Twins/Triplets/Multiples Mum to be!

Don: according to my gynae, he's pleased that i'm experiencing MS because it means that the pregnancy is going well but not to worry, lots of mummies go through pregnancy w/o MS and they go on and have healthy babies. yeah, it does sound like we might just possibly deliver ard the same time.. your wife's EDD is around end June 2010 also? then again, we must always take into consideration that with twins, there's the higher possibility of going into pre-term labour. the gynaes will definitely want to prevent this from happening so they might put us on bedrest. don't worry too much about it yet.. most importantly, think we have to be positive and take things one step at a time.



Gera: if your pelvic area is growing.. then all the more it makes sense to have to wear larger or maternity clothes [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif] and i think i read somewhere that in the 1st trimester, the babies dont really take nutrients from mummy, they have their own food source.. but in the 2nd trimester, they will start to derive their nutrients from us. therefore, i think gynaes are not too worried if mummies don't eat too well becos of MS. maybe, your babies are just growing very well and your womb is expanding despite your MS. good sign, i think [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 


Just came back from the doc. Confirm is 1 sac 2 babies.. the doc sounds concern. In any case, there is nothing much we can do but hope for the best.



Azure,



was originally end june/early july but given that my wife is m/m twins, prob will be early to mid may.. hopefully we reach that stage coz the doc thinks that it is 50/50. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif]

 
was thinking... does anyone has good recommendations for "twin specialist" in KKH? I will prefer senior consultant if it's possible (male or female).

 
Don: just take one step at a time. most importantly, be a support for your wife because it will be more emotionally draining for her. if you're worried, it will affect her also. that said, you're already a very sweet hubby to her.. taking on the research role and all. do the necessary research but don't let all the possibilities worry you too much. i read some of the posts in the 2009 thread and there are mummies who have very smooth pregnancies. perhaps, if you're worried, you can write to the mummies in the 2009 thread and ask them for recommendations on gynaes for your m/m twins. they might have words of advice for you.

 
Don K,

you want my contact of the twin specialist at raffles medical?

I dunno the rest in kkh now, the other time is my gynae from kkh who recommend me to be under the care of this twin specialist. keke. the twins clinic is only on wed morning last time, dunno what is the arrangement now.

 
Azure,



Yupz. That is what we can do at the moment.. stay positive. My wife gets nervous easily so better be me that receive the "bad information" first...



May,



can you provide me with the name of that specialist at Raffles? Thanks.

 
May,



will be great if I can have your contact for your original gynae at KKH too because we may be switching to KKH because of the cost.

 
Hi,

my gynae at KKH is Dr Benjamin Tham WL. the twin specialist is Dr Tony Tan.believe he is at raffles medical now.

actually my very first gynae is not at kkh, is at mt E, but he dun deliver any more, so he advise me to see this gynae at KKH(due to cost. for pte at kkh, each day at NICU is abt 100 per baby per day and that does not include medicine and doc visit and other stuff. but if really have problem, can downgrade to class C, will help alot with the cost. and anyway, if there is a need, priority is given to kkh patient, because their NICU is always full, have heard a few case the patient from other hospital being turn away.). actually he gave me an option to see another pte gynae.

But this gynae at kkh, I am happy and did recommend a few other to see him. and they are happy with him as well.

Good luck and take care.

 
May,



Thanks!



Will it be confusing to see 2 docs at the same time? I mean, who is the main doc and what if they have differing opinions??

 
Don: i asked my gynae friend from KK if he has any recommendation for you but i can't promise if he will get round to answering me soon. He's currently in Paris for an exchange programme and is quite busy. If he gets back to me, i'll let you know who his recommendtion is.

