Pregnant with Twins, First Trimester ultrasound image

We’re Pregnant – with Identical Twins! The First Trimester Recap

Taking you through our journey through my third pregnancy, this time with identical twins! I’ll...

Taking you through our journey through my third pregnancy, this time with identical twins! I’ll be sharing everything about my first trimester, including nausea, the shocking moment we found out we’re having twins, and more.

Pregnant with Identical Twins – First Trimester Recap

I can’t believe I’m actually typing this, but… we’re pregnant with identical twins! Identical twins. Identical twins. Typing it somehow makes it feel more real.

Where do I even begin? I’ve done first trimester pregnancy recaps with both of my children (with Luca and with Roma) but this one feels very different. Actually, it has felt very different since the beginning. So let me back up to the beginning and talk about our discussion around having a third baby and how all of this happened (it was quite the shock the way it happened!)

I want to preface this post with a trigger warning. I know that for anyone struggling with infertility now or at any point, it can be extremely painful to read about experiences like mine. I have friends around me who struggle with their fertility, friends who have miscarried early and late in their pregnancies, and I’m very conscious that pregnancy is a miracle, a blessing, and an absolute gift, and I never have and never will take it for granted. While I want to share my story, I also want to be sensitive to others who may not have as simple of a journey as I have had so far with pregnancy and fertility. I’m sending you my love and strength.

How We Found Out We Were Pregnant

Lu and I were so torn over the decision to try for another baby, or stop at two. We both came from larger families (I am 1 of 3 and he is 1 of 4) and when we first met, we talked about having “very festive Thanksgivings,” meaning, we wanted a bigger family. However, after COVID and the pandemic and everything, we weren’t sure if 3 was the right choice for us. We were leaning towards not trying and just being thankful and grateful for our two, Roma and Luca. However, if I was going to have a third, I wanted to keep their ages close together and that would mean to start trying for another soon. Long story short, we had a conversation and decided two was it for us. The next day, I found out I was pregnant!

No, we weren’t trying, but we weren’t on any form of birth control (I never went back to it after getting pregnant with my first, because I didn’t like the idea of hormones messing with my breastfeeding journey or possibly delaying my chances of future pregnancies, so I just ditched it.) The month before we went to Florida for the holidays (in December), my period was 2 weeks late. Now, I have never had a late period. Like, never, ever, ever – I have such a predictable cycle (on or off birth control), so I was worried that I was pregnant back in December! But, 2 weeks later, I got my period. Hmm… weird, I thought! And, phew!

Big Brother Again shirt // Big Sister shirt

Then, we had sex (yes, that’s how it happens!) the day after New Year’s day. There was just never time to get intimate while we were staying at my parents’ house in Florida (where my sister and her BIL were also staying at the same time!) and Lu was sleeping with Luca every night, so we were never even in the same bedroom at night! However, everyone left the house for separate reasons that day (literally, this was the only time that ever happened) and ….. we jumped on the opportunity! I looked at my ovulation tracker app (Flo – which I used to avoid ovulation days!) and it said I wasn’t ovulating – phew! Little did I know, that one wonky cycle the month before must have changed my ovulation days and…. pregnant I became!

Since my period was 2 weeks late the month prior, I had purchased so many pregnancy tests, and I happened to have one left over. My period was 2 days late again, and I was in the bathroom, about to hop in the shower, and I saw the test and took it. I hopped in the shower and afterwards, got out, looked at the stick and sure enough…. two lines. I was pregnant. At this point, I’m not into big reveals and surprises with my husband and he was about to go out for the morning to golf with my father and BIL, so right before he went, I pulled him into our room and showed him the stick. He was as shocked as I was and then happy (I think we both secretly wanted more kids, but we were just scared to do it.)

Twin Pregnancy Announcement

Twins Pregnancy Symptoms and How I Knew I Was Having Twins Before My First Prenatal Appointment

After the shock wore off, I was excited to be pregnant again – and, pregnant with my sister! My sister’s due Memorial Day weekend, so we will only be 4 months apart. Since you don’t go for your first prenatal visit until week 8/9, I had some time in Florida and then a couple weeks when I got back to Jersey City (in February) to see the doctor.

In the meantime, I had pregnancy symptoms that I had never had before with either of my pregnancies:

  • Nausea: from week 6 to 10, I was nauseous all day long. It would start around 11 and last until about 6 or 7pm, on and off, but mostly consistent. I never puked, but there were times when I did get that wet mouth feeling, and I had a lot of moments when I couldn’t do anything but lay down.
  • Food aversions: with the nausea came food aversions. Guys. I couldn’t eat a single vegetable. I remember looking at broccoli and thinking, “I could never!” This was extremely difficult, because I am writing a cookbook and had to test 6 recipes a day – the smells and the sights of vegetables made me so nauseous. More on that later.
  • Pregnancy signs and a gut feeling: this sounds odd, but I had the “feeling” I was pregnant with twins. I kept seeing signs everywhere – I’d see more twins out (like, at the grocery store) or they’d pop up in my Facebook or Instagram feed. I read two books and both included characters that were twins (which wasn’t in the synopsis when I bought the books.) I felt I was pregnant with twins, I can’t explain it! A mother’s intuition!
  • Ravenous from week 4: I sound crazy, but almost right after I took the pregnancy test, I was insatiably hungry. I felt so silly being so hungry and thought at first maybe I was making this up in my head. But if I didn’t eat, I felt depleted. Now that I’m reading about twin pregnancies, many twin moms report that they have the same symptom and it’s your body storing your fat for the pregnancy earlier on, which makes you hungry.
  • Discharge: not to gross anyone out, but the white thick discharge was (and still is!) insane. Like, I was worried my uterus was slowly melting or something – it was out of control!

I told my family I thought I was pregnant with twins. My grandfather allegedly had twins in his family, so my grandmother said, “It’s possible!” I just had this feeling. The thought made me extremely nervous and terrified, but also a little excited at the same time (twins are cool blessing and a certain type of miracle.)

First prenatal visits: no twins?!

It was time for my first prenatal visit at around week 8/9 and when I sat in that chair, I was fully prepared to see twins: just like in the movies, two little sacs. When the doctor did my sonogram and listened to the heartbeat, to my surprise, I only saw one sac and one little baby. Hmm, well, that’s much easier, I thought and went home and mentally planned for one. Easy, I’ve done this twice already – I’ve got this!

The second appointment, at 10 weeks, they listened to the heartbeat and took my blood for some prenatal testing. Still, no mention of twins. And at 10 weeks, I was showing – I couldn’t believe, especially at the end of the day, how much I was showing. I just attributed it to all the bread and cheese I was eating during my first trimester – it’s all I could get down. A little extra weight gain was the reason I gave my little bloated belly. Little did I know…… twins were in there!

Apparently, this can happen when one twin is positioned in a way where it is “hidden.” Apparently, it’s very rare, but it happened to us – they totally missed it! And we heard the heartbeat, as well (thinking it was only one.)

Twin Pregnancy Announcement

Dress // Slides // Denim Jacket (J Crew, old)

My 12 week ultrasound – twin pregnancy confirmed!

This is when my life changed. I went for my 12 week ultrasound on Thursday, March 18th. This was an ultrasound where they check to make sure the baby is growing properly, measures lengths, and scans for things like Down’s Syndrome. Going into this, I was nervous – it always makes me nervous, and I’m just praying silently that everything is okay. I’m all alone, because of COVID, Lu can’t be in the room with me. She lays me down, puts the tool on my belly, starts scanning, and is very quiet at first. I’m looking at the screen, but I can’t tell what I’m looking at and she says, very calm, “Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” My heart sank, oh no, what is it?! And she goes, “There’s two in there. Twins.”

You can imagine my shock. I covered my eyes and said, “Oh my god. No, no, I’m only having one! Oh my god. Oh my god.” After the shock wore off a bit, I said to the technician, “I knew it!” and told her all about how I thought they were twins in the beginning, blah blah. I was absolutely shocked during the 1 hour scan. She said I was reacting better than most people would, but I just was totally stunned. I had mentally accepted one, I had two appointments to confirm one, so I wasn’t expecting to see two. But sure enough, there were two heads, two sets of legs, and two heartbeats. I was pregnant with twins.

Pregnant with Twins, First Trimester

The appointment was a bit scary after that. The high risk doctor came in and spoke to me about my twin pregnancy. She confirmed that I was having identical twins, but that they are not the highest risk identical- they are monochorionic/diamniotic twins, so they share the same placenta, but they have their own thin sacs which separate them, so they have their own separate amniotic fluid. There are so many risks to this type of twin pregnancy, and I was still in such shock, I just shook my head “yes” and “okay” while the doctor explained what was happening. I think I absorbed about 10% of what she said. They did some more blood work.

My due date is end of September, only a few days after Luca was born (Luca’s birthday is September 25th!) but most twin pregnancies don’t go to full term, especially identical, so the doctor told us probably around Labor Day weekend.

Thankfully, the scan went well and the babies were healthy. I walked out of there with a LOT to Google and a LOT to think about. I thought about surprising Lu with the news, but I was shaking when I walked out of there, so I just told him the second I got in the car (he had waited for me, because it was pouring rain outside.) He didn’t believe me and was totally shocked, too. He was driving, so he couldn’t really process what was happening and we got home and we decided to just talk about it after the kids go down. I also had the results in an envelope with the gender (they’re identical, so the genders are the same!)

Decisions, decisions… and the gender!

That evening, we sat down together on the couch with the envelope containing the gender of our identical twins, written on a piece of paper by the doctor. Both of us looked at each other and said the same thing: TWO MORE?!! It was a mix of terror, disbelief, confusion, and just utter shock. We weren’t feeling excitement yet, it was all about logistics, how we’d make this work where we live, what this meant for our lives, and just how we’d manage having 4 under 4 at first! We called our families and there were laughs, jokes about minivans, and lots of congratulations and love. Since I am born on April Fool’s Day, plenty of “is this an April Fool’s joke?”

