I’m excited for my first addition of Twin Tuesday! When we found out we were expecting twins, I was searching for resources that would tell me what to expect (without scaring me!) and how to make it through. I didn’t know any other recent twin mamas so I tried to read some books but I found the medical information totally overwhelming. I just wanted to hear the experiences of some real moms who experienced a twin pregnancy and beyond who could offer some encouraging words and advice. I don’t even come close to being an expert on twins but I hope that by sharing my experiences and things I’ve learned, it might help other mamas who are expecting double blessings!
For this first Twin Tuesday, let’s talk about those items that helped me survive my twin pregnancy.
- Bubba 48 oz. water jug – Without a doubt, I credit this jug to helping me make it to 35w5d with my big babies. Being pregnant in the Iowa summer and fall heat the year my twins were born, I was very prone to dehydration contractions. My OB had told me to shoot for drinking at least a gallon of water a day which is 128 ounces in case you were wondering. That would have me waddling over to fill up my regular 12 ounce water cup over 10 times a day! I also was undoubtedly losing track of how much water I had drank and how many times I had filled it up. The Bubba is 48 ounces which I only had to fill 3 or so times a day and easily remembered how many times I had filled it up. I still have this cup and absolutely love it.
2. Motherhood Maternity Secret Fit Belly Poplin Cargo Maternity Pants – I am not one to spend a bunch of money on maternity clothes I would only wear for a few months if I can help it. I got by during my singleton pregnancies with Target and Kohls brand maternity pants/shirts and clothes I borrowed from my girlfriends. During my twin pregnancy, the belly bands on all my other pants and skirts got so tight I felt like I couldn’t breathe and I tried a ton of different brands. I even tried out some other pants at Motherhood but this type were the only ones that were comfortable for me. The pants are cute and the fabric of the pant and the belly band were both insanely comfortable and not restricting. Bonus: they are convertible to capris so if you are pregnant over two seasons like I was you can wear them as capris and as pants!
3. Target Striped V-neck Maternity Shirts– Definitely give any maternity shirts you buy for a twin pregnancy the stretch test! If they aren’t very,very stretchy they won’t last long- trust me! For my twin pregnancy, my belly outgrew all of my normal maternity clothes by about 31 weeks. I bought some shirts that Motherhood Maternity had recommended for twin pregnancy that were more tunic style with a tie around the back. However, towards the end when my belly was so big in front those shirts hung out so far I felt like anyone could see up my shirt from the bottom! I was starting to panic that I would have nothing to wear until I found these. I bought two and wore them every day at the end. Every day. Thank you Target!
4. Palmer’s Cocoa Tummy Butter– Let’s be honest. I would imagine that the percentage of twin mamas post-delivery that didn’t get stretch marks from their double blessings is extremely low. We also know that our babies are worth every single one! However, I used this every day because it smells really good, it got rid of any itchiness from my growing tummy and I like to think maybe it prevented some stretch marks?
5. Target Liz Lange Maternity Tanks – I love Target’s regular tanks when I’m not pregnant so I tried their maternity ones. I was so happy with how they stretched as my tummy got bigger and shockingly only one size up from my regular maternity size (with my singletons) continued to cover my giant tummy until the end of my twin pregnancy.
6. Tums Chewy Delights Chewables – I had some terrible heartburn towards the end and oddly at the beginning of my twin pregnancy. I used the traditional chalky Tums during my first trimester for heartburn which did their job but did not help my nausea. I assume because I had such intense morning sickness at the same time, I started associating the taste of the Tums with being nauseated. I was so glad that I found these towards the end of my pregnancy when I had heart burn again. They taste like Starbursts with absolutely no chalky taste and worked wonders for me.
7. Boppy Pregnancy Support Pillow– Somehow I was blessed enough to be able to sleep pretty well all the way through my pregnancy. I loved this pillow and my 6 other random bed pillows I placed around myself because it took some of the weight of the babies off my hips and core so I could get some sleep. I know there are other more intense pregnancy pillows out there but I totally recommend this one. I was able to flip the pillow around when my stomach got too large to use the big side underneath. Plus it wasn’t gigantic so there was still room for my husband, myself, my tummy, and this pillow in our queen size bed.
8. A decent pair of slip on shoes– I had to wear closed toe shoes at work so I bought an inexpensive pair of black faux leather slip on shoes that I wore for the last half of my pregnancy so I didn’t have to tie or bend over to get my shoes on. They were dressy enough for work but I also wore them for everything else as it got cooler. If you are pregnant during the summer months like I was and you don’t have a work dress code for shoes, I am jealous of your flip flop wearing self. Wear them proudly. 
9. Bra extender– Towards the end, even the larger bras I bought were starting to become very uncomfortable because my rib cage was expanding from all of the baby. I started having crazy back pain until I found this cheap little ingenious invention. They have them in a 3 pack on Amazon or I found mine for $2 at the checkout counter at Motherhood Maternity.
10. A really really good fan – Like it was yesterday, I remember being hot. All the time hot. We had our air conditioning turned down pretty low but I was still roasting all the time especially while trying to sleep. We had this fan that I loved because I was able to direct it at myself in bed and pretty much leave my normal temperature husband alone. The remote is an added perk because I didn’t have to move my pillow fort to get up to turn it up higher.
And as a bonus tip, towards the end of your pregnancy you are likely to be sitting around a lot. Maybe on bed rest or maybe just physically too exhausted. Carrying twins is incredibly hard work! I passed the difficult time at the end by binge watching Gilmore Girls whenever my older boys were napping, in bed, or late at night if I couldn’t sleep. I love love Gilmore Girls and it gave me a few laughs and occupied my mind when I was starting to lose it. #TeamLogan If you’ve already seen Gilmore, choose another series that isn’t too serious. Pregnancy emotions are intense- and you have double!
Be kind to yourself. Growing two babies is hard work!