About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Having Twins is Hard

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Having Twins is Hard Feb 11th 2013, 09:03 When I first heard I was having twins, I laughed. I laughed not from fear or feeling out of control. I laughed because my family had just outgrown our mini-van - the very thing I used to convince my husband we should have one more baby, one lonely seat in the mini-van.  Now, not only was that seat gone, but we'd actually need another seat.  The good news is that, laughter was the exact same reaction he had. My twins just turned ten years old. They came into our lives as babies number five and six. We were experienced parents. We knew what we were doing.  And yet, despite all of that, despite the fact that they were full term, high birth weights, and every other perfect thing a twin mom could want - it was so hard. It was so hard, I can barely remember their first year of life. It's all pretty fuzzy. I remember so bits of it, or perhaps the bits I remember are only because they involve survival or something I've seen in a photo. Did you know that on Tuesday and Thursday nights when my husband took a class, I'd put all the kids in the mini-van, I'd put on a video and drive through Taco Bell. We'd sit in the car, often in the drive way, watching a movie and eating dinner - just so no one could move around. It's true, I fully admit it. Now when someone tells me they are having twins, my gut reaction is to tell them all of the scary stuff for the first year. The lack of memories. The memories of barely coping or of coping in ways that aren't my idea of stellar parenting. (I should say weren't as we all made it through alive and the kids honestly loved Taco Bell movie night.) What keeps me from doing that is the fact that I truly feel that in some ways my ignorance was bliss. Though, had I know, perhaps I would have planned better. Which is it?  I'm still not sure. What I know right now is that I am so blessed to have had twins. My daughters have taught me so much. They are a joy to watch. It's been an amazing journey from trying to learn about twin pregnancy, working out all of the details of the healthiest birth for them, working hard to get to term, managing those newborn days, figuring out if they were identical or fraternal (identical for me) and so many more milestones. So when someone says they're having twins, I try to smile and tell them: it's a wild ride, hang on for dear life take a lot of photos (pregnancy and babies) accept any and all help it will all be okay What's your advice for a mom-to-be of twins or more? Twin Pregnancy Announcements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © April's Grape Vine Photography   Having Twins is Hard originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, February 11th, 2013 at 09:03:01. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Have an Open Mind in Pregnancy

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Have an Open Mind in Pregnancy Feb 10th 2013, 17:02 I saw a quote on Facebook today that said something like the highest form of ignorance is dismissing something you'd never tried before, paraphrasing Dr. Wayne Dyer here. That really resonated with me about when it came to childbirth. I hear so many moms, in classes, in consultations, even just in every day conversation, saying how they won't give whatever idea the time of day. The truth is they know next to nothing about it or they heard something about it from a source that is knowledgeable or isn't unbiased. Certainly the easiest thing to talk about would be the thought of using or not using epidural anesthesia for labor. I've often said that if you're six weeks pregnant and you have never thought about any other way to give birth that with or without an epidural - you have research to do. This means going to classes, talking to other moms on both sides of the aisle and getting some basic info.  (I personally also recommend that all moms go into labor with an open mind, stating that labor might be easier or harder than you expected.) This concept works for so many things: Squatting to give birth Wearing your baby Using a doula Various parenting methods What else would you add to this list of things parents should have an open mind about? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © Fotolia Have an Open Mind in Pregnancy originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, February 10th, 2013 at 17:02:38. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Easy Intervention to Lower Infection After Cesarean

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Easy Intervention to Lower Infection After Cesarean Feb 8th 2013, 15:46 A new review shows that a simple vaginal wash just prior to cesarean birth, with something called povidone-iodine, can reduce postcesarean endometritis. This is a type of infection that happens after a cesarean birth. (There was no effect on the wound/incision or the rates of fever in mom.) The benefits were greater if the mom's water had broken prior to the cesarean. This might seem like no big deal, but infection in the postpartum period can lead to further problems in future pregnancies.As we work towards make cesarean birth safer, this can be one of the many things that you can do to increase that safety. What did you have in your cesarean birth plan to help plan for safety? Source: Vaginal preparation with antiseptic solution before cesarean section for preventing postoperative infections. Haas, DM, Morgan, S, Contreras, K. 31 JAN 2013, DOI: 10.1002/14651858.CD007892.pub3 Photo © H. Snow Easy Intervention to Lower Infection After Cesarean originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Friday, February 8th, 2013 at 15:46:59. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Prince William and Kate: Due Date Announced

