Are You Curious About Twin Pregnancy?

So, as you can see, I am starting a blog. I’ve tried this a few times but always felt like I was trying to relive the “Myspace Notes” days and quit feeling silly.  I am realizing now though that I have something that a lot of people, mainly women, want to know all about- TWINS (pregnancy, delivery, how we’re going to feed, change, clothe, and sleep train them, etc.).  I probably won’t be able to post often once they arrive and my posts won’t be extraordinarily long, but probably too long for a status update on FB. 

I know that all pregnant women get asked, “How are you feeling?”, “How is the baby?”, “Are you going to go natural?”, “Can I touch your belly?” and so on. I get asked those questions plus more because twins are a pretty fascinating miracle! I don’t mind the questions or belly rubbing at all! I enjoy it! So for any of you out there wondering what it’s like, here is a list of my twin pregnancy symptoms without too much TMI hopefully. Now, I can’t say that these are all multiple baby related because this is my first pregnancy. I don’t know what it’s like to carry a “singleton”.

My Twin Pregnancy
I didn’t find out that I was carrying twins until I was 20 weeks along. Yes I was huge and yes I thought about having twins all the time; BUT NO, it is not okay to tell a woman how ridiculously gigantic she is and that you think she must be having twins. I was so ashamed of my stomach for 20 weeks. Just tell a big bellied pregnant girl she looks beautiful, because she most likely does! And if she finds out there is an extra bun in that oven, never say, “I knew it!” I’m positive that I could have said I was carrying a pack of lizards and someone would have said, “I called that. Ask my friend Betty Sue! I told her that you were too big!”

Please know that I am not totally naive about babies. I know it is going to be difficult, but I’d rather be excited about how extremely blessed I am! I say that God saw from one little zygote how precious one girl was and made two! That is incredible. I can’t sit around and just worry about the long nights and double terrible twos and exaggerated expenses when I remind myself of what a miracle they are! I do get caught up in all the “What Ifs” sometimes but the Lord saw fit to entrust them to us, how dare we not trust in Him.

My feet look like they have been stung by a swarm of bees and feel like they have been stepped on by a whole class of kindergartners. I’ve been able to hide them, since I was pregnant all winter. I can’t imagine what I would do over the summer! It is so hard for me to go through a warm day with shoes on. I currently have three pairs of shoes that fit. 

I think I looked pretty good through the majority of my pregnancy, I just had a larger than life belly.  I guess because it’s getting warmer now, my hands, fore arms, and face are starting to look like my bee-stung feet. I’ll keep the swollen lips, but the rest has got to go!

Carpal Tunnel. Who knew? Apparently when you lay down, the fluid from your poor, pitiful, swollen feet move up your body and collect at your joints. You are supposed to sleep with your arms extended in front of you. I don’t know how that is possible while sleeping on your side. 

I don’t have heartburn. Not like any I’ve experienced in the past anyway. It’s more of having my stomach pushed up my esophagus and food collecting there.  The feeling is like having Icy Hot slathered in my throat (maybe I should be a spokesperson like Shaq) and an air bubble right below that- and it NEVER moves!

I never got morning sickness (PTL), but I have done my share of vomiting in the AM.  I just gag a lot. Less now that I’m not working and don’t have to eat so early in the morning. January-March, I had so much mucus built up every morning that I would just stand in the shower and mentally prepare myself for the dry-heaving that was about to take place so that I could then breathe throughout the day. That was the worst. Then I’d eat breakfast and attempt to brush my teeth without losing it. Then I’d take my meds and try to keep them down. I HATE THROWING UP!

Snoring. Oh man, Tony has a hay day with this. I know that I snore because it wakes ME up, but he finds it necessary to record me and send it to me via text message. What a sweet husband. If you don’t know why this happens, it has to do with all the extra blood and fluid in your body causing sinuses (and everything else in your body!!!) to swell, leaving less air passage. This is also why I can’t close my mouth to breathe while awake. Nice, right?


Nose bleeds. I had never had one in my life, and I had them all winter. Same reason as #8.

I’ve gained more weight than I would like to publicly share. I think I am being punished for the times my sister and I played with my grandmother’s extra large clothing. Watch out Becca, your next!  I can say that the weight is no good for your knees! It hurts me to sit down or stand up from anything lower than my waist, especially the potty! :/

 Other pregnant women wonder how it’s possible to have two “regular sized” babies in my belly when they feel like they are about to pop with one. Like I mentioned, I don’t know the difference. I can't imagine triplets!!!! I can just say that there are many things that I have given up on due to the gigantic-ness of my midsection;

• picking things up when I drop them
• rolling over in one motion (Tony times me. It takes about 8-10 seconds. Sweet husband, I know).
• sitting straight up (I have to either lean forward or back or I usually just say screw it and lay down all day)
• getting anywhere quickly or without a major waddle 
• wearing dress clothes or dress shoes (it’s just not worth the discomfort)
• tying my own shoes
• putting on my compression hose (Yes, wearing them is punishment too. I’m sorry Mamaw!) in less than 5 minutes
• sitting on the floor
• unloading the dishwasher or clothes dryer
• carrying a laundry basket
• reaching for things more than an arm’s length away when sitting or laying (it’s just not worth it, unless it’s water)

Feeling the babies move is the weirdest and coolest thing. They are too jam packed in there to really kick anymore, but they really squirm! I describe it as a handful of worms. Every once in a while I will feel or even see Olive’s knee on my left side or Georgia’s heel right below my sternum (they stay one their sides and usually spoon to the left :) and I get all excited about meeting them and putting cute little faces to these sticky-outy body parts!

If your wondering about our birth plans (and that is a popular question) I am shooting for a vaginal birth. Sorry to use the V word. :/ Both babies are head down and the bigger one is A (meaning she is the closest to the cervix.) Since she will be born first, it will make it easier to then deliver Baby B- Olive. The only major risk is that Olive could decide she has all that room after Georgia moves out, and she flips.  They will try to hold her in place so she can’t do that;  but for that reason (and others) all multiples are delivered in the OR, just in case an emergency C-Section is needed. And I’m not crazy. I’m totally getting an epidural! In my book, going through two labors is not the time for a tough woman competition. 

So, I think that covers it. I have double baby brain, so that probably doesn’t actually cover it! But this was meant to be funny, not scary or to provoke pity. I’m doing great and the babies are doing great (weighing in at 4’11 and 4’4 when measured at 32 weeks and 5 days).  Tony and I are getting very excited to meet those PYTs! They will be here in no time! Our scheduled induction will be on May 14th, but no one seems to think the girls will wait that long.