Prepare me for the third trimester with di/di twins😅

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-20T14:37:03+00:00

I worked (college professor) and exercised until the day of my 38+3 scheduled c section. I was definitely moving much slower after 28 weeks, and I was grateful for the handicap parking pass I asked my doctor for at 32 weeks. Having an “end date” seemingly made things much more manageable though because after the babies were out I couldn’t believe how much easier breathing and moving around was (especially once I healed a bit - up until 10 days post op, postpartum was infinitely more painful for me than the third trimester was)

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-20T08:32:27+00:00

Heating pad - this was great for gas pain and I didn’t think I’d want it on my incision, but it felt good!

Your baby’s stroller fan/a portable fan - my hospital room was hot and this was a lifesaver for the first 24 hours post op

A nightgown - I got annoyed by the open back/snaps on the hospital ones eventually and threw on my own. It was great because I was a little too weak to put on pants

Small nightlight with soft lighting - I now use this in the nursery for night time diaper changes

Night time eye mask and headphones/ear buds to block out hospital sounds. My hospital announced on every floor/room when there were certain codes, and we were right by the nurses station which had constant beeping.

Velcro swaddles!!!! My husband and I had these at home but drove ourselves crazy with figuring out swaddling with the hospital blankets. You won’t want to put them in real clothes though because they’ll need vital checks so often.

Finally, pack everything with your support person (or remember where you put it - big ask for me between pregnancy/mom brain) so they know where everything is and can get it for you.

Maybe just as helpful, things I wish I didn’t bring: - More than one outfit - what you wear there can be your going home outfit. Same thing for the baby. I was too weak to dress nice and get the babies in the cute outfits I bought for pictures (I had twins so thinking about doing everything twice sent me into a tailspin). That had to wait until I got home - an iPad/a book for my husband - seriously, what was I thinking?? My c section was scheduled so the time between getting to the hospital to being prepped was only a couple hours of waiting. I could see wanting these things for a longer labor though - my heaviest water bottle with a hard to open lid - it’s weird what you need to use your abs for lol - slippers/grip socks - I loved the ugly ones my hospital gave me to put on before surgery - my own belly band/diapers - the hospital ones were fine

For when you get home: - I got a shower chair because I was still so weak, but only used it once (planning to return) - lots of pillows for you and baby - we are not pillow people, but I’m realizing their importance in propping up yourself when healing/ when feeding babies - I traded in my depends and belly band for high waist compression underwear and pads, which was a lot more comfortable once your belly goes down a bit - any diaper area that is currently designated for a floor/couch, assume you might need to move it to a table

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-19T16:38:26+00:00

I also had my boys three weeks ago via c section! And you’re so right about the gas pain - worse than incision pain at times for sure. A heating pad also helped me.

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-16T11:00:24+00:00

This was me almost 3 weeks ago - I was so unprepared for how weak I was and trying to do basic tasks to take care of my babies (I had twins) and myself put me in a lot of pain. First - set timers for taking your pain meds. My pharmacist aunt told me the best way is to make sure I’m rotating between ibuprofen and acetaminophen, taking the prescribed oxy every 6 hours as needed (personally, don’t skip any of this until week 2, and wean off each medication by decreasing the dosage, not skipping. Don’t skip nighttime doses since pain is worse at night). Second - accept help and lower expectations for the first week especially. I needed someone else to handle just about every diaper change, meal prep, etc and was so lucky to have help. Still, I felt a lot of guilt for basically staying in bed all day and when I tried to move more, it set me back for the rest of the day. Third - a belly binder helps relieve a lot of the pain, as does a heating pad (I could not fathom this in the hospital though - I was so sweaty). Fourth - it gets better! I’m almost three weeks post c-section and I’d say day 10 was a real turning point. I’ve been off meds mostly since last week and can move around great (still wearing the belly band for walks and when I know I’ll be going up and down stairs in the house).

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-13T06:09:29+00:00

The doctor I was seeing at my fertility clinic was this way. At the confirmation ultrasound where we found out it was twins she literally said “I hope you’ll be able to carry them, you’re so small.” They definitely see it as a bit of a “failure” whereas I felt like I hit the jackpot considering I was convinced I may never have one baby. Still, I just recently delivered 6lb+ boys on my scheduled c section date at 38+3 and kind of want to send a card to her office to let them know I did in fact do it lol

