Did you ever find it easier than you thought it would be?

hopeful08mom

All I heard throughout my pregnancy was how hard having twins would be and my life was over, etc. However I have found that I have always loved being a MOM. My girls are great, maybe I am just lucky and have easy babies, although my DH doesn't think so, LOL! But I wouldn't trade my time with them for anything, especially today when I am missing them like crazy!

Don't get me wrong, it's really tough from time to time, but nothing I can't handle. I find DH to be more difficult then the little ones!

lstaylor73

I wish I could say I have the same feelings but I"m still waiting for things to be "normal" for us in so many ways. 

cdg23

I pretty  much feel the same way...yes it does have its challenges, but really I dont know any different as these are my first kids. I always get comments from people..like, "oh wow" or "oh you must be busy", or "how do you do it, etc." but I am right there with you...I wouldnt change it for the world. I think it does help that my girls are really really good...they were great sleepers and eaters, etc. so that does make things easier and much more "bearable"!!

bunny731

Easier than I thought, no. Until I was in it, I didn't know what to expect. But the fog that was the first couple months was hard. And my DD is going through teething and attachment right now and that is hard, too. I feel in some ways I didn't get to enjoy being the mother devoted to her 'one' baby and was thrown in the proverbial 'deep end'. But in other ways it has been a beautiful, wonderful ride and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

I love being a MOM, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. But experiencing one baby at a time would be nice, too.

 

 

pea-kay

well, i expected it to be a lot harder, so yeah, i guess it is easier than i expected. it helps that the boys didn't have reflux or anything else like that.

but i think the key for us is that we went in without any expectations at all, really. the fact is, we didn't have one kid before to compare it to, so we don't know how it could have been.

MNheidi

It just keeps getting easier as I become a more confident mom but those first few weeks home - I really didn't think I could do it and I'm a very confident, driven individual.  There are still days (I sah) I think I should maybe fix up the resume and consider working again but those days are becoming fewer and fewer.

Jen9807

cdg23:

I pretty  much feel the same way...yes it does have its challenges, but really I dont know any different as these are my first kids. I always get comments from people..like, "oh wow" or "oh you must be busy", or "how do you do it, etc." but I am right there with you...I wouldnt change it for the world. I think it does help that my girls are really really good...they were great sleepers and eaters, etc. so that does make things easier and much more "bearable"!!

I agree with this exactly. The best thing is they have a built in play mate! They love playing together and chasing each other around. Having one seems like it would be harder or worse having two at different stages like 10months and 3 years old!!! That sounds HARD!

macchiatto

Not really, but I'm glad that's been your experience!

beefsbride

Yes, absolutely.  And honestly, I think I still would have agreed if you asked this question a year ago when I was in Neosure and sleepless nights hell.  I don't have any other children and I wasn't really planning to have these two, so I was totally prepared for the WORST.  But it has ended up being a lot easier than I expected -- not easy by any means, but easier than I planned on.  Like pp stated, I think it helps that I have two children who have been for the most part pretty healthy (mild reflux, only 2 colds) and who have been pretty good sleepers (knock on major wood right now!).  I work FT, my DH travels a ton and I'm on my own over 50% of the time and I'd still say it is easier than I expected.  Glad to see I'm not alone!

Empwr

I would have to say i think its easier in different ways then i anticipated, but harder in ways i didnt expect. My babies are fed exclusively breast milk, and it is very demanding of my time and body I wouldnt change it for anything in the world, but pumping every 3 hours does get frustrating. On top of that all the other stuff you need to do while still maintaing the household and your own life. I havnt had any help from day one, except for my Dh when he's not at work, but i really dont ask him to do anything. Although its hard, i love being a MOM. I think that how rewarding it is makes you forget about how demanding and difficult it can be at times.

sweater

If we were delt a different hand, maybe. But we weren't...so it's definitely NOT easier than I thought it would be...and I had set my expectations low knowing they would be premature...

two perfectly healthy, good sleeping, good eating twins would be awesome, but even that has its challenges I'm sure!?

soxfan812

I do think it's easier than I expected, but certainly not easy, you know?  I think that since I already had one baby, I didn't have the 'new mom' anxiety that I had with DD, and I felt like I knew what I was doing this time around.  It's tough to keep up with three kids, especially since two of them are a long way from STTN, but I am not as crazy as I thought I would be by now!  My boys are very good babies, though, and that helps.

