My sixth guest post in the Twinterview series is with Amber from Meet The Wildes.
She and her partner Kirsty have beautiful twin boys — Balthazar and Lysander — plus their first child (of the furry-faced variety) a little dog called Posy! Their blog is a visual treat; beautiful photography often teamed with very lovely kid’s fashion.
She’s given some really interesting answers and her birth experience is in stark contrast to Beth, who gave our last Twinterview.
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How did you feel when you first found out you were having twins?
Stunned! Though I was the only person who was surprised.
My twins were conceived by IVF and the HFEA recommends that in under-35s (I was twenty-five) only one embryo is put back into the uterus. I had insisted on two and actually signed a disclaimer that basically stated that I was aware of the risks of multiples and wouldn’t sue them if it happened, but I was still incredibly surprised when both embryos took.
My partner was convinced that it was twins from the very beginning, as was everybody else who knew about the IVF and consequent pregnancy.
My partner had always wanted twins and I had found the idea intriguing, so the reality of it felt very ‘right’ to us from the beginning.
Did you have a straightforward pregnancy?
Very. I had a blissfully easy pregnancy, walked for miles every day right up until the end. In fact, I feel healthier and happier when pregnant than when I’m not! I did develop obstetric cholestasis at thirty-eight weeks but by that time I was considered to be overdue by twin standards anyway.
How was your twin birth experience?
Unpleasant. I had wanted as low-intervention a birth as possible but after going overdue and developing Obstetric Cholestasis, I allowed myself to be persuaded toward an induction.
On the day of my induction the ward was extremely busy and — twenty-four hours in — after requiring rehydration by IV, when the midwives were too busy to bring me water, and watching my roommate very nearly give birth unassisted in the induction bay because nobody would check her or offer her pain relief, I demanded a caesarean and was given one.
How did you cope with having twins in the early days?
It was a wonderful time for us. My partner is a stay-at-home mum and I took three months off work. With two of us at home, we managed very well and needed no other help.
We did have some stress when one of the twins lost 11% of his bodyweight and had to be readmitted for a few days, but that was down to his tongue tie rather than anything to do with him being a twin.
Did/do you have an essential ‘must-have’ item and what is it?
A fabulous box set to watch..?
Babies sleep a lot. They like to sleep ON their humans. It’s good to have something fairly mindless on television for zoning out purposes! We started Grey’s Anatomy the day after the boys were born and had finished series ten by the time that they were two months old.
What is the best thing about being a parent of multiples?
If you manage to brush your hair before leaving the house, people think that you are superwoman. It’s a wonderful excuse to walk the dog in your dressing gown and generally be a bit dippy without fearing judgment. Everybody is too busy admiring the babies to pay any attention to you, anyway!
And the worst?
The never-ending attention from strangers. One would think that twins were fairly commonplace these days but apparently not. We’ve found that we have to allocate more time for every out-of-the-house task as complete strangers feel the need to come over to tell us that we have twins, ask silly questions about them or make flippant comments that we’ve obviously heard one hundred times but have to laugh politely about.
And finally, what would your top tip be for any new — or soon to be —parent of twins?
You might find it helpful to join other twin parenting groups – my partner loves her babywearing-twins group on Facebook. That said (and it seems a little flippant in an article like this one) try not to pay too much attention to other people’s experiences. It is so subjective.
You’re an individual, your babies are individuals. It might be difficult, it might not. It might be exhausting, it might not. You might find it enjoyable and you might not. It will almost certainly be wonderful at points.
Comparing yourself to other people will only set yourself up for feelings of inadequacy and disappointment – or else an enormous ego, of course!
To read more about Amber’s adventures, with her lovely boys, pop over to her blog or follow her on Instagram.
EDITORS NOTE —
Since this article was written, Amber and Kirsty have gone on to have another set of twins — two girls — plus a singleton daughter as well!
Just goes to show that being a twin parent is such a fantastic experience, Amber and Kirsty decided to do it all over again!
If you’re a mummy or daddy to twins, triplets or more — and would like to share your experiences as a parent of multiples , in a ‘Twinterview’, please get in touch, I’d love to hear from you!
Caro Davies is a former art-director turned writer and content-creator, and editor behind UK lifestyle blog The Listed Home. She writes about home-related topics, from interiors and DIY to food and craft. The Listed Home has been featured in various publications, including Ideal Home, Grazia, and Homes & Antiques magazines.