 
Ah_may: yeah lor...i had to buy the maternity belt at week 6 with first button hole, now at week 8, is second button hole le, scary..i been reading all the pregnancy books and it says its a fashion faux pas if you wear maternity clothes early, but for me no choice. now everytime when i go out in maternity clothes, pple will ask me how many weeks, i say 8 then they glared at me like i am some kiasu mother. i had to add in that i am carrying twins, after which they understood. sigh i don't really like to tell everyone who ask that i am carrying twins...i wish i can say i am at 16 weeks. double the effect.lols.



btw today's scan finally can see the membrane. gynae sighed a relief saying now got abit reduced risk of cord entangement. but cos its same placenta, got high risk of TTTS, normally when will the TTTS occurs? my gynae say from week 14 onwards, but she says you won't know exactly when that is why must scan every 2 weeks.



wow i am not working...am a home-maker and yet i fell sick. gynae didn't give me any drugs for the cold, just ask me to continue panadol. and to go back hosp if fever goes over 38 degrees.



erm you took private, roughly how much is the cost of your hospital stay? urs is B1 or ? and is it true that twins delivery must pay double? i couldn't find any info on this.

 
Azure: hmm i have very bad MS but i have this horrible intense hunger, every 1 and half hour i get hungry...until my hubby see me get scared of me. currently taking this anti-vomiting drug before food to prevent vomiting. is it normal to have hunger so quickly in twin pregnancy? sometimes i so hungry until i very tempted to eat 2 portions but i didn't cos i know after that sure vomit all out one.

 
and is it normally twin pregnancy must see perinatal specialist? and normally during the visit, what will the doc do? or any special scan that will be done? my gynae is refering me to see one...that would mean i will be seeing 2 doctors at the same time. she didn't explain to me much just say that week 14 then the perinatal visits start. perinatal is only for twins and higher order of multiples rite? cos in normal singleton pregnancy books, there is no mention of this.

 
Hi Gera, i get hungry very easily too, so i eat every 2-3 hours. I bring fruit, nuts, muesli bars, Ensure to work so i never go hungry. And yes, it comes with having multiples! [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
Hi Spiffy, glad to hear that..i hate nuts or muesli bars so i rely on fruits, bread, soups, light portion of normal meals to fill my stomach. i even wake up middle of the nite, stomach growling, to get a snack...and then go back to sleep. hey how many weeks are you now? just curious..[IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
gera,

TTTS can be sudden, from 16 weeks to anytime the mother delivers. it can also occur during delivery, so my gynae told me no way he will let me try nature birth, only c-section.

the danger is when TTTS occurs before 25 weeks, because the survial of the twins will be lower if it is sudden. think there is someone in singapore who went to australia to do the surgery and her twins survive, under dr tony tan, think was in some mother and kid magazine. the surgery use laser to burn some of the blood vessel in the placenta to balance the blood flow.

therefore, to monitor this possible occurance, I was scan by the machine at KKH every wednesday till abt 26 weeks or so then they just declare I should be ok.

 
abt the hunger problem is a good sign, snack a little and as often as possible. try not to eat too much at 1 time. plain cream cracker is good.



for me from wk 8 to wk 13, i cannot eat at all. force myself to eat and will puke. even when I drink water.



Don: Dr Tham is my main gynae, Dr Tan knows, so he will discuss my case with him whenever he sees me, mainly from wk 14 to wk 24. I see him like at least once a week, sometimes, twice. Dr Tham only see me abt 2 or 3 week once to give me vit and talk to me when I face problem with the issues on complications(actually come to think of it, I usually after see Dr Tan, get worried will call Dr Tham the next day or email him and sometimes, he will see me during his lunch break to settle my problems ). I see Dr Tham more frequently after 24 wks. and Dr Tan lesser after 24 weeks.

actually at first, I was quite upset with this arrangement because after my first visit to Dr Tham, cannot understand why he "throw" me to another gynae, now then I realise how he has made a good deal for me. haha. think I was quite a troublesome patient. the day before my delivery is a usual checkup and the nurse then discover I have contractions in intervals of 5 minutes. and the friday I deliver, think he got 3 surgery already scheduled, I am the 4th patient he is operating that day. and on sat and sunday, he drop by to check on me. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
Hi Gera, i'm in week 13 this week. Just did my First Trimester Screening (for Down's Syndrome). Funny you mentioned getting up to eat...i was so famished at 4am i couldn't sleep! So i got up at 6pm this morning. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
May,



thanks for your referral. I will talk to my wife and if she is fine with a male gynae, will probably try to schedule with Dr Tham.



