Hello!

I'm VERY new to this site, and this forum! I've been lurking for a little while now, and now that I've become pregnant with twins, I'm REALLY looking for advice from mamas who have been there!

I'm three months pregnant, and I was tested for anemia at my first doctor's visit. I called the nurse to ask the results, and she said I was a little low, but the prenatal was probably just fine. Well, she called back ten minutes later to tell me that the doctor wanted me to take 325 mg of ferrous sulfate, which is like 100 mg of iron, PER DAY! I asked her why, and she couldn't give me a good answer, because even she didn't think I needed that much. I looked it up, and the normal pregnancy level is like 30 mg. I'm taking 60, between a prenatal and some herbal liquid supplement... So is there something I don't know about having twins, or is my doctor just freaking out, figuring to give me twice the recommended dose of iron since I've got two babies?!

So I guess I'm looking for dietary advice... I've had one baby already, and that all went fine, and I don't know if I should be as panicky as all the doctors think I should be because I'm carrying two. I am a little old--36. I'd love any and all advice!


Stacy
Mama to Logan, 10/11/02

I was low in iron too which I never experienced before my twin pregnancy. I didnt feel good about taking the synthetic iron they gave me so I ate foods high in iron instead and it helped me sufficiently. Molasses is a godsend for pregnant mamas! I would put a Tab in a glass of soy milk and drink it - it tasted a lot like a malted milk! AND my leg cramps went away AND I could sleep better after starting this regime. B.S. Molasses is high in iron! You may want to check out what foods are high in iron and give that a try first. Also read up online about iron supplements and your options. I hope this helped.

I forgot all about molasses! Yum! So I don't need to go crazy with the iron, then? As long as my blood looks o.k.? What a relief!


Stacy
Mama to Logan, 10/11/02

For me - no, it wasnt a worry. I just took multivitamins from the health food store and ate healthy - implementing super foods such as B.S. Molasses, spinach drinks, etc and I did fine.

They gave me a perscription for iron because I was low and that is when I started getting relegious with the molasses/etc and they never said anything about my iron being low again after that - they probably assumed I was taking the iron, but I never actually filled the perscription - is was my diet that helped.

Twins are so much fun! Your gunna love it! There is nothing better than seeing 2 pairs of eyes looking up at you while your nursing them! Its awsome!!! Congrat's and have fun!

get religious with your vitamin c intake too. even though i have been iron-d anemic at other times in my life i never was during the twin pregnancy. if you get lots of vitamin c with your iron it really makes it much more useful.

You know, I don't even know how much C is in my vitamin... I do drink juice with my vitamin, and with some liquid supplement stuff I take (yuck). I never thought to have a piece of fruit or bit of juice with every meal--I assume that helps?

I'm alternately excited and thrilled, then panicky and overwhelmed, when I think about having twins! I'm just grateful I'm not a first time mama--at least I have SOME clue already about the nursing and diapers and stuff! My friend just had identical girls this summer, and her house is more than a little crazy, but she's a first timer, and she's living in a dinky apartment near NYC. Yikes!

Thanks for helping, and positive stuff is so good to hear! I think I've already heard every horrific story about twins from just about every person I know--are people just clueless or what?

Stacy
Mama to Logan, 10/11/02

eh--i craved fruit in a severe way during that pregnancy so i never had to think about trying to eat with every meal. i just did, lol! and between meals...and in the middle of the night...i was into some fruit :p.

the twin thing really isn't that bad. it's hard but not impossible. you just put out one fire at a time, kwim?

i didn't take extra iron, but extra folic acid - 2000mcg and i took at least 1000 ml of vit c. I craved fruits that were high in c, potassium and magnesium as well as ate a l,ot of cucumber.

I was taking Quest pre-natals (one per day even though it says 2 because 2 upset my stomach & bowels). I was taking a natural liquid iron (didn't bother my stomach or bowels at all) call Flor-a-vit?-it was yeast free. I always took it with orange juice. I also was drinking one protein drink per day and eating whole & healthy foods. I usually ate a few prunes & almonds each day as well.

