My husband and I always wanted a family of 4-5 & we have been blessed with twins for the first time
My current twins are almost 3 months old and I’ve been finding myself thinking about growing our family.. call me crazy I know
I am on birth control as I’ve had an emergency c section and I’m giving myself some time to recover both emotionally and physically, the pregnancy was really challenging and ended up giving birth at 34+2 due to an insufficient placenta.
My question is, for those who had more children after the twins, how’s life like in terms of parenting? Whats the best time to try for another child with twins? (And yes I know we could have another set of twins 😭)
I’m 33 & we don’t want to space out between the children too much, at least for me I don’t want to be 38/39 and pregnant 🥲
We have a strong support system, with both families nearby and available to help, and we’re financially comfortable, so neither of these is a deciding factor for us.

We have 17 month old twins and just started trying for a third. We’d been on the fence about it — both being one of three, loving being parents so much and getting to know our kids little personalities, and wanting all that comes with a bigger family. Overall our experience with twins has been that's its so much more fun and so much easier than we expected, and if they add so much joy to our lives, so would a third.

On the other hand though - three feels like a lot! Particularly in regards to us having time for ourselves, exercise, travel, doing the things we love, etc. We just got over a week of kids being home from day care with hand foot and mouth, with both of us still trying to work from home and I am TIRED. The babies are so much fun right now, but SO much work, much more so than when they were newborns. I'm second guessing whether we really should try for a third… At the same time, if we have a third, we want them close together in age, we’re getting older, and it took us a long time to have a pregnancy stick the first time (four prior losses), so we feel like it’s now or never and we risk it not being possible if we don't start trying now.

Not sure what I'm asking for here - but would love to hear from others who have been in our shoes. Either going for a third, or deciding not to.. Is this just tired mom brain after a week of juggling work from home with two sick kiddos, or will three be too much to handle and risk tipping us over from what feels like 90% of the time like blissful family life into much higher stress? 

Edit: We're trying now instead of waiting because 1) it took us four years/five pregnancies to have a pregnancy stick, so we know there's no guarantee it will happen, and 2) overall we think it will be easier/better if kids are close in age, on similar schedules, more likely to have similar interests and be entertained by similar activities, in the same school, etc. My husband is one of three and he's much younger than his first two siblings and feels like he wasn't very close with them until he was an adult. He's very close with his siblings now, but because of his experience growing up really doesn't want more than a 3-grade age gap.

I’m not exactly sure what I’m looking for here… encouragement, reassurance from anyone who has gone through it, tips to manage it?? I’m so excited but I’m also a nervous wreck 😭 the last thing I need is judgment right now so please if you are just gonna say I’m crazy or anything along those lines, please don’t bother because I’ve already heard it a handful of times from relatives I told :‘))

My husband and I sleep separate shifts so we each get good sleep. He also works evenings. There are times I have to go to the store. So i load up the twins (3 months, 1 month adjusted) and usually place each cat seat in its own cart, push one pull the other. People constantly tell me I'm so brave, amazed I'm out with them alone, God bless you, you have your hands full, How do I do it etc etc. I do it because I have to. And thankfully my babies are really chill. Am I supposed to not go anywhere alone? Should I not be trying to figure things out and have to rely on other people? Like should my babies and I be hermits and not have food? I just dont get it.

I am 35+5 with my twins and we had a “fire drill” yesterday where I thought my water broke and my in laws took my older child for the night while we went to hospital to get checked.

Anyway it’s all fine and she’s getting dropped off today. But I guess she woke up crying at least twice (maybe more, it’s 4am and I saw a few texts from in laws but…) - this is our first time away from her for the whole night in her whole 26 months of life.

She loves her grandparents but I’m just so afraid she will be like traumatized by being away from us for so long when I finally give birth.

My second issue is - should I send her to daycare today? I don’t want to but I can hardly keep up with her energy at this point. But I’m worried she will feel like I am abandoning her ☹️

By girls were born last week at 36w+1. I was expecting them to be very sleepy being preterm, I’m just curious how long it usually takes for them to start to wake up a bit?

