new mom, new here, reaching out

Hi, I just found these boards and have not been able to stop reading them for two days. I really didn't think I was going to post but here I am.
I am 38 years old (will be 39 when the babies are born) and this is my first pregnancy; I am told that I am having twins due to my age, I guess the older you are your eggs move down slower and there is a stronger chance that more than one can be fertilized. (?)
Anyway, I am reading all of these posts and i have a question. What kind of doctor are you referring to when you are referring to a "peri"?
Also, my husband and I just moved to the the Lake Zurich (IL) area and I am wondering if anyone out there is from that area or close to that area that might be interested in starting/joining a moms group with me. I would love to be part of a twins mom group this early on and then continue once all of our kids are born.
I work full time now (have no idea what the future holds as far as my career is concerned), am 14 weeks along (so far so good) and really look forward to connecting with a lot of you.
I also wonder how I get those cute little pictures and quotes down at the bottom of my posts; I can't figure it out.
Leslie

 

Hi Leslie,

Welcome to TS. You can find out how to do a ticker here.
A peri is a perinatologist also sometimes referred to as a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist. They are trained in high risk pregnancies and many twin moms see both an OBGYN and a peri during their pregnancy.

I encourage you to join our Big Sister Program, we will match you with a twin mom who will give you support and encouragement. If you are interested , send me a PM (private message).

 

Welcome to TS!! Congrats on your pregnancy!!

 

Hi Leslie, welcome to TS and congratulations!
It's overwhelming, isn't it? Don't worry...things will settle down and soon you'll get used to it, and dare I say, even excited! I remember being shocked for the better part of the second trimester.

A lot of women see a Perinatologist (I hope I spelled that right) during their pregnancy. They basically see high-risk patients (multiples are included in that) and do more thorough examinations, ultrasounds, and the like. Some OB's refer you to one immediately, others see no reason to. I don't see one (I've had a very healthy pregnancy with no complications, bleeding or pre-term labor), so someone else can probably explain it all a lot better!

If you go to my signature (the pictures) and click on the ticker with the two boys, it'll take you to the website where I got it from. Same with the others you see, if you find one you like better. Once you get there, it'll show you how to create it and then tell you what code to use. You'll copy the code, go to "My Controls" at the top of your page here, click "Edit Signature" and paste that code in the box. You're limited to two per TS rules, though.

In your signature box, you can also write your name, change colors, or whatever you want to do. I can't remember how I got the circles though...let me see if I can find it.

 

Welcome to TS!!! You'll love it here.

 

Welcome. I am new too so thought I would say HI. I am 16 weeks along and my due date is 12/23

 

Welcome and Congratulations! You will find lots of advise here, and many friends I am sure!

 

:sign0016: to TS! You'll get all the advice you need and feel free to ask as many questions you can think of.

 

Hi,
I'm 38 as well. My dh and I have 3 sets of twins and a total of 13 kids. Don't be scared. With the right care, everything will be OK. A peri is a perinatologist or maternal fetal medicine doctor who specializes in high risk pregnancies. S/he will be the one determining the zygosity of your twins (whether you are carrying dichorionic or monochorionic twins). If you turn out to be carrying monochorionic twins, you are at higher risk for complications such as ttts (twin-to-twin-transfusion-syndrome). Our third set of twins had this condition and were born at only 24 weeks. The other two sets, ID twin boys and fraternal twin girls were born at 40 weeks without complications. It is very important that you will get frequent ultrasounds to determine what kind of twins you are expecting.
Also, I can't stress enough that the early weight gain is very important. With twins, you should be gaining 24 lbs. by 24 weeks and a total of at least 45 lbs. A very good book on weight gain and nutrition is called "When you're expecting twins, triplets or quads" by Dr. Barbara Luke. I had my first two sets vaginally at 40 weeks with great weights of the babies, no NICU or any problems. As I said our third set had severe ttts and had to be born via c-section at 24 weeks. But due to great docs and a more than adequate maternal weight gain, they are survivors who are expected to live normal lives.
If you have any other questions, please feel free to PM me!

 

Congratulations and welcome to Twinstuff!

We would love to have you check out our Expecting Roll Call thread and follow the appropriate links to share your due date and upcoming appointments and milestons.

Again, welcome to Twinstuff!

 

Congratulations and :sign0016: to twinstuff x

 

Welcome to TS! Congratulations on your twin pregnancy!!

 

Congrats and Welcome! You came to the right place for support and advice. It took me a while to get over the shock, but this site helped a lot.

 

:sign0016: to TS!! Congrat's on the new pregnancy...may it be a happy and healthy one!

 

Congratulations! It is definately a trip finding out that there are twins in there! I was shocked and excited and scared to death as well, I think that is a normal response.... Then once you start reading all the scary stories about what can happen in a twin pregnancty it becomes even more scary, but like you I have had no complications and I think that as you talk to more twin moms you will find that people do get through a pregnacy with twins without significant complications...

Good luck and come here often, it's a great source of support and information!