe that I felt so awesome but my body wasn't saying the same thing.

27-28 weeks super uncomfortable but I attribute it to going from being active to being lazy on the couch all day. My body felt like it wasn't being worked out and it resulted in crazy back pain and excruciating hip pain.

Now at 30 weeks I'm surprisingly not feeling to bad, I have aches and pains, getting out of bed is hilarious. I feel like the girl from Willy Wonka that turns into a blueberry, I probably should be rolled everywhere. I don't notice as much RLP, sneezing hurts and I get Braxton Hicks whenevers I have to pee. Overall though I'm feeling okay but I'm also not getting my hopes up because it could change quickly.

Heartburn has also been terrible since about 26 weeks, it's also been heightened because of the progesterone shots I'm receiving weekly. I went through the steroid shots last week and they hurt a lot but I'm glad to know the babies are getting the benefit of them.

Sleep as much as you can now and if your body is telling you to rest listen to it. Best of luck!