Since we announced our pregnancy (see this post for more details!) I’ve been getting all kinds of questions about twins. Trust me, I get it. Twins are fascinating! When I tell anyone that we’re having twins, they look extremely shocked (of course) and then they start to rattle off their questions. I’ve been getting the same handful of questions over the last few weeks, so I thought I answer some ‘Twin FAQs’ here on the blog.
How Is This Pregnancy Different From Your First Pregnancy?
Literally could not be more different! I’m only 15 weeks in, so I can really only speak to the first trimester, but so far, WILDLY different. My first trimester with Rosie was relatively easy? I was nauseous and tired weeks 8 to 12, but other than that it was smooth sailing. This twin pregnancy? Well, I first got sick at 4 weeks, and I am still sick at 15 weeks. My doctor said to anticipate feeling better sometime between weeks 16 and 18. I am counting down the days! Also, the fatigue this time around is REAL. I am so tired all the time, and chasing after a two year old obviously makes me even more tired! I’ll plan to do a first trimester recap soon with more details!
Were You Surprised To Learn You Were Having Twins?
Yes and no! I don’t think anyone ever expects to have twins. Hopes? maybe! But I think everyone is extremely surprised when they learn they are having twins. That being said, we did do fertility treatments (I will go into that more below) and so there is an increased chance of having multiples when you do fertility treatments. That increased chance, combined with the fact that I was sick so early (4 weeks), we really thought we could be having twins. In fact, when we told our parents we were pregnant (at 4 weeks along), we told them that we were nervously awaiting that 8 week ultrasound because we were thinking that it *could* be twins.
Did You Do Fertility Treatments And What Kind?
You bet! We got pregnant with our twins through IUI. It was our third IUI, and we used both Clomid and Ovidrel during that cycle. Thanks to modern medicine for making our dreams come true! I plan to discuss more of our fertility journey later. I wrote a whole post here on our experience trying to get pregnant with Rosie.
Do Twins Run In Either Of Your Families?
As I mentioned above, our twin blessings are largely due to fertility treatments, so whether we have twins in our families or not is not really at play. That being said, although there are no twins in my family, there are a few sets in Tony’s family. He has twin cousins (fraternal) and his grandpa was an identical twin. So Tony does have a few sets of twins. It is kind of interesting to think about!
Are The Twins Fraternal Or Identical?
They are fraternal! They are what is called “Di/Di” twins which means that they each have their own sac and they each have their own placenta. My doctor likes to say that they have their own house and their own plumbing. This is the least risky kind of twins.
Are You Going To Find Out the Sex of the Babies?
We are not! With Rosie, we did not find out the gender either and it was the most special and magical surprise. We definitely wanted to have that again (and this time x 2!) I have to admit, the fact that they are twins makes me want to find out a *little* bit just because there is so much more planning and baby stuff involved, but I am staying strong!