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Monday 30 September 2013

Twin Pregnancy Diary - 24 Weeks


Breathing a little easier now our two boys have reached 24 weeks and it all is still going smoothly. Since we found out they are actually MC/DA it's like a great weight has been lifted of our shoulders and I feel so much more relaxed. I had another scan last week and a check up with my original consultant  I feel much better after seeing her and being able to discuss things with a positive attitude. We are back to expecting them at 36/37 weeks and depending on their position or my preference, I can go for a natural birth or a caesarean  That is something I'm still not quite ready to make a decision about but hopefully we'll have a few months yet.

The babies are now proportioned like newborns while all their organs continue to develop and they put weight on. The growth of both of them is still on track and they are very active. At my last scan they were both breech but I can feel them moving so I'm sure they will continue to switch position for a few weeks yet. Apparently they will stop in one position soon as their won't be much room for them to turn. I can feel them much more than I ever did with Lucas, he never kept me awake at night but these two are starting too.

I'm feeling a lot bigger all of a sudden; I can't even imagine what the last few weeks will be like this time round. I'm also absolutely ravenous! I've gone from having to practically force myself to keep eating to just hovering around the kitchen while I eat anything that comes to hand. I'm taking this as a good sign that my body is preparing for the growing twins. I'm definitely feeling the aches and pains as I get bigger but they aren't bad enough to stop me getting out. Overall physically I still feel good, if it hadn't been for the emotions of the last few weeks this pregnancy would have been trouble free.

I've started putting some things together for my hospital bag; as there is a higher chance of twins arriving early I need to be prepared. Of course this is a great excuse to pick up little mini goodies to stock up my wash bag (alongside the obligatory massive pants!) I have another scan and consultant appointment booked for two weeks then all being well they'll go down to every four weeks and before we know it we'll be preparing for our extra additions.


Monday 23 September 2013

Autumn Nature Walk

I'm so pleased that we have managed to get some outdoor time into our weekend. We've been so busy with appointments and the weather hasn't been great that we hadn't managed to get out as much as I would have liked. Doesn't a bit of fresh air always make you feel better though? We love to get out and walk; take an hour or so away from everything else and just enjoy each others company.

This weekend we went for our walk around our town's cemetery; you might think that's a bit strange but it's such a nice walk full of really old trees and very peaceful up there. So many local people go for walks round there and it is lovely in Autumn. They also have so many chestnut trees, perfect at this time of year. I wanted to collect some treasure for us to start an autumn nature box and we were lucky enough to come across some early conkers and beautifully coloured leaves. There were a few people out hunting around the chestnut trees, it's a serious business! We also found a particularly good game to play with the 'helicopters' from a massive Sycamore tree; they weren't quite ready for spinning but made a rather amusing moustache. 


 As Lucas gets older it's great to see him learning new things and he was quite particular that he carried his conkers rather than put them in the bag. Of course we also had to collect a few sticks and some very green acorns. Lucas loved it when we found a conker still in it's shell and we could open it for him to get out. They are now dotted around the house while I look for a suitable container to keep them in and I'll cover the leaves in sticky back plastic so they can be played with. I'm hoping we'll be able to add some pine cones and more acorns when they turn brown, what else would you be on the hunt for?











Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Saturday 21 September 2013

Autumn Wishlist

Everything has been very pregnancy heavy this week so I fancied distracting myself with a little wishlist. I am so in love with Autumn and I always feel more inclined to organise, buy treats and make changes at this time of year. I'm sure it must be the back to school mentality from my childhood! Here are a few bits and bobs I would love to have over Autumn/Winter.



