Twin Mommy Spokesperson?

This is fairly disjointed, slightly convoluted, but a work in progress... 

I have been asked by several people to be a spokesperson for twin mommies.  I always laugh it off, smile, and thank them for the wonderful compliment. I also tell them that pregnancy is not a time to slack off, I learned that the hard way.  I had a "fun" pregnancy.  I gained 40 pounds.  I ate ice cream, chips, heavy meals with cream, drank soda, and calorie-laden drinks.  I exercised, which probably kept me from gaining more, but I suffered in the end.  I was diagnosed with pregnancy induced hypertension (PIH) around 35 weeks but appeared preeclamptic. I'm pretty sure, had the doctors done a 24 hour urine test, protein would have been discovered in my urine.  I was a swollen mess, with high blood pressure. I couldn't wear rings, many clothes, and felt miserably.  This was my fault.  PIH isn't always the fault of the mother, but I do think in my case I could have made healthier decisions and bypassed the 37 week biophysical profile test in the hospital and had much less stress from my OB over the last 5 weeks or so of pregnancy.

When I became pregnant with twins, I started research.  I was terrified that I would gain 80 pounds and be on bed rest the entire duration, I was convinced I would never sit in a booth or fit through a door ever again.  I thought I would be a miserable whale.... Since I was so anxious, I took time to get my ducks in a row.  I refused to have a bad or negative pregnancy.

The first 12 weeks of pregnancy were horrible. I was sick, and that gave me plenty of time, in bed, to read about nutrition and caring for myself and my unborn babies.

Pregnancy, in my opinion, is a 40 week commitment to grow the most precious thing inside your body, a baby. Why would you taint that?  I think it is fairly obvious that smoking, drinking, and recreational drugs are bad for the unborn baby. So my plans are to "not even go there!"  What I do plan on discussing is nutrition. Exercise, will also not be discussed, because many mommies of multiples cannot exercise... carrying two or more babies is constant exercise! Try walking up a flight of stairs at 32 weeks with twins - this is coming from a woman who runs 13.1 miles for fun!

Nutrition where do I start, my best advice for the first 12 weeks is eat what you can and drink even more. Staying hydrated has to be the best advice I can give during the first trimester.  Also remember,  you will gain an appetite back, stop vomiting, and lose the constant feelings of nausea/sea sickness sooner or later.  Ginger is a good friend at this time.  Health food stores have crystallized ginger to munch on or organic ginger ales.  I cannot speak from experience of "preggie-pops" nor do I know how much sugar is in them, but I have friends who swear by them. The key ingredient is ginger. Eating smaller meals frequently and never allowing yourself to go hungry are ways to reduce the first trimester woes.

Trimester two, the honeymoon phase, so they say.  With multiples, there never is a honeymoon phase, haha!  But eating becomes easier.  Some women claim they have an insatiable appetite, I didn't.  I could barely eat, not because of nausea but because one of my dear twins was situated on my belly (I guess).  I tried to make sure I got enough vitamins, particularly magnesium, potassium, and calcium.  I also increased my protein intake and limited carbohydrates and sugar while increasing complex carbohydrates. Food tasted good again, in small increments, and I really started to feel fairly good. I exercised, was still running, drank tons of water, and somehow managed to not gain weight.  The babies sure did! Many women put weight on during this point, and nutritionists encourage increasing caloric intake by 300 calories per baby.  That means for twin pregnancy, women should eat 2,400 - 2,600 calories a day.  I have read, mother of twins, need to consume up to 3,500 calories per day.  I think that is a bit much, but many of the big wigs in the field of multiples swear by it.  I never ate 3,500 and struggled to get to 2,000 daily... but what I ate was nutritious.

Some nerdy facts which are reasons I think nutrition plays such an important role in a twin pregnancy...  Mommies of singletons have a 5% chance of developing preeclampsia.  The twin mommy has a 33% chance. The mommy of singleton has a 2%-10% chance of developing gestational diabetes. These numbers are slightly higher in twin pregnancy and more prevalent in fraternal twinning. Do I think you can avoid either of these conditions, probably not but evidence does suggest blood pressure can be significantly lowered by consuming a diet rich in magnesium, potassium, and calcium.  What is ordered for gestational diabetes? Consuming protein, reducing simple sugars/carbohydrates and adding complex carbohydrates.  Is a light bulb going off? It should. Eating a good diet is essential for your babies' health!

According to Annie Murphy Paul, babies form their taste buds in utero.  What the mother eats forms experiences for the unborn baby.  One study showed, unborn babies exposed to carrot juice on a daily basis from their mother showed a preference for carrot juice in their cereal (after 6 months), over babies who did not experience carrot juice in utero.  Interestingly, the babies who had never had exposure to carrot juice displayed a myriad of facial expressions indicative of displeasure.  So, if you eat cheeseburgers, fries, and sweets does that mean your child will prefer junk in the future? I'm a strong believer in, yes it does. My two year-old daughter loves avocados, sweet fruits, and chocolate milk. Funny thing is, I craved those foods with her, and consumed a great deal of them.  She also likes candy, junk food, and ice cream - also my doing. Remember, she was my "fun" pregnancy.  My twins will hopefully like milk, salmon, green veggies, and sweet potatoes.  The foods I consume a great deal of at this point in my pregnancy. I feel like I have predisposed my twins to healthy eating habits, the same habits my 2 year old daughter sees everyday.

Once the third trimester roles around, twin mommies are jolly! Actually we are quite beautiful and sporting a baby bump that looks 6-8 weeks ahead of schedule, so that makes us fairly popular as we walk through Wal-Mart.  The babies are busy moving and responding to touch, sound, and light. It is an amazing time.  But, third trimester also brings on a whole new slew of symptoms that are misery for anyone, particularly the pregnant woman.  Heartburn, to name one. What's the remedy for heartburn, never eat, never lay down, and pray!  Actually to be truthful there are very few remedies for heartburn.  I find that limiting processed foods and increasing raw foods (veggies and fruits) have helped me tremendously.  I also eat fairly bland meals (which, at the same time, monitors my sodium),  drink water, and try to keep my meals small but frequent. 

Now, what about constipation? Well that is another problem of pregnancy, not limited to the third trimester, but to me seems worse.  One of the secrets to staying regular, is obviously fiber, but the best food is dried apricots! Apricots seem to keep the system going while providing a tremendous amount of potassium.  The doctor pumps you up about iron intake, but fails to mention that it causes constipation. That's why I like dried apricots so much. 

Ever had a Charley horse?  I hadn't until I was 31 weeks pregnant, I thought I was going to be paralyzed and was having a deep vein thrombosis! My husband explained to me that I was having calf-spasms, leg cramps, or a Charley horse.  Well I had two over the course of two days. Not in the same leg, but ouch either way! What reduces these pains, surprisingly, magnesium, potassium, and calcium.

Additionally, there is importance in omega-3 fatty acids.  They provide Docosahexaenoic acid or DHA which is essential to central nervous system development.  They play an important role in increasing IQ of the unborn baby as well as reduce postpartum depression in Mom.  Suck it up, and eat your salmon!

I could go on, and will as this pregnancy progresses. I will finish up my thoughts as a reflection after my twins arrive. But I had to start somewhere.  Am I a twin mommy role model? Nah, but I am a twin mommy and I think I am already a damn good one.