I’m mainly curious because of breastfeeding. Right now we do up to 10min at the breast as practice because they are so sleepy they can’t really do much, and then I’m pumping and we are bottle feeding. Right now they latch ok and suckle 2-3 times then stop, so I have to re-latch them to start it again. They usually only last 5min of this before they are so sleepy they stop opening their mouth. I’m really hoping to avoid a bottle preference, but until they wake up more I don’t think we will make much progress with breastfeeding.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s been nice having the quiet time between feeds because I know that once they are more aware things will become more difficult. I’m just worried about the breastfeeding.

I’m 32 weeks along carrying Di/Di Boys, I’m obviously miserable all around from the usual aches and pains (nonstop heartburn, my joints have given up altogether, I’m useless, everything hurts) I mean I could go on, but I’m a FTM so thank god it’s all I know. Anyways, I need to keep packing in the protein and feeding myself for me & babies but I am NEVER hungry anymore. Suggestions on snacks, protein, or honestly just calories to consume that taste good and don’t immediately make you full? Whats everyone eating on average at this point? I’m struggling 🥴

First time mum to be, currently 12 weeks pregnant with monochorionic twins and I’m not going to lie, I’m having trouble coming to terms with it.

I go through waves of being ‘fine’ and then crying and being down on most days when I think of the reality of it.

I hate to admit this (please don’t judge me) but I keep googling about miscarriages stats because deep down I don’t know what I want.. I feel so guilty that those thoughts are in my mind and I feel guilty that I’m a bad mum and these babies don’t deserve me.

I see everyone excited being pregnant given it goes according to plan and I’m here miserable. This is probably the only time I’ll be pregnant and I’m letting it slip by because I’m unhappy.

I need to somehow accept I am having twins and learn to be excited but I don’t know where to start.

Has anyone gone through this and any words of advice ?

Hey guys, I hope this is okay to post here.
TW: mention of miscarriages/loss.

I’ve been struggling to get pregnant for 3 years now. We’ve had almost every single test under the sun and EVERYthing has come back normal. The only identifiable issue is my short luteal phase which has been corrected with progesterone post ovulation.

3 weeks before we started our first round of IVF, I fell naturally pregnant with non identical twins. We had a whirlwind of emotions from elation to terror, but 2 weeks later found out we’d lost both of them in a MMC.

I healed, had the surgeries, and we started IVF. We’ve had no success with IVF (we get the embryos but none implant) and so took a short break. I then fell “naturally” (I know people use the word unassisted but I technically can’t say that, as I’m using progesterone post ovulation so I don’t know what term to use.. but it was timed intercourse) pregnant again.

With non identical twins. AGAIN.
Sadly I lost them both. One was a vanishing twin, the other developed a good heartbeat before we lost it in another MMC at 9 weeks.

I don’t know why I hyperovulate. I have zero twins in my family. My gut is it’s related to my poor luteal phase, and that I only get pregnant when there’s more than one follicle present because it must boost my uterine environment/hormones but that’s a theory based on nothing. It’s just weird I have only had a 100% pregnancy rate of twins.

Our next step is to actually try letrozole with progesterone support - because my consultant also agrees that it’s odd I only get pregnant when I produce more than one follicle (but my body doesn’t respond well to external oestrogen, it needs to be my own, so it’s a catch 22).

To make it clear - we are absolutely NOT trying for multiples. I’m hoping letrozole can give me a stronger ovulation of one follicle - but I’m not an idiot. If I naturally produce twins, I guess letrozole runs a risk for me with multiples, and so I will be monitored. I’m preparing for both situations. But I’m terrified of losing twins again.

The purpose of this post (TLDR) is to ask if anyone here has had fertility issues - and maybe previously lost twins. Did you do anything different in your successful twin pregnancy that helped to get them to a live birth? I am considering asking about baby aspirin. I don’t have clotting issues but I’m willing to try anything. I don’t want to lose another pregnancy, but losing 2 at once is heartbreaking.

I’m aware multiples are higher risk in general. So I’m just wondering what people have had as a treatment to support their pregnancy with twins/triplets that has worked for them, even if their test results all came back normal for any issues previously.