Kinda tough on her now to learn that our bbs is momo twin so she is not that emotionally stable at the moment [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif]

 
Don:

can understand, when Dr Tony tan told me, I am still calm, till I went home, and I cannot sleep at night and end up crying till the next morning, that is when I start to panic and call Dr Tham. He kind of assure me, told me that the doctors will do all they can to help me and I need to help myself first and remain calm. but the double the joy, double the trouble sort of stick in my head. keke.

Spiffy, so is are you seeing Dr Tham for delivery?

 
hihi, i just went for my Down's scan earlier and learn that i'm carrying M/C twins. hubby and myself just kept thinking that it would be fraternal with 2 placentas and 2 sacs. so now we know and yeah, think i'm scheduled for visits similar to May's experience. see my normal gynae once every 4wks and see the twins gynae once every 2 wks. i'm scheduled to see a Dr June Tan at the twins clinic (Don: this is the same recommendation which my gynae friend gave. she's a consultant at the twins clinic).



Gera: yes, i get hunger pangs every 1+ to 2hrs also.. but i keep stuffing myself with the Meiji plain crackers whenever i feel that. finished 1/2 of the big box already.. never knew they would be such life-savers.

 
May,



yupz. what we can do now is to stay positive and wait...



1 more question, will it be possible to see Dr Tham as private patient, stayed in an A class ward during delivery but keep the BBs in B2 class NICU or does the class of NICU follows the ward?



I think i will proably be able to afford a1 ward but definately not the NICU at A class [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif]

 
hey may, no, I'm seeing another gynae. Ben was just those few years for endo cyst surgery and follow up.



Meiji crackers? sounds interesting! will check it out.

 
omg spiffy, you suffer from endo too? wow wat a coincidence. i suffer from Endometriosis since 2004, had undergone 2 surgeries w/ablation. multiple hormonal injections/treatments/etc. was given a 0.03% chance of conceiving naturally, i was so upset. my endo is in the most severe stage whereby i had cysts growth on my intestines and kidneys. How about yours?



my gynae who treat my Endo is based in SGH, so i am letting her manage my twins, she is also a fertility endocrinologist, i was on fertility drugs for 18 months, and conceived naturally with twins on Tamoxifen. my miracle drug!



Did you conceive your twins naturally without any drugs or assisted help? cos i read Endo does affect fertility.

 
btw i just experienced horrible stretching and itching last night. at week 8, is it possible? btw what can i apply to soothe it? should i start applying those stretch marks cream? i understand that stretch mark cream don't prevent it rite? and what brands to recommend for sensitive skin? Thanks.

 
Don, me too...i was wondering if i can continue to stay in B1 and have BBs in subsidised class. cos i don't like the idea of recuperating from caesarean in an overcrowded room with no air-con, and no B1 facilities. that is too much for me to bear.

 
Azure, me too, when i did my online calculation it says i should be at that time week 7, but my scan calculations said i was at week 6, i was horribly upset cos that would mean i would have to suffer MS for another week. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif] so now even if my dates say i am week 9, i am actually in week 8.

 
Don and Gera: I took class A at kkh at admission, when Dr Tham knew later, he scold me because my boys will have to go to SCU, but the staff who come to us allow us to downgrade after I discharge, so that my younger boy who stay for 1 week more is downgrade to B2 class. think when mummy is at hospital, the class will be tag to mummy. but when I get discharge, they allow the downgrade. so both my boys in SCU for 4 days, my older boy discharge with me and then my younger boy is downgrade to B2 class. haha, actually nothing is change for him except for the bill.

but for my case, my boys are actually not in critical condition, except at 34 weeks, they cannot suck, so my older boy is tube fed.



