MoM's of Multiples Weekly Check In 7/25

tmk0325

How far along are you? How big are the babies?

Any appointments this week/last? 

GTKY: What kind of vehicle do you drive? Will you be getting a new one with twins?

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  

tmk0325

How far along are you? How big are the babies? 19w4d with just one this time

Any appointments this week/last? Anatomy scan is on Friday! Team Green though... just hoping for a healthy baby and a good appointment. 

GTKY: What kind of vehicle do you drive? Will you be getting a new one with twins? I currently have a Kia Sorento SUV which is good for the twins (a bit tight with the seats), but I think I'm going to take the leap to minivan world and get a Kia Sedona. My mom sells vehicles and I just told her this morning, I think it's time to start looking for one.  I'm not really excited about this at all at the moment... However the sliding doors and extra seats do make it worthwhile. 

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  Anyone else getting winded more often now? I remember it much earlier with the twins so I'm just happy I made it to almost 20 weeks. I had to walk up and down a hill multiple times this last weekend (i was in a wedding on a hilly property) and I had to stop at the top to catch my breath! Oh the joys of pregnancy... 

breezybee

Omg yes @tmk0325!  You'd think I'd run a freaking marathon, when I've only just walked up my stairs!  It's kind of depressing, because I usually have great cardio health, but I have to remind myself that it's totally normal with pregnancy and twins. 

How far along are you? How big are the babies?
17 + 3, babies are the size of pomegranates!

Any appointments this week/last? 
I had my 16 week US, and babies are measuring 6 oz each, and their fluid levels are equal. All good things!  Baby B was being very active and flying all over the place, but I couldn't feel a thing lol. 

GTKY: What kind of vehicle do you drive? Will you be getting a new one with twins?
I have a new Subaru Outback, burn ive been driving thise for about 5 years now. I'm a nanny already, so I needed a big, safe car. That thing is amazing!  Suuuuuper safe, and fully loaded. It's a really nice car, but without me feeling like it's "too nice."  My DH drives and Audi, and I hate It. Too fancy. 
So no, I'll most likely be driving Subarus for the rest of my life. I love them so much. 

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  
We've discussed this briefly before, but I was wondering if you guys have any good books about sleep training/etc that you think would be helpful with twins. I've read allllll the pregnancy books, so I'm good on those, but anything you liked when you were getting ready for them to come would be sweet
Omg I keep having these dreams where I'm drinking and smoking and then I wake up and feel so awful, like I really did it. Then I really wake up, and I realize I didn't, but crap. I have these dreams like 3-4 times a week!  Oy.  The mommy guilt has already begun and they're not even here yet!

Hope you guys are having a great week so far!

wabash15

How far along are you? How big are the babies? 18+1 singelton

Any appointments this week/last? nope nothing for 2 weeks

GTKY: What kind of vehicle do you drive? Will you be getting a new one with twins? I have a Prius and DH has a Chevy  cruise. both were fine for just the twins but now that #3 is coming we are going to trade in DH's car and get a minivan. (I love my prius and won't give it up without a fight, plus its bigger than his car) I figure as long as I just have to transport 1 or 2 babies they can go in my car but if all 3 need to go somewhere we will take the van. We are still shopping (we know we want a Honda odyssey) but finding a used one in the year range/mileage and price we want to pay is taking a little while.

What rants/raves/questions/advice?   Not much right now. Feeling pretty good. Though I'm with you @tmk0325 and @breezybee the getting winded with a small amount of activity is annoying!

