Hello ladies!

This is my first pregnant and I am currently 11wks pregnant with twins. I am guessing I'm being extremely paranoid (especially because it took 'reproductive assistance' to concieve these babies) but I would love to hear from other women that have gone through this.

My first question is did you see a Peri and would you recommend it? If you did see one, is there any in the Lakeland/Bartow area you could recommend? Unfortunately the only one covered by my insurance is in Tampa and I'm not thrilled about driving there.

The second question I have is how often did you have ultrasounds done during your pregnancy? I had my first OB appointment at 7w5d and had an ultrasound that discovered twins. My next appointment is the 23rd, and I called to see if there was going to be an u/s since my husband would like to be there. The nurse told me there wouldn't be one unless they were unable to detect heartbeats. I was really HOPING for one, and feel a little dissapointed there isn't going to be. Is it normal not to have another u/s with twins until the 20 week appointment?

My third question is has anyone had a NT Scan at Watson Clinic? I called and asked my nurse if I should schedule one now or wait until my next appointment and she didn't have a clue what it was. How can an OB's office NOT know what it is?

My fourth and possibly final question! How far in advance should I schedule birthing classes/breastfeeding classes? I'm assuming I will deliver early, and would hate to miss the classes because I've already had the babies or am on bedrest. Also, do the classes at LRMC fill up quickly? Should I take that into consideration also?

Ok, I think that is it for now! If you have read the entire post I sincerely appreciate it!

i don't have experiance with a twins pregnancy but i do know that they schedule as few ultra sounds as possible for any birth, unless it's really high risk. and the other thing is i would ask your ob about the classes. i seen 2 diffrent ob's while i was pregant because i moved and both didn't want me to take birthing classes. every ob has there own style and some don't want you to freak out after taking the classes. they told me every pregancy is diffrent. i hope this helps a little. good luck and stay calm!!!

I am the mother of identical twin 8 year old daughers. Dr. Eva Salamon at Bond Clinic was my OB. They did just one ultrasound at the beginning of the pregnancy and then the last two months I had quite a few ultrasounds to verify everything was going well with the babies. I think the thought process was since it was a multiple birth it did carry enough risk to consider it a high risk birth.

I did not have a NT Scan so I am afraid I don't have any information on it for you.

As far as the classes, I delivered at the Regency Hospital in Winter Haven and they offer birthing classes there. They were very helpful to me in the time frame needed to schedule the classes. I would think the most hospitals would offer the same thing.

I did not deliver early with my girls. In fact the doctor finally induced my labor when I was 39 weeks pregnant because I was uncomfortable. If I would pass along any twin birth wisdom it would be that it is not as scary as some less than well meaning people would like you to believe. If I had a dollar for every time some one shared with me some scary twin pregnancy/birth story that happened to someone they knew my girls college education would be paid for. Twin pregnancy was an amazing experience and life with my two sweethearts is the greatest! If you have any questions I would be glad to try my best to answer them for you. You will probably hear a million times how much your life is going to change with twins in your life and it is true. But I promise you it is the greatest thing ever!!!!!!!

I CANNOT HELP WITH THE TWIN PREGNANCY, BUT I HAVE BEEN PREGNANT TWICE. THE FIRST TIME I HAD TWO ULTRSOUNDS. IN THE BEGINNING AND TOWARDS THE END(I BELIEVE 28 WEEKS SOUNDS RIGHT) THE FIRST TIME MY OB WAS LAKELAND OBGYN, GREAT PEOPLE, STILL LOVE EM. I ALSO TOOK BIRTH CLASSES AT LAKELAND REGIONAL AND YES IT DOES FILL UP FAST. 2ND TIME, I HAD LAKELAND OBGYN AGAIN, I CAN RECOMMEND DR CARAVELLO, VERY GOOD BEDSIDE MANNER. SAME THING AGAIN FOR ULTRSOUND, 2 TIMES, BEGINNING AND END, DID NOT DO THE CLASSES AGAIN, ALTHOUGH MY BIRTHS WERE 10 YEARS APART. THIS IS SOMETHING YOU DON'T FORGET.

I WOULD SUGGEST IF THIS IS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY, DO THE CLASSES, JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA OF WHAT TO EXPECT.

ANY QUESTIONS JUST DROP ME A LINE.