My twins were full-term and weighed almost 6lbs and almost 8lbs.( two of my singletons weighed less than the 8lb twin & the singletons). were older gestationally by 3 weeks!!

Also I have a set of Questions to ask your care provider about twin pregnancy, labour & birth as well as a twin specific birth plan & my twin birth story if you are interested (It was an unmedicated vaginal birth with Twin B as a footling breech & we all went home the same day they were born).

We breastfed exclusively till they were around 6 months & showed an interest in solids & they still continued nursing well after that!

Kerri mom to: Amanda(15), Emma(13), Maddison(11), Jonah(9), Saige & Claire
(5, id twin dds), Teagan (2,ds), and J & J (12 mos,frat.
twin foster dds).

Meant to add I only ate poultry once a week(basically vegetarian) and my blood work during labour showed an iron level of that of a non-pregnant woman. The Dr. wanted to know what the heck I was doing to have such a great iron level. In the end it is a good thing I did have it as I hemorraged & they said it would have been a LOT worse if I hadn't had the great levels before their birth.

Kerri mom to: Amanda(15), Emma(13), Maddison(11), Jonah(9), Saige & Claire
(5, id twin dds), Teagan (2,ds), and J & J (12 mos,frat.
twin foster dds).

they wanted me taking all that extra iron because I was anemic going into the pregnancy. Due to doing elimanation diets and stuff trying to figure out Maddy's allergies and NOT taking supplements like I should have been. Anyway - I couldn't keep anything with iron down ever. If I could have taken the iron - I would have - well I did but it always came right back up. ;)

I was anemic going into the birth (emergency c-section 2 months early) and then hemmoraged afterwards. Refused transfusion and it took me a year to get to the bottom end of normal.

they wanted me taking all that extra iron because I was anemic going into the pregnancy. Due to doing elimanation diets and stuff trying to figure out Maddy's allergies and NOT taking supplements like I should have been. Anyway - I couldn't keep anything with iron down ever. If I could have taken the iron - I would have - well I did but it always came right back up. ;)

I was anemic going into the birth (emergency c-section 2 months early) and then hemmoraged afterwards. Refused transfusion and it took me a year to get to the bottom end of normal.

Wow--I guess I really want to get that iron into me! I'm so sorry for your experience, Mama2! Kerrilynn, I am DEFINITELY interested in your list of questions to ask about twin labor and delivery... I've been collecting them! My office has 5 doctors, so I figure if I keep asking all of them LOTS of questions, I'll get a pretty good idea of what my treatment will be. :)

Right now I'm on prenatals, that Floradix and some molasses, plus I like my red meat, so given your experience, I'm hoping I'll be o.k. I've had a singleton baby, but it's a whole new world at the doctor's office with twins. My goal is full term, vaginal birth for both, so anything that will get me there, I'm willing to do. I don't want medication either, but my doctors want me to have an epidural hooked in, in case of emergency c-section. They did say I don't have to have the epidural hooked up to anything if I want to labor without it... but I'm a bit nervous about it having it in there at all.

All help and advice is GREATLY appreciated!


Stacy
Wife to Ken, 5/30/93
Mama to Logan, 10/11/02
And twins on the way! 6/28/06

http://www.amitymama.com/vb/showthread.php?t=262723

This is a link to my birth story if you are interested. My dr. also wanted me to have an epidural 'just in case'. Well, I was induced and did not get an epidural and I did deliver in the o.r.

If you give me your e-mail addy I can send all the info to you Willow!!

I belong to this e-group & it is AMAZING!!

apmultiples@yahoogroups.com


I found the book "Mothering Multiples" by Karen Kerkhoff Gromada to be amazing (she is a twin mom & LLL Leader & IBCLC & runs the above yahoo group). I actually read the book before I even found the group.

The other book that was helpful regarding the pregnancy was by Dr. Barbara Luke. Expecting Twins, Triplets or More.

I'll send the info as soon as I get your e-mail address :)

Kerri mom to: Amanda(15), Emma(13), Maddison(11), Jonah(9), Saige & Claire
(5, id twin dds), Teagan (2,ds), and J & J (12 mos,frat.
twin foster dds).