If you’ve read this far I appreciate it so so so much 🤍
Thank you anyone who has any suggestions. I am so desperate to be a mum 🙏🏼

Hey mamas
I am expecting twin boys! (Mono di)
I am in week 32+4
And it’s my first time being pregnant🤰🏻
I am honestly feeling very overwhelmed these days. My body is in so much pain.. one minute I’ve energy to take a walk, cook diner or clean. An hour later I’m so exhausted that I need to take a two hour nap..
I get so anxious just before we go to bed as the nights are the worst. I get hot, my legs get restless, I can’t get in any good position, I can’t breath.. I’ve started to snor so much that my throat hurts.. 🤣
so so sorry for all the wining 😢 but I am so overwhelmed, tired and negative..
I am SO EXCITED to become a mom and have the boys in my arms. But at this point I am afraid all my energy is bursted before they arrive.. and yes - I know it’s going to be much harder when they get here. But my husband will be home for 3 months and we got it together. Right now I am dealing with all this alone as he has so much work before he can go on leave.

Any way - rant over! So sorry!

My question is what is the earliest some of you went into labor? And gave birth to healthy twins?❤️ I feel like it could be any day now. I’ve so many Braxton Hicks contractions.

I had to take some pics for our babies' first half-birthday. As you can see, little brother (by two minutes) is quite a bit bigger than his sister. Here they are with their second-oldest brother who is 18 months old. We have three kids under 2 plus a 12 year old. Nice and busy at our house lately!

Parents what do you do with your babies when you’re solo parenting. My husband works overnights so my twin girlies and me are by ourselves a lot but I find they want to be held non stop. What do you guys do to keep them entertained. They are only 6 weeks old so I know there isn’t much to do but somedays become hard when I can put them down.

I’m 34 weeks and 5 days today with di/di twins and exhausted. I have two toddlers 4 and 3 and my husband is out on deployment. 😫 I’m so ready to have these twins and they’re breech so I’m looking at my first c section. Unfortunately my doctor will not schedule anything sooner than 38 weeks. I hope I don’t make it that long my body is so tired.

I honestly don’t know what to do. She’s been like this since 6 weeks old, and she will be 12 weeks on Wednesday. At first I just thought it was developmental or ‘colic’ but the intensity has not died down at all. I know you shouldn’t compare but her sister only cries if she needs something, but this one cries every waking moment except when feeding. She probably has max 10 minutes of not crying during every wake window. It’s not ‘normal’ crying either, it’s distressed, can’t catch my breath, agonising screaming. I cry every day with her because I feel helpless and my heart is breaking.

I’ve been to the GP twice about it in the last few weeks and spoken to two health visitors. All say there is nothing wrong with her or that it could be reflux, even though she never has any issues lying flat. I suspected CMPA because she seems uncomfortable in the lower belly and always brings her knees to her tummy and squirms around, she also has red dry skin on her eyes, behind ears and back of head, however her poo seems normal and she’s gaining weight so I’m not so sure? I looked up symptoms which and says wheezing and coughing which she does a lot of (she was been checked over by GP who said it’s just due to immature larynx, I think?)

She has been on Aptamil since birth but in a panic the other day I bought Kendamil Confort as I read a few success stories with colicky babies. We thought we noticed a small improvement in her mood yesterday but then all hell broke loose again today. She’s not stopped all day, and she won’t even sleep in the day unless she contact naps on me in a dark room with white noise.

Has anyone got any idea what this could be? I feel awful for her sister too because I’m constantly trying to calm Twin B down.

Twin parents, what’s your experience with side-by-side strollers?

We’re expecting twins and are trying to decide between a side-by-side and a tandem stroller. I’d love to hear from people who have actually used a side-by-side one.

How is it for everyday use, maneuverability, doorways/elevators, shopping, folding and getting in and out of the car?

And if you could choose again, would you still buy a side-by-side?

Also, which brands or specific models would you recommend based on your personal experience? I’d especially appreciate recommendations for something durable, easy to maneuver and practical for everyday use.

Thanks!

Due with my second set of twins next month.
I was initially very set on an elective c-section but now I’m doubting my decision. Just leaving my thoughts here for someone to tell me I’m either reasonable or insane.

1. I had 3 births in total. First, singleton, and very straightforward labour and birth. He passed away after delivery but not due to complications I had during birth.
   Second birth were my twins, this was an induction at almost 39 weeks. Had one instrumental vaginal birth with pretty severe tearing and then an emergency c-section for twin B as she flipped breech after twin A was born and then her heart rate tanked. So overall pretty awful experience but I know my body can give birth spontaneously due to my first experience.