Get your breastfeeding help prior. You will understand more about the supply and demand process that takes place when breastfeeding. Two babies are going to really take patience if you want to breastfeed. I felt like I was nursing constantly in the beginning to get my supply going, and I only had one. I hear so many women saying that they did not make enough milk for their baby, if that was true in all those cases the human race would not have survived all these years. You will feel more comfortable at the hospital if you know the lactation consultants beforehand. Also contact the La Leche League so you have some support after you leave the hospital if you need it. Also if you are definitly going to breastfeed tell them not to introduce a bottle to your baby at all, this can cause nipple confusion which can sabotage your efforts. If some other form of feeding is absolutley neccesary the staff should feed baby with a dropper or spoon until they are able to nurse. Sorry if I sound crazy but I had a rough start and went on to have a great experience breastfeeding my daughter and I wish I new all these things from the start. I have seen so many girls that wanted to breastfeed and didn't get the right support and information from the medical community. Sometimes hospitals, ob's and pediatricians just want to do whats easiest instead of really working with the moms on what is the most natural thing in the world to do. Getting your supply going can be rough but I promise once you get the hang of it you will think bottles and formula are inconvenient. I never took birthing classes but the epidural class is a must. Even if you plan on going natural you never know when the need for a c-section can arise and you will want to know what your in for.
As for the ultrasound,9 weeks to verify pregnancy and twenty weeks to find gender (if you want to know) and assure proper growth are the norm. Of course if you are measuring incorrectly or the doctor notices any problems you may need more. I heard somewhere the effects of having too many ultrasounds can be dangerous for the baby. I don't know if its true but they only do them when medically neccessary. Best of luck and congratulations.

What OBGYN are you going to? When I was working at the ob's office they would usually only do an early ultrasound to see if everything is okay and also to find out if its twins if there is a concern. Most insurance companies will only pay for one ultrasound unless its considered medically necessary. For the patients with twins- they would usually get one early, then one at 20 weeks and then would start weekly BPP's and twice weekly NST'S at 32 weeks until the babies are delivered. Sometimes earlier depending on your health.
I would make sure to take these questions with you to your next visit and ask them all. No matter how rushed the doctor might be don't leave until you have gotten the answers you need. If you are delivering at LRMC that epidural class is a must if you are planning on getting it! But it is still a good idea to take it just incase- you never know what is going to happen. The class is like 30 minutes and you watch a video that shows how they do it. The classes do fill up so if you plan on taking it- I would try to have it done before your 30 weeks.

Hi, I gave birth to twins and went all the way to my due date. I was considered high risk because of my age (32 at the time) and the fact that I had an IUD. I delivered at heart of florida and the only thing I didn't care for was the fact that they didn't have a NICU. The best advice I can give you is STAY CALM & TAKE IT EASY!!! I had another child and I was constantly on the go with him, it took a great toll out on me and I eventually ended up with an umbilical hernia. This is a very hard thing to deal with when you have newborn twins. make sure you take every chance you can to sit down and put your feet up. I kept feeling like a walking incubator and would try to do things for myself. It's not worth it, your having twins enjoy the attention. As far as breastfeeding and prenatal classes, go as early as you can. I could not get behind a wheel after my 5th month. Also stick to your guns with breastfeeding. My twins were given formula supplement in the hospital, they preferred the bottle because it was easier to get, and my milk never came in proper because of it. Depending on your Dr. and your status, you will probably get normal scheduled sonograms in the begining but after the fourth month I had a stress test and sonogram every other week and last four weeks every week. as far as NT's I think evey mom gets it during first or second ultrasound. I know they do it relatively early , but I had it done with my singleton and my twins. And my last bit of advice is relax as much as you can after they're born. I know having twins can be a daunting task but if you're going to breastfeed you need to be stress free as much as possible. Find as many friends and family members as you can to pitch in, most will be thrilled to be asked to help. Hope this answers your questions.

You ladies are wonderful! Thank you so much for all of your advice and input. My next appointment is wednesday and I have a list of everything I intend on asking the doctor about.

I am seeing Dr. Garas at Watson Clinic and I absolutley love him. I really dread the thought of not having him as my OB through this pregnancy. You ladies have reassured me that he is following normal practice though and I'm just a paraniod first-time to be mom.

JM - Scary twin pregnancy stories... I swear these people have no manners! I've heard story upon story of vanishing twins, and miscarriages, and imcompetent doctors... and I wonder why I'm paranoid

I have one more question for the twin moms... have you joined the Moms of Multiples club in Lakeland? I am looking at going to the June meeting (I won't be in town for the May meeting) and was wondering if any one has been or is currently a part of it.

