The Twin Experience

2007-01-08T09:55:00.000-08:00

I've listed off to the side different blogs that I found interesting on parenting, twin parenting, and even pregnancy with twins. I found them all entertaining, some funny, and most of them were extremely helpful. Hope you do too!

Twin Freebies

2007-01-07T06:34:00.000-08:00

So everyone wants some free things every once in a while, right? I've gathered some information on freebies for twins listed below, keep in mind that most of these places will require you to send birth certificates of the twins:

http://circles.fertilityfriend.com/P...c.php?t=181489 This website has a a huge amount of information on freebies for twins.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (Huggies)
Multiple Birth Program
Department QMB
P.O. Box 2020
Neenah, WI 54957
www.huggies.com
Twins-coupons for money offTriplets-coupons for money off and for free productsQuads-coupons for money off and for free products

Ringling Bro's Circus
Customer Service-Baby Program
Feld Entertainment
8607 West wood Center Drive
Vienna, VA 22182
www.ringling.com
They send a free ticket for each child

Payless Shoe Store
www.payless.com
Ask the store manager for registration card and receive free pair of baby shoes.

The White House Greetings Office
Room 39
Washington, D.C. 20500
Send the babies names, birthdate, and address. You'll receive free congratulations cards from the president. Great for their baby books.

Nestle Infant Nutrition
P.O. Box AW
Wilkes Barre, PA 18703800-222-0453
www.verybestbaby.com

They send coupons for 5 cans of carnation good start formula
Playtex Products
20 Troy Road
Whittany, NJ 07981800-222-0453
Twins-bottle kit, liners and pacifiersTriplets-2 bottle kits, liners and pacifiers
Quads-3 bottle kits, liners and pacifiers

Drypers Corp
P.O. Box 8830
Vancouver, WA 98666360-693-6688
www.drypers.com

Evenflo Products
Multiple Birth Program
1000 Evenflo Drive
Canton, GA 30114800-356-2229
Twins-starter kit, disposable liners and coupons
Triplets-starter kits, liners, coupons and bibs
Quads-starter kits, liners, coupons and bibs

Gerber
Multiple Birth Program
445 State Street
Fremont, MI 49413
www.gerber.com
800-4-GERBER
Write "twins", "triplets", "Quads" on special offers and get 2x, 3x, or 4x the amount
Twins-feeding information, upc offers, 2x the coupons
Triplets- You get 3x the coupons for free food and feeding spoons.
Quads-You get 4x the coupons for free food, feeding spoons and a selection of clothing

Johnson & Johnson
199 Grandview Road
Skillman, NJ 08558800-526-3967
Twins-gift packetTriplets-gift packet
Quads-gift packet

Mead & Johnson
Public Affairs
2404 Pennsylvania Street
Evansville, IN 47721
800-222-9123
www.enfamil.com
You can receive a one time shipment of complimentary formula; one case for each baby.

Proctor & Gamble Company
Pampers Multiple Birth Program
P.O. Box 599Cincinnati, OH 45201
800-543-0480
Preemie Pampers can be purchased by the case by calling 1-800-543-4932

The First Years
One Kiddie Drive
Avon, MA 02322
800-533-6708
Twins-bibs and rattles for each baby
Triplets-bibs and rattles for each baby
Quads-bibs and rattles for each baby

Beechnut Food Corp
Checker board Square
St. Louis, MO 63164
800-523-6633
www.beech-nut.com
Twins-promotional packet and 2x the coupons
Triplets-promotional packet and 3x the coupons
Quads-promotional packet and 4x the coupons

Block Drug Co
Cornelison Ave
Jersey City, NJ 07302
800-365-6500 x 1308

Bristol-Myers
Multiple Birth Program
2400 W. Lloy Expressway
Evansville, IN 47721
800-422-2902

H.J. Heinz
Consumer Services
P.O. Box 57
Pittsburgh, PA 15230
800-872-2229
Send coupons for baby products

International Playtex
700 Fairfield Ave
P.O. Box 10064
Stamford, CT 06904
Send free bottles and pacifiers

Summer Infant Products
33 Meeting St
Cumberland, RI 02864
Send a box of free stuff-generous

Modial Industries
600 Mondial Parkway
Streetsboro, OH 44241
216-626-4490
Different gifts, some people get diaper genies

Carnation
800 N. Brand Blvd.
Glendale, CA
91203
800-242-5200
Carnation does not have a multiple program, but you can call every week or so and get coupons. They do have an Special Delivery Club for expectant mothers:1-800-547-9400, Carnation sends booklets on pregnancy, nutrition, formula coupons, samples, order forms for upcoming programs and other pamphlets.

