Nothing flips your world upside down quite like finding out the one baby you were planning and hoping for has secretly multiplied and turned into two bundles of joy.
When you get that news, it's a good thing you're already laying down for the ultrasound.
Usually, when you find out something surprising, the initial shock wears off after a few moments.
But when that shock involves a whole extra human in your womb, the shock never really goes away.
But when that shock involves a whole extra human in your womb, the shock never really goes away.
Even after your twins are born, you'll still find yourself marveling at the fact that you've got multiples.
One thing that will definitely happen after you get the news? Things will become very real. You'll go into hyper-planning mode because you'll realize that your babies will be here before you know it, especially because twins (more often than not) tend to be born premature.
If you find yourself accepting the news that you've got more than one baby on board, there are a few things you can do to help ease the shock and get prepared before your babies arrive.
Three Things to Do When You Find Out You're Having Twins
- Accept that your prenatal appointments will basically double, just as your number of fetuses did. A twin pregnancy comes with more risks and complications than a single pregnancy does, so once your medical team confirms you've got two babies on board, you'll go for more frequent screening with your OB/GYN and your maternal fetal medicine team. Once your twins arrive, they'll likely face unique medical needs because twins and higher-order multiples have higher rates of being born premature, having low birth weights, and needing longer stays in the neonatal intensive care unit.
- Understand that you'll need to adjust your baby registry plans. While some people don't find out they're welcoming twins until they're quite far along, you'll ideally find out you're expecting twins before finalizing your baby registry and stocking your nursery with everything you'll need for a single baby. We were lucky that we scheduled an extra ultrasound at 13 weeks along, well before our 20-week scan, because we didn't want to wait to see our baby. Because of this, we found out several weeks ahead of our first standard anatomy scan that we were having twins. We found out mere days before we were finalizing our baby registry, and this allowed us to pivot and plan for more twin-specific items, like a double stroller or twin bassinet, that would help us navigate and survive the newborn phase with our twins.
- Consider that you'll need extra support as you plan to welcome your dynamic duo. This means both financially and within your family unit. You're suddenly having two babies, which means you're also suddenly incurring double the costs that come with raising those two babies. Family-wise, if you have any friends or family you can lean on to provide additional support in those early days, say yes to everyone who offers (and if they don't offer up help, ask anyways, no matter how proud or independent you are), because you're going to be more sleep-deprived than you could ever imagine during those first few months. While it's extremely energy-depleting during those first few months, keep in mind that it really does get easier around the five-month mark and then again around 10 months in. From that point forward, life with twins will continue to be hard (as many twin parents say, it doesn't really get easier, it just becomes a different type of hard) until they're about four years old.
Prepare to still be surprised along the way
While finding out you're expecting two babies will probably be your biggest surprise of your pregnancy, prepare to face other surprises along the way, like finding out if they're fraternal or identical.
We were initially told our twins were fraternal, only to find out several weeks later that they were actually identical. Having already been surprised by the fact that our anomaly bloodwork that we'd done at 11 weeks along missed an entire baby, this sudden switch from fraternal twins to identical ones seemed like a minor blip in our twin pregnancy journey.
...other surprises can include growth-related issues or finding out at a regularly-scheduled scan that you're going to be delivering your twins several weeks earlier than anticipated.
Beyond that, other surprises can include growth-related issues or finding out at a regularly-scheduled scan that you're going to be delivering your twins several weeks earlier than anticipated. This is why it's so important to have your go-bag packed and your nursery ready, so you'll be prepared to welcome your twins if they arrive prematurely.
If there's one thing you can plan on during your twin pregnancy, it's that there will be more surprises to delight you along the way.
How far along were you when you found out you were having twins or higher-order multiples? Were there extra surprises along the way? Let us know in the Comments section below or connect with us on Instagram to share your thoughts!
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