There we were, all five of us: me, my husband, and our three children. We were ready to get our first glimpse of what we thought would be the newest addition to the family. The technician turned on the screen, did a few quick scans and immediately my husband and I looked at each other.
She asked me if this was my first sonogram for the pregnancy and quickly turned off the screen. I’m not a big fan of getting multiple sonograms throughout pregnancy and so at 24 weeks, it was late for a diagnosis of this nature. She quickly excused herself to get the doctor and my husband looked at me and said, “That sure looked like a lot of body parts on that screen.” And indeed it was.
Usually when the technician goes to get the doctor. . .this is not a good thing. But in our case it was. We were in fact expecting not one, but two babies. I actually ‘knew’ I was pregnant with twins. Throughout the early months of my pregnancy, I would tell my husband that things were different. First there was movement at 14 weeks. Then there was the weight gain coupled with my enormous stomach. At 24 weeks, I was measuring a full 30. Then there were the early pregnancy symptoms that were absent in the first three pregnancies. Nonetheless, we were both a little shocked.
Twins Are Different
The first thing you learn to understand when you are pregnant with twins is that having twins is simply different. It is not like having one baby. There are numerous unknowns that are not there when you are having one baby. There are increased risks. Your birthing options change. You may have to think about taking more time off work or quitting. Suddenly, you are potentially looking at bed rest, babies that are likely to arrive early, and several more doctor’s appointments. You have just been thrust into the world of a “high risk” pregnancy. (I’ll get into why twin pregnancies are higher risk in another blog.)
Take a Deep Breath
At the end of the pregnancy, you will most likely end up with two healthy babies. You will cherish them, you will enjoy them and you will learn how to multi-task like never before! It is true that there are many unknowns with multiple pregnancies. However, you don’t need to spend all your time worrying about what might happen right now. Take one step at a time and think of one thing at a time.
Take It Easy
You should not expect to keep going at your normal pace when you are pregnant with multiples. Whether it be that you’re working, that you’re very active, or that you’re just busy with kids–twins are different. Your body will undoubtedly need rest and if you don’t take it. . .it may be ordered for you by the doctor! I know I was shocked at how much my body needed me to slow down. But it is important to focus on your pregnancy so that your multiples have the best chance possible to be born full term.
In the last couple of months in my pregnancy I found that I could do one thing a day. I could cook a meal, or take my kids out, or go for a walk, do one chore like laundry or dishes, or spend time with my older three kids. More often than not, my older children won and the house got a little messy. The laundry wasn’t always done, and well, we ate out quite a bit. However, it was all worth it when my girls were born the day before their due date!
Look soon for more blogs on twin pregnancies.
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Ode to Twins and Supertwins: 28 Interesting Facts