Pregnant with Twins, First Trimester

We opened the envelope and recorded a short video of our reaction to text to our family and friends. No formal gender reveal like the last times, this was just us, at home. Sharing the gender soon! Any guesses? Here are our faces when we found out we were having twins:

Pregnant with Twins, First Trimester

We decided to stay in our current apartment, instead of moving to the suburbs. We came to this decision, for a few reasons:

  1. We have enough living space and if we put Roma and Luca in the same room, we’ll free up a bedroom for the twins.
  2. Moving to a new town away from family and friends would be incredibly isolating overwhelming, and frankly, we’re going to need more help, not less help!
  3. Lu is most likely going to start working from the office again this summer, so I would be alone at home in the morning and at night with the kids alone, knowing nobody. Sounds dreadful.
  4. Luca and Roma are already enrolled in schools for the fall, which are conveniently a 5 minute walk from our apartment.
  5. The thought of purchasing, furnishing, and moving into a home with 2 toddlers while pregnant with twins seems like….. a LOT.

So if you see a crazy lady with 2 toddlers and newborn identical twins strollin’ through Jersey City, you’ll know it’s me!

Twin Pregnancy – First Trimester Overall

As I mentioned in the beginning of this now extremely long post, I had some symptoms that I never had with either of my previous pregnancies, but there were some other typical ones that were just heightened.

Let’s go week by week (I made a little note in my phone to remember all of this.)

  • Week 4: So hungry! My sensitivity to smell also started. I remember smelling my sister’s perfume from across the house.
  • Week 5: I started to feel a little fatigued and a little nausea (very light) started to creep in later in the day, around 4pm.
  • Week 6: The nausea kicked in, along with the food aversions (no vegetables for me, only bland/basic foods like grilled cheeses and bagels)! Also, the hormones kicked up, which heightened everything. At one point, I almost killed Lu because he unplugged my slow cooker half way through a recipe. Also, if I didn’t eat immediately when I woke up, I would get very nauseous.
  • Week 7: The nausea worsened and my sense of smell got out of control sensitive. I also got smell aversions, which I didn’t think was possible, but the smell of Lu’s deodorant angered me (haha!)
  • Week 8: Extreme bloat, it almost seemed like I already had a bump. The exhaustion also kicked in this week, and I couldn’t do anything but nap from 3:30-4:30pm-ish.
  • Week 9: If I didn’t eat every 1.5 hours, I would get nauseous, so I started eating more frequently, smaller meals. Little did I know, it was the demanding needs of carrying twins – I should’ve been upping my caloric intake.
  • Week 10: FINALLY, the nausea faded away and I could start to eat normally again. I remember my first salad, I felt like a new woman. I also started craving cartons of raspberries – I ate eat one a night for the next 2 weeks!
  • Week 11: I started to work out again! It felt so good to move my body, after taking so much time off from exercise. My boobs also started to swell and be a bit swollen this week.
  • Week 12: This was when I went for my 12 week ultrasound and found out we were having twins! Some of the dizziness and nausea came back, and I started upping my food intake to properly nourish myself, now that I was expecting twins.
  • Week 13: I changed my diet after reading When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads, a book about how to properly nourish yourself for a healthy multiples pregnancy. I can’t believe the macro-needs of growing healthy twins! Also, I’m having pelvic floor issues again. I scheduled an appointment in April with my pelvic floor therapist to discuss what can be done during a pregnancy to help.
  • Week 14: We’re in it, but so far symptoms are just slight headaches on and off, and my belly has POPPED. It’s unbelievable, I look 20 weeks pregnant in the morning and 25 weeks by 3pm. I can’t believe the size of this belly!

Exercising When Pregnant with Twins

Due to the demands of writing a cookbook (we turned the manuscript in yesterday!!) and the nausea, I completely stopped working out in the months of January and February. I tried to squeeze in a workout or two on the weekends, but during the week, I couldn’t. Any time I had that I wasn’t working, I was resting, saving energy up to spend it with my toddlers, or just laying down and resting.

If you know me, you know I love HIIT workouts and spinning, but with a twin pregnancy, things are a bit more delicate, so I’m planning on switching from those types of workouts to light strength workouts and long walks (now that it’s nice out.)

First Trimester Favorites

You don’t need much in the first trimester of pregnancy, especially now that we’re all working from home and living in stretchy pants. But there are a few things that I already have purchased especially for this pregnancy (since I’m showing sooner) and books I’m reading to quell my anxiety about having twins.

  • Binto vitamins: when I found out I was pregnant, I told the specialists at Binto and they changed my vitamin plan to include what I need for a healthy pregnancy (including prenatal vitamins, of course.) You can use code INSPIRALIZED for a discount off their customized vitamin plans.
  • When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads, an eye-opening read about how the proper nutrition during a multiples pregnancy can reduce your risk of pre-term birth, low birth weight, and more.
  • Lululemon aligns (with pockets): I bought these during my pregnancy with Roma and they are just the best – they’re supportive and last up until the very last day of your pregnancy!
  • Mama Mio tummy butter cream and Zoe Organics Belly Oil: my belly is going to be HUGE this time, and to prevent and treat discomfort from skin stretching, I stocked up on the same creams I used with my other pregnancies. I like oil at night (it soaks into the skin overnight better) and cream in the morning.
  • This comfy bra to wear during the daytime – it’s supportive, but light. I’m obsessed!

Twin Pregnancy Announcement

Dress

My Fears Around Twin Pregnancy & For All the Twin Moms..

Thank you for all your kindness in advance. While I’m talking a lot about being shocked and all the changes that need to happen, I truly feel blessed. I feel like I was chosen to carry these miracles, and I feel so lucky to be able to experience a twin pregnancy, twin birth, and have twin children. It’s very cool, and I am excited to grow our family and see Roma become a big sister!

However, I am fearful. I’m fearful of having to have a C-section with newborn twins and two demanding toddlers, living in a 3 story apartment (stairs!) I’m fearful of all that can go wrong with an identical twin pregnancy, like Twin-to-Twin Transfusion (you can Google that!) and preterm labor. I’m fearful of the night time, taking care of two babies (we’re debating whether or not we need to hire help for this) and the nursing experience. I’m going to do everything that I can possibly do to have the healthiest pregnancy possible, but understand that some things are out of my control. And of course, I’m worried about giving attention to all of my children – 4 is a lot!

Lastly, I do have one thing I’d like to ask you…. for all twin moms (identical or not!), can you please share your best advice, how to handle the first few weeks, your tricks for surviving the night time. Anything and everything twin-related!

