Want TTC Twins

[Anonymous]

I believe that PP is wrong and that the vast majority of twins conceived through fertility treatments are due to IVF. The chance of having twins with Clomid alone varies from 5 to 8 percent (and on a lower dosage, possibly lower than 5 percent). Your chances of having twins naturally is 3 %, and higher for older moms (over 40). So taking clomid alone doesn't have a high incidence of multiples.

In my informal talks with other twin moms who used fertility treatments, almost all used IVF and IUI, and I know of only one who used clomid alone.

[Anonymous]

"Many multiple pregnancies also result from assisted reproductive technologies, which may increase fetal mortality risk (10). "

Note that using Clomid alone, which OP asked about, is not considered ART. As the above quote indicates, some of the higher fetal mortality risk comes from using IUI or IVF. Clomid is not considered ART.

[Anonymous]

After seeing how my body responded to Clomid, I can't imagine doing clomid unmonitored.

[Anonymous]

http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr58/nvsr58_17.pdf


See figure 3 on page 6.

Singletons 6 deaths / 1000 live births
Twins 28/1000
Triplets 70/1000
Quads & above 146/1000

Not included in these figures are the substantial increase in still births for one or more infant in twins & higher order multiple pregnancies. Suggest going to www.climb.org to read some stories.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PP, I'm sorry for your loss, but I believe your statistics are wrong, based on what I heard from my OB and midwife. My midwife's first words to me were "You need to ignore the pathology around twin pregnancies: having twins is a NORMAL, healthy event, and you should celebrate it." Having twins is unusual for sure, but not unnatural and not unhealthy.

I have twins (conceived naturally), and I absolutely love the experience and had a wonderful pregnancy. Many of my twin mom friends (IVF, Clomid, or spontaneous twin pregnancies) also had perfectly normal pregnancies and deliveries.

Frankly, I feel like I won the freaking lottery. Having twins is an amazing experience and every twin mother I've known echoes this. Talk to a few twin moms and this is what you'll most likely hear.

Check out this post by the way:
http://www.dcurbanmom.com/jforum/posts/list/137188.page

I think it's actually really disgusting for people to say things like "it's a bad outcome." You're not guaranteed "perfect" children with singletons either!

the average twins in the US are born at 35 weeks. That means half are born prematurely. Sure, half are not, but a full 50% are born quite prematurely. Any of those with multiples know someone who delivered early for every mom who made it to 37+ weeks without complications.

I have twins and a singleton.
With the twins I had a high risk, horrible pregnancy. I was previously fit and a long distance runner. I had no reason prior to pregnancy to believe that I wouldn't have a perfectly lovely twin pregnancy. As it happened, I had pre-term labor for months and was 3-4cms dilated at 30 weeks. Thankfully thanks to some terrific doctors I eventually delivered at 35 weeks and my twins were healthy. However, the entire pregnancy was nerve wracking and anxiety producing and I spend 3 months on strict bed rest. I didn't enjoy much if anything about the experience and it was really detrimental to my marriage.
I have since had a singleton and had a totally normal pregnancy and a non-medicated VBAC with a midwife. I exercised, ran, camped, and took care of my of my twins until the day I delivered at 39w6d. The experience was NIGHT and DAY over my twin pregnancy experience.

[Anonymous]

yes the pregnancy can be risky, but please also think of the outcome of actually having multiples. i have twins and it is so hard. actually my pregnancy seems so insignificant compared to caring for two babies. i can't even describe how hard it is. i love both dearly and feel incredibly blessed, however i am constantly stressed to the max.

[Anonymous]

i have twins and i actually think it's not that hard. i have a lot of help from DS and family in the area, and i don't find it as hard as i expected to. if you don't have other kids, and you have a lot of help, it can be pretty easy. this also depends on if you have "hard" or "easy" babies.

i'm not trying to make pp feel bad. but it's not incredibly stressful and hard for everyone.

[Anonymous]

pp here - i meant to say i have a lot of help from DH, not DS. don't have other kids, which is why it's not as hard as it might be for other twin moms

[Anonymous]

I have twins and would not recommend it. My twins were born at 36 weeks and even then they had to spend about 10 days in the NICU - it was heartbreaking. if I had known that I had become pregnant with twins on purpose (and therefore had put my children's health at risk on purpose) I would have never been able to live with myself.