1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

1. I'm sure a buy a new pair of gloves every year but I still love them. I'm much more of a knitted kind of girl and fingerless gloves are my favourite so I can access my phone when out and about. These Long Fair Isle Trapper Gloves from John Lewis (£15.00) are just my style.
2. Another essential buy every Autumn, this year I am in desperate need of some Maternity Tights, I love the colour of these from Tesco (£10.00).
3. I cannot say enough good things about Moroccan Oil! I was lucky enough to get a little bottle in a goody bag for an event I attended hosted by My Bag, Look Fantastic and All Sole. I have been using it religiously since and my hair feel super smooth and I find I can leave it longer between washes. I had a mini consultation at the event and they recommended the Light Treatment (£31.85) for my fine hair; it is perfect for taming my dry winter hair.
4. I get especially excited about Lush products in Autumn, particularity their Christmas bits. I don't get to buy them as often as I did so they are a real treat and Dreamtime Bath Melt (£3.25) is an all time favourite. 
5. I had to include some new stationery and I'm a sucker for cute notebooks; this one is an Eco Bamboo Notebook (£4.50) from Paperchase.
6. In my Autumn Tag I mentioned I was on the hunt for some canned pumpkin (£2.00) as I love to make pumpkin pie but it really is a pain to make puree from a fresh pumpkin. Luckily Leeks and Limoni told me she had spotted some in the World Foods section of her local Tesco and I have found it too in mine, yey! Pumpkin Pie for everyone!
7. These are really cool little sewing kits from Paper & String that I discovered a few years ago. I bought a couple last year when I had my gall bladder removed and I was confined to the sofa. I'm usually terrible and things like this but these are so easy and great fun. I'm espeically liking the look of this Robin Mini Kit (£5.00).

Is there anything that you love to buy in Autumn, what would be on your wishlist?



Friday 20 September 2013

Twin Pregnancy Diary - 23 Weeks An Early Update



Another emotionally exhausting week has passed and I'm updating a little earlier than usual because so much has changed. We've had some amazing news about our twins that has been a total weight of my shoulders but at the same time feeling very let down by our original hospital. If you've been following my pregnancy diary you'll know that early on I was told the twins appeared to be MC/MA sharing a placenta and sac. When I looked into to it myself it seemed that they sometimes spotted the membrane later on but 5 scans later my notes hadn't changed and no one had told me any different. I had a very scary conversation with the consultant and had to face up to the fact that these babies might not survive  We were referred to a specialist at a different hospital, went in for our scan which was with a lovely Doctor and one of the first things she spotted...a membrane! I held my breath while she checked the babies out and had a double check but even we could see it. All I felt was absolute relieve and struggled to keep my emotions in check while she finished the scan. 

I could not be happier that our twins have been confirmed to now be MC/DA meaning they are still identical, sharing a placenta but in separate sacs. One of the first things she explained was that there is no risk of cord entanglement now - the thing that was keeping me awake at night as my original consultant hadn't given me much hope. She also said I could now be referred back to my original hospital for the rest of my care. The thought does not fill me with much joy; the ante-natal department only spotted the MC/MA on my notes at 20 weeks and I've had it confirmed that I should have seen the doctors at the specialist hospital straight after it was first suspected. Fair enough they still may not have picked it up until later on but I had more information and reassurance from that doctor in that one appointment than I have the whole way through my care. 

I am never quick to complain and it isn't in my nature to kick up a fuss but I can't help but feel like the time wasn't taken to explain things to me. While it all looks good for now and I should be able to carry the babies until 36/37 weeks there is still a chance of early labour as there is with all twins and I'm afraid this experience hasn't left me with much confidence. I have to say that on the whole I am a massive supporter of the NHS, I think so many staff do an amazing job and I have nothing but good things to say about the staff at my first delivery (at a different hospital). I could rest easy with this one and I can't help feeling that maybe some of this stress and upset could have been avoided. It has only been a week since they told me and I feel like it has been months of worry.

Thank you all for your kind wishes, I am honestly overjoyed that these little boys will have a safer future. I can't wait for them to be here safe in our arms! When I first found out I was pregnant I never imagined it being like this and I think this time I will be glad when it's all over and we have two healthy little boys to bring home and add to our family.