with love, Ali

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comments

  • Congrats!! You must must must hire help for overnight. That was the one “must do” all the twin moms I know told me, and we did it and literally would not have survived without it. My twins were my second pregnancy, and yes it was completely different from my first in all ways, as was their newborn phase and now baby (they’ll be four months old next week). Just embrace that it’s different from your first two and accept it! You’ll do things differently to survive and thrive and that’s ok!! It’s amazing, hard, humbling and beautiful. Check out Twiniversity - their podcasts are super helpful to help you mentally prepare for what it’ll be like when the babies are here! Congrats again.
    • Thank you for this! I will definitely check those podcasts out!
  • Congratulations! I'm not a twin mom, but I grew up with my husband and his identical twin sister (she is trans), and we've been great friends since elementary school. He and all of his siblings are three years apart, so they were at the same high school and college at the same time. The relationship those four siblings have is so special, and the bond my husband and his identical twin have and the twin love that they share is among the most beautiful things I have had the privilege of witnessing. Your family is going to be a household name in your town for sure, and in the best way! Congrats again. ❤️
    • Aww thank you so so much for the kindness! Jersey City is a pretty giant city, haha, but maybe in my neighborhood ;) Love to hear about the twin bond!
  • I do not have twins, but my brother and SIL and I are close and they have fraternal twin girls. She did have a c-section because neither twin was head-down, taking a vaginal delivery off the table. Her water broke at 35 weeks and one twin was in the hospital for 9 days, the other for 10 days. All in all not too bad! She supplemented with formula but was able to provide breastmilk. Both twins struggled with latching so she was a pumping mama from the start. How they handled nighttime was the most interesting to me: they each took a twin. Especially in the early days and weeks, it was hard to remember in those sleepless nights which twin had eaten and how much. As babies that were a little premature, they needed those calories! So my brother was responsible for one twin's feeding schedule, and my SIL took the other twin. Every night. This worked for them because she was pumping and supplementing with formula but it seemed genius to me. They both got an adequate amount of sleep and the twins were always fed. No twins for me, but I did have 4 babies in 5.5 years and they are all under 6 years old. Welcome to the four mom club!
  • YAY!! Omg Ali congrats! this is so exciting and I cant wait to watch your twin journey. Wishing you the best and healthiest pregnancy
    • Thank you so much for the kindness, it means so much!!
  • No twins but I did have a C section with stairs in my house and I didn’t have an issue. As soon as I was home from the hospital I could walk well and go up and down stairs. I am sure some people have a hard time recovering but I th8nk if you are relatively healthy recovery is much easier than people l on.
  • Congratulations. You are now a member of a very special club that not all moms get to experience. Being a twin mom is the best!!! Such a blessing. My third pregnancy was twins. They just turned 18!! My advice to you: Get a night nurse if you can. You need to get as much sleep to take care of your older ones during the day. Pump and have the nurse give the twins bottles for middle of the night feedings. Accept all help you are offered. Again - have friends and family bottle feed twins so that you can spend time with your older kids when you are able. I went on voluntary bed rest with my twins at 24 weeks. My doctor suggested it as he could almost guarantee that it would prevent having the babies early which could mean possible time in the NICU which would have been difficult with two older kids at home. Bed rest also gave me such special family time with my older ones. They loved having my attention! Lots of books, games and puzzles in my bed. I delivered at 37 weeks and the babies came home with me which was the goal. Get a bean bag! Easy to set the babies in and they don’t move! I nursed one and could bottle feed the other at the same time! I could go on and on!! Best wishes!!
  • Congrats!! It's is so overwhelming and exciting! We found out we were having twins early on. The next week they told us triplets, and we were completely overwhelmed!! Then the next week, one of the babies no longer had a heartbeat, so we are back to twins. Ours are mono/Mono, which is super high risk. We've been worried and not sure how hopeful we could be, but so far, at 11 weeks, they are doing well. We have some good doctors around us, so hoping for the best. I will have to go in to the hospital around 24-27 weeks. It's been A LOT to take in and deal with, on top of all of the nauseau and tiredness, but I feel like I'm finally at the point of being excited, hopeful, and feeling blessed. I can't wait to follow along with your journey.
  • Sending you lots of loving energy for the wonderful journey you are on! As a twin mama I know it’s not easy, but with lots of support, all the wisdom you have gathered around your body, parenting, marriage, I am positive you will find this an incredible, sweet ride! I can’t wait to see your little family unfold! Many many blessings!!
  • I am so excited for you! I have twin girls and an older daughter who is just 20 months older than them so for a while we had 3 under 2 and then switched to 3 under 3! I remember the utter shock when they told me it was twins! I had the same type of fears but honestly it has been the best thing ever. It is hard but so worth it like many things motherhood related. I didn't have help at night and it worked out OK. I prayed a lot and God strengthened me. I feel like supermom everyday just doing regular things lol. I tried to do the same things for both of them at once and that helped me stay sane in those first few weeks (tandem feed, change diapers for both, bathe, etc). I just got a Wonderfold wagon so I can easily take all 3 toddlers out together for walks, etc. You've got this and you are going to absolutely love being a twin mama! ❤
  • First, congratulations!! I love your outlook on having twins. When I found out I was having twins everyone was like “how are you going to do it?!” But I also felt like this was meant for me and I love that you’re feeling that way too. The early days are hard but you’ll find a groove and find a way to make it work. I didn’t have two older kids so my situation is a bit different but I didn’t need night time help, it was hard, I was tired (survival mode), but we got through it. I exclusively breastfed too and felt that night time help wouldn’t work out since I was breastfeeding anyway. I would suggest having help with everything else around the house so you can focus your time on the babies and your toddlers. Have a cleaning person, someone cooking for you (I’m sure that would be hard for you personally but do it!) and focus your energy on the kiddos. Life with twins is a wild ride but omg it is so rewarding. There is so much more advice I could add but I think I’d be writing a novel. I’m so happy for you and your family and can’t wait to follow your journey into twin motherhood! Welcome to the twin club!
  • Best advice my DIL and Son received when their twin boy and girl were born - get them on the same schedule. And say yes to all the help you can get - lots of luck.
  • Congrats!! My sister has twins, and while it was a HUGE shock at first (she was to have 3 under 3), we now can't imagine our family any other way! Twins have such a special bond and it's been cool to see each of their relationships develop with their big brother. It'll be hard at first with the extra lack of sleep, but will be easier as they age because they have each other as playmates. So excited for your family!
  • Sooooo happy for you guys! Looking forward to going on this journey with you <3
  • Congratulations!!! I had 3 under 2, my twins were born when my son was 22 months. My water broke at 37 weeks 5 days on the day I was scheduled to have a c-section. Some things are just meant to be. I went back to work after 8 weeks and managed to breastfeed until their first birthday. The first few months my husband and I would each “pick a baby” for the night and hoped we would get sleep because I couldn’t take care of both and function at work the next day. Its chaotic and exhausting the first year so take tons of pictures and videos and accept any help offered to you. My twins just turned 10 and have truly been double the blessing to our family
  • Hi Ali! This is Alyssa Aiello, we were neighbors at your former building. Congratulations on your pregnancy. What an exciting time for everyone! I wanted to let you know that my company, Baby Made Simple, a maternity concierge is here to help you prepare for your two new bundles of joy in any way. Please feel free to send me an email. Wishing you all the BEST for a very uneventful pregnancy!
  • Ali!! I’m so excited for you. I’m 14 weeks pregnant with mono di boys. Due Sept 30th, but will deliver around Labor Day if all goes well. We are in this together. <3
  • Congratulations again! We have identical twins boys (6months- 4 months adjusted) and a 5 & 3 year old. We did not hire help at night and we're still very tired. During the day we have my mom! You need lots of help for the twins and for the other kids too (hw, dinner, baths, even play since they are babies too). My best advice would be to hire help if you can and to get ankle bracelets to tell them apart. Until you know their personalities and lack of sleep, a mixup can happen LOL.
  • Congrats! I'm guessing girls!
  • We had 29-week twins that spent 3 months in nicu so breastfeeding for us never happened - mainly because I was ready for the babes to be out of the hospital and bottle feeding made that happen much quicker. If you end up at a nicu - don’t spend the night there. Go home and get sleep as you’re body will thank you for it when the Babies come home - ours came home on a schedule that was amazing!!! If you do end up pumping - keep your pump parts in a ziploc bag in the fridge so that you only have to wash them once.. they’re good for 12-24 hours.
  • Congratulations! Twin Mom here!! I had fraternal twin boys in June 2018 and my first was just 2! It’s amazing - nothing better! I had all the same feelings you did. I’d love to chat with you via phone or email (fellow jersey girl here!). Best pieces of advice I can give - 1) rely on help. We had help for the nights (my parents moved in). And for my older boy. 2) stay organized!!!! This was the best advice we received. I ran my home like a business and things stayed on a schedule. 3) Buy the Table for Two (Google it). It’s completely worth it and will save your life. 4) try not to worry and stay in the moment. I continued to stay positive and all worked out 👍🏼 5) REMEMBER - you got this! My twins are almost 3 and the best things that ever happened to me! Would love to chat anytime - just let me know. Best of luck to you! Xoxo
  • Thank you so much for sharing your journey! I’m 9 weeks pregnant with di/di twins and have a 21 month old daughter. I’m in the same scenario where we have a 3 story home that we no longer fit in and a car that doesn’t work anymore. My husband is also in the fire service, so I will be alone overnight A LOT! So I’m always looking for information on how to set myself up for success and would love to learn more about where to find resources such as a night nurse, etc. So please continue to share all the tips you get on multiples from your community! Your blog is going to become my new best friend!!! Congratulations on your beautiful, growing family :)
  • Wow congrats! What a story! I'm also 14 weeks, almost 15 weeks pregnant with baby #2, though with a singleton. I went through fertility treatment and this baby could have been 4 babies - eek! Anyways, I saw you kidding about a mini van, and wanted to let you know I never thought I would get a mini van, but we just purchased the 2021 Toyota Sienna Hybrid and it is AMAZING! I don't know if I'll have go back to have an SUV or car. It is just so convenient, spacious, doors open with a kick of my foot, so many things that help when you have no hands. The best part is that the new body design doesn't scream van! Thought I would share - good luck!