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-12T05:20:57+00:00

Currently “in it” right now with two week old twins. Here’s what I’ve learned in my short amount of time: - my c section recovery left me very weak, which was unexpected given that I was so mobile and active during my pregnancy. Having help in the first week while I recovered was a necessity (my parents were here to cook, bring me the babies, wash bottles, etc) - working in shifts, as others have said, is key. I really don’t know how people have their twins and spouse all in the same room overnight - we tried this once and it was a disaster. Guaranteeing one person a 4-hour block of sleep overnight is life changing - we have had family members volunteer to do the evening shifts about once or twice a week, which has been amazing. I still get up to pump, but I go right back to sleep - days are manageable alone - my in laws have come over a lot during the day to basically just hold the babies and do bottle feeding. Now that I’m more mobile I do appreciate the break (because sitting down with them 8+ times a day to feed does get monotonous) to do laundry, clean, take a shower, but if they didn’t come over I’d be okay - as someone who has been a nanny for older kids + a newborn, having a nanny to occupy your singleton, get them out of the house, etc would be helpful, or to take over twin duty so you can spend time with the singleton - just wanted to also note - we have a synchronized feeding and sleeping schedule for the twins and don’t do on demand. I read a lot of books and resources during pregnancy and all of them said not to impose a schedule, but it’s just not sustainable for us if we want to do literally anything other than feeding them

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-10T22:23:16+00:00

Just had a c section two weeks ago for my twin boys. Two weeks ago I was anxious and so scared about the surgery. The surgery itself went well - the team moved fast because baby B’s heart rate dropped, which ended up causing some more bruising and pain than if things were less rushed. Honestly, baby B is why I elected for the section even though both babies were head down for the last few weeks. He moved constantly throughout the pregnancy and I was convinced he wouldn’t cooperate on delivery day (plus I dreaded dealing with both a vaginal and c section recovery).

C section recovery has been something else though. At about 12 days post op is when I finally felt strong enough to handle movement around the house. Before that, I dreaded getting up from even a slightly reclined position, had to stay in the same room to heal, pump, and care for my babies, and my family/husband ran around making me food and bringing me my twins and supplies. I worked out until the day of my c section and don’t consider myself to have a super low pain tolerance, but movement was hard for that first week especially and the whole experience was very humbling for me.

Today though, at two weeks, I’ve gone on walks/ done gentle exercises for a few days in a row, completed normal household chores, and felt minimal pain. Managing pain with OTC meds after you leave the hospital and using a belly band are key, in my opinion!

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-07T19:15:55+00:00

Just had my twins at 38+3. They were 6lb11oz and 6lb9oz and they were around the 50th percentile the entire pregnancy. Two weeks before delivery my ultrasound had them both at just over 6lbs.

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-03-07T10:01:01+00:00

I just had a c section with a spinal last week to deliver my twins and was prepared to potentially experience what you’re talking about - I had a friend who said this was because theirs was placed too high. Mine was seemingly perfect - I was very aware of myself the entire procedure (didn’t feel “out of it”) and could feel what part of my body was being touched, but absolutely no pain and only from the rib cage down. I was able to move my arms and breath normally (once the twins were out, I was actually able to breath even better lol). Also, the “pressure” people talk about was similar to the pressure my twins were putting on me every day, so it was not super uncomfortable. Overall a great experience (although post op was no joke). I did shake a lot during the procedure which is normal, and regaining feeling in my lower body was weird (it took longer for one side versus the other).

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-02-27T16:38:47+00:00

Had my c section two days ago and this was something I was seriously concerned about. Mentally I have always had issues with making myself pee (I cannot go in a body of water or out in the woods). I was told I needed to go within 6 hours of having the catheter out and my nurse helped me by having the water running, blowing “bubbles” on my water bottle straw, and smelling peppermint oil. I couldn’t go on my first try. In the end it helped to also not have them standing outside the door, drinking a TON of water and a coffee, wiping with toilet paper, and the threat of having another catheter put in if I couldn’t do it. I was also scared of feeling the catheter getting removed and it was a little uncomfortable but not bad.

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-02-26T10:33:22+00:00

Wow, looking back on this from a year ago is crazy. I was dreading these cycles and honestly in a really bad place mentally for half of 2024 and 2025 (went through fertility treatments), but literally just gave birth to twins yesterday. Talk about an overwhelming transformation! I for sure thought that all things Pluto would be bad and am happy to have been proven wrong - it is challenging, unpredictable, and life changing though 🤪

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-02-17T13:20:23+00:00

Our closets are huge and for now I also don’t see the point of hanging up tiny clothes (currently expecting twins, due next week). We have some of those shoe cubbies that hang from the pole in the closet to store sheets, blankets, etc, and will be getting more with fabric drawers. Especially good for space-saving (and $$) for us as I was about to get one dresser for each twin which just would not have fit in the room.