Wednesday 18 September 2013

Chances Of Conceiving Twins Naturally

Since finding out that we are expecting identical twins I have suddenly been thrown into a world I was previously unaware of. There are so many factors as to whether or not you will have twins naturally and I’ve read a lot of information and statistics about multiple pregnancies since I started researching it myself. I discovered that a lot of what I thought to be true about conceiving twins was in fact a myth and it’s interesting to learn that there are still unknown elements about the conception of twins...

The lovely Shona and Cecile from Wriggly Rascals asked me to do a guest blog on the topic of conceiving twins naturally; as I am expecting identical twins I decided to share my experience and hopefully it will help some other parents. You can read the full article here.

Have you conceived twins naturally? If so, did you have a family history of twins or any of the other predisposing factors? If you have conceived twins naturally please share your experience here and help another mum work out her chances of conceiving twins.

About Wriggly Rascals
Wriggly Rascals was set up by Shona Motherwell, a frustrated mum of twins Mhairi and Archie to get mums together to share pregnancy, baby and toddler advice via quick surveys to get the facts about what other mums do. Our mums pass on loads of great tips to mums who have asked for help. If you would like some advice, get in touch at www.wrigglyrascals.com

Wriggly Rascals are also on Twitter and Facebook so pop over and say hello to them!

Monday 16 September 2013

Twin Pregnancy Diary - 22 Weeks



This week has been a tough one if I'm honest. For the first time I've had to come to terms with the risks in my pregnancy; I've been blissfully ignorant up until now! I always knew twins were a higher risk and when I found our that our twins shared a sac and placenta (MC/MA) I knew that the risks were going to be even greater. I had read a few things about my type of pregnancy; enough to know that they are very rare and I found a couple of Mums on forums who had had their babies early, all was well and they had two healthy, happy twins. I deliberately didn't Google anything to do with MC/MA twins because I didn't want to read to horror stories.

My hospital seemed to get their act together, better late than never. I had a scan booked and as usual went to see my consultant. As she was going over my notes we were discussing me giving birth around 37 weeks and then she spotted on my scan reports MC/MA. She then had a good look over the NICE guidelines (might be worthwhile swotting up on these if you're having twins!) and we had to discuss the risks and complications. Obviously something I need to be prepared about but I was quite happy in my state of oblivion. Nevertheless, I'm pleased I have now been referred to a specialist at our local Women's hospital and already have an appointment for this week. I now know that my twins will have to be born by c-section, at 32 weeks and will have to spend some time in neonatal. After 32 weeks the risks of cord entanglement are too high to be considered safe. I'll have steroids at 26 and 28 weeks to build the babies up ready for their early delivery and if all goes to plan at least we will be prepared. It's been an emotional week but we are carrying on with a positive attitude. Once we get past the 24 week mark I'll feel more relaxed and every week that passes will get easier as it will be a week closer to meeting our boys.

I have to get organised now as our boys will be here much earlier that we thought and chances are we will be spending time going back and to the hospital so I need to be organised with Lucas as well. I can't help but feel anxious about how he will cope with the next few months but ultimately I know we will all have to; people have done it before us and we will have to manage. We're lucky to have amazing family and friends close by so I know I have people to rely on. Aside from all this I still feel good, this pregnancy has gone smoothly and I have to take that as a good sign. The scan showed that both babies are still growing well and the little guys are both breech at the moment; I'm feeling so much wriggling and kicking! These boys are keeping us on our toes.




Friday 13 September 2013

Turning Two {Flashback Friday}



Two weeks ago today my little boy had his second birthday. We'd decided to keep it fairly low key this year and just had some family and friends visit on they day with some fun days out before and after. As we weren't giving him a big party we had a day out to Chester Zoo a few days before just the three of us. It was lovely to spend a day out together and Lucas loved looking at the animals (although he did spend most of his time climbing rocks and stroking the floor!) We went round all the favourites; elephants, penguins, bears, monkeys, lions but Lucas seemed to prefer the flamingos to everything else. 

