I still can't believe I'm typing this. Today is pregnancy loss awareness day and I went into my scan this morning literally shaking from trepidation.

We've been doing IVF for years: 7 retrievals, 6 transfers. This is my sixth pregnancy, and we have one living child, our 2-year-old 💛

After so much loss, I've learned to hold every early scan at arm's length.

We transferred ONE PGT-tested embryo. We’ve never transferred more than one. We never thought this would happen. At my first ultrasound last week, they saw one gestational sac with two yolk sacs, and I honestly didn't let myself believe it. I convinced myself it was a double bleb misdiagnosed as a twin pregnancy. Today at my heartbeat scan (6w5d), there they were: TWO babies, both measuring 6w4d, with heartbeats of 124 and 126.

After everything, the idea that our one little embryo became two feels completely surreal. I'm equal parts overjoyed, terrified, and in total disbelief.

They're monochorionic, and the two yolk sacs make mono/di likely. We'll confirm amnionicity soon.

Would love to hear from anyone who's been here:

Anyone else have a single embryo transfer split? 👀

Any tips for navigating twin pregnancy after loss?

My plan is to take it one appointment at a time. IVF takes so much from you, so I’m really trying not to let it steal the joy of today with the worries of tomorrow.

I’m a medical professional so trying not to spiral with the high risk part of twin pregnancies. I’m also early 40s so naturally more high risk than a younger person.

Thanks for letting me share. I'm still processing! 🙏

Tired of counting to 16 scoops to make a 32oz pitcher? Count to 4 instead!

Method: using a baker's scale, and scraping each scoop I measured (all in grams), "formula scoop" means i scooped formula powder using the scoop that came with the formula, "gatorade scoop" means i scooped formula powder using the scoop that came with the gatorade mix-

1 formula scoop: 8, 9, 9, 8

2 formula scoops: 17, 16, 16, 17

4 formula scoops: 33, 35, 34, 33

1 gatorade scoop: 33, 34, 34, 32, 34, 32, 33

So if I am making a batch that requires 16 formula scoops, on average the scoops are about right, and certainly more accurate than when I lose track of how many little scoops i've already done.

I used an Enfamil scoop to do the initial measuring, but we converted to Kirkland(costco) and it measured the same. So i have confirmation it works for at least those 2 brands.

Added bonus that you can also use the formula scoop to get the gatorade mix into a narrow neck water bottle to stay hydrated!!

today, a stranger asked me if I was having a Halloween baby. Nope, just expecting twins. I feel similar to the size of a school bus. 😘

2.5 twins have zero chill when it comes to nap. They’ve always been great sleepers but last couple of months, it’s been hell. Either one or both are just being absolute rats, won’t lay down, won’t leave the other alone, bites, kicks. We’ve tried skipping naps but then they are absolutely miserable for most of the afternoon/evening until bed. It’s terrible for everyone and very obvious that they still need a nap. They are out of cribs bc they could climb out. They have twin and full mattress on the floor, with a baby gate around them so they don’t have free rein to the entire room. Separating rooms for nap isn’t really feasible at the moment. Does anyone have any tips, tricks, advice?
I’ve bought sleeping spray and rubs, weighted blanket , white noise, making it super cold, sleep sacks, no sleep sacks, turkey and butter before nap, Tylenol when they are teething, laying with them, scratching, patting, and rubbing back, reducing their nighttime sleep and getting them up earlier in the mornings. My husband is on the verge of popping one of them on the butt (the biter), despite me reminding him that it’s not appropriate for any age and especially now because they literally cannot understand why they are being smacked. and we are both at our wits end.
Thanks in advance 🥲🫠

17 month old boy-girl twins.

I have dropped the ball on this aspect of parenthood.

They usually start in their high chairs okay.

Then one gets bored of sitting and eating I think. And wants to leave. They now say “All done!”whenever they want out of high chair. So I clean him up and he goes and plays. Or he comes back and picks at what’s on his sister’s tray. And she says “all done!”