I love them both so much, but they would have been better served by coming one at a time!!!!!!!

[Anonymous]

I have had two IVF pregnancies. Both started as twins. In the first, I miscarried one twin. My second resulted in a live twin birth. Of course I love them very much but I agree with the PP, it is not the ideal way for them to come. They deserved coming in single births. It has been much more difficult than I would have imagined. It's hard to say I regret it because I knew what I was getting into using ART, however I never thought of this as an ideal outcome and it's not. It is pretty irresponsible to try for this. And please don't do clomid unmonitored--even if you can find someone unethical or ignorant enough to prescribe it under the circumstances you're describing.

[Anonymous]

I had twins on Feb.15 of this year, 3 months ago. They're identical, so it was completely natural. I'm sure most of you know that only fraternal twins are more likely after fertility treatments. Anyway, I wanted to convey my experience after reading everyone else's comments about twins.

I have a 4 year old and my pregnancy with him was relatively easy. I didn't have any real problems, other than normal issues like mild heartburn, leg cramps, etc. My twin pregnancy was completely different. I went to my OB/GYN plus a Perinatologist and had an ultrasound at every visit. I probably had 30 ultrasounds, since there are so many things that can go wrong in a twin pregnancy. I was very worried the entire time that I would develop TTTS or some other terrible condition. The toll on my body was tremendous. I have bounced back very well, probably because I'm 25 and in good shape, but I was completely miserable from 28 weeks on. My back hurt so bad I would cry, I couldn't sit in the same position for more than 5 minutes without pain, it was difficult to stand because I would get out of breath, I had very painful braxton hicks contractions, etc. One baby was head down the whole time and the other baby was constantly changing positions, which was intensely painful.

The twins were born at 34 weeks and 6 days, which is very typical of twins. I was able to have them vaginally, but the birth was quite a spectacle. They were born less that 2 hours after my water broke. I went from no contractions/pain whatsoever to pushing out the babies in 2 hours. I was only at the hospital for 45 minutes before both babies were out. Baby #1 came so quickly I didn't even have time for an epidural. I had pain relief for baby #2 and he had to be pulled out by his feet because he was breech. I had to deliver them in the OR, even though the birth was vaginal. This is common practice for twins, since serious complications that would require a c-section are so common for twins.

My husband was not allowed in the OR, which we didn't know until I was actually in labor. Apparently, they tell people during the hospital tour that husbands are allowed in for twin births, but then don't actually allow that in real life. I was told after the birth, at my 6 week checkup, that husbands aren't allowed in because twin deliveries are too stressful and chaotic to allow in another person.

The babies have no health issues and are a picture of perfect health, but spent 8 days in the special care nursery after birth just to be safe. They're doing great now and I feel so blessed to have them.

Everything I went through was completely worth it and I feel like I've won the lottery, but I don't recommend trying to have twins intentionally. I think God knows who can handle this and who can't and we should leave it at that.

[Anonymous]

I have no idea what hospital you gave birth at but my husband was in the delivery room for my delivery of twins, including one breech. I have never heard that before and I know plenty of twin moms. My following singleton delivery was the chaotic and speedy one, not my twin delivery.

[Anonymous]

Just wanted to add that at Georgetown my husband was allowed in the ER while I was vaginally delivering my twins. That said, I still doing't think anyone should make having twins a goal. Our bodies were designed to have one baby at a time!!!

[Anonymous]

I'm desperate to have one baby, wishing for two just seems greedy and from what I've read here potentially risky.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I had twins on Feb.15 of this year, 3 months ago. They're identical, so it was completely natural. I'm sure most of you know that only fraternal twins are more likely after fertility treatments. Anyway, I wanted to convey my experience after reading everyone else's comments about twins.

You are misinformed. Identical twins also occur with IVF, especially now that ICSI is more commonly used.

BTW, there is nothing "unnatural" about my identical twin boys conceived through IVF/ICSI. You really need to watch how you phrase things. You might not mean to be, but you come across as offensive, not to mention poorly informed.