On his birthday we had a lazy morning in our pyjamas while he opened all his presents. This can take some time; everything he opens needs to be given the proper attention and be played with before we can move on. Grandma, Grandad and cousins visited for lunch and Nanny and some friends visited for tea. There was plenty of cake but we soon realised that Lucas hates people singing Happy Birthday; even the arrival of his Postman Pat birthday cake couldn't stop him being grumpy. Second lot of visitors we didn't sing and that seemed to be ok, hopefully he'll have grown out of it by next year! 

That weekend we visited Great Nana and more family and had a picnic out at the woods and some ice cream down by the river. A perfect way to celebrate our boy turning two!



mummy mishaps

Wednesday 11 September 2013

Autumn Tag



The lovely Vicki from Let's Talk Beauty has tagged me in this as we have had many discussions about our great love for the season that is autumn!

For Autumn what is your…..

1. Favourite thing about it? My wedding Anniversary. We were married three years ago this October and it was the most amazing, sunny, autumnal day. I also first went out with my husband in October 13 years ago now! Also collecting conkers.

2. Favourite drink? As I am firmly off the alcoholic beverages now (although maybe our babies will arrive in time for a Christmas tipple) I am really enjoying chai latte. I love anything chai really but the latte is particularity nice in the colder months.

3. Favourite scent / candle? Cinnamon, always makes me think of the changing of the seasons into the colder months.

4. Best Lipstick? I'm much more of a lipbalm girl but I do like the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lipstain. It's more of a matte finish which I like in the autumn but I still keep my usual pinky colours going.

5. Go to moisturiser? I stick to my old faithful No7 Advanced Hydration. I can be prone to dry skin and this works a treat when it gets cold and my skin needs a moisture boost.

6. Go to colour for the eyes? I'm never that daring with my eye colour but I will use the darker end of my neutral palattes and find myself using my Rimmel Soft Kohl eyeliner more often.

7. Favourite band / music to listen to? I think I lean more towards mellow music in autumn, Smashing Pumpkins, Incubus, Bon Iver and Ani Di Franco are favourites at the moment.

8. Favourite outfit to wear (i.e Boots & a scarf combo)? Not sure this year as I'm pregnant and don't have many winter maternity clothes. Usually I love to wear skirts, tights and comfy boots. I can still fit into my winter boots so they will have to do this year and I love a big knitted scarf and bobble hat.

9. Autumn Treat? Pumpkin Pie. My husband got me into Pumpkin Pie when he first went to Canada and tried some. I make one that is more like a pumpkin flavoured egg custard but it's so good and I can only ever make it when the pumpkins hit the shops. If anyone knows where you can get canned pumpkin in the UK let me know!

10. Favourite place to be? Home - is that a cop out?! I love nothing more than staying in on rainy autumn days. Me and Lucas can stay in our pyjamas and watch Disney films with hot chocolate and snacks; so cosy. Plus I can see the trees from our local park out of our patio doors so I still have a lovely autumn view.








Monday 9 September 2013

Twin Pregnancy Diary - 21 Weeks


Last Wednesday I finally got my consultants appointment; he said I should have seen him sooner which I had thought myself but didn't like to kick up a fuss. Luckily everything has gone smoothly up to this point and I feel so much better now I've met with him. Our twins are still showing as MCMA which means we have to squash in another growth scan so I have 3 more over the next month then they should go to every four weeks all being well. I'll be seeing him much more regularly from now on as well. He told me I can have a caesarean if I choose to and I'm feeling like that would be my preference. I won't be allowed to go past 36/37 weeks but there is a high probability that they will arrive earlier than that so any early labour signs I have to get checked out. There is also a good chance I'll be put on steroids later in the pregnancy to boost the babies in case they arrive early. So far so good so I'm hoping we carry on like this.

Our last scan checked the anatomy and everything is looking good. One of them is starting to get a tiny bit bigger but they are still the same size as a singleton baby would be at this stage...another reason the caesarean seems like a good idea! From now on they are keeping any eye out for Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. As both my babies share a placenta there is a chance that blood will be transferred from one twin to another leaving the other twin anaemic and smaller. Fortunately we live relatively close to a great Women's Hospital so I can be referred to a specialist if need be. They'll be sick of me in the ultrasound department by the end of this month! 