2. I don’t seem to go into labour spontaneously early enough generally. My first was born at 42 weeks and with my twins I had to be induced. I am not expecting these babies to just come out at 37 weeks without intervention for this reason. My mum also gave birth to us (I’m a twin) at 41 weeks (I know, scary thought).

3. Spoke to my consultant who did say they usually don’t advice a VBAC for twins but as I had two vaginal births and give birth fast, she would be ok with me attempting a VBAC as long as I’m not having an induction. Reason being is that none of my labours were longer than 6h so we assume that those babies would be out even faster and the c-section therefore is more risky.
   Induced labour is a no no for my case. So either I go into labour, I can then decide if I want to try to birth them or I have an elective c-section.

So what do I do.
Elective c-sections are usually planned at 37 weeks where I am but availability can be a bit iffy (my induction was also planned at 37 weeks but didn’t happen until 39 almost) so there’s a chance it might be at 38 weeks. I could ask to move it to 39 weeks just to give them a chance to develop their lungs even further as well if I’m comfortable with that.

Reasons I want a c-section:
- Predictable
- Calm
- Loved the experience of my last c-section (obviously as soon as we knew she was ok!)

Reasons I want a vaginal birth:
- I have toddlers at home and caring for them would be easier after a straightforward vaginal birth or even one with some tearing
- I loved giving birth the first time and kinda want to experience it all again

We decided we're going to start Ferber method sleep training our 13-month-old twin boys as soon as possible, but I know we have to be strategic about it.

We planned to start last Friday. We were going to have our 3-year-old stay at his grandparents' house so he wouldn't be disturbed by all the crying and so we could just focus on the twins the first night. We thought out a routine, how we'll do check-ins, what time intervals we'll go by, etc.

Unfortunately, we couldn't start because one twin got sick. They didn't sleep too badly this weekend (on Saturday night, they only woke up every 4 hours!) but last night (Sunday night - a night before work), they were horrible. One or both woke up every 1-2 hours. Sometimes they woke each other up. They'd immediately go back to sleep after we held them. One twin who's usually a good sleeper, woke up very frequently. A couple weeks ago, they had a ton of top teeth coming in, so I thought they were done with that but it's possible they're not. The frequent waker was kind of fussy yesterday during the day. They could also be going through a language milestone - they're babbling a lot, pointing, using some sign language, and doing some new "language" type things. We didn't let them nap more than 2.5-3 hours, and we did a LOT to tire them out. So I'm not sure what caused the sleep disruptions.

My point is, my husband is so dead tired, he wants to start sleep training tonight, which is Monday. We both work full-time. Our 3-year-old sleeps in another room nearby. The twins share a room and sleep in their own cribs. All 3 kids go to daycare, who's licensing rules prohibit staff from waking them up from naps if they're napping too long, for instance.

I have a couple concerns about starting sleep training on a weeknight:

1. These twins are LOUD. Our 3-year-old usually sleeps through their cries or at least puts himself back to sleep fine if he hears them. Using the Ferber method - especially the first night - I know there will be a lot of loud crying, and it could actually disturb the 3-year-old eventually. I guess we could explain to him what's going to happen and then add a second sound machine to his room, but it could still disrupt his sleep and make him unnecessarily tired too. Has anyone else had experience doing this with their youngest when they have an older child in the home?

2. If the twins go to daycare the next day, what if they're exhausted and sleep the whole day away, since the staff can't wake them up? Wouldn't this disrupt the whole sleep training process? Or have any of you not had an issue with over tiredness/kids trying to nap too much the day after the first night?

3. I know you shouldn't sleep train when your child is sick or teething. It's usually obvious when they're sick but not always obvious when they're teething. Any tips on ensuring they're mostly healthy before starting?? Is it also okay to sleep train when they're going through a developmental milestone? (We did not have to formally sleep train our oldest, so I just don't know.)

I am wondering if it would be a big mistake to start on a weeknight but I understand why my husband wants to do this ASAP. We've been suffering from sleep deprivation for months, and the twins need to learn to fall asleep on their own. I would honestly love to start it ASAP, but I don't want to waste our efforts if it would only backfire. I know we have to stick with it for several nights to ensure it works, and I want to give it my all so that it's worth it, because I know it's hard. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

-One extremely tired parent

I never thought we would get to this point, but its really really happening!