@breezybee we liked the no cry sleep solution. I did not find a great resource that addressed twins especially when we had them both in the same room. When they are super little I agree with the recommendation to feed and change them at the same time overnight so that you dont have one wake up, take care of them, fall back asleep and then 15min later the other is waking up. Also your partner in crime can help change them which is nice. if your bottling you can team feed, if your BF, your partner may be able to help you tandem. My maternity pillow actually worked really well for a nursing pillow for the twins at night. I could get it set so I was semi reclined and the twins were nestled in and half sleep/half nurse. once they were 2-3 months old DD was a sleeper and would sleep through the night but DS was not. we did a lot of cosleeping with him. Once we moved them into their own room for a while they did well but DS hit a sleep regression and bed time could be torture. The no cry sleep solution made a big difference for us in tweaking his bedtime routine and we've been in a much better place. (We did briefly try the cry it out method but it broke my heart and I was an emotional basket case so it was not the one for us) For the most part unless one of the twins is screaming bloody murder they will sleep through the other one waking up, so thats nice. Some of it is trial and error and you'll have to see what works best for your family, just know you can come here for support and venting. 

elev2017

How far along are you? How big are the babies?

18+3, di/di twins, artichokes/sugar gliders

Any appointments this week/last? 

I had my anatomy scan yesterday! We're having a boy and a girl and are totally thrilled!!! The babies got a clean bill of health and when they measured their weight concordance they had a difference of 1% which they said was amazing. They're both 10 ounces. The only thing they noticed was I currently have a low-lying placenta, but they said that could move.

GTKY: What kind of vehicle do you drive? Will you be getting a new one with twins?

I drive a Hyundai Sonata and my husband drives a Honda CRV. We plan on keeping the cars we have. Even though I got my Sonata a couple of years ago, I bought it with a family in mind and I love my car!

What rants/raves/questions/advice?

Rant: Went to my GI today and since I'm still having stomach issues, he wants me to have a flexible sigmoidoscopy at the end of the week. It's not as bad as having a colonoscopy and I don't need to be put under, but it still sounds unpleasant and I'm totally not looking forward to it.

@breezybee I haven't read it yet, but my friends who have a very well behaved almost two year old swear by the book "Bringing Up Bebe" and my husband has started reading it and is in love with basically everything he's read so far. It's not specifically about sleep training, more parenting in general, but I believe it does have a section on sleep.

wabash15

@leilagphillips congrats on B/G twins!! I'm so glad they both look good! Sorry your going to have to have an upper GI scope. I hope they can figure out whats going on. 

oh one other tape we loved was the happiest baby on the block... it really helped when they were super fussy.

breezybee

Thanks @wabash15. I'll be sure to check those out
@leilagphillips Congrats on boy/girl twins!  That's gotta be the best - one of each!  Perfecto. Sorry you're still having stomach issues. I hope this procedure resolves it. 

elev2017

@wabash15 @breezybee Thanks ladies! This procedure won't resolve any of my issues, but it will hopefully give my doctor a better idea of what's going on so he can pick the best and safest form of treatment.

tmk0325

@breezybee I know you said you've read all the books, but the one that worked best for us was 12 Hours of Sleep by 12 Weeks. Its specific to sleep training and the author was a twin mom... In my personal opinion, it really depends on your babies. I lucked out with two pretty happy not to fussy babies that already came home from the NICU on a schedule, so that was more than half the battle with sleep training.  I will say though after the cluster feeding stage if you can get them on a schedule (and both of them stay on the same schedule) it will help immensely. My now 1 year olds spent three nights with my mom and dad last weekend while we were out of town at a wedding and my mom commented on how easy they were, because they were on a schedule and from that slept through the night. I know a schedule isn't for everyone, but it saved my sanity with two... With that said, I am convinced this singleton will be a little hellion and I'll be eating my words, so take everything with a grain of salt  

breezybee

Thanks @tmk0325. I've read all of the PREGNANCY books I need to, but I'm certainly looking for any and all helpful twin parenting and sleep training books

wabash15

@breezybee also just be aware that you may have them on a schedule but sleep regression (around 4 months and again later 8-10 months) along with teething can put a huge wrench in the works. DS got his teeth in very quickly once they started so for each tooth it was only 3-5 days of crabbyness but DD took forever! her 2nd tooth took 8 weeks to come in and she was miserable the whole time. I think being flexible and trying new things is helpful but when you have a schedule it makes life so much easier. 
   ( I will say there are times we fudge things a little and its OK but if we push the limits of normal too much we pay for it. some times I wish they could be up at random times so we could have some flexibility in our day, but when it comes down to it this is what works for us especially with two. I would rather have a set schedule than a twin meltdown.)