Because obviously she does. Why should she sit there like a shmuck if he gets to walk around and eat and play and come back and eat.

When he comes back and eats I try to have him sit on my lap at least.

But still. He’s out. She wants out.

I’m scared to put him back in. I’m scared they are going to scream and stand up and move and around in the high chair and the high chair will fall down and they will break a neck and die.

So everyone says “all done!” When alas no one is really done. They just want to walk around and eat food and play.

I’ve tried cleaning their trays immediately when they say “all done!” But holy shit that’s a lot of screaming too.

I’m just so not good with the screaming. It feels like someone has put a gun up to me and I’m like of course take my wallet my social security number whatever you want just please don’t do this. I just want them to stop screaming.

Wondering if anyone has advice. My house is a mess. My kids are not growing up to be functioning eaters of society.

Currently 16w with mono di twins, and these are kids 3&4 for me. I’ve been seeing both my OB and an MFM. This morning at my OB appt, I found out (not even from the Dr but from the insurance person) that the hospital she delivers at absolutely does not allow vaginal births for multiples. The hospital has on call doctors only, so if you were to attempt vaginal and need an emergency C, there’s not another resident Dr to jump in to assist with surgery. I get it from that standpoint, but it’s incredibly disheartening to know I don’t even get a choice. I’ve used this same Dr for both kids already and have had 2 very easy, uneventful vaginal inductions. I was really hoping I’d be able to attempt vaginal this time too. After I left I sat in my car and just sobbed. This hospital also doesn’t allow vbac, so if I have a C now, I’d be stuck with them for any future kids too (we think we’ll be done with 4 but you obviously never know).

Now I’m not sure if I should keep the Dr I already know who knows me and just mentally accept the C-section over the next 20 weeks, or do I try and find a new Dr who would allow a vaginal if the stars align. But then if I find a new Dr and end up in an emergency C-section for whatever reason, it’d be frustrating to have gone through the headache of switching for nothing.

If you read this far, thank you. I don’t know if I’m looking for consolation over having a C-section, advice on which option to choose, or just needing to vent, but I’m glad to have found this community for support regardless.

17 month old boy/girl twins.

I don’t know if this makes no sense or perfect sense.

My MIL is a very kind, loving woman who comes over and helps me for 2 hours a day 4 days a week. She would eagerly be here more but I’m fucked up and need to feel independent.

When she’s here, if one baby is upset, and I’m soothing them, the other baby decides they immediately need me too. I can’t change one’s diaper without the other one in my lap. It’s two screaming toddlers for a long period of time.

But when I’m alone with them, it’s different. It really feels like when one toddler is upset, the other one is completely self-sufficient. They will just go play. Or open a book. Sometimes they will even bring the other baby a pacifier or their favorite stuffy.

They DO love my MIL. They play with her all the time. They run over and hug her when she shows up. She brings them toys, books, just constant presents. She smiles and hugs them and cheers them on.

But when it comes to those moments, it’s like the twin who wasn’t initially upset is like OH HELL NO YOURE NOT LEAVING ME WITH HER

Wondering if people experience this. And how you fix it. Cause it would be nice if things weren’t WORSE when someone is here to help.

I have been seeing a MFM during my twin pregnancy who tends to be overly cautious. I am currently 23weeks with di-di twins.
My T4 measured as 0.82 and my T3 as 2.3
My MFM wants to put me on levothyroxine but I am hesitant because my numbers still seem to fall in range even if they are on the lower end, and I am worried about side effects on the babies. I have never had any thyroid issues before or any family history of them. Does anyone have similar experiences in their multiples pregnancy? Were you able to manage without additional medication? If you did choose to take medication, were there any adverse effects on your pregnancy or side effects once you stopped the medication post pregnancy?

Edit: My TSH was 0.981 at 20 weeks

We have BG twins and the girl always seems to just bite my boy all the time.

They don’t go to day care and we’re trying so hard to curve the behaviour but idk what to do.

My boy just takes it, and doesn’t really know why or how to say no.

Any tips ?