  • Congratulations! twin mama here. mine are 21 months old (boy-girl) and i have a 4yr old. i laughed about your pregnancy symptoms because with my oldest i was so sick from weeks 6-14. I felt nauseous maybe 4 times throughout my entire twin pregnancy and it only lasted for a few mins. I will say that the twin pregnancy was physically harder. I contracted a lot and was very uncomfortable (i'm also barely 5'3 so i didn't have much space for those two). I did have a c-section at 37 weeks exactly (one baby was always breech). they say the babies generally "settle" into their final positions around 34 weeks...mine did not. and kept flipping until their birthday. my son was 5.4lb and my daughter was 5lbs and we went home in a few days without complications. my recovery was actually very tolerable. i bled a lot less than with my vaginal delivery. we didn't hire any help. I kept them on the same schedule as long as i could but my daughter had a really hard time feeding and she spit up everything (we had to switch her to preemie nipples) so she needed to feed more often. My son was a great sleeper-would sleep 8 hours by 8 weeks. i also developed bell's palsy exactly two weeks after my c-section. i remember you experiencing that after Luca's birth. i reached out to you during that time and you were kind of enough to share your experience. it is a very scary, but exciting time! we bought a suburban with captain's chairs so we could get all of the kids in and out of the car easily (and all of the available space both in the trunk and throughout the vehicle). the twins shared a crib in our bedroom for as long as they would fit just because it was so much easier to care for them that way. twins are exhausting (and so are toddlers!) but so much fun and i still cant believe i was blessed to have them. you will figure everything out. i promise.
  • I could not be happier for you and your family. I am not a mom nor can I be (I have Stage IV Endometriosis) but I LOVE following you and your motherhood journey on top of everything else you do. You are one of the very few real people on the interwebs and when you say you feel chosen to carry these miracles, I agree. I think your love and honesty and REALLY hard work makes you the most amazing mom. I am putting every ounce of good huju into the universe for you to have a safe pregnancy and two healthy babies. I really adore you, Ali! With love from Toronto 🇨🇦!
  • First of all, congratulations! Twins are so much fun - a lot - but so much fun. My mom helped for the first 4 weeks and we would not have survived without her. She took the twins every third night or so so we could get caught up on some sleep. I found it very difficult the first couple weeks to nurse them together so during that time I would nurse one, give her to my husband to change/reswaddle while I nursed the other. Once they have more neck strength nursing them together is so much faster and easier! The twinz nursing pillow was a lifesaver. Finally, I was surprised how much harder the pregnancy was, I definitely took it easier than my single pregnancy because that’s what felt right but I found light walking, swimming, and prenatal yoga provided the ache relief and the level of movement I needed. You’ll be great! It’s a blur at first but so special!
  • Hey Ali, I met you once many years ago when I had lunch with Kip and his brother Sam (Sam and I have Cole). I got pregnant with twins in my third pregnancy and was in complete shock. We have twin boys who are almost 3. I was able to carry them to full term for twins (38 weeks). I would say the best thing we did was keep them on the same schedule. If one wakes up to eat we would feed the other one also. They ended up being easy babies, that slept great and bf with no issues. Tandem nursing was the best for me when they woke up in the middle of the night. It is a fun, exciting and exhausting experience! I will say I think my twins were easier as babies then toddlers. Man this twin toddler stage is for the birds! Wouldn’t change it for anything and my sister just had twins boys 4 months ago, so now I get to help her! Good luck!
  • Congratulations to the four of you!! Twins are such a blessing. A&M, our twins, are nearly three now (feels so crazy to say!) We took a twin class in LA with someone who is considered a twin guru in the area. I took copious notes and tried out all these “tried and true” techniques and toys and allll the gear. My head was spinning! Eventually I just had to slow down and check in with myself. Just like with your singletons, trust your mama instincts and lean on people who you trust. I can imagine the “musts” and “mustn’ts” with singletons is great and may be even greater with twins. We lean on our twin tribe for so much (sleep support, feedings, the cutest play dates you’ve ever seen, and alllll the coordinating clothes because c’mon - it’s definitely a fun perk!) but I also try to check in with myself and the twins often and ask, “does this really work for us?”Tandem feedings didn’t work for us but middle of the night feedings with both parents, while exhausting, were a blessing. I didn’t take all the help offered, because i needed to honor my values and hold specific boundaries. We didn’t sleep train exactly as some other twin families suggested, but I felt comfortable with gentle techniques. https://multiplesofamerica.org/ I’d definitely reco finding a local twin org and meeting other local multiples fams! Congrats again to the four of you!! So, so exciting. You’ll be so amazing.
  • Hi Ali, Your story brought tears to my eyes because it is so much like ours. We weren’t sure about a third kid and I got pregnant with our twins right when COVID started. I was so stressed I didn’t even think my “stress” symptoms could be pregnancy. I didn’t find out about the pregnancy until I was 11 weeks along. I am a nurse and had one of the doctors ultrasound me to see what we could find since I had no idea how far along I was. I had barely got my period back from last pregnancy. I was alone and have the video when I found out. Total, utter shock! We had di/di twin boys (we think they are identical). They don’t tell you but di/di twins can still be identical depending on when the egg splits. Google it! I was so scared about Dmy pregnancy too. Baby A had a velamentous cord (abnormal insertion to the placenta). I was worried about growth. Things seemed to be going fine. Unfortunately, the placenta tore at 28 weeks and 3 days. That is when I delivered the boys by emergency c section. They spent 97 days in the NICU with medical bills over 1.2 million each (Thank God for health insurance!) The boys are healthy now and enjoy their two older brothers. Yes, 4 boys. 4 years old, 22 months, and the twins at 6 months (3 months adjusted age). Life is no short of crazy. Not to scare you but it’s not for the faint at heart. I have little to no time for myself and I am lucky if I get to shower most days. We have next to no help from family. With COVID and the fact that they were premises we limit visitors. My advice is GET HELP! Plan ahead when you can. There is a great book You Can Two! That gives great advice on taking care of two and not just pregnancy information. Get a support group. Also, be prepared for things not to go well and be overjoyed when they do. I’m also available to talk to. I do t have a great support system and struggle often and would love to lend a hand to an amazing women and mom.
  • No advice from this singleton mom, but just wanted to say congratulations to you and your family! There are so many people excited to see you guys crush this adventure!!
  • I’m also 14 weeks pregnant (only one lol) but I follow PurposeDriven_motherhood on Instagram and she has boy/girl twins and her must have list helped me build my registry so I’m sure she would be even more helpful to a twin mom!
  • Congratulations! As a fellow twin mom, I loved reading the "how you found out" story. I had been told in my 20s it would be hard to get pregnant, then had a wonky cycle the month we started trying, and lo and behold were pregnant the next month My husband joked at our first ultrasound "let's just have twins and get it over with" , then the screen turned on and I saw the 2 sacs (I was di/di) and had an out of body experience (just like you did). The entire twin experience has been so amazing (almost 6 years in). The bond shared by twins is just so special, its almost a shame not every family gets to experience it. My biggest piece of advice is to find a local twins club. My local club in Denver matched us up with other twin moms that had twins within the same 2 months. From our first play date, we all just became soul sisters having this unique shared experience. It just felt better having a whole group of women "who just knew" the struggle (ha). Also, I know many moms in my group who didn't need to have c-sections. If that is important to you, I know there are doctors who support this. My doctor was open to the idea since Baby A was head down, but since I delivered at 34 weeks, I was not dialated AT ALL so she didn't think induction would be successful from her previous experience. The c-section was really pretty quick and I actually had a pretty easy recovery. So thrilled for you and your family!
  • No advice about twins, but what exciting news!! This is such a blessing and you are going to be a phenomenal twin mom. I'm guessing boys 💙💙
  • Congratulations! Mono-di twin girl mom here. Mine are 2.5 now and quite the handful, but it's so amazing. I don't have anything to compare it to since they are my first (and probably only) pregnancy, but twin pregnancy is definitely an experience - crazy, wonderful, and a bit scary at times. Absolutely take all the help you can get. You will need it more than you know and more than you want to accept. I would love to send you an email with some personal experiences and some questions I wish I knew to ask the doctors during pregnancy. Welcome to the club! We're glad to have you. xoxo
    • Erica, not sure if you'll get this, but I would love your list of questions to ask the doctor! I'm 11 weeks with di/di twins (still seems weird to me to type that) and they're my first/only pregnancy. jmmcd3 # gmail ... com hopefully you can figure that out and the spambots can't :)
  • Congratulations!! So exciting! Im not a twin mom but was going to suggest getting a portable wireless pump like Willow or Elvie - they are game changers!
  • I’m a twin mom and my heart couldn’t be fuller. The newborn stage with twins is a complete blur just remind yourself that it’s only a stage and you’ll get through it. Enjoy the pregnancy glow and treasure the special time, making sure to give yourself grace, your growing two miracles.
  • Unfortunately no advice but only because I’m in the same boat! I’ll be 15 weeks tomorrow with di/di fraternal twins (boy and a girl)! We were so shocked when we found out. This is my first pregnancy and so many of my symptoms lined right up with yours! Very excited to be able to follow someone else along in this journey at the same time! Congratulations!!
  • CONGRATS!! :) We had fraternal b/g twins via c-section at 37 weeks. (delivered in June 2019 so your blog posts when you were pregnant with Roma were always super helpful for me during that time!) These were our first, so we don't have anything to compare it to, but it is so fun to see the bond they have the older they get. The best advice is to accept/ask for help whenever offered/needed. We didn't have a night nanny, but my parents were close by and came to help/clean/cook often those first couple of weeks/months. I don't think we would have survived without them. Also, getting them on the same schedule was a life saver. While easier said then done, our approach was whenever one woke up in the night, we would wake the other up so they were feeding at the same time. This eventually helped us get some stretches of sleep at night time. For the first couple of months, we also tracked the feedings/diapers/sleep because as much as you would like to say you'll remember who pooped and who ate how much, it is impossible with the lack of sleep and craziness that is newborn stage(x2). Also, the twin z pillow was a life saver when I was home by myself. Perfect for feedings, or just having a place to put them both. Congrats again and wishing you all the best!