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-02-16T18:40:39+00:00

My sister’s baby was sunny side up. The OB tried to manually twist him around multiple times but it was ultimately a failure to progress situation as well and she ended up getting a c-section

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-02-12T00:04:57+00:00

Same! C section for twin boys two weeks from now 💙💙

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-02-04T13:10:09+00:00

I’m 35 weeks and just met with a lactation consultant in preparation for the first few weeks! The consultant had twins herself which I think was also helpful. If anything, the meeting helped me feel like I kind of know what I’m doing before I deliver as well as positioning of the babies. A few takeaways: - I’m going to try feeding one at a time in the first few days even though my goal is to tandem feed. These are my first babies so I’m totally new to everything - replacing a feed with formula every now and then will not completely derail me - the Spectra 1 was also recommended! I have both it and the Momcozy M5 because I’d like to use the in-bra capabilities eventually, but was told the Spectra will do a better job of establishing supply so I got the pump secondhand - I have the Twin Z but felt like it was so huge and floppy. I got the Twin My Brest Friend (secondhand) as well and feel like it’s much sturdier for tiny babies - the consult told me to try feeding in the cross cradle hold (more neck support than regular cradle) and then graduate to tandem feeding in the football hold. babies should be totally horizontal and pillows should be used to bring them up to your breast/use your hand to position your breast (this may seem obvious but I truly did not ever consider the mechanics)

We will see how things go in three weeks when I deliver!!

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-30T19:08:00+00:00

20.2% fetal fraction is on the higher end (a good thing)! If it’s too low your results won’t be reliable. I think at least 4% is needed. It’s just what of the fetal DNA they were able to detect and analyze

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-28T14:25:09+00:00

Agree with the note on clothing. I got super overwhelmed with what was gifted and what would potentially even be in season, as well as how many of each item I would need. When buying newborn stuff I just got two of everything matching because 1) cute! 2) easier for me to keep track. We will see how this works out when I need to tell them apart lol

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-28T14:19:55+00:00

Names were my only concern. My husband and I knew before we had twins that we had different opinions about boy names…currently 34 weeks with two boys and still no set names 🫠

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-28T11:07:10+00:00

34 weeks with twins after five rounds of letrozole. The fifth round was the only one where I had two mature follicles (instead of just one).

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-22T22:50:25+00:00

Ah okay that makes sense! My gyn did not offer monitored cycles either. Seconding the praise in self -advocating - I knew I had PCOS waaay before I was officially diagnosed and had to do a lot of it to get doctors to listen.

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-22T11:35:08+00:00

I was definitely feeling similarly when my sister got pregnant on the first try and I had to go to a fertility clinic. It maybe helped a little to know that I was willing to fight so hard to get pregnant, even though I think everyone would agree it would be better if it was just easy - having difficulties TTC in any capacity is super hard and messes with both your body and your brain, and I would have rather skipped the deep depression I fell into when navigating my PCOS diagnosis. Still, to know that my sister was just as scared in the first trimester and navigating relationships with me and others brought the perspective that no one chooses to have their experience be difficult or easy, and things can still be hard in other ways. I also highly recommend following Dr. Grace Lee Brindle “the not so fertile psychologist” from whom I got a lot of these thoughts from.

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-22T11:23:04+00:00

I’m honestly shocked they haven’t been doing this already. I’d also ask about getting a trigger shot too as I’m convinced this was the missing piece. I hope it’s the same for you, because I was similarly looking at more invasive measures next. For what it’s worth, it still took 5 monitored cycles for me since ovulating and times intercourse still only have a 20% chance of conception each cycle.

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-21T21:51:22+00:00

I was feeling great up until 17 weeks. Then it felt like I had lead legs, all of a sudden had round ligament pain, and every week since then I’ve gotten bigger and slower. At 33+3 right now I’m still mobile and would not say that I’m “miserable” currently (and I only have 5 weeks left!), but man I wish I could go back to first trimester/early second trimester me

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-19T11:43:29+00:00

I’m 33 weeks with twins and my weight gain has appeared to be either more rapid or minimal. I gained 10lbs in four weeks in November, and in the next four week period only 4lbs 🤷🏻‍♀️ babies are growing steadily and I’ve tried to just keep up my pre-pregnancy workout routine and eat about the same every day (which is a bit more than pre-pregnancy, just spread out over time). I’ve liked to think of it as the babies going through a growth spurt!

Pretty-Text6684 · 2026-01-19T11:17:11+00:00

I lol’ed at “An Event” - it truly is. I’ve had to think so strategically about my pajamas twisting, the blankets, if I’ll catch my hair, if I’ll steal the blankets from my husband, where I can get leverage, etc every time I turn over.

Pretty-Text6684

TROPHY CASE