I wasn't anemic during my twin pregnancy but felt very tired for much of it. Liquid chlorophyll helped tremendously - I used the mint flavored and just took 1-2 T in a small glass of water.

Aviva Romm's book has info on a good tonic for low iron but I never tried it.

My favorite twin book was Having Twins by Elizabeth Noble. Mine were huge and full term and I birthed them both at home in the water.

Liquid chlorophyll? I hadn't heard of that yet as a supplement. What does it do?

A birth at home with twins!!!!!!!!! :bow: I'm so jealous, and annoyed with myself that I don't have your guts. I had a water birth at home planned for any singleton, but I've been officially overwhelmed by all my newly imposed higher risks. Sigh.


Stacy

You have to do what you & DH are most comfortable with Willow!!

I so wanted my home-birth in the new house we had just built. Then twins meant a no go essentially. I didn't get to have much to do with the decision as our local MWs had made an agreement with the hospital (in order to have & keep hospital priviledges) that they would not "knowingly" attend a home-birth of twins or more or even of a breech birth. A "retireing" mid-wife offered to attend the birth, but I didn't want to get her into trouble either & she probably would have. Also I am 45 minutes from the hospital and the ambulance is either 10 minutes (if they aren't already "out") or 20 minutes away. Back then the Fire Dept (7 minutes away) didn't have recesitation (sp?) equipment as they ambulance would follow if necessary & our Department is all local volunteers (the village is only 200 people!!)However they have really taken the initiative & now have all the equipment, including a defribulator, as well as additional training.

I also knew the added risks and just wasn't sure about it all. The birth was fine & could have ended up being attended by the mid-wives. However, I did hemorrage VERY badly & would have HAD to transfer care to the hospital. I received 2 shot of pitocin and 3 bags of saline & it did NOTHING. Then I got ergomotrine (sp) which the mw's didn't give back then. I still was hemorraging (my placenta was HUGE!! ) So that many more blood vessels to clot & stop bleeding. They ended up having to manually remove the blood clots in my uterus...not a pleasant experience to say the least. Finally the bleeding slowed down. There was talk of a transfusion. I told them I would ONLY take DH's blood (he is 0 + and I am A +). This was discussed with all involved earlier. They wanted to wait for my blood test results first. Before they did the manual removing of the clots they reminded me that if the bleeding didn't stop, then they might have to do emergency surgery & remove my uterus. Then he asked me if I wanted that or not. DUH!!! NOT!!! He had told me this possiblity during the pregnancy and told me if it was a fine line he could go ahead and remove it anyways & then we wouldn't have to worry about birth control anymore. That is another story. I told him I wanted them to do EVERYTHING else first before having to remove my uterus. My blood work came back excellent (as I mentioned before) so I didn't end up needing the transfusion. He honestly thought I would need it. I did have the mid-wives as my labour support and it was actually a pretty good birth considering I was in the hospital. I was only there a couple of hours before the babies were born anyways. I went in & was 8cm as I recall. Anyways you'll read the rest in my birth story!!

Oh my DH was dead set against having the twins at home!! Even though our last singleton birth was an uneventful 2 hour birth (from first twinge to baby in arms). We also had our last baby at home too. The OB freaked him out with all the risks...all he heard was blah...blah...dead babies....blah, blah....live babies but dead mom.....blah...blah.....you want to raise 6 kids by yourself.....blah...blay...Needless to say OB pulled some major scare tactics on us. Didn't freak me out, but REALLY freaked out DH!!

I also didn't end up with a single pregnancy complication he told me I would most definitely have!!

I think I was out to prove him wrong....& I DID!!

I also gave birth in the birthing room, didn't have to go to the OR. Had to FIGHT to have the birthing room, but I won that one too. I think being prepared for ALL the factors is important. I knew what I wanted for an ideal birth (& did get that, but could have done without having to fight with the OB about them when we had already discussed them & I even got the OB I had seen through my pregnancy), but I also accepted that I might not get it & if I didn't what other things I wanted to happen. You'll read about those in the birth plan I sent you.