  • I have twin girls who are now 9 it’s the absolute best gift in the world. I have an older boy who is 14 I had preeclampsia with both pregnancies and with the twins I was severely ill in the icu foe a week before I even saw them. BUT I would not trade it for anything. Whatever medical problems come your way you will be fine :) My best advise is get a Night-nurse Even if it’s three nights a week. I had one 5 nights a week 10pm till 6 am. I still had to pump once or 2x in the night ( mine didn’t really breastfeed well cause they were so premature) we would both be pacing around with these crying twins counting down the minutes till she arrived.I didn’t have a helpful husband like you we actually divorced when they were 8 months old !but I still think the help at night is important It was only for 3 months and god was that worth the money. Also a swing and a good bouncer chair I had 2 of everything. Worth the clutter it’s the best journey you could ever hope for Erica
  • Yay!! I am so happy for you guys. We didn’t hire any help and I breastfed these two (mostly tandem once they had developed good latches) until 1 year. The breastfriend pillow was my EVERYTHING for this. I decided to switch to being a stay at home mom with them at quit my job at a school as a pediatric physical therapist, however now I work evenings treating babies in their homes while my hubby watches the boys with my dad. My parents have been so helpful in all of this and definitely needed them throughout my journey so having family close by would be ideal.
  • Congratulations! Being a twin mom is best. My b/g twins were my first so I don’t know any different. During your pregnancy do whatever you can to keep the babies inside of you as long as you can. Take it easy, twin pregnancies come with their own set of complications and your body is now growing TWO human beings. Give yourself some grace and rest as often and as much as you can. YES hired night help. The first 6 weeks is rough. I had a night nurse 3-4 nights a week and slowly weaned off as the kids slept longer. Keep them on the same schedule, when one wakes to eat, so does the other. Otherwise you will be feeding all day/night long. I had a c-section and I was also worried about the stairs. It was hard in the beginning so try to have everything on main floor. I’d come down in the morning and stay downstairs most of the day then go upstairs to shower and sleep. I’m so excited for you!!
  • I’m a long term fan - from before either of us had babies. Ive always been inspired by you as a mother & entrepreneur. You’ve got this 💕
  • Congrats!!! I do not have twins (although my brother does have fraternal twins!), but I did have to have an emergency c-section, with lots of stairs in my house. I was able to go up and down the stairs the day I was home from the hospital. As long as you take it slow, you will be fine!
  • Hello and congratulations! I am a mom to 10 kiddos, including 2 sets of twins. My first set were fraternal twins, but my 2nd set were mono/di identical twins. Back when I was pregnant with my fraternal twins, I had met a mom through a local twin group who was pregnant with mono/di identical twins. She had a really rough pregnancy and sadly lost 1 son from TTTS. So, when I found myself pregnant with mono/di twins, I knew the seriousness of TTTS and that I needed to be monitored by a specialist. When I was 30 weeks along, we had to move across the country for my husband's work. That is a whole long story, but I did see a specialist upon our arrival on the East coast. I was being seen twice per week for non-stress tests by that point in my pregnancy and every other week for Dr. appointments. At the non-stress tests, they looked at my amniotic fluid levels as well as the watching of the babies heartrates. Things were looking okay. Then in my 32nd week, I wasn't feeling well at all. However, we had a lot going on, closing and moving into a home etc. When I showed up at my 32 week Dr. visit, she decided to peek via u/s before sending me up to my non-stress test since she hadn't met me before. At first glance, she said there was a problem and started calling for more physicians to come. One of my boys was shrink wrapped, with no amniotic fluid, the other was swimming in an ocean of amniotic fluid. This shift had occurred in only a few days since my last NST. They opted to drain amniotic fluid from the one who had so much, to see if things would stabilize. After removing 2 liters of fluid, they admitted me for observation, to give me steroid shots which can speed up their lung development etc. Unfortunately, my shrink wrapped baby kept having heartrate drops which prompted an emergency c-section very quickly after admission. They were whisked away without me even seeing them, intubated, given surfactant etc. However, they did very well and came home from the NICU after 4 weeks, They were 3 lbs 5oz and 3lb 15oz at birth and 1 lb more when we took them home a month later. One of my twins has asthma, but otherwise they were very healthy and developmentally fine. They are now almost 15 and will start taking community college classes in the fall. My advice to you would be to find a good specialist, who is knowledgeable about mono/di twins and does close monitoring. Many twins needlessly die because they are not being followed closely. My original OB during that pregnancy would only have done regular u/s and would not have given me the care I needed. I switched as soon as I knew the situation. Mono/di pregnancies are not the same as fraternal twin pregnancies. I have experienced both. They both have some similar issues, but also some different ones. All twins are unique and special, but again, fraternal twins and identical twins are different. Fraternal twins are like siblings born at the same time. My identical twins think and do so many things the same...very weird, funny, and fascinating. We have so many stories about this. Yet, it is important that they each be valued as their unique person, not labeled or called, "the twins" but recognizing each with his name. My boys were pictured for years on the Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome Foundation website, but they have now changed it. I am happy to answer questions you may have now or in the future. Parenting issues are very dear to my heart, so much so that I wrote a book called, "Parenting Sensibly: Turning messes into successes. If you google Lynda Satre, you will find a video of an interview my pastor did with me and I share my story and a bit of parenting encouragement. Congratulations! Each of your children are such a blessing. Lynda
  • Hey Ali! I'm so excited for you! I commented on Instagram too, but figured I'd share a couple links here, in case you're interested. I have mono-di boys that just turned 3 in February. The mono-di part of the pregnancy can be scary, but ours went so well. The boys were born at 35+5 due to my having really severe preeclampsia. They never had problems, like twin to twin transfusion, but they did have a size difference and still do. Advice would be to accept ALLLLLL the help offered. My husband has weird hours, so I had one of our moms helping most nights until the boys were about 4 months. I'd be happy to chat with you, if you ever wanted. It can definitely be overwhelming, but it's also a lot of fun. Here's my blog posts about everything - https://www.lifeloveandsugar.com/slice-of-life/ From when we found out it was twins and were told they were mono-mono, to now.
  • I loved reading this and am excited to be along for the journey with you! I am 22 weeks pregnant with twins! I had many of the same early symptoms as you did which was so different from my VERY easy pregnancy with my 2.5 year old son. We were at our first appointment and the doctor measured the baby and we watched the heart beating, then she was going to try and print a photo and adjusted the wand and BAM, little baby A popped into view. It was so surreal since it was a full minute or two after starting the scan. Nothing like your experience with 2 scans before you knew. My reaction was covering my face and laughing, I didn't know what else to do. It was so surreal. I didn't have any type of premonition but we always joked and said what if we had twins, and my Mom had a dream it was twins before we knew. It does feel so special but I'm also overwhelmed for a lot of reasons that you shared. C-section recovery, stairs, feeding two newborns and surviving nights with a toddler to care for as well. Congratulations! I'm so happy for you and happy to have someone on the journey "with" me. I can't wait to find out what you're having. We're having 2 boys but they are not identical, two sacks and placentas. They said I dropped 2 eggs.
  • My twins are 7 weeks old today. They are our first babies. We hired a night nurse to help us four nights a week for the first month and have continued to extend, now planning to stop after 3 months. We initially wanted to have her start after their second week home because we wanted to try it on our own first and we caved and called her after night 3 at home. Now, our girls were only 4.5 lbs each (perfectly healthy and no NICU) so we were worried about EVERYTHING and having a professional there was so unbelievably helpful. Now, as the girls get older each week we’re finding keeping them on the same schedule is so crucial in terms of eating and sleeping and having someone there with experience in tandem feeding is great. My advise would be to go for the nighttime help, even just for a little bit while you’re recovering. I had a C-Section and recovered really well and really quickly, but even just the exhaustion of a twin pregnancy was enough for me to know I needed support at night. We were feeding every 2 hrs and the feeds alone would take about 1.5 hrs each, so we would have 30 minutes before having to do it again. This isn’t to scare you because having twins is absolutely amazing and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! It’s all to say as much as you can do it on your own with just your partner...don’t. Not if you have the ability to have help at night for the first little bit. I promise you won’t regret it. And see if you can get a twin specialist! They can help get them on the same schedule and help with sleep training if that’s something you would want to do later on.
  • Best wishes. My daughter thought she had her new married life all planned out. House etc. Wrong. Very quickly turned up pregnant with twin girls. My grand mother was a twin as well as my husband's grandmother was a twin as well. Alas all was well and the babies were nearly 7 lbs. each, imagine that. I would travel down to their apartment for the week to help her and come home on the weekends. I called it riding the couch.As a mother of five i have to say it was a learning curve. I sad i felt sorry for mothers or parents of triplets because some one is always odd man out. I urged my daughter to join a group called Mothers of Multiples. It was a god send for her. She ended up being on the board aa well. The twin girls are now just 14 years old. Where did the time go?
  • Check out @nelliediamond on IG. Also a twin mom, with an older son and a business owner. And the way Lu slapped his head I think you’re having boys. LOL
  • Congrats! I have fraternal twin girls, and I’m a twin myself! Best advice is get them on a sleep schedule 😂 I’m so excited for you!!
  • Twin mama to two healthy boys that just celebrated their 5th birthday. My best advice is to take such good care of yourself during this pregnancy. Growing one baby is a miracle but growing 2 is just unreal! When the babies come home, start a schedule from day one and keep them both on it religiously. Wake to feed both, even when you don’t want to, or else you’ll be feeding around the clock. Instead of spending money on clothes or unnecessary baby items - hire a night nanny. And the most important advice I can give - take the help anytime it is offered. The twin bond is truly like no other and it’s the most amazing thing to experience.
  • Such an exciting time! Fellow twin mama to two healthy boys that just turned FIVE! My best advice is to take excellent care of yourself during this pregnancy. Growing one baby is a miracle in itself, but growing two is just unreal! Buy two bassinets to keep beside your bed and two swings for your family space. I had a double bassinet that I kept downstairs so I didn't have to walk the steps all day long. When the babies come home start a schedule and stick to it religiously. Wake to feed both, even when you don't want to, or else you'll be feeding around the clock. I breastfed, bottle fed, and pumped simultaneously. When the babies had head control, I fed one on the breast and bottle fed the other in a swing, or bottle fed both while in their seats. TAKE HELP FROM LACTATION with tandem feeding, I never could get it to work for me. Hire a night nanny if you can swing it and the most important advice in my opinion - take help every single time it is offered. The twin bond is truly like no other and it's the most amazing thing to experience. So happy for you all!