Gera, please keep you skin super hydrated with aleo vera and oil! my tummy at dunno how many weeks turn to black colour because the skin over stretched and super dehydrated. I apply clarins oil all the while until I keep itching, hubby think I might be allergy to the oil and ask me to stop (partly he felt the oil too expensive). 2 days later, the skin on my tummy turn black. I went to see Dr Tham in emergency, call and he ask me to go down to him immediately and then I realise my skin dehydrated. Dr Tham scolded my hubby. and the weeks that follow, my skin went crazy, I needed air con 24 hr or will break out in rashes. so please take care.

 
may, i having alot of chest rashes, my gynae says she have not seen anything like my case, she also ask if its acne, and we both have no idea, its super itchy and red. she only gave me piriton and calamine lotion, although calamine lotion soothe it, it result in more of it. i am kinda at a loss at what cream i should apply, and its very unsightly and gross, looking at it during shower makes me want to vomit.



as for the stretching...i scared to apply any creams cos my skin hypersensitive, 99% of everything i always allergic. but i can tolerate aloe vera lotion from body shop, but it is not indicated for stretch marks, should i just use that?

 
gera, I used Joribi aloe vera gel, friend told me this is safe to use on new born as well. not sure the body shop one.

my rashes is no colour, but like mosquite bites all over my body when I not in air con for like 5 mins, not sure abt your chest rash, you try aloe vera?

 
mine is tiny dots all over my chest, got at least 50 of those dots now, very red and is bumpy. but my both arms got rashes like hives, that one is abit different. the body shop lotion i am using is this one, http://www.thebodyshop.com.sg/en/ProductDetail.aspx?ProdID=37&SubCateId=6&CateId=3.



oh anything oil-based makes my skin break out.



Sigh pregnancy already so many problems, now also got skin problems to add to it. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/sad.gif]

 
gera,

I was advised to put hydration lotion on clean skin, then put oil based lotion to seal the moisture in.

at 16 wks or so, I wake up at 2am go to toilet and after that, I cannot stand up... suffer from unknown pain at hip... then on 1 week MC again. actually that time every week will have some problem or so... maybe to train me so that I can handle my twins later.... haha. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
hi folks, i thought i'll type out this list before i return this book to the library. The references are taken off this book - Twin Sense: A Sanity-Saving Guide to Raising Twins. Author is Dagmara Scalise.



I must qualify that I have no idea how useful these references are because I have yet to check them out myself. There is a high possibility that some info may be US-specific and not relevant to us. Do evaluate for yourself. Sorry that I couldn't type out the text that comes with it. Rather sleepy so need to sleep soon..



Organisations

1. National Organisation of Mothers of Twins Club

www.nomotc.org



2. International Society for Twin Studies

www.ists.qimr.edu.au



3. La Leche League International

www.llli.org



4. Centre for the Study of Multiple Births

www.multiplebirth.com





Websites/Forums

1. Twinstuff.com

2. Twinsworld.com

3. Twinsonline.co.uk

4. Father2Father.com

5. ChildrensDisabilities.info

6. Prematurity.org

7. Preemies.org





Publications

1. TWINS Magazine

www.twinsmagazine.com

 
there is this book i highly recommend,

The Everything Twins, Triplets and more Book by Pamela Fierro. Not sure if the library have but i bought it from kino at $25.43.



Actually for kino at taka, the shelves very misleading, there are 2 shelves with a center walkway that seperates it, when i went there the last time i couldn't find any twins books so i end up buying 2 singleton pregnancy books, but when i went by yesterday to check the second shelf looking for pregnancy journals, i found a full range of twins books, i was irritated. So don't get con. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
gera - i had a cyst rupture in '02 and was rushed to A&E where i found out i had endometriosis. They ended up removing a large and small cyst from near by right ovary. Ben Tham said it would recur but i chose not to go for any injections to stop periods. I saw him every 6 mths for years until i was told i could stop as my endo was mild. however, i've found that my right ovary is practically not working as they'd removed part of it during the surgery. it's been hard for me to conceive too.