I took Chlorphyll years ago. It was AMAZING stuff!! I had reacted to most vitamins on the market, but had no probs with it at all!!

I also liked Elizabeth Noble's Twin Book.

I need to go eat!!


Kerri mom to: Amanda(15), Emma(13), Maddison(11), Jonah(9), Saige & Claire
(5, id twin dds), Teagan (2,ds), and J & J (12 mos,frat.
twin foster dds).

I think the chlorophyll helps your body hang onto the iron better, or something like that. It isn't more iron, but it made a huge difference for me.

I didn't get a lot of support for birthing the twins at home, and I know it's not for everyone. There is so much that can go wrong. My midwife had a list of criteria I had to meet (positioning, no shared placenta, etc) in order to homebirth. I was very fortunate that I qualified and I halfway expected to risk out at some point. But I had a very healthy pregnancy, and the babies were in perfect position. My midwife was very confident about delivering the twins at home and so that helped me to be confident, too. I certainly don't think I did anything better than anyone else, I was just very blessed to be able to birth at home.

They were born at 39 + weeks and weighed 8 lb 2 oz and 9 lb 2 oz. If I were to get pregnant again with twins, I'd try and talk them into coming around 37 1/2 weeks! ;)

I still envy you though Adria!!! And WOW what great weights!! Were your other babies good weights too?

Even though my pregnancy went well, great blood pressure, perfect weight gain for myself & satisfactory weight gain (as far as OB was concerned) for the babies. I was told they would be 4lbs & 6lbs & I thought that was way too small at 38 weeks, 2 days. But he told me since I was small & small boned that the weights were good for twins (I'm 5ft 4 inches & around 110 lbs, when not pregnant). I couldn't figure out how I'd gained 50lbs if the babies were only 4 & 6!! They ended up being almost 6 & almost 8lbs. Off by 2lbs each.

Twin A was Vertex fairly early on and stayed that way. Twin B was a gymnast. She was breech most of the time, then with some natural methods I got her to turn at 37 weeks. We were both VERY uncomfortable & she went back to breech. The ultra-sound at labour showed her breech to transverse & back & forth, but never vertex again. After Saige was born, Claire pushed one of her feet through the cervix. The OB decided it would be a good teaching moment as a female resident was helping & it is a teaching hospital so he told her to go ahead & deliver her footling breech. He assumed it would be easy with a 6lb baby since I had birthed an 8 & 1/2 lber before. Well the resident wasn't paying attention that Claire was coming sunny-side up so the usual breech position wouldn't be appropriate. Well the resident did it anyways and hyper-extended her neck & the OB freaked at her. I was watching all this happen as I was in a sitting position with the bed "broken down". Then while he was lecturing the resident Claire wasn't breathing & turning blue. Thank goodness the MW was there!! Also I wonder if I would have not hemmoraged or hemmoraged less if the resident hadn't been tugging on the umbilical cords to try to get the placenta out. I told her to leave it alone that in my birth plan I didn't want that. Too late though as she'd already done it & hadn't even asked. There was one placenta with two lobes. Twin A had 25% and Twin B had 75% and there was a "communication" between the two sides of the placenta (the blood vessels inter-mingled and some large ones split off to each side of the placenta, but...there were more going to the bigger side than to the smaller side). They had seperate amniotic sacs, but the OB thought they shared the same chorionic sac. They ended up having TTTS.

Kerri mom to: Amanda(15), Emma(13), Maddison(11), Jonah(9), Saige & Claire
(5, id twin dds), Teagan (2,ds), and J & J (12 mos,frat.
twin foster dds).

You know, I've been uninclined to fight with the OB so far because I feel unsure about the twin pregnancy as well as the delivery process... But when I hear your stories, I'm so inspired, both by all your collective knowledge and experience, AND by the reminders that the OBs are often FAR more ignorant than any one of you! Barring troubles along the way, I'm getting my natural birth, darn it!

Stacy