Hi! Our twins are 10 months old and we are still using the duet. But I’m noticing some issues with it, one seat is tilted to the side so twin a is constantly leaning to one side. And the backs of the seat even though the straps are completed pulled to make it as high and straight as possible still leaves the seat semi reclined and the twins are now grabbing the bar Infront to pull themselves so they sit straight.

Anyone found ways around this pls as I don’t see myself being able to use this pushchair for years at this rate. It’s a big shame as we live in a small country with small pavements and the build of it just works here. I can’t imagine getting anything bigger.

Thank you 🙏

Our mono/di twins hit 6 months (5 months adjusted) and we’re trying to give them solids (so far with limited interest). They’re otherwise exclusively on breastmilk. Their doctor said iron-rich foods from 6 months onwards and left it at that, but I wondered what to do if they’re barely eating the food.

Then I read guidelines about iron and they say babies born at less than 2.5 kg/5.5ish lbs should be getting iron supplements from 6 weeks onwards (unless having iron-rich formula). No one said anything to us at the hospital (week long stay but no NICU) or any of our doctors appointments, even though we mentioned that one of our twins has always been hard to feed.

How have people’s experiences around iron been?

Hi everyone,
I’m a father of twin babies who were born prematurely on May 16, at around 30 weeks of gestation. They spent about two weeks in the NICU before finally coming home. Those NICU days, the sleepless nights, and the constant fear about their health have been incredibly difficult for our family.
For the past month, our babies have been following a routine where we feed them around midnight, and they usually sleep until around 7 AM. During the daytime, we follow a feeding schedule of approximately every three hours. They usually cry quite a bit, too, which makes the days exhausting.
My wife exclusively breastfeeds both babies directly. She doesn’t pump breast milk or use formula, and she is very firm about not introducing bottle feeds. I respect her decision, but I’m also watching her become increasingly exhausted.
After everything she has gone through during the pregnancy, NICU stay, and the weeks of broken sleep, she is finally getting some uninterrupted rest at night. But now she has started worrying that allowing the babies to sleep for seven hours without feeding could cause long-term health or developmental problems.
Our doctor advised us not to extend the overnight feeding gap beyond five hours, so we are particularly concerned about whether our current routine is safe.
I have a few questions for parents who have been through something similar, especially parents of premature babies:
Is it safe for premature babies to sleep for 6–7 hours continuously at night without feeding, provided they feed regularly during the day?
Could regularly going this long without feeding affect their brain development, growth, weight gain, or overall health in the long run?
If they are sleeping peacefully and not waking up hungry, should we still wake them every three hours or follow our doctor’s maximum five-hour limit?
Have any parents of premature twins experienced a similar situation? When did your babies start sleeping longer stretches safely?
How did you manage breastfeeding twins while making sure the mother got enough rest?
I want to make it clear that we aren’t trying to neglect their feeding. We just want to understand whether longer overnight sleep can be safe for them, especially considering their prematurity.
My wife is mentally and physically exhausted. She has been through so much already, and I can see how much this worry is affecting her. I don’t know what to tell her because I don’t want to give her false reassurance, but I also don’t want her to feel guilty for finally getting some sleep.
We will follow our paediatrician’s advice, but I would really appreciate hearing from parents who have experienced this and understanding what the evidence says about long-term risks.
Thank you for reading. Any genuine experiences or advice would mean a lot to us.

Edit:
Thank you so much, everyone, for all your comments, advice, and kind wishes! This is actually my first time making a post here, and I honestly didn’t expect to receive so much kindness and support from all of you. It means a lot to me and my family.
As many of you suggested, our babies are currently following the right growth curve and gaining weight well. We’ll continue monitoring their growth and discussing everything with our paediatrician. I’ll also talk to my wife about all the helpful comments you’ve shared, as I know how much she has been worrying about this.
We have our next paediatric appointment in a week, so we’ll discuss the overnight feeding intervals with our doctor and get clear guidance based on our babies’ individual needs.