tmk0325

I will agree with @wabash15... when we vary from the schedule we end up with one or two crabby babies! SO's mom I think thought I was crazy when I started this and thinks I'm probably a bit too rigid, but hey you do what works for you and your family.  SO thought I was a bit nuts too when I said, hey we are doing this here is a summary of this book, but quickly changed his tune when he didn't have to get up twice a night anymore (after 1 week we dropped one feeding)! In terms of the 4 month sleep regression, we actually started when my boys were 5 months actual (3 months adjusted) and we didn't have any issues with the regression They hadn't hit it yet, since the developmental milestones go off your due date and not your actual age.  

Funny thing about teeth, either it bothers them or it doesn't.  One of mine is never phased by it and I didn't even know he had a tooth until he bit my finger and the other one is fussy every single time.  Motrin works so much better than Tylenol too, but can't be given until after 6 months! 

stella_700

19+3 with di-di twins, we are having a boy and a girl.

Had the first appt with the MFM doctor, she seems nice. I do have to collect my urine for a 24 hour sample. Has anyone else had to do this? Babies aren't showing any red flags for any abnormalities in the scan from what they could see at this point. They aren't measuring exactly the same though, as one is measuring 9 and the other 11 ounces. I guess I'm not concerned as the doctor didn't show any concern on that.

I've got a 12 year Toyota Carolla. DH's vehicle is a PT Cruiser, neither are exciting choices but they are paid off and are reliable transportation. We are hoping to have the vehicles last as they are for another two years before looking at a new vehicle. With IVF we've got some things to pay off before we can really look. DH wants a hybrid, he's really hoping that Subaru comes out with one as we have a contact there that would get us a good deal. I just want an automatic as the Carolla is a standard and a touch small to try and wedge twin car seats in.  Its doable as its a four door but not terribly comfortable.

Rant: the sonographer pressed down so hard on me trying to get the clearest images that she tore my skin right above my pubic bone. I keep imagining looking down there and seeing black and blue bruising. There isn't anything there but I'm pretty sore this morning. Anyone else deal with this after the A/S?

wabash15

@stella_700 I'd love it if we didn't have to get a new car, but we knew that was the deal with #3... 
   Hooray that the babies look good. a little size difference is totally normal, they just don't want the difference to get too big.  I'm so sorry you had such a bad US experience. I would definitely say something to your MFM because that should not happen. hugs

stella_700

@breezybee I'm in your boat as a FTM. I've read what I can get my hand's on so far (I work in a library) everything says scheduling and organization. Scheduling I'm good at, organization I'm terrible at. Maybe cause all my organization efforts exist at work, my house is upside down right now with the babies room empty, painted, in need of new flooring before the existing furniture (mostly dresser and wooden rocker) I have goes in there. My husband and I look at each other and think, lord help us. Twin baby boot camp will be beautiful and brutal. : )

leilagphillips Hoping your procedure gives the doctors the news they need to treat you properly and safely.

I love these threads, trying to soak up the twin mom wisdom. I'm thinking of dressing up a chalkboard/whiteboard for the babies room/our bedroom to keep track of diapers/feedings/etc. How have other mom's tracked this to give to the pediatrician?

edited for grammar

breezybee

That's a cute idea @stella_700. A chalkboard would be a good way to track that stuff. I do worry about the dust, though, but that's just me being OCD and needing things to be clean all the time lol. 
Just try to tackle one organization project at a time. This week, I'm organizing all of the drawers in my living room that are filled with DVD's, camera equipment, and random cords, etc. One thing at a time for however long it takes and you're good to go. I try do do this frequently, so then I've got my house pretty organized.  It's so easy to get overwhelmed if I think about the big picture!

