January 05, 2010
January 2010 ~ Issue #016
~ TABLE OF CONTENTS ~
- Am I Having Twins?
- Take A Poll
- Book Review
- TwoCute™ Twin Photo Contest
A 2 Part Guide To
Detecting Twins With Ultrasound
Am I having twins? As women who have confirmed twin pregnancies know all too well, there is significant public fascination with the fact that one's oven contains not one, but TWO baking buns.
Put simply, multiple pregnancies and multiple babies are interesting and uncommon enough to seem a bit special, too.
Twin prams have been known to cause whiplash in certain situations, but the increased attention starts even before your babies arrive. Many moms-to-be of multiples have probably experienced at some point or other the inevitable double-takes at the double-bump and the uncomfortable looking about-to-pop double-baby waddle, prompting all sorts of "should you be doing this?" comments from people in the supermarket.
Interestingly enough, people are rarely consistent in their remarks and size must at least partially be in the eye of the beholder. I was once called both "ready to pop" and "tiny for twins" on the very same day.
I still wonder if the "tiny" exclaimer thought I should look like I was smuggling a fifth grader in there, because I really was pretty huge at that point. I couldn't sit down without spreading my legs to gynecological proportions apart, for a start.
Twins hold a fascination, and for this reason it is no wonder that many of us secretly hope for a twin pregnancy. We wonder, especially if we've used assisted reproduction, our beta hCG is unusually high, we have a family history, we're experiencing more severe morning sickness, or perhaps simply getting bigger faster than expected. Sometimes, we're right in our suspicion. Other times, the diagnosis of twins is a complete shock.
Whichever group you may fall into when wondering, "Am I having twins?", ultrasound is almost always the way you found out for sure that you're carrying multiples. Ultrasound pictures are our first solid confirmation of two babies and two heartbeats and we can do this remarkably early on in a pregnancy, beginning from around six weeks gestation in the first trimester....
Last month's newsletter poll asked "Shopping for twins is fun or frustrating?"
61% of you answered "fun", while 39% answered "frustrating".
One and the Same - My Life as an Identical Twin and What I've Learned About Everyone's Struggle to Be Singular by Abigail Pogrebin is a fascinating read to say the least. The author, Abigail, is an identical twin herself. Her unique perspective on the world of twins lends much needed insight to anyone who has or is expecting two at a time. She has done such amazing research, including interviews with doctors, parents, several sets of twins, as well as her own twin sister. I feel like I have a whole new outlook on raising twins and truly enjoyed reading the book. You can grab a copy from our friends at Double Up Books!
And, be sure to read Abigail's article on Parenting Twins from a Twin's Point of View
Now taking entries for January!
Twin-Pregnancy-And-Beyond.com | Parent's Community | Twins Survival Guide | Twin Book Project | Twins Boutique
Do you want to be a Featured Mom? Send us your request and you might be next!
Until next month....
All the best, Kellie Asaro (site founder and Mom of twins)