FaeryStarGazer

Meh... I can't say at all that I have always loved being a MoM. I can't even say that I would like being a mom of a single! Being a mom wasn't something I ever thought about and it's been just since the girls turned a year old that I can say that I am OK with the way things are.

I don't want anyone to feel like they are a bad mom, or that there is something wrong with them if they don't feel like they love being a mom all the time.

shady06

I have had both a singleton and twins and I have to say that twins are far more difficult, if nothing else because of the sheer volume in time it takes to do two of everything (two burpings, two changings, two baths, etc.).  I feel like I have no time to do anything but take care of the babies and pump.  With DS i felt like there were major blocks of down time in that initial newborn 3-hour cycle...with these guys it all just blends together and I struggle to find time to pee. 

I wouldn't trade it but it's definitely as challenging as I anticipated.  I do love it, just not at 3am when they are screaming in surround sound.

FloF9

I couldn't have imagined how difficult it would be.  I had no idea until I was in it. The pregnancy was a breeze and no one could have told me enough about lack of sleep, colic, etc.. and that is with my children having no real serious health issues, feeding, etc... I went through the "norm" considering what others have gone through. 

It took me months not to get frazzled, and finally after an entire year of their birth could I really exhale and relax.  A little.

Alycia04

Yes. I was prepared for sleep deprivation, crying filled nights (from all parties, including me). And I'm still waiting for it to happen. The twins are soooo much easier than their sister ever was! But I think a lot of it has to be attributed to being the second/third go around And I am much more organized and was much more structured with the twins, I follow EASY, and it was a great help.

kblindgren

YES!  Maybe it's because these are my first kids and I don't have that much experience with babies, but I LOVE having twins!  A MOM told me that every day it gets a little easier, and that is the best advice I ever got - it's so true!! Looking back (only 3 months ago) I remember bringing the babies home from the NICU, they were barely eating (and choking all the time) and I thought to myself "it might just get easier" and it sure has!!

amygdala

MrsLee04:

Nope, definitely not easier.? Doesn't mean I'd change a thing, but it's not easier than what I had thought/hoped.

same here. ?

Just normal day-to-day caring for them was harder than I'd thought it would be, & I didn't even anticipate colic, reflux, helmet therapy, EI evaluations, countless doctor appointments...& now the "terrible 2s"! ?I try not to whine b/c I do realize how fortunate I am to have 2 healthy babies & cannot imagine what moms of kids w/health issues or special needs go through (especially MoMs). ?

spygirl29

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. When I am alone with just the twins and DS is out, it's a breeze. 90% of the time they are happy. It's that 10% where they are screaming at the top of their lungs and are only calm when I'm carrying them that I want to shoot myself. When all three are home together, it's sheer hell. I love my kids, but between the three of them, someone is always crying. And when the babies cry, it stresses out DS and he acts out. And when he acts out, it stresses the babies and they cry. It's a vicious cycle. AAGGHHH

DramaGirl06

It's so much harder than I anticipated.  I never imagined how draining it would be.  Now, with that being said, I wouldn't change it for the world.  I absolutely love being a MoM and when times are tough I am quickly brought back to how lucky I am when I think of sweaters struggles and the horrible tragedy Brook lived through with the loss of her two girls.  There are so many other MoMs on here that have their fair share of challenges and they always get through it.  I count my blessings.