wabash15

@stella_700 and @breezybee DH and I love the "babyTracker" app. its got a line drawing of a parent and baby with diapers bottle and stroller around the edges.  you can track feedings (how long, what side, how long since the last feeding) diapers (what happened in them, when you changed them) you can log activity, medicine, height weight, food intake etc and you can put more than one baby in so its great for multiples. It also links between you and your SO so if you out and about you can just check the app to see whats going on.  It was super helpful for us because it would feel like 30 min since one last ate but it was really 3 hours. If the ped had any questions I could pull up the info right then and there or you can print it off. I never had to share the info but with two and sleep deprivation it really  helped me track what was happening with each kiddo.

breezybee

Yeeeeesss @wabash15!  I'm downloading it right no

tmk0325

Yes, apps are good. We just used a standard notebook mainly because it goes back and forth to daycare and my daycare lady is very old school. We tracked pee/poop and how many ounces consumed at what time and then nap times. It's great to know so you can start to see patterns as they develop --which definitely helps when getting them on a schedule.  We currently still use a notebook that travels back and forth to daycare mainly so I can see what they ate for the day and when they napped.  

clovelyone

@tmk0325 Good luck with your anatomy scan! Yes, I've been getting easily winded for a while now. 

@breezybee I'm glad everything went well with your scan. 

@wabash15 Do you have trouble fitting a double stroller and groceries in your cars? I'm worried about trunk space and plan on getting an SUV. 

@leilagphillips That's so great that they have such a small weight difference! My baby girl is smaller by about a week. I'm trying not to worry about it though. And good luck with your flexible sigmoidoscopy! I have a lot of bowel issues due to endometriosis and I actually should have had some type of ultrasound in that region to find out if I have an ulcer or endometriosis growing through my bowels again. I had just had surgery for endo and they resectioned that area. It was a rough recovery and I decided not to do the test because I wasn't going to have surgery again so soon unless I absolutely had to. I still have issues with it, but I'll look into after I have the babies if it's still bothering me. 

@stella700 I totally understand about the IVF costs because we went through it as well, but my car has major engine issues that are not worth fixing along with the other problems do I don't really have a choice. I will not drive around with two infants in an unreliable car. I just paid it off a year ago and was hoping to get a few more years out of it. Sorry you had a rough sonographer and hope you feel better soon. 

@wabash15 Is this the app you are referring to? 

How far along are you? How big are the babies?

19+4 with di/di twins, the size of mangoes 

Any appointments this week/last? 

I had my anatomy scan on Monday. They weren't 100% positive, but they think it's a boy and a girl! Baby girl was curled up so they couldn't get a great view or good measurements so I have to go back in 2-3 weeks. Also, baby girl is smaller than baby boy so they seemed a little bit concerned. I know at my last US with my OB they were measuring about 1 week apart, but he just said that we need to keep an eye on it. 

GTKY: What kind of vehicle do you drive? Will you be getting a new one with twins?

I have a Saturn Aura, I'm planning to get an SUV. 

What rants/raves/questions/advice?  
Rant: I'm so gassy and just having a lot of gastrointestinal issues today. I wish I could just skip eating today. Rave: We're having a boy and a girl!!! 

wabash15

@clovelyone we don't have problems but we tried out the double strollers in our trunk first, we had an amazing local store that would let you take stuff out to your car and try it out. (I know BRU will let you take car seats out with one of their staff members to try it so they may also let you try strollers, though they don't always have a big selection of double strollers. (one reason I love the mountain buggy duo so much was that the double is not any wider than the single and can still accommodate 2 car seats (with the appropriate attachment) So see if you can find a place that will let you try out the strollers in your car. Its another reason we are looking at minivans and not 3rd row SUVs as when you have the third row up the rear storage is super small.
    Yes thats the app.

also for you ladies worried about growth discordance in di-di twins its not usually so serious because its not a twin-twin transfusion issue. we had a period of discordance ~2 months where dd was 15-20% smaller than DS but then she hit a growth spurt and by the end was measuring larger than DS by 1/2 a lb! (now late term US are notoriously inaccurate when it comes to weigh measurements and in the end they were born within 5 oz of one another.) So I know its hard not to worry ( I was very stressed when she was measuring small and went down the rabbit hole of researching twin discordance) but most of the time they catch up. 

clovelyone

Thanks, @wabash15!