Expecting twins? with one or more children already?

[Anonymous]

Is anyone out there expecting twins? We just found out we were - this is my second pergnancy (DS is 15 months) - and so the news is a bit of a shock. But, we did want 3 in total so we're not unhappy with the news....

Anyway, is anyone is pregnant with twins and (i) has any insights about how to breatfeed twins (or how to fit 3 car seats in a standard size car), what types of cribs/bassinets/strollers to buy, are there slings you can wear with 2, etc, etc or (ii) interested in dividing up the research of finding this out with me, please let me know.

I think the only way I'm going to survive this is to be super-organized early on and I'd love to team up with someone!

[Anonymous]

Wow - I have met my online twin! I have a 15 month old and about 18 week with twins righ now. I asked a few questions early on - primarily on stollers which was my biggest concern for the future. I got a few response and one looked really neat - it was a dual stoller with a toddler seat. i'll try to look at some of the other suggestions. It may take a few days as I sent everything straight to DH as he is in charge of equipment and supplies!

There are some good websites - just google twins re: breastfeeding. One freind swears by a certain twin feeding pillow - again I'll try to respond back with better detail next week but leaving for holiday tomorrow.

[Anonymous]

We, too, were in a similar situation, but our first child was a little older than yours when I found out I was pregnant with our twins, so I didn't get a triple stroller and can't give a recommendation on that. Breastfeeding tandem is certainly possible and I think lots of moms do it, but our twins don't eat at exactly the same time, except in the morning which is usually the only time I nurse them together (tandem). The rest of the time, I nurse one alone, or give bottles of expressed milk. One resource I would recommend is joining a twins group -- in Virginia we have Northern Virginia Parents of Multiples and there is a similar group in Maryland. There is a great listserv and both groups hold huge consignment sales twice a year where you can pick up lots of great items! Three under three is a lot of work, but tons of fun, too. Best of luck to you!!

[Anonymous]

Congratulations! Twins are a blessing!

I would recommend for a stroller a double SnapNGo for outings with just the twins. When out with all three, I'd recommend a Graco Duoglide; one in a frontpack and one in a carseat carrier and your toddler in the stroller. If you are in the city or walk alot consider a twin Valco with the jumpseat. A triplet stroller is too much as they are bigger, more to handle (more attention than you need), and more pricey.

Breastfeeding. You can do it! Take each day at a time. Start off by giving it a try; one baby will likely nurse much better than the other, build your supply with a good electric pump rented from the hospital, and importantly- take care of yourself!

"I think the only way I'm going to survive this is to be super-organized early on" You are right! Be prepared and organized with your needs and information and you'll be set. Twins are alot of work but you can do it!

Meredith Ball
Multiples Specialist

[Anonymous]

Forgot to mention... check out Montgomery County Parents of Multiples in MD [url]http://www.mcpom.org/

[Anonymous]

Hi (I'm the OP) am so excited to have responses to my post! Thank you all for the information. If the second poster has a chance to post the websites that would be helpful, that would be great and appreciated! (and if you would want to get together off line to talk/split up research on twin stuff, let me know).

Thanks for the referrals on the parents of multiples organizations. That's exactly what I was looking for! Does anyone know if there is an association like that in DC too?

And thanks too on the advice about strollers. I didn't know that there was a double snap and go option - that sounds like it would work well for us.

And finally, Meredith - I'm curious what a multiples specialist does? I have tons of logistical questions - are those the types of things you deal with?

[Anonymous]

I have a good friend in the Midwest who was in your situation. She had an "oops" pregnancy when her daughter was 1 and ended up with a just-turned two year old girl plus twin boys. She had a double nursing pillow that she used, and also would sling them both up with a wrap-style sling I think. She also had the snap n go double stroller, and they had to get a minivan to hold all the kids. I think that is the only option for the vehicles, but she didn't go many places for a while - it was hard to manage for a while. I know she had a wipe-off board that they would keep track of feedings and changes since it was harder to keep track of both of them. She also ended up supplementing nursing with formula after a while, which was disappointing for her but she just couldn't keep up her supply enough to match them.

She also mentioned going to Moms of Multiples groups. Here is the fairfax county chapter website http://www.fcmom.org/ They also have them in other jurisdictions. Here is the national page. http://www.nomotc.org/

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

OP: I specialize with multiples (twins, triplets and more) in the first weeks and months after they are born. I'm there the first days to get things in order supporting Mom and Babies with breastfeeding, scheduling, organization (registering, etc.)...days, nights, and consults. I also work with babies with sleep struggles. You can email me directly for more information. [e-mail]

There is a multiples group in DC I just don't have the information on it. You should be able to find it thought MOTH.