quickstepstar

I am so totally knocking on all the wood in my office (thankfully I am alone), but I think i think it is much easier than I expected. I heard so many horror stories about reflux, babies that wake up every 5 seconds at night, colic, babies who don't eat anything, babies with lots of health issues, that I was preparing to deal with all that together x2. I thought I would never ever sleep, and work would be my only refuge. Well after 4 weeks in the hospital on bedrest for PTL, the girls were born healthy with no NICU time. They have been STTN 12 hours from 10-11 weeks on, eating all their bottles and no colic to speak of (only now they are starting to scream for teathing). But I have been extremely blessed with 2 such easy babies, so yes, I think it is much easier than I thought it would be. I miss my girls so much every day at work, and I cherish weekends when I get to see them for so long, but I think that it is definitelly not easy, it is just easIER than I expected.

lajolla09.30.06

Nope, not easier at all.  I have always been a strong driven person and felt like I could deal with anything... so I think I heard the stories of how hard it was and thought "that's not going to be me, it will be easy for me" which set my expectations for how well I was going to deal with it WAY too high.  The first 3 months were kind of a constant mental breakdown for me.. thinking my life was over.  And that was even with my mom living with us full time.  Part of it was the reflux, part of it was Paul's colic, but in general I just don't think I was prepared.

The last 3 months have been much much better.

jd0614

Its funny, because I heard horror stories from friends with multiples how hard the first 6 months are going to be, etc.  I've found the opposite - I went back to work when they were 5.5 months old, and since then, its been rough - they're constantly sick, which I think is the worst part.  I did get lucky though, my boys were excellent babies (I have DS to compare to).  They NEVER cried at the same time, so soothing them was never an issue.  They STTN at 3 months.  I often said, "What am I missing?".  Now however, different story! 

MrsJLP

My LO's are about the same age as yours, and to be honest, I still haven't had one "hard" day. I am surprised over and over again about how relatively "easy" this has been. Granted, I have easy going babies, no reflux or medical issues, and they have always slept in atleast 4 hour stretches starting from when we brought them home (and are up to about 5.5-6 at night now). I had help the 1st week I was home from my mother in law, and have been on my own since then. I feel really blessed.

mamaoftwingirls

I find It has been getting more difficult the older they get....they are awake more so It's harder to get things done and they get bored alot more easily so I am constantly trying to find ways to keep them occupied......on the plus side they sleep more at night...they are almost 5 months....I always thought the same you did even though I have one with special needs....but the bigger they get the more difficult I find It....sorry ...!

MelZull

I think I psyched myself up for to it be so hard and everyone kept telling me the same thing. When my girls arrived it didn't seem so bad. We did have a rough time at weeks 6 - 8 and with DH working evenings that was hard for me, but luckily have some wonderful friends who would come and help if I needed anything. I already am looking forward to having another, but DH says we have to wait many years.?

baby X 2!

kblindgren:

YES!  Maybe it's because these are my first kids and I don't have that much experience with babies, but I LOVE having twins!  A MOM told me that every day it gets a little easier, and that is the best advice I ever got - it's so true!! Looking back (only 3 months ago) I remember bringing the babies home from the NICU, they were barely eating (and choking all the time) and I thought to myself "it might just get easier" and it sure has!!

This has been my experience too. However we didn't have any NICU time. I should probably stop before I jinx us!

OctBaltBride

Yes, I think it is easier than I thought it would be.  I don't know if I am lucky and just have good babies.  Even with DS health issues I still think it is easier than I thought it would be.  This doesn't mean that there are not days when I want to scream or go to bed a 6pm.  I think I thought my life would be over but is not.  I just take it one day at a time. 

wmabride

Way easier for me.  However I also have a 3 year old who was very colicky and didn't STTN until the twins were almost here (2.5 years).  DH and I were expecting 2 more of her.

 They have reflux which was a challenge and they were 34 weekers...so feeding was an issue - I had hoped to nurse and they never learned how to latch.  However we put them on a schedule and just 2 weeks ago they started STTN once they finally got interested in solids!  We're always busy and I get tired sometimes  but overall it is far FAR easier than I thought it would be.  I guess....when it is bad it is bad x2 (or3!) but when it is good, which is most of the time - it is AWESOME!

ETA - they're 7.5 months now....if that helps.  Things really got easier for me around 4-5 months....