So just came back from the doctor’s today. And apparently I am carrying triplets. I am still a little bit in shock…
Hubby is just over the moon right now (he is not as worried as me)
I really have never been able to wrap my head around the idea of me having two babies at once- let alone THREE! I am only 25 years old so I am a little disbelieving that I can even have triplets?
I did go through IVF for this pregnancy because I have a condition called endometriosis which can affect your fertility…so maybe it was because of the IVF??
When I went to the doctor’s she told me there were two sacks but there were two babies in one sack and one baby in the other…does this mean the two in one sack are identical?? I really don’t know
Also have you ever heard of someone around my age having twins, triplets or more (either conceiving naturally or through fertility treatments?)
Please help me as I am very ignorant when it comes to multiples…even less when it comes to triplets …do you have any suggestions or advice??
Congrats! I’m 23 & expecting fraternal twins soon. A boy & a girl. I conceived naturally but it’s not uncommon to conceive multiples with IVF… There’s a ton of info on multiples + IVF on the internet if you need some peace of mind. I [name]Haven[/name]'t heard of triplets with two identical and one fraternal but I’m sure this is possible! If you can’t find any helpful info online just tell your doctor you want some more info. Good luck!
Congratulations! Please don’t take this the wrong way, but it seems strange that you went through the process of IVF without knowing that there was a very high probability that you would have multiples. [name]How[/name] many embryos were transferred?
I had 3 transferred. But it’s not that I didn’t know the probability it’s just that I didn’t really expect it to happen to me you know?? You are right I really should know that obviously it was because of the IVF. Its just come as a great shock to me so my brain is not really thinking straight right now lol
The babies sharing the same sack could be identical or fraternal, I believe. I’m surprised your so in shock at having triplets when you had three embryos transferred. [name]Glad[/name] the IVF worked for you and your husband.
Congrats! I had fraternal twins through IVF. When two babies share a sack they can be either fraternal or identical, usually they would assume they are identical but given that you had three transferred they are probably fraternal. [name]Day[/name] 5 embryos do sometimes split though. [name]Day[/name] 3 embryos usually don’t. [name]One[/name] suggestion I have is a book I read called
When You Are Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads by Dr. [name]Barbara[/name] [name]Luke[/name]
I didn’t have any multiple specialists where I lived so this book was really helpful. It gave you a lot of guidelines for what to eat and what supplements to take. In the first trimester took 10mg of folic acid a day. In the 2nd and 3rd trimesters it is really important to take a magnesium supplement, it helps prevent preterm labour. Also once the babies are born Podee bottles are a God send. Good luck to you, it will all be ok!
If babies share a placenta – they are almost always identical and usually they still have their own sacs (*sometimes fraternal twins’ placentas fuse together and appear as one on scans- some do this early on and some not until the end of the pregnancy).
If babies have separate placentas – they can be identical (early split) or fraternal
If babies have separate gestational sacs – they can be identical (earlier split) or fraternal
If babies share one sac – they are always identical. fraternal twins start as two eggs/two sperm and therefore they always develop their own sacs. Identicals SOMETIMES have one sac if the one egg/one sperm combine and then splits a little later (and by later I mean like a day) the two babies developing don’t get their own sac (or sometimes placenta - see above). Babies sharing a gestational sac are at a greater risk of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) - which is when one baby takes more nutrients from the placenta than the other.
Twin - Wikipedia - see descriptions/images under degree of separation.
So, I would say you are carrying a set of identical twins and one fraternal triplet to them. At 9 weeks, your healtcare provider should have been able to tell you if they were also sharing a placenta and they should have told you what that implies and risks it could carry.
My advice to you (I have fraternal twin girls) is to eat a TON of protein. You can google “[name]Brewer[/name] Pregnancy Diet” - when done correctly/completely, it’s alot of food and you will find yourself having to get up in the middle of the night to get some protein (glass of milk or a hardboiled egg is a great option in the middle of the night). I find the diet very benefitial in ensuring I gained enough weight and the right kind of weight. Weight gain is really important when carrying multiples because you must prepare your body early on (aka 1st and early 2nd trimester) for the increased weight and blood flow that will come in the 3rd trimester.
Try to get as much rest as you can each day and make a point to lay down/put your feet up a few times a day. It does help. I had two premature singleton babies due to high blood pressure ([name]Brewer[/name] Diet seeks to counteract that) and then I had full term twins (14.5 pounds total baby weight!) while following the diet and resting a few hours a day.
Congratulations!
I had twin girls when i was 22, and my son was only 1 so it did seem as if i had 3 babies in the house all at once!
I am guessing you have two identical, and one fraternal triplet, and yes, i’m sure it was because of IVF as there is a high chance of multiples. I hope the pregnancy goes well, i am sure you will be as happy as your hubby when you meet your babies! Good luck and let us know how it goes x
Wow, congratulations, what a blessing I can’t believe you’ve had it confirmed already at 9 weeks! That’s amazing.
I was in a teen parenting playgroup with my eldest when she was much younger and there was a 17 year old with triplet boys there, and a 16 year old with boy/girl twins. They both thought it was difficult but so, so rewarding and in the long run, it turned out great.
Have faith in yourself, you were born to do this! Congratulations again, be sure to keep us updated on your pregnancy.
I am a mother of 8 month old twins. I totally understand your feeling of shock at realizing there are multiple babies when you had anticipated just one. We conceived naturally with absolutely no history of twins. Seeing two little beings on the ultrasound was very unexpected! At first I was really excited and then I was terrified. After a period of adjustment, I was excited again. There are lots of great things about multiples. This website: http://www.beagooddad.com/64/8-reasons-why-raising-twins-is-easier-than-raising-two-kids-of-different-ages/ is aimed at pepping up parents of twins but I think some of the points would definitely apply in the case of triplets- perhaps more so!
I am not going to lie to you. Caring for multiple babies is really really hard in the beginning. Having newborn twins was difficult and I can’t even imagine how it would have been with another. But you and your husband will make it work. When they are born you will feel overwhelmed at first because it will seem impossibly hard, but day by day it will get easier. Eventually three babies will be your normal reality and you will wonder what twin moms like me do with all our free time.
[name]One[/name] day they will start interacting with each other and you will more completely understand how incredible it is for them to have each other and all the craziness of more than one baby will have been worth it. When my boys started “talking” to each other I realized how luck I am to have twins. [name]Even[/name] though they are not even a year old they “play” together and keep each other company. When we were doing sleep training it comforted me to know that they had each other in their room so they were not alone. When one cries the other is immediately concerned and tries to reach out for his brother. They share an amazing connection and I am so happy to be a part of it as their mother.
With multiple babies around schedules and routines become imperative. Being well organized is essential. And finding support has been extremely important. If you are interested in joining a supportive parents of multiples group of facebook send me a private message and I’ll add you to the group. (There are at least 2 sets of triplet moms there that I know of.)
I have a friend who had triplets via IVF while she was in her early 20’s. She looks like she handles it well. I would imagine that it would be easier to handle three little ones while you’re young. No advice really, since I haven’t done it myself. It looks challenging but rewarding. [name]Just[/name] wanted to let you know that I’ve seen someone your age doing it very successfully. Good luck.