Take care!

[Anonymous]

The web site for Northern Virginia Parents of Multiples is www.nvpom.com -- if you're in VA, I highly recommend joining! If you're in Maryland, I'm sure the Montgomery County twins club cited above is just as useful. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I have 15 month old twins and am hoping to get pregnant again within the next 6 months.
We want 3 kids and figure we might as well space them fairly close together.

In any case, I breastfed my twins for 14 months and never had to supplement with formula.

A couple of thoughts about breastfeeding twins:

--I believe the trick to breastfeeding twins is to tandem feed them. I can't imagine breastfeeding them both, back to back.
You'd be nursing 24/7! If you can get the tandem feeding down then breastfeeding is so much easier and faster than bottles.
I found it to be a little overwhelming at first and way too stimulating in an almost nails-on-the-chalkboard way but this soon passed.
The best way to get the tandem positioning down is with the EZ-2-Nurse pillow. It's pricy (>$50) but worth it's weight in gold. You
mighth be able to find one on Craig's list.
--I went back to work at 5 months post partum and needed to provide a ton of milk for the 6 or so bottles of breastmilk my kids got
each day. To do so, I rented an hospital-grade industrial pump for an entire 13 months. I thought about buying my own (Pump in style advanced)
but I was afraid that it wouldn't work as well so I kept renting the industrial beast and hauled it to work with me each day. I also had built up quite
a freezer stash by the time I went back to work which helped on days that my supply was low.
Several other twin moms I know also rented hospital grade pumps for a full year so I think it's fairly for multiple moms to do so.

Good luck with your twins! They are the hardest and best thing that has ever happened to me!

[Anonymous]

Hi OP - this is the second poster - in virtually the same situation. Sorry I did not get back online sooner but we decided to stay away a little longer while we had the time off.

I saw a few folks had posted some of the things already such as the website for multiples and some other things.

The information I received on the strollers from others is posted below:

I am the mother of triplets and was very pleased with my Peg Pergeo tandem stroller. You can pop off the seats, fold up the frame, and fit it into a regular sized car trunk. (I had a Toyota Camry at the time.) It assembles and disassembles quite easily, and the seats recline fully for your twins.

They are very expensive, but you can purchase a used one through ads posted on www.tripletconnection.org or www.mostonline.org.
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My SIL has twin and a 19 month old DD - this is the stroller she recommends. It is very flexible, especially if you don't want to have the tripple stroller which is difficult for indoor spaces.

The other things that were recommended were the breastfeeding pillow for twins and a carrier for twins ( this actually got mixed reviews) but your can view both at: http://www.doubleblessings.com/servlet/StoreFront. There are a couple of other sites that have them and as I get closer I'll look into prices, reviews etc. I think there is a section in the book Baby Bargins on twins - we used this book a lot to make decisions about 'baby equipment' last time. I'll let you know if there is anything interesting.

If you do a Google search for 'freebies for twins multiples' there are a few coupons you can get for diapers and other things - with the amount of supplies needed every nickle will count. There are a few companies which offer savings.

We are going to keep on 15 month old in a crib as long as possible. The twins will be in with us the first few weeks and then we will move them into a second crib with something to separate them. That will buy us some time with moving our DS into a toddler bed.


Our other logistical issue is cars - we both have autos that will be difficult to fit three car seats. We went out looking at minivans and crossover vehicles and as much as I hate the thought of driving a minivan - I think we may buy one in the Spring.

My MD has already told me I will be on bed rest in the near future. I have had difficulty in the past carrying to fullterm so they are not taking any chances. I will have lots of time to research things from Feb through April. If you wnat me to send any information your way I can be reached at [e-mail].

Happy New Year!

[Anonymous]

Hi there- I am also expecting twins in April! These are our first kids, though. I was on bedrest already for 10 weeks in the first and into the second trimester, so I had LOTS of time to research twins gear. I'd be happy to share my thoughts- please feel free to PM me or email at [e-mail]

For now I will just say that if you haven't already, get Dr. Luke's book "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or More." This book was the absolute best I found about multiple pregnancy, with tons of straightforward information about the possible complications without being scary. And it tells you what you can do proactively to minimize your risks.