  • A cool fact I learned recently: identical twins CAN be different genders! It's very rare, but it can happen. 🤯 I'm currently 9.5 weeks pregnant and have had the same intuition of twins for the same reasons (heightened symptoms like nausea and fatigue, which I didn't have with the previous pregnancy). But my 8 week scan only showed one. You've got me thinking now what my 12 week scan has in store! ❤️❤️ So excited for you and to follow your special journey!
  • Congrats!!! I loved reading this because it has brought so many similar memories of my 4 yr old twins! My guess is they are girls?! If so you have every right to make those faces lol! My best advice would be to put them on the same schedule as soon as you get them home. Feed, same time or right after, diaper change and sleep. I brought them home right into their own cribs. (Same room) That way I didn't have to transfer from bassinet to crib. Less is best! Also the fears you have are totally normal. Mine had to be in the NICU for a week. And although I was heartbroken and so sad, that time let me rest and heal from a c section tremendously. Best of luck!
  • I’m a twin mom here! Delivered my fraternal twins at 38 and 3 days....and I’m only 5 feet tall! I’d suggest hiring a night nanny to help with night feeds for the first couple months. It takes some practice getting two babies on the boob so two people helping is helpful. It allowed my husband to sleep (he had to work) and I got to sleep 3-4 hour stretches. I truly believe that saved us because since there are 2 the crying, fussing and feeding is double. We feel it was completely worth the money!
  • Thank you for sharing your story! You are so right- there is very little information on twins online which makes it even scarier. I am 15 weeks pregnant with fraternal boy/girl twins. I have a toddler who will be two when they are born so I’m worried about keeping everyone alive 😂. My plan is to focus on one thing when they are born so I don’t get overwhelmed- mine will be sleep schedule. My oldest didn’t sleep through the night until 18 months and it was almost the death of me. Good luck and looking forward to following your journey.
  • So very happy for you and your growing family. Best wishes, can’t wait to follow along!!
  • My twins are now 23 years old. They are a boy and girl. We found out at 7 weeks it was twins due to some pain I was experiencing, they thought it was maybe a tubal pregnancy. Anyway of course we were excited and scared, oh my goodness to babies at once. I did experience preterm labor, I was on hospital bed rest at 30 weeks, then home bed rest til 36 weeks. My twins were born at 36 weeks, completely healthy, we went home from the hospital 24 hours later. The biggest advice I would give you is put them on a feeding and sleeping schedule right away. By 6 weeks they were sleeping 6 to 8hour streches at night. By 3 months they were sleeping 10 to 12 hours. I also always laid them down awake for bed or naps, they neve cried they always knew how to self sooth and go to sleep. It is a wild journey but so wonderful And don't be hard on yourself it is hard, get as much help as you need. Goodluck!!
  • Congratulations!!! We have fraternal twin boys who will be one in May. While it is exhausting, it is absolutely amazing and now that they are starting to play together, it is clear what an amazing bond they will have for a lifetime. As others have mentioned, keeping to a schedule is key so you aren't feeding 24/7. If you can find help at night, that would be amazing. We were nervous to do so due to the early days of the pandemic, but looking back it would have been incredibly helpful with recovery. Having safe spots to put them down is super useful- we used Uppababy bassinets in the early days, bouncer/rocker chairs as they got bigger, and now love the Table for Twin for bottle feeding and keep a pack n play set up in case we need to step away to change a diaper. Would definitely recommend a hands-free pump like the Willow or Elvie because holding twins/being hooked up to the pump gets annoying quick. Wishing you a safe and healthy pregnancy and delivery.
  • Congrats, twins are a crazy ride! I remember how crazy tired I was before I even knew I was having twins (I ran my last 10k at 6 weeks preggo because I was just too tired!). I have di-di boys who were born at 36.6 and needed no NICU time. My MFM called me the best twin incubator (which terrifies me now that we are trying for number 4, we also have a daughter who’s 21 months older than our twins)! It took a couple of weeks for the shock to wear off for us. The biggest thing I wished we had done was buy a mini van BEFORE the twins were here! I tried keeping out Pilot with 3 rear facing seats for 2 months and it was a nightmare. The Pacifica with stow n go seating has been LIFE CHANGING for me! As I’m sure you learned with Roma you just have to figure it out and it won’t be any different with twins and 2 toddlers. Sure it’ll be harder but give yourself grace and know all these children were chosen for you! I breastfed my twins, I’d nurse them at the same time. Sometimes I feel like I missed out on the one on one connection but I tried it the other way and I was just feeding babies around the clock and had no time for anything else. We also got them on a good sleeping schedule pretty early following Taking Cara Babies. It’s so fun seeing their different personalities. Our daughter is 3 (Dec ‘17) and our boys are 17 months (Oct ‘19) they are so much fun together. I’m a SAHM and my husband is in the Air Force. (He deployed for 3 months when the twins were 5 months old, I relied so heavily on my parents. They tell it is was some of their favorite memories thought, it was right as Covid shutdowns started in Florida). Another bit of advice I’d give you is to adapt your expectations. Someone is always going to blow out or spit up on the adorable matching outfits, someone will always be melting down when you try to get the group photo, etc. just make it work and own it! We call ourselves the Rausch Family Circus!
  • Congratulations! I’ll pray for you & your babies so that everything goes as smoothly as possible! ❤️
  • No twins here, but I've been following you long before Luca came around. We now give children close in age and this post put tears in my eyes. I'm so happy for you both and although I'm not heading down the pregnancy road I'm so excited to follow you in this one just as much as your first two! I also think it's girls based on Lu's facial expression☺️
  • You should join Pelo's Preggos & Postpartum Mamas facebook group - it is the best!!
  • Congratulations! I have almost 4 year old twins (girl and boy) and a 10 month old. My twins are very different from one another so despite wanting to keep them on the same schedule it wasn’t always possible. At night my husband would wake up when my daughter did and I would do the same with my son. It’s what worked for us! Now they are still inseparable but it’s so fun to watch them become their own little person!
  • Congratulations! I'm from a family of twins. I'm from a family with twin girls, then a boy, then a girl, then twin boys. I'm one of the older twin girls. We had 6 children 4 1/2 and under and it was pretty chaotic for a while but we made it! There were 5 girls in my mom's family and 3 of the girls had twins and my mom had 2 sets! I loved being a twin so much I really hoped I would have twins when I decided to have kids, but didn't. You will do fine, I'm sure! Best of everything to you, I love your blog, I always appreciate your honesty and down-to-earth attitude towards life.
  • I am so glad you are documenting this! I also remember looking for week by weeks from twin pregnancies and they’re so hard to find!! I have di-di fraternal twins so some differences but I did carry to 38 weeks - no early labor or major issues. While I was always considered high risk, I was fortunate to have an uneventful twin pregnancy (outside of the terrible nausea) The c-section with two toddlers might be rough(I only had 1) so make sure you have someone to stay with you at first. And if they’ll be in school that will be really helpful. For me, it wasn’t so much the recovery but just trying to split my time. You’re in for such a beautiful experience. Holding two babies at once they you just grew feels like the most amazing miracle! I had a lot of similarities in my experience. I was certain I had twins. I was alone when I found out bc I had some bleeding so I slipped into an early appointment with my dr. The nurse did the sonogram and was totally quiet. I freaked out. And then said “well you’re definitely pregnant, and I think you’re having twins!” And she turned the screen towards me and I saw the two sacs. I just blurted it out as soon as i walked outside and called my husband. Telling our parents was also so much fun! They were so so shocked!!! We lived in a tiny nyc two bedroom so logistics were a headache too! We ended up moving to a three bedroom and we’re just fine so I’m sure you guys will be fine!! Connecting with other MoM (moms of multiples, there’s an acronym for everything) is helpful too. You should consider making an offshoot of your inspiralized mama group! Bc while it’s still motherhood there are a lot of differences - like sleep training when there’s another little one! Or potty training two at once 😣 thankfully I’m not there yet. Congrats again!
  • Congratulations! What a big surprise for you guys! Just wanted to let you know that you don’t necessarily need to have a csection just because it’s twins. Especially since you’ve had two previous vaginal births. I would definitely ask your doctor about it. Good luck!
  • i have 2 year old boy girl twins and it’s been a blast! DO NOT be scared of this pregnancy! i had literally no complications and i’m 42! i was active (after the first tri) and kept my food intake in check so i didn’t blow up! i loved being pregnant! i’m trying to think of what i would recommend? i took baths every night and i also drank celery juice for 30 days prior to delivery (38 weeks) and i’m convinced that’s why i didn’t swell really bad! i also made huge batches of bone broth to sip after c section! hire help! we luckily found the most amazing people to help us but you have to have it ! it’s a non negotiable! good luck ! cannot wait to follow along on your pregnancy!
  • Congratulations!! Twin boy mom here!!! Yes yes yes to night if u can afford it - saved my life. I was getting so delirious from not sleeping I fell fir an internet scam and was walking into walls. Highly recommend joining your local twin/multiple club. I’ve met some great moms through there. Xo
  • Congratulations! I wish I could put you in touch with my good friend! She had kids similar ages to yours when she got pregnant with her identical twin girls! They are also a family of 4 kids. :) I’m sure she can offer lots of advice and tips. She’s an incredible mom, and they are such a lovely family. They make 4 look like so much fun! My husband is also an identical twin. I secretly hoped for twins, but no such luck. My doctor (who was also a twin!) shared that identical twins aren’t hereditary, it’s fraternal twins that are, which I thought was an interesting fact. Enjoy this special time!
  • Omg congrats! I enjoyed reading your post. As a (former) labor & delivery nurse (I’ve taken a break from it since my life is crazy right now with my kids), I can tell you everyone in the hospital is going to be excited for you! We are excited for all mothers delivering, but delivering twins (especially identical!) is always special. And LOL at Lu’s reaction to the gender. Based on his look I’m going to guess they’re girls! But can’t wait to find out, and follow along with you in your journey. :)
  • Congratulations! Reading this took me back 20 years. I received my first and only (this far) traffic citation on the way home from finding out about my boys! My Grandma dreamt I was having red headed twin boys (and they were) and my aunt cracked an egg with two yokes the day of me telling her I was expecting. My mini miracles will be 20 in June. My boys are mono/mono, born at 28 weeks because of cord entanglement. They spent a month in the hospital and they warned us, scared the bageebees out of us, and today they are perfect. Healthy happy young men. My advice to you is try and relax take one day at a time and take lots of pictures because you will be tired and forget the good times! Accept help, hire help, and remember to have dates with your husband and other two kids once they are here...even when your too tired to go.
  • At my hospital, twins are not an automatic csection, but they do have the mother deliver in the L&D operating room, in case they need to do anything extra to get the babies out.
