Babies are the size of: A peapod (two peas in a pod)
Cravings: Apple Juice
Symptoms: Reflux, indigestion, constipation. Food aversions to almost everything!
I’ve been feeling: A bit anxious about how life will change with two newborns (I have a 23 month old son who is my absolute heart and soul and I can’t quite grasp sharing my attention with three children soon).
I’m also scared about the postpartum period, I HATE postpartum, I had PPD and I don’t have my mother in the country to help me but I have my mother in law which is better than nothing I guess?
Can you tell us about your experience being diagnosed with PPD (Post Partum Depression)?
I was told by my Plunket nurse that she suspected PPD. at the time I just felt hopeless and nothing would ever get better for me and I was doing a bad job as a mum. My son had reflux and colic and he slept so badly (still does) I think everything that was out of my control triggered me. I had no control over his behaviour, his sleep, the colic or his medical issues (to a point). I couldn’t sleep and I ate little to nothing at the time.
When I told my doctor that I had all the signs, he didn’t even give me a test to see where I was on the spectrum. I just sat there crying in his office with my 3 month old on my lap, and all he asked was “can you try and ask some friends for help”. This was a horrifying experience with the GP.
PPD is just so swept under the rug and it’s not right. I wish I had kept talking to other doctors, or got counselling looking back on it now. It lasted from birth until he was about 8 months old. I am well and happy again but am weary it may happen again. Now, I have the tools a wonderful counsellor and a much better doctor as well.
I’m starting to think about: How we will be as a family all grown up well beyond the postpartum, baby and toddler years, I am so grateful we will have three children, well beyond anything I could ever wish for.
How did you find out you were having twins? We went to the dating scan at 8 weeks and the ultrasound tech said… “So there’s two in there” and my partner and I just laughed the entire scan. It was surreal and we were just so shocked.
Although I did have a dream a few days prior that I naturally delivered a set of twins and I woke up thinking OMG what a bad dream haha!
I am most looking forward to: Having twins and seeing their bond over the coming years – they are already great womb-mates – lots of kicking and pushing each other already Also looking forward to how your brother Wyatt will be with you as well.
Recently, I’ve been talking to: My cousin who is 9 months pregnant with number 2 in Houston, Texas who I haven’t seen in 17 years
Advice I’ve been given: Ask your mum to move back to NZ – you need all the help you can get haha Mainly I need a great support system as we will soon have 3 under 3!
What is different about this pregnancy so far? The sheer exhaustion and early morning sickness I never had this with my first pregnancy, and I am already looking quite pregnant at 13 weeks.
Being pregnant with a toddler is also no joke!
The best thing about the last week has been: I got to see you two on Monday at your 12 week NT scan – Baby A, you are very wriggly and active, hard to pin down for a decent measurement, just like your big brother who is a little lightning bolt these days. Baby B, you seem super chill and happy to go with the flow of everything.
The things which make me happiest right now: Is seeing my son growing into himself more and more, he has such a sense of humour, Enjoying these moments as a family of three before the chaos comes! I love our weekends as a family of three. I am happy at work too, my own space, enjoying the last few months until I give that up for a wee while.
Will you find out the gender/s of your twins? Yes we will find out the genders however I had a vivid dream that they were a boy and a girl! I will let you know if they are or not!
They are non identical so they are dichorionic diamniotic twins so seperate eggs were fertilised at conception.
The best reaction to my pregnancy right now: Everyone we tell seems to think it’s a joke that we are having twins and also can’t believe that they are due on Christmas Eve! It’s very special, we haven’t had twins in our family since my great grandmother had twin girls (but one of them was stillborn and I didn’t know about her).
If I could say anything to my baby right now it would be: Grow well babies, hang in there and everything will be okay, I love you two so much already. Not too much kicking and punching each other too!
If after reading this you’d be happy to share your own experience of pregnancy, please email me at hello@shesaidyes.co.nz to send you one of these pages (or you can send a photo of your own pregnancy journal pages).