 
May: your twins are M/C twins as well? how much weight have u put on at the point of your delivery? According to this book which I'm reading now, i have to put on btw 18 to 25kg for twins. so that the babies can get their nutrients properly and they wouldnt be born too small. on top of my original weight of appx 55kg (pre-pregnancy), i would be a hefty 80kg. and they even said, if this is a first pregnancy, then i'll have to put on another 3kg fast. according to them, if i follow the prescribed dietary guideline, most of these weight shld go to the babies and not on me. But nonetheless, i feel like its such a daunting task to have to put on that much... and whether i would still be able to move around :p

 
gera - i only tried to conceive for less a year before deciding on IVF, because of my non-functioning right ovary. Did a programme at KKH and its been smooth sailing. My first time and everything was great..no side effects, everything worked like clockwork, both the embryos they put in are now 14 weeks old. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]

 
Spiffy - oh i see. yup it tends to regrow, so i had to undergo surgeries to remove twice, went into surgical menopause for 2 years to make it stop growing. They also found out my both fallopian tubes were blocked.



my gynae has been insisting i go for IVF at the start when i couldn't conceive on my own for 6 months, but becos of how Endo drained my savings and my hubby's medisave over the years, we couldn't afford it. 18 months on fertility drugs took a toll and we pooled out savings and decided to go for IVF if Tamoxifen didn't work. but it did. [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif]



So i assume your twins are fraternal? wow you are lucky, no side effects! i had similar IVF drugs injected to put my endo into remission and it gave me horrible side effects.

 
Can i ask is anyone taking Duphaston? some progesterone pill? i am kinda curious if i am taking it becos i am carrying twins or is it that all pregnant women must take? its meant to stop and prevent bleeding and i had one episode of bleeding at week 6. oh and did anyone receive a IM progesterone injection? i got that too..

 
Gera: I didn't take anything of these med. maybe, thankfully, its because my pregnancy has been smooth. no bleeding and everything seems normal.

 
Gera: i'm sure your gynae is doing his/her best [IMG=http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/clipart/happy.gif] trust them to do their best to help us keep and deliver the babies eventually.

 
Gera, I took duphaston frm abt the time dr confirmed the twins heartbeats (6/7 weeks) till I was 3 mths preg. He said that he was just cautious aka kiasu so ask me eat lor! I dint have bleeding or the sort though. Duph pills r hormonal pills, so shd be alrite...My twins r now 6 mths old! Gd luck!

 
oh btw can i ask if NICU charges can use medisave to pay? or is it only Cash?



May: your total delivery and your boys in SCU total bill is how much? erm can i ask..the SCU is lower than NICU? never heard of SCU before..

 
poko: oh...that explains it. i too was on duphaston at week 6. before i had any bleeding, while on the drug i had a tinge of blood staining, so my gynae gave me an IM progesterone injection. did Duphaston give you any skin rashes? i am having some rashes from it, but my gynae say no choice, cannot stop, if stop wait got bleeding how, so in the meantime i just have to bear with the itch and rashes. then how come 3 months can stop?

 


Hi, just to share. I took Duphaston for 3 months too once cfmed i was having twins. Doc said was to prevent bleeding, and i guess it worked cos i never had any bleeding.



I put on 21kg when i was having my boys. Towards 3rd trimester have difficulty walking cos so heavy! my back and pelvic bones both ached.



Gera,

NICU charges can be paid by Medisave fully if you have enough in yr medisave or yr husbands. My 2 boys are still in NUH NICU (3rd week now). When i asked for the interim bill at 18 days, it was about 6k each after govt subsidy. They are class b2.



hope this helps!

 
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