Ross Laboratories (Similac)
625 Cleveland Ave.
Columbus, OH 43216
1-800-222-9546
Welcome Addition Club - Call to join the club and receive coupons. Talk to your peditrition for local rep. Will usually give a case of formula per baby.

Scott Paper Co.
Attn: Consumer Relations
Front and Ave. of States
Chester, PA 19013
1-800-TEL-SCOT
Twins-coupons for free Baby Fresh and Wash a-bye Baby
Triplets-coupons for free Baby Fresh and Wash a-bye Baby
Quads-coupons for free Baby Fresh and Wash a-bye Baby

www.earthbest.com
www.triaminic.com
www.searsportrait.com
www.orajel.com

Ten questions I had...

2007-01-05T06:03:00.000-08:00

When I found out I was pregnant with twins I had tons of questions swimming around in my head. I was completely lost, even though I was already a mother of two wonderful girls (who were single births). I had never dreamed I could have twins, because they don't run in either side of our families. So imagine how shocked I was! A twin pregnancy has much more challenges than a single pregnancy does. Below I have listed the top ten questions I had during pregnancy and what I found for answers.
1. Why am I so big?
When you think of twins, you always think of double, and possibly the thought of yourself being extremely huge while pregnant. Did you know that everything will double in size at twice the rate? For example, your muscles will stretch, just like a normal pregnancy, yet at twice the speed. You can go through several weeks of feeling like you have pulled muscles on your sides, abdomen, and pelvic area. To help relieve some of this pain you can get a maternity belt at almost any maternity store. They are designed to provide additional support for your stomach and back. You can also take herbal remedies to relieve some of the pain, but be sure to check with your physician.

2. When do we eat and what is good?
In a normal twin pregnancy you will need to eat 4000 calories a day. That rounds out to about six healthy meals a day. You have to have a very high protein diet, such as eating between 90-120 grams of protein a day. If you don't like to eat meat that much, there are other protein options such as protein bars and shakes. Another item you want to consume more of would be calcium either in the vitamin form or food form (milk, yogurt, etc). You want at least four servings a day of these. Fruits and vegetables are also a main course; you want at least six servings a day of them to get the full nutrients. Lastly make sure you are getting the right amount of unsaturated fats, such as peanut butter or mayonnaise for your body to stay healthy and strong. Keep in mind that the recommended weight gain is 35-45 pounds.

3. Nausea, how do I get rid of it?
I found that most of my nausea was brought on by not drinking enough water (close to two gallons) or not eating enough protein. If you are following all the instructions for eating and drinking healthy from your health care provider and still find yourself nauseated, remember that it is from your rising hormone estrogen levels from the pregnancy. Some suggestions on how to get rid of it are; ginger in capsules, the smell of fresh cut lemons, or eating dry crackers in the morning.

4. Will I always be this tired?
Yes, even before they are born, exhaustion can set in. With having two in your tummy you can begin to feel the pains of not sleeping, and not having energy to do as much as you did in the past. For example, housework can wear you down easily. Make sure you have help in that department. For those of you that work outside the home, make sure your employer understands what you are going through, and fully aware of the frequent breaks you will need. Also if you are feeling overly tired make sure to talk to your health care provider. You may be low on iron or possibly anemic. They will give you iron supplements, which will boost the amount of blood flowing to you and your baby and in turn make you feel like you have a lot more energy.

5. What if I get a cold?
Be very careful, it is not recommended to take any medications while pregnant. Nothing is guaranteed to be safe. I used remedies such as steam inhalation, saline nasal spray, and cough drops. You can also try gargling with salt water for a sore throat. Another suggestion that came in handy for me was calling the nurse line from my health insurance company, they seemed to hand out good advice on anything I could take that was OTC, and what to completely avoid.