I'm 11 weeks pregnant. At my last three scans, they found twins, and they are likely mo/mo boys, but with two yolk sacs. On the last scan, they thought they saw the umbilical cords already entangling, but they weren't sure if they were just covering one they couldn't find. This was with MFM. I'm very scared, because I have some health conditions that make having twins quite dangerous for me, and potentially fatal or causing a disability for myself. I'm also very worried for the babies, and what it will mean for their quality of life as they grow. I'm doing another scan at the end of my 12th week. I already have two children. Can people tell me about their experience with mo/mo twins, and how they are now milestone-wise, cognitively and physically?

Hi everyone! I’m currently 31W6D pregnant with di-di twins. I’m a bit concerned and baffled because I’ve apparently lost 7 lbs in 1 week according to the weighing scale in the clinic. I did not change my diet this week and actually try my best to eat as much protein as I can, though my appetite has lessened in the 3rd trimester compared to the 2nd trimester. I did not gain any weight up until 14 weeks due to nausea, gained 27 lbs in the 2nd trimester, then my weight gain slowed down to about 1.5 lbs/ week until this week. I got COVID 2 weeks ago and had reduced appetite as I was also hospitalized then for preterm contractions, but at my clinic weigh-in a week later I was still up 3 lbs from my previous visit 2 weeks ago. Pre-pregnancy my BMI was 19.5 so it’s not like I was overweight where you don’t need to gain as much in pregnancy…. I was previously up 32 lbs at 30w6d which I though was a good weight gain rate, but with this weight loss I’m now up only 25 lbs at 31w6d. My girls are now at 13% and 19% for their weight so not yet dangerously low but definitely lower than it used to be (they used to be 50%+ at around 20W). Has this happened to anyone? And any tips on what I can do? I’m already eating 3 large meals a day and chugging a protein shake daily for a snack… I understand weight gain can slow down in the 3rd trimester but such a large weight loss in a week is baffling!

Dear twin mamas,
I’m currently almost 18 weeks pregnant with my di-di twins and really struggling! I’ve had significant nausea since week 5, which is still there, plus now I have acid reflux as well! I’m already on Diclectin and a few other as needed medications, plus Tums. I have low energy and every day feels like a battle. I was really looking forward to a better second trimester but sadly I seem to just be accumulating symptoms. Oh and my sleep is shit! Waking up so many times every night. Anyways, all of this has me feeling pretty low and I don’t know how I’m gonna get through many more weeks of pregnancy.. if you had a similar experience, how did you cope?? It’s so hard to live a normal life and I’m just so over it :(( any advice for how to get through this time is appreciated!

So up until now (5 month old twins) the kids have ate “ready to go” formula. Every evening we would open x amount of cans and dump them into 14 bottles. Which is roughly 24 hours worth of bottles for us. But we are transitioning to powder formula and will be 100% on powder this time next week. But they just keep going up in formula amount and pre making the formula doesn’t feel as possible? Especially when it comes to fridge space. We were thinking about getting 2 64oz jugs with a spout but again fridge space is limited and we also just don’t know if that’s the smartest move.

What do you guys do? Are we just making bottles as we go? Filling the bottles with water in the moment or ahead of time? Pre making formula or do you pre measure it into containers??

Edit: I’d like to point out that they drink cold milk and we also don’t have a dishwasher. So every component is hand washed. We have a bottle washer than only handles 6 bottles at a time.

What do you tell people when they ask you this question?

I usually say something along the lines of “it’s like having one baby … but it’s two” because I genuinely don’t understand how else to explain it. “Like one baby, but you do things twice.”

My girls are fraternal so I don’t get questions about whether they’re the same human or not but it’s literally just having two kids the same age? It doesn’t seem that different than having two differently aged children. I already had 2 boys before my twins.

Curious because it’s the most common question I get besides “are they twins?”