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Prince William and Kate: Due Date Announced Feb 6th 2013, 00:00 Since Buckingham Palace confirmed that Kate Middleton was expecting her first baby, everyone has been scurrying to find out when the baby was due. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are both 30 and this will be the first child for both. Their royal baby is due in July of this year. Kate was hospitalized briefly in December for hyperemesis gravidarium, excessive nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. She is now said to be doing better. Prince William is the grandson of Queen Elizabeth and is third in line for the throne. The couple has been the source of pregnancy rumors ever since their wedding in 2011. Now let's just hope she took my advice and told everyone that her due date was later than it actually was to avoid all the end of pregnancy drama so many women face. Have you had trouble with people stalking you at the end of your royal pregnancy? Related: Celebrity Pregnancy Quiz Celebrity Baby Names How to Have a Boy Readers Share: How I Got Pregnant With A Boy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © WPA Pool/Getty Images Prince William and Kate: Due Date Announced originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Wednesday, February 6th, 2013 at 00:00:07. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Look Forward to Your Period (A Little Bit)

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Look Forward to Your Period (A Little Bit) Feb 4th 2013, 08:30 Look, we all have to have periods. In fact, they are helpful to those trying to conceive. That said, they aren't any fun. First of all, it means you're not pregnant and that just sucks. But then there are all the nasty symptoms that can accompany your menstrual cycle, like bloating, cramping, mood swings, etc.  And well, the bleeding. Before this blog post gets to be a bit too depressing, I wanted to share with you something I'd never heard of before until recently: subscription boxes for your period. There are companies out there who cater to women and their monthly cycles. I've reviewed: Juniper Le Parcel My Cotton Bunny 28 Day Hug Each has a slightly different take on the business, but the basics are: they send you the protection that you need in the form of your chosen methods of feminine hygiene and some treats to make it tolerable. So, if you have to have a period, and when you're extra disappointed that it showed up (a.k.a You're not pregnant this month, BFN!), these might be a bit of sunshine. Have you tried any of these before?  Do you know of any that I missed in my reviews? Related: 5 Reasons to Track Your Menstrual Cycle Don't Ignore Your Biological Clock How do you track your menstrual cycle? Menstrual Cycle Basics Ways to Track Your Menstrual Cycle Apps for Tracking Your Menstrual Cycle Master Charts for Fertility Tracking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Join the conversation! NEWSLETTER | PINTEREST | TWITTER FACEBOOK | GOOGLE+ | CONNECT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Photo © REW Look Forward to Your Period (A Little Bit) originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Monday, February 4th, 2013 at 08:30:34. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Study Shows Bleeding Not Connected to Cervical Shortening in Preterm Birth

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Study Shows Bleeding Not Connected to Cervical Shortening in Preterm Birth Feb 3rd 2013, 10:32 If you have bleeding in mid-pregnancy, preterm labor must be one of the things that you are concerned about. However, a new study says that while you're still at risk of preterm labor, one tool they can use, measuring the length of your cervix, will not be beneficial. "Pregnancies with vaginal bleeding are at risk for preterm birth but do not appear to undergo progressive cervical shortening. This suggests that women with vaginal bleeding undergo a different mechanism leading to preterm birth." Unfortunately, we're not sure what that means. As for cervical shortening, if you have cervical shortening, you're at a 20% increased risk of preterm birth "for each additional millimeter per week increase in cervical slope. " Your doctor or midwife will talk to you about what this means and how best to treat it. Source: Behrendt, N, Gibbs, RS, Lynch, A, Hart, J, West, N, & Iams, JD. (2013). Rate of Change in Cervical Length in Women With Vaginal Bleeding During Pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology, 121(2), 260-264. doi: 10.1097/AOG.0b013e31827d8e1b Study Shows Bleeding Not Connected to Cervical Shortening in Preterm Birth originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Sunday, February 3rd, 2013 at 10:32:17. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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About Pregnancy & Childbirth: Are Dogs the New Doula in the Delivery Room?

About Pregnancy & Childbirth Pregnancy & Childbirth

Are Dogs the New Doula in the Delivery Room? Feb 2nd 2013, 09:15 There has been quite a stir about a mom in England who requested, and was allowed, to bring her certified therapy dog with her to her birth. There are reports that the staff at the hospital were "appalled." I have to raise an eyebrow at that - I mean, I'm not really concerned with how they felt about it. If the hospital cleared it, it's all good. Remove the word dog and fill in birth ball or rice sock. How does that feel now? I'm not advocating that everyone bring a dog in, but if the hospital yes to her request and she wanted it - why are we being so judgey?  I don't think dogs are the new doula. Would you bring your dog? If you had a home birth and had your pets with you - how was that? Related: Preparing Your Pet for Baby Readers Share: Pet Preparation Tips Toxoplasmosis and Pregnancy What are your pet preparation tips?   Photo © Fotolia Are Dogs the New Doula in the Delivery Room? originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy & Childbirth on Saturday, February 2nd, 2013 at 09:15:23. Permalink | Comment | Email this

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