6. What will the ultrasound show?
The ultra sound serves many different purposes. One would be to see the positions of the babies. Often times you can catch them waving, sucking their thumbs, kicking each other, and moving around. Other things such as the amount of amniotic fluid, heartbeats, and fetal growth can be measured with an ultrasound. Sometimes a Level II ultrasound is ordered to test any abnormalities in twins. It is a very detailed ultrasound that can take a few hours examining all areas of the babies, placentas, and uterus.

7. Can I expect to be put on bed rest?
Bed rest is most commonly prescribed for women who have complications during pregnancy such as high blood pressure, and preterm labor. If you have a generally healthy pregnancy, then don't expect to be put on any type of bed rest.

8. What are the most common complications during a twin pregnancy?
The most common complications are high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, placenta previa, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. All of these are signs that your doctor or healthcare professional will look for and educate you about if they see they are happening. There is also a wealth of resources for all these conditions on the Internet, and in books.

9. What will happen if I go into preterm labor?
First of all preterm labor for twins is any labor that starts before thirty-five weeks. What you can expect if you go into preterm labor is to be admitted to the hospital labor and delivery ward, monitored and given something to help stop the contractions, if they slow down enough you are released to go home. If not, you may end up staying in the hospital for a while, or depending on your condition, until the babies are born.

10. Where can I find some good resources for having twins?
I found several online support groups just by searching the term "twin pregnancy." There are other WebPages such as ivillage, or parenting.com that have some limited information on twins. One good book I would recommend buying would be The Multiple Pregnancy Sourcebook by Nancy Bowers, R.N., B.S.N.

What type of physician?

2006-12-31T06:34:00.000-08:00

During the early pregnancy stage you will pick out your care provider. This may sound like a simple process, but you actually want to be particular about who you chose and what type of practice they run. If you want to be really prepared walk into the doctors office with a list of questions, as listed below:

How long have you been in practice?
How many twins have you delivered?
Have you had any twins death related to delivery?
Do you normally recommend bed rest at an early date or are you more lenient?
Are you board certified?
What is your cesarean section rate? How many c sections do you do a month?
How busy is your practice? How many deliveries do you do a month?
How long do I have to wait for an appointment?
What testing do you do?
Do you deal with high risk pregnancies?
Who will be delivering me?
Where will I be delivered?
How are the support staff?
What insurance do you accept?

After you have chosen a doctor, you will have different questions. Always remember to write them down so that you can ask at the next visit. Doctors should always be willing to answer any questions.

Reading all the information

2006-12-31T04:34:00.000-08:00

Okay, so now you found out you're having twins... and you're wondering what is going to happen to your body, your family, etc. Basically, you're saying how do I prepare? It's no joke, twins are a lot of work. I would suggest reading all the books you can on having twins, a twin pregnancy, and raising twins. There are also several Yahoo! groups you can join, just search the keyword twins and parents of twins at www.yahoogroups.com. If you are due to have them soon, look for a due date club with twins, they are rare, but very helpful. One good book is the Multiple Pregnancy Sourcebook by Nancy Bowers. In this book she has wrote a wealth of information from the beginning of pregnancy to the very end. Also ask your treating physician for any information he might have on classes for birthing twins, breastfeeding them, etc.

Finding out you are pregnant with twins...

2006-12-30T05:19:00.000-08:00

Most women who become pregnant with twins cannot tell the difference between a singleton pregnancy and a twin pregnancy in the very beginning. For me, after about 2-3 months I could tell a difference in the size and rate I was growing. I knew there was something different about this time than my other two pregnancies. I felt different, I had twice the nausea and it lasted twice as long, too. I thought at first that maybe it was from this being my third pregnancy or me being a little bit older, but I also had that mothers intuition. When my midwife told me I was doubling in size, I knew something was up. Sure enough it was confirmed by ultrasound at 16 weeks that I was having boy/girl twins. What a wonderful feeling that was!

I had no idea what was in my future...