I’ve been following this thread since we found out we are having twin boys. They are finally here after mom was in labor for 2 days and we ended up pivoting to a c section. Mom was just past 36 weeks when it started and the boys were born 6 pounds 8 ounces and 5 pounds 11 ounces. The bigger one had to be in the NICU for 3 days but fought like hell and got out quick. We got home yesterday and the journey has begun. This thread has some great advice and perspective. I’m so freaking happy, I know it’s going to be hard but I’ve been waiting a long time for this so I couldn’t care less. It’s my time to be the tired dad (posting on the night shift while mom gets a long stretch of sleep).

❤️

Hi all! We've been following and researching here since we found out we were getting our twins so naturally you guys deserve an update!

So we found out at 4 weeks, but it took a few weeks for it to be clear it was twins. Around 12w we knew certainly that they were di/die boy twins. This is my second pregnancy, and baby number 2 and 3!

Pregnancy itself was brutal for me. I was nauseous from the start and physically horizontally from 28w.

It was heavy, I felt so immobile but never gained alot of weight (12kg by the end). No pregnancy diabetes, no high blood pressure or signs of preeclampsia. (Okay maybe brutal is too harsh a word but it was the hardest thing I ever did with my body).

I had some Braxton Hicks contractions around 33w, with a short stay in the hospital to see how it progressed but everything calmed down a few days later.

Planned c section October 7th (I had an emergency c section with our first, very difficult labour and delivery, so we decided with our gynaecologist to schedule a planned c section for the twins)

October 1st, late evening, another round of Braxton Hicks but the pain never really went away. I managed to sleep a few hours but went to the hospital in the morning just to check everything. I was 36w5d at that point! Came in at 4cm apparently so labour was definitely starting! My water did not break so the contractions were very manageable!

Everything after that went as planned, my own gynaecologist was present, I was brought to the OR and two hours later our boys were here!

Baby 1 at 2kg210 and 46cm

Baby 2 at 2kg780 at 48cm

They were at the NICU for two days, than in regular neonatal care for two days, than a few days with us in my room and we went home after a week!

All in all, everything went according to plan and compared to my first one, very uneventfull!

I am pumping and bottle feeding them both fully on pumped milk. The nights are short and spicy but that's newborn life, right? 😊

Good luck to everyone, twins are more high risk but I wanted to share our not so risky story as well!

Lots of love 💕

Hi all,
I’m an expecting twin mom and currently looking into strollers!
Looking for reviews on the Strollair Twin Way! They’re a smaller Canadian company and not carried in many stores, so looking to hear people’s personal experience with it! Specifically, would be helpful to know if the size allowed you to get around easily and get in and out of stores etc, and how it compares to other popular brands like the Bugaboo Donkey! Thank you :)
Edit: any other stroller recommendations are welcome!

FTM, pregnant with twins. A lot of parents have been giving my husband and I the advice to do shifts at night so the other person can sleep (7pm -12am, 12am-5am, etc.).

How does this work when the babies are sleeping in the same room those first few months? Don't both parents wake up when they hear crying? Doesn't one baby crying wake up the other?

I'd love to hear what worked for everyone. Thanks!

I just had my first appointment with the consultant, im at 18 weeks + 4. This is my first pregnancy and im having di/di twins. Im just feeling worried as I was kind of under the impression that most women with twins tend to have a c-section, so i thought a planned c-section would be the way to go just so I can accept it/get my head around it etc and not go through a potentially traumatic birth and end up needing an emergency c-section anyway - but my consultant implied that I'd probably only be having an elective c-section if it was needed.

Im aware I might be viewing this through an anxious lens, I feel like a lot of the info I have read about twin vaginal births have been negative, traumatic, resulted in emergency c-section etc.

When i thought I was only having 1 baby, my birth plan was a low intervention water birth, but since finding out its twins everything ive read seems to say that a low intervention birth is not happening, water birth wouldnt happen, likely will be induction and high intervention or a c-section. And for me personally id rather have a planned c-section than a super high intervention, highly medicated vaginally birth - mostly because I dont want to feel out of control.

I guess i just wanted to know if anyone has managed to have a low intervention vaginal birth, or even used a birthing pool with twins? If I do have to have a vaginal birth i just want reassurance that they arent all traumatic with twins 😅