I've felt a lot of activity from the babies this week, still not keeping me awake but I am getting some sharp digs now. It can make me feel queasy maybe if they are somersaulting around. Each time they have scanned since 16 weeks one baby is head down and one is breech and on our last scan we could see plenty of jabs from both babies.

Not much has changed for me this week. I do crash sometimes and need to take myself off for an early night. I'm feeling much more reassured knowing that I'll be seeing our consultant regularly and being monitored. I'm just trying to enjoy this stage while I still feel good, I'm not too big and I can get ready for our boys.



Tuesday 3 September 2013

The Summer Of 2013

Early this year, in the depths of our snowy winter, I was dreaming of the summer months. We are very lucky to be able to have my teacher husband at home over the holidays and when I can drag him away from his work I had planned all sorts of fun days out. In between then and now however, we found out we were expecting twins and not only has it meant we have had to be a little more careful with our money but it has given us a kick up the bum to get the house and garden in order. Poor Lucas had his outdoor fun confined to the garden while we built and painted a shed and he has patiently played while we decorated a new room for him. Maybe we haven't quite made the most of the summer like I had hoped but towards the end of the holidays we managed a few trips out to squeeze in some outdoor fun in the sun! This is a little photo round up of our summer but if I'm honest, I'm an Autumn girl anyway and I'm looking forward to getting those knitted scarves and wellingtons out and going up the the park on the deserted mornings where we can jump in the puddles and collect leaves. 


Paddling with Nanny / Park fun with Auntie / Digging /Gardening / Tree Climbing / Garden Dining / Ice Cream Eating /Family  BBQ / Rook Pooling

Beach Picnic / Down the Bear Pit / Playing Fetch / Chester Zoo / Outdoor Games / Long Walks / Tired Legs / Ice Cream Stop / Picnic in the Woods

Country Kids from Coombe Mill Family Farm Holidays Cornwall

Monday 2 September 2013

Twin Pregnancy Diary - 20 Weeks


Halfway point! Hard to believe that in a few months our babies could be here. This pregnancy feels like it is progressing so much faster than last time as we really haven't had as much time to think about it. Finding out we are having twins has meant a shuffle of bedrooms and we've been busy making sure Lucas is well settled in his new room, clearing out clutter to make way for two babies and sorting through baby things so we know just what we need. 

Yet another scan this week which is always something to look forward to but I am much more anxious to meet with the consultant. There is still so much I don't know; so many people have asked if I will be having a c-section and I really want to find out the chances of this and if I can elect to have one. I'm not too sure either way if I'm honest but my labour with Lucas was long; I had slow early labour and was in hospital for over 36 hours before he arrived. I'm worried if the same happens this time there could be more complications with two babies. Of course there are chances of complications with twin births especially as our twins still appear to be MCMA (in the same sac and sharing a placenta) part of me just wants to security of knowing they will arrive quickly and at a time when they can be delivered safely. On the other hand I'm a little nervous of a c-section because of the extra recovery time; I just really hope my questions are answered on Wednesday and I have some more information.

The babies should be about the size of a banana and all the senses are now starting to develop. The boys should be able to hear things and will be able to feel when they touch something. We'll have more checks done of their anatomy at the scan but they checked some at the 18 week scan and all looked like it was developing well apart from them being a little squashed in there!

I'm still feeling quite energetic so I'm trying to make the most of this while I can and getting jobs done in the house and garden. I have discovered that if I walk too far it takes it's toll which I don't remember this early on in my first pregnancy. I'm trying to keep up with light exercise though and I'm hoping to get down to the swimming pool to help out those aches. The babies had been quiet for a few days but I can feel wriggles again now. I know it gives all mums-to-be reassurance when they can feel the movements, especially in these early days before it gets too vigorous!




 

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