Thank you again! You all have really helped me!

Ashley, congratulations on your upcoming twins! How exciting! I am glad you started this thread, it will for sure become a reference in future of other moms pregnant with multiples. Keep us updated, I think us moms of just one are kind of in awe of this experience. And just think, if you keep us updated you will then be the giver of wisdom in the twin department. Thank you for sharing your news here.

Ashley, I did get involved with the Lakeland Moms of Multiples not long after the girls were born. Unfortunately, I just got so busy with caring for the girls and their brother (who is just a year older than they are) that I didn't stick with it. I think you will really enjoy it and if anything it will be nice to have all of those other moms who are going through the same things you are to bounce ideas around with.

Hello Ashley and congrats on your twins. I have had the pleasure of being pregnant twice and I used to teach lamaze. I hear that Dr. G is an awesome doc. Feel free to ask him all the questions you want. A good idea is, as you have questions....write them down in a notebook. That way, at each visit, you have your book of question right there in front of you. Ultrasounds are done as often as they are needed. If you have a high risk pregnancy, then they are done more often. With twins, they would like you to make it to 36 weeks. You may have to be put on bed rest later. It will all depend on your condition at that time. You can take lamaze classes as soon as you would like. I would rec taking them in your 5th or 6th month. As you get farther along, you may not want to get out as much. Breastfeeding classes are great. You need to get a good pump, a medulla is one of the best out there. You can rent them, but if you are planning on trying to have more babies later, then I would say buy one. The hospital can help you out with getting one, or you can go to a medical supply company. There is one off of 98s that sells them. Keep in mind, you can't use the pump until your milk comes in good. Usually 3-4 weeks after birth. That way the babies can get used to latching on. And it is much more natural to feed a baby than a pump! I used formula for both my girls. I wasn't able to breastfeed due to my medications. Keep in mind that each pregnancy is different, you may experience things that other moms don't. Enjoy being pregnant and try not to stress to much. One of my bf's in pregnant now and she has Dr. G and loves him. He is really caring and she needs that! If you have any questions, just ask. I will try to answer them for you.

Hi Ashley! I am a proud mother of identical twin girls that will be 3 in July. My OB/GYN is Dr. Hopper, who has twins himself and is a wonderful doctor. I can't say enough good things about him. You will probably get a referral to see Dr. Barrett at Watson Clinic who is the high risk OB doctor in Lakeland. I had an ultrasound every month of my pregnancy at my regular OB's office and then an additional ultrasound when I saw Dr. Barrett.

I am a member of Lakeland Parents of Multiples and have learned so much from the group and received so much support. I encourage you to come to the meeting in June and meet with everyone.

I look forward to hopefully meeting you in June!

Olivia
(Mommy to Carolyn and Addison)

Thank you again!

I had my appointment last week and everything went great. My nurse is fantastic and told me if we don't hear a second heartbeat not to panic. Well she didn't even give me a chance to panic as immediately after we found the first heartbeat she was like "well we won't know if it's the same baby or not let me get you into the ultrasound room" so I got to see my babies again!

I had my book of questions for Dr. G and then forgot them in the car! I did remeber to ask a few of the important questions I had on my list. And feel very reassured that he is the doctor for this pregnancy. I asked him if he thought I should see a MFM and he said he'd refer me if only for my peace of mind. After the appointment I feel no need to see the MFM right now, and if there is a need later in the pregnancy I know he'll have no problems sending me.

I am having a little NT Scan drama right now as it doesn't look like I'm going to get my appointment within the time frame needed, but I'm not stressing over it.

We also found out that we will be finding out the sexes on June 16! I am so excited!

Olivia, if nothing changes I will definitely be at the June meeting and look forward to meeting you, and other multiples moms! Are you still meeting at the same place listed on the MoM website?

Again, thank you every one for taking the time to answer my questions. After seeing the babies last week I am not quite a paranoid since I am almost out of the first trimester I know we've made it to our first milestone!

Hi Ashley!

I'm so glad that your appointment went well and you were able to see your babies again! That was always the most exciting part of my visit each month. I always needed reassurance that they were both ok.

Our meeting place for LPOM is at Faith Lutheran Church on Easton Drive. I look forward to meeting you then! Also, if you go to the website at http://www.lakelandpom.com/ and fill out the contact information we can get a membership packet in the mail to you. Please feel free to email me with any questions.

Olivia