Growing Twins | The First Trimester
I hope you're doing well this week. It's been lovely to start seeing some sunshine and I've been thankful not to have to de-ice the car so much... although a frosty morning is so beautiful!
If you're new around here then welcome to the blog! The main thing happening in our lives at the moment is that I'm growing twins! I'm currently 30 weeks pregnant and, yes, I too am wondering how on earth did we get here... eek. I wanted to pop down into writing some of my thoughts and experiences of growing two babies over these last seven months. I want to be real, including the ups and the downs. I have to say I'm not a great advert for selling the first trimester of pregnancy so if you're after a really positive experience, this post probably isn't the one for you. I can say that feeling them move (all the time!) has been such a strange but incredible experience. I can't believe that these two babies growing inside me are soon going to be in our arms.
So let’s start at the beginning...
The first trimester... and beyond.
I started to have a little breast pain when we first found out we were pregnant back in July. We actually found out just before heading on our church festival camping trip. It was such a special secret and we loved looking at the Pregnancy Plus app to see how the tiny little foetus was starting to grow very early on.
It wasn't until I hit week five that the nausea hit me. And it hit me hard. I wasn't actually sick initially but I felt very rough. I had a horrible taste in my mouth and everything smelt bad. I couldn't go near the dog, the kitchen, the fridge and even the oven turning on made me run a mile. Initially, I had a lack of appetite but I was soon able to eat little and often which started to help.
We went camping with friends in week six, which was the first time I was actually sick. Before becoming pregnant I had a huge fear of being sick and in those first few weeks of being sick with nausea I found it really hard and got very worked up. Thankfully, James was always there to help me. I'd feel waves of nausea as soon as I woke up in the morning and have a couple of sick episodes.
I soon told work that I was pregnant and it was lovely to remember that it was very exciting despite feeling so poorly! I continued to head into work despite feeling so very rough. Every morning I'd wake up, try and eat, feel sick, cry, be sick, cry, then drag myself to get ready and head to work. I felt sick all day and it worsened in the evening. It was horrid knowing that I was going to bed feeling so sick knowing I'd wake up feeling the same. I went to the doctors multiple times through these first few months and found that very little changed when I tried different pregnancy medications. My hat goes off to people who struggle with debilitating sickness through their whole pregnancy. It was easily the hardest thing I've ever had to do and I just remember thinking I can't wait to feel like me again.
I had my booking in appointment when I turned nine weeks and it was so nice to speak to a midwife for the first time (aside from chatting to my midwife sister-in-law!). It was the first time I had to do a urine sample too, which didn't go so well but you have to laugh – to be honest, you soon get used to having to wee into the tiniest little test tube and it just not ending well!!
There continued to be lots of crying and emotional days of just feeling miserable. I tried to get out and about but still felt so sick. I'd hate having to come home from school because the house just smelt. I found it so sad that I couldn't bear to even be in my own home. I even bought swimmer’s nose pegs to try and help!
We had our 12 week scan and what an experience that was! I laid down and the lady put the scanner on my tummy which immediately revealed there wasn't one but TWO babies. She didn't even have to break the news to us it was just so clear. I sobbed, of course. James kept having to tell me to look at the screen because my brain was just going 1000 miles an hour trying to rationalise what was happening. It was fascinating seeing them wiggling around and to see their heads and legs and to see that it was really real! We loved seeing their little hearts beating away. The sonographer was so lovely and printed lots of lovely pictures for us. Twin two was very photogenic but twin one was tucked away – and they have been for most of the pregnancy! She explained that they were non-identical twins by highlighting the thick membrane that separates them. She explained I had two placentas and two sacks which meant it was like two separate pregnancies in one. A lower risk twin pregnancy, but a higher risk pregnancy none the less.
We went to get my bloods done straight afterwards but we were both just processing the whole experience. Me just blabbering everything and anything and James just quietly taking it all in. He definitely was already used to the idea that there were two before we headed in. I got so big and so sick so quickly, I really should have known it was our reality.
We shared our news online and it was just so special re-living finding out all over again, this time knowing there were two!
Over the next few weeks I continued to feel nauseous but slowly stopped being sick every day. When I was sick I was still very sad because each time I thought I'd got over that part. I started to feel more uncomfortable as my tummy grew, and people started to spot me getting bigger and bigger. I had to eat smaller portion sizes and was still very burpy!
James and I went away over half term and my sickness felt a little better – perhaps because I was able to get up later and had fewer work pressures. I had to just keep eating if I did start to feel nauseous. I ran out of medication and definitely noticed – I was just pleased to find something that took the edge off so managed to get hold of some more once we got home. Into my 17th week of pregnancy, I was still feeling sick but the medication definitely helped to ease it.
Things that helped:
Peppermint oil
Ice cold water
Sometimes Worther’s Originals
Fresh fruit when I fancied it
Pork Pies at snack time
Custard Creams
Orange Juice
Satsumas
Tomato Soup
To be honest, lots of these things did help for a period of time, but then stopped working which was frustrating! But satsumas, orange juice and cold water have definitely been firm life savers through the whole pregnancy.
I was going to continue to write about my second and third trimesters (although they've definitely blended into one!) but I think I'll leave it there for today. The first trimester was hands down the hardest part of growing these babies so far, and the hardest period of time I've ever had to manage.
I'm very pleased to be far away from that time and closer to meeting these tiny humans although I still won't believe it until they're here!
I hope this helps you feel less lonely if you're struggling with sickness in your pregnancy – twins or a singleton. Everyone's experience is very different but I found it helpful to read bits online so that I felt less alone.
Thank you for reading!
Emily xx
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