  • Congratulations! I have MoDi survivors of a DiTri identical pregnancy. Pear be careful of what you pay as there's a whole sinister set of people who will take your ultrasound and bump photos and sell them on some really perverted sites. I had no issues with stairs and carrying two bucket seats after my c section. The more you move the better and a huge fan of getting twins on a schedule even if you're nursing versus not as my twin siblings were not on one nor in sync and their first year was really rough. Mine was much easier Brevard if having them in a routine. Teach it to your local multiples club and join it. There are some things you would never Coste with a singleton that are Herrick with multiples such as waking a sleeping baby to keep them in sync. Work on strengthening your non dominant side now. Best wishes!
  • Congrats mama! Twins are the best. I have an identical twin sister, and I have 5 year old twin girls! I made it to full term with them (37 weeks 1 day). No NICU time needed. The first couple of years are rough, to be honest. You will need help for middle of the night feeds. And my best advice is to keep them on the same schedule. This way they both nap at the same time and you get some time for yourself and to spend with your other two kiddos. After the first couple of years twins are seriously the best. My girls are best friends and play with each other alllll day. You got this!
  • Please share the advice, just found we’re having twins and I feel ALL of the things you’re describing!!
  • Congratulations! Identical girls are so special 🥰 - I may be a slightly biased momma of identical girls. I delivered early at NYU Langone, late stage TTTS, c section and pre eclampsia. The best thing we did for the girls and our family was to bring in help! We had amazing night nurses and eventually sleep trainers. These choices are so personal but the more expansive village we chose was invaluable. Also get the Table for Two - lifesaver. ❤️
  • Congratulations! I was in your boat a year ago. We had a 2 and 4 year old and very similarly got pregnant when I didn’t have the smiley. My husband was out of town when the smiley actually happened. Lo and behold, identical twins boys as #3 and #4. I did not process it as well as you seemed to. Actually, it took me the entire pregnancy until birth. I am in love with my twins now...they’re 10 months but it was definitely a journey. Best of luck and it is such a miracle...a pure blessing 😊
  • You can VBAC twins! My cousin had identical girls for her first pregnancy and pushed both those babies out! Good luck - can’t wait to learn the gender!!
  • Hi Ali!!! I am so so thrilled for you and your family. I had mono/di BOYS last September!!! Reading your blog has taken me through all the same emotions and feelings my husband and I felt when we first found out we were having twins. I also have a 3 year old little girl. We had the same reactions and feelings you guys did. But you are right, you can’t control any of it. Once I gave up trying to be in control of my pregnancy and focused on giving my babies alllll the positive vibes, it was incredible-and actually a healthier pregnancy than my singleton! I amazed myself and I made it to 36 weeks!! You can do it too! With family support you guys can get through it. Especially the first month. The c section wasn’t easy but just force yourself to get up and moving ASAP. My husband and I found that if we took “shifts”, the night time was something we could get through. You will get really good at feeding two babies at the same time! It’s tricky at first but you will learn. I, too, had the same feeling that I was chosen to be a twin mom and carry twins. Twins, (especially identical)! Is such an amazing miracle. I can’t wait to follow your journey! You’ve totally got this!
  • Congratulations!
  • Hi dear i feel for you as I had found out at week 5 I was having identical twins..In my case due to fertitlity treamtent my 1 embryo got split into 2.. However all my fears of Identical twins plis sharing same placenta and twin to twin syndrome was so much high..but my docs kept on confusing me..1 said they are in 2 different sac so 2 seperate placenta whoch was correct..other doc confuswd me by saying that baby might share same placenta..but its too early..They even told me 30% are. Vanishing twins so one baby will survice by week 12.. I was so stressed..but by week 8 I got clariry It was vanishing twins and Now I am carrying only 1 baby..due in Aug2021.. Good luck..you can get in touch woth maternal Fetal doc ..high risk doc they have expertise in identital twins..very rear kind of twins..🙂👌 Keep us posted..
  • Congratulations! I have mono-di girls and I found out at 8 weeks I was having twins. Initially it was thought they were mono-mono and everything was extremely stressful in terms of medical follow-ups etc. However, at 12 weeks it was confirmed they were mono-di. I still had so many appointments with MFM. They tell you so much information at each appointment and one of them ended up with IUGR. I was only going to be able to carry to 36 weeks but they came at 32 weeks. They had a 1.5 lb weight difference and one of them was in NICU for a month (smaller one). The best thing I would advise is to get them on the same sleep, feeding and changing schedule. Otherwise you'll be constantly doing these things and it will never end. Tandem feed and I had both the Twin Z pillow and the Table for Two for feeding. In my opinion it was money well spent! I'd prop up the bottles with rolled towels. I also put them straight into their own cribs (no bassinet), so it was less shuffling and change (and two less things to buy!). Today they are almost 4 (same as Luca!) and they still have a 2-3 lb weight difference and The doctor said they always likely will. Thier bond is amazing to see and like nothing else. The way they finish each other's sentences and help each other out (not to mention fight!) is like they are one person. They even pick out the same clothes/socks/hair pins when they haven't seen what the other one is wearing! It truly is a blessing and miracle. You will find a bond with other twin/multiples Mamas and will often make eye contact with others with a look like 'I know... I know what you're going through' it really is something that only a multiples Mama understands. Annnd, yes, we bought a Van!! I was completely against it, but I love it and wouldn't change the van for anything!! Exciting times are ahead for your family and I wish you all the best in your journey. I took it hour by hour initially... Give yourself grace. You'll get into your own groove and routine!
  • Ali, congratulations!!! I am also the mother of mo-di twins and twin pregnancy is an experience for sure. My biggest recommendation is to go see a mfm that specializes in multiples. I loved my normal OB, but there’s just so much more that goes into a twin pregnancy especially when they are sharing a placenta. An mfm keeps such a closer eye on your babies and has seen literally everything, which is such a reassurance during a high risk pregnancy! So excited to watch you and your family enjoy this journey!
  • Relax! I'm an identical twin and my Mom ALWAYS told everyone that the first 6 months were hard -- but nothing was after that. The bond of IDENTICAL (much more than fraternal) automatically means CLOSE BUDDIES. Buddies 24/7 in life forever....(and my twin & I have actually lived an ocean apart for years at a time as adults). Our entire growing up years TOGETHER were more than awesome. We "bothered" our mom only minimally. Yes, seriously -- she says MINIMALLY. So RELAX! (And take some 'separate/individual' pictures.) None exist of us except our school pictures -- until we married! Ha, Yes! RELAX! And toss away PERFECTIONISM!
  • How can I follow you
    • Through Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/inspiralized/
  • Congrats! Twins are so magical! Find a local group with the link.... these ladies are legit!
  • I highly recommend getting snoo bassinets if you can afford them. I have Mono/Di twins that just turned two and we used the Halo Bassinets but if I had to do it over again I would splurge on the Snoos. It will be VERY hard, especially if you exclusively breast feed both (which I did for 10 months) but remember it is all just a phase and it will get easier!! You've got this Mama!
  • Ahh... our stories are quite similar! I unexpectedly learned that I was expecting identical twin girls (due September 19th). I have 4 children which include a set of fraternal twins (10 years old). I am excited and also nervous! Would love to email and swap stories ! I have had a history of preterm labor with all of my pregnancies so am extra nervous now (due to my age, 40, and high risk pregnancy). Hopefully we can cheer one another on during this exciting time!!
  • Hi there! At 40 (me) and 47 (hubby) years old, my husband and I got pregnant again. Our older kids were 17, 16, and 12. Girl, Girl, Boy. We were surprised and a little shell shocked at first, but then we got pretty excited. We too kept getting told there was only one baby. My oldest two kept teasing that we were going to have twins. Well..... We went to our 20 weeks scan and got told our appointment works take twice as long because there were two babies. We started giggling and talking. We were both extremely thrilled. On February 24, 2013 we had fraternal girls via c-section. I didn't have any complications from having a c- section and I healed quickly. I chose to just do the c-section rather than try for vaginal delivery since I didn't want to end up having to do both. It was a good thing as well, because my second baby curled up behind my ribs and decided she wasn't coming out. They had to push her down. I was so fortunate for those first two months that my husband could take off work and that we could afford to. We both got up for each feeding and fed them at the same time. Then diaper change. My husband was so wonderful about doing this with me. After he went back to work and the girls were a little bigger we would do feedings solo, one baby works get fed and changed and then the other one. He would do the 10-11pm feeding while i slept and then I would do the 2am and he would do the 6am, since he had to be up for work anyway. It worked fairly well. After they started sleeping 6 hours at a time I would do the 10pm feeding and hubby would do the a.m. During the day my older girls would help if I really needed it. I didn't have them do too much though, because I didn't want them to feel as if they lost their teenage years. It took quite a bit of teamwork, but we managed. That first 6 months was the toughest. Once they started sleeping for longer stretches it got better. Once they were a year old and didn't need the middle of the night feeding we established a strict bedtime routine. We had two rocking chairs in their room. We had mini cribs for each of them to save on space so they could share a room. My hubby works take one and i would take the other. They would get cleaned up/bathed and then diapered and dressed for bed at 7:00. They'd get their last bottles and get rocked and sung to until about 7:30/7:45. We did this routine every night for a couple of years. It helped establish their sleep habits. My other kids were older while yours are still really young. I'm sure that will play into your decision to seek help. Having twins can seem overwhelming, but if you have a good routine and keep things organized it helps a lot. Good Luck! And be prepared for people to ask silly questions and sometimes just be pushy or rude.
  • Congratulations Ali and Lu!! I just want to say how exciting your news was, I’ve been following you for some time and although I am the mother of a now 20 year old, I just relate so much to you. I enjoy seeing your content about the kids and your activities with them and as much as I wanted another child, it just wasn’t in my cards so I get extremely excited when someone shares their pregnancy news. I often read your posts and think about how much has changed when I was pregnant (19 and without a clue in the world) so I still dream of what I would do now if I was expecting, and your approach to raising a family is just so... refreshing. I truly send you and your lovely family the best well wishes all the way from California and I look forward to seeing your posts and progress during the next few months (and years!). Also I’m sure you’ve gotten this in a comment but Melissa Wood Health has some great light, pregnancy workouts! Sending you so much love ❤️
  • Omg!!! So exciting, and so scary!! Been there!! I had a 1.5 year old at home. We tried for one more. Went in for my ultrasound late bc, it was our second...what’s the rush, ha! We were hit with the news of di/di twins. I went into hysterics. I had no feeling like you that there might be 2. The idea was like not even mentioned. They don’t run in either family, etc. apparently hyper ovulation is a thing and bam- twins! It took me MONTHS to get excited. I was in panic mode. All the same reasons, house, car, having (only 1!) but still, a 1.5 yr old at home. It all worked out, though I did have to have a c-section which was not my plan. I had a doula and a completely natural child birth with #1. But the c-section was bc baby A was measuring quite a bit smaller than baby B and they were worried. All good and recovery was not bad. So don’t stress that part. We ended up moving into a bigger house with a guesthouse. My mom moved in. I put a couch in the nursery and nursed them at the same time - always! (At least until they got too big or distracted to nurse together). Definitely hire help if you can, I don’t know what I’d of done without my mom and my husband being there to hand one baby off to while still nursing the other. They are 4 now. We are surviving!! And you will, too. Just breathe!!! You’ve GOT THIS MAMA!!!!! What a miracle!!!
  • Yay! Congratulations! Having twins is great, definitely a lot of work I won’t cover that up but it’s amazing and so much fun! Don’t let anyone scare you, just keep your babies on the same feeding/sleeping schedule and your life will be 👌🏼 Mine are 3.5 now and have an 18 month old (all boys) and it’s the best!
  • Fellow MoDi twin mom here! I have (almost) 2 year old identical boys. First, this is SO exciting! I have followed you for years and always thought we would be friends in real life, and the fact that you are having identical twins now solidifies my thoughts that we would be best friends. Also I could have thrown up just from saying the word broccoli in my first trimester. Oh, and if you are ravenous now just wait until you start breastfeeding them. Identical twin pregnancy is... scary. I would go into my MFM appointments holding my breath every 2 weeks (I am sure you will start going often around 20 weeks or so). At my 30 week appointment we found that Baby A had TTTS, so I got steroid shots, and we scheduled a csection for 34 weeks. Overall my pregnancy was wonderful. I was able to continue doing Barre classes up until that 30 week appointment and, other than the first trimester, I felt really good. My biggest piece of advice is to think realistically about birth. We spent 37 days in the NICU. Not all identical twins end up there, but it is certainly common. I don't say it to scare you, but I do think I would have been a lot more terrified if I thought I was going to be able to hold my babies right away, and then they unexpectedly were whisked away to the NICU. I knew that was likely going to happen, and I mentally prepared myself for it. Their time in the NICU also meant pumping instead of nursing. It ended up working better for me even after they got home because it meant me and my husband could share feedings. I was able to build a great freezer stash, which meant mom could actually leave the house every once in a while. 10/10 recommend. :) I have perfect little toddler boys now, and while all the scariness during pregnancy and NICU time will never be forgotten, it is hard to believe these boys were ever so fragile. I am SO happy for you and love that you will be sharing this journey for other twin (especially MoDi) parents. I wish I would have had you as a resource during my twin pregnancy. Best of luck- I will be cheering you on the whole time! : )
  • Congratulations!! Such an exciting time! I had your exact same experience 14 years ago - mono / di identical twins on my third pregnancy - taking us to a family of six. And you are right - it changes everything logistically! We also had to say goodbye to our recently purchased new car, book two hotel rooms, etc. I too was alone when I found out - my husband had taken the older two on a long planned camping trip and I was going to join them after my "routine" ultrasound. I didn't sleep a wink that night running everything over in my head! My best advice is to prioritize getting comfortable with tandem breastfeeding. It changed everything for me. Even when I was alone with the kids, both babies were happy, it was quiet, and I could talk and interact with the older two. Once that was working well, I felt like I could take care of everyone. So get the big twin poppy, and give it your best shot. Congratulations again - it is a very busy season, but honestly, I miss it now! Here's my crew of girls - twins on the ends.
  • Congratulations ! Such exciting wonderful news Ali - love to you all xxx
  • Hi Ali, huge congratulations on your pregnancy. My sister-in-law just sent me your instagram video about finding out you were having twins and it was like watching a parallel universe 😊 I am 13 weeks + 2 on my third pregnancy (2 + 4 years old boys already) and I'm expecting monochorionic twins in early October. I also was told one baby initially at 8 weeks then found out at 10 weeks there were in fact two! I also attended the scans alone due to Covid and just blurted the news out to my husband over the phone after my scan. The logistics kept me awake at night initially plus the anxiety of all the risks involved. I've been completely wiped out the past week with a sinus infection and have struggled to get out of bed the past few days. I'm doing my best to eat and drink as much as I can but it's hard right now. I really hope I'll be over this dose soon andy energy levels will increase 🙏 My Dad is a twin and he has identical twins brothers so even though it was a huge shock to find out we are having twins we were kind of playing with fire on this pregnancy 😊 One day at a time now and just hoping for two healthy littles babas at the end of the day. Look after yourself. I'll be following everything x
  • Congratulations! I have 5-year b/g twins and I didn't find out until I was 10-weeks. I went into the ER, thinking I was having an appendicitis and ended up with an ovarian cyst and a 2nd baby! My twins did come early and I had to have an emergency c-section due to placenta abruption. While we had a long NICU stay, I have an entire group who loved and cared for my kids while I could recovered. NICU doctors and Nurses will always hold a special place in my heart for how they love and care for the families in their care. My best advice is don't be afraid to ask for help and be gentle on yourself. There are so many things that are changing and two at one time is amazing and crazy at the same time! They will have an amazing bond that is incredible to watch. Do what works for you and your family! Congratulations again! Welcome to the twin mama club! You are a super woman!
  • First....CONGRATS!!! I have B/G 4 year old twins. It was a very long process trying to have kids with many rounds of IUI's, IVF and 2 miscarriages so learning that we were having twins was truly a miracle and one I will never take for granted but everyday is something new and a challenge with two! I had them at 34 weeks and they were in the NICU for about 2 weeks. That was tough leaving them there and being at home but the NICU nurses are the most amazing people you will ever meet and get your children on such a schedule that when you bring them home eventually things are a little easier. I don't have much advice since its basically survival and we didn't know anything different since we don't have other kids. Everyone will give you LOTS of advice but you honestly have to do what works best for you and your family. I can't imagine having 2 kids then twins but you are a SUPER mom and will be amazing. Can't wait to follow along on this journey with you! Best of luck and try not be too nervous about the pregnancy, I was SUPER freaked out and it was actually a breeze. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions. Courtney Coyne
  • I am now the 64y ear old mother of identical twin boys who are 26. They were a c-section birth because they were both breech. one weighed 6.7 pounds and the other 6.9. I gained 50 pounds. We painted one of the twins toenails bright pink so people could tell them apart. When they were born my oldest son was 19 months and my daughter was almost 5. Although I had enough breast milk i pumped for them for 3 solid months because they simply would not nurse. Didn't have much help but we survived and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Look at the Kia Telluride. It is an amazing vehicle which you may like instead of the mini-van. Feel free to contact me. Always happy to help. As a side not I am a RN as well. Take care, Susan
  • Hi!!!! Congrats!!!! Boy/girl twin mom (and we had a toddler first) so 3 under 3! Best advice is to try and stick to a schedule and get the twins on the same schedule, it’s hard but totally helps. You’ll find your zen and everything will seem manageable :) you’ve got this!! Honestly, we joke sometimes that the twins are easier than the toddler!
  • I have been following you and cooking stuff from all your cookbooks for many, many years. I have some zucchini that needs to be used and of course I thought to “inspiralize” it! Came to your site and was like, WAIT! WHAT?! I am so out of the loop! Not anymore though! So unbelievably excited for you and your family! Can’t wait to read all your blogs and IG posts moving forward. ❤️❤️❤️
  • Very excited for you! Congrats.
  • Congratulations Ali & Lu! I don’t have any advice... but I just wanted to say I’m so excited for you guys. Ali I’ve followed you for years and you’re truly the most amazing mother. Congrats again! ❤️
  • Congratulations! I pray you have a easy and blessed and healthy pregnancy. My only comment would be to make sure your dinner plates and glasses are lead-free. So many beautiful China and glazed dishes have dangerous levels of lead and cadmium. Some say on the packaging. Some you have to Google. The only reason I know about this is that it happened to a friend of mines child! 🙏❤
  • I don't have twins but just want to say congratulations on your wonderful news! My youngest is 18 now and my other two are in their 20s, so I miss those days with little ones! Enjoy it! Sending prayers your way!
  • Ali, I've been following you since the days of the Paderno spiralizer (before you even had your own!). I love how open you are with your followers, and I truly am so happy for you - I told my own family! Congratulations, and thank you for sharing this special story with us.
  • I'm so glad I happened to come across your story, because I was in your exact situation a year ago. I gave birth to mo/di twins in August 2020 when my oldest was 3, and my second was just 18months, so I've been taking care of four kids under 4yo. It has been the happiest time of my life, and the hardest! I had a very complicated pregnancy, involving TTTS and Selective IUGR, but we made it to 34 weeks and I miraculously have healthy babies. I learned a ton in the process, so I'd be happy to share further info if you develop any issues. Now, every day is a challenge, but so far, my most helpful purchases are my wonderfold wagon, my twin z pillow,and my freemie breast pump. I'm so grateful for these genius inventions. Good luck! I wish you the best!
  • Congrats! Fellow twin mom here. I can't resist offering advice. 1. Know that the first year will be very challenging, but once they are 1 or so, they play together and you'll get to witness one of the most precious relationships on earth develop. 2. Don't like Dr. Luke's weight targets for moms throw you off. I wasn't gaining for the longest time then suddenly was 80 lbs heavier! 3. Hire help–for the babies and your toddlers 4. Keep them on the same eating and napping schedule. Tough waking up a waking baby I know. 5. I highly recommend the Twin Z nursing pillow. One of my twins didn't nurse well and I didn't have a large supply so I eventually used the Twin Z to bottle feed them simultaneously while pumping wearing a pumping bra. Seems crazy but it cut our feeding time down to 30 minutes. 6. Go on lots of dates now! https://twinznursingpillow.com/product/twin-z-pillow/
  • OK so my ex-girlfriend sent me an ultrasound picture of our twins this year. Supposedly she got it in November.. I received a set of ultrasound pictures from her saying they are her ultrasound results and that they are our babies. for some reason i had a feeling to look to see if they aren’t really her ultrasound pictures. So I used google lens and found out the real pictures are ultrasound pictures. I’m sorry for any inconvenience caused by this but. I was just letting you know