I am strong because I was told I would never have kids. I was 19 years old and the doctor told me I was in early menopause. They said they could put on me on hormones to boost my body back, but it would take at least 2 years for my hormones to level out. I told my husband that it would work out great because we’d both have our degrees by then. So hopefully after 2 years, we’d be able to have kids!
I am strong because 2 months later, I was pregnant. When we went in for our 8 week ultrasound, I looked at the screen and was unsure… It looked like a mirror image flipped upside down. I wasn’t sure what to say, but when I did talk, I wished I didn’t!
Me: “Are there two?”
Tech: “Yup! You’re having TWINS!”
Me: “Oh my gosh… There’s only two though right? Not 3 or 4?”
Tech: “I’m looking right at it… There’s only 2.”
I could tell the tech thought we were totally weird as my husband and I looked at each other flabbergasted!!! My husband went right back to his phone. He was at a loss for words! Of course we were excited, but we were terrified! We didn’t have our degrees yet and we were poor college kids! How would we go from a family of 2 to a family of 4?! (It all worked out great in the end though!)
I am strong because we went through a rough pregnancy with losing 20 pounds, up and down hormone levels, abnormal swelling that made it impossible to walk, bed rest at 18 weeks, and PUPPS. I dealt with everything as best as I could, but the PUPPS was by far the worst thing I’ve ever dealt with! I felt like I had the chicken pox. I used benadryl, benadryl itch cream, hydrocortisone cream, and even a prescription anti itch med. It was horrible and nothing controlled the rash. By 36 weeks, it had started to spread to my face.
I am strong because at 36 weeks and 4 days, while my husband was at work, my dad drove me to my weekly doctors appointment at 10:00 am. I told my doctor I’d bake him a huge batch of peanut butter cookies if he’d deliver the twins! He looked at me for a moment, and then said “Let me make a few calls.” When he came back in the room he asked me, “How about 5:00 pm today?” FRICK YEAH! Was my only thought! I controlled myself and told him that I’d love that! 🙂 So I had to be to the hospital at 3:00 pm to prep for the C-section.
Just to clarify, I chose the c-section. I was worried that I’d have a vaginal delivery with my first and then have to have an emergency c-section with the second baby. So I chose a c-section to be safe.
I am strong because at 36 weeks and 4 days, I delivered 2 beautiful babies via c-section! A boy Dominic, weighing in at 6 lbs 2 oz and 19 ½ in long, and a girl, Gabriella, weighing in at 5 lbs 8 oz and 18 in long. They had to stay in the NICU for 11 days because they each had one slightly underdeveloped lung, and some eating issues…
I am strong because on July 9th, we took our babies home! Everyone and their dog wanted to come and visit, but we had no help whatsoever. So I pushed a lot of people away when they said they wanted to come visit. All I wanted to do was sleep! Pumping, bottle feeding, over feeding my babies so they’d sleep an extra 10 minutes, a husband working full time, and living off of hot pockets… That’s a summary of my life after twins. Haha.
I am strong because when the twins were 6 weeks old, I had a lactation consultant come help me with latch. I was SO sick of pumping! She was so great and got them to latch immediately. She told me to throw away my bottles and not even let the babies see them! So I did. I went to strictly Bfing and it was SO hard. The twins schedule went out the window. They woke up at different times, they ate at different times, they ate every 45 minutes instead of every 2 ½ hours… It was SO stressful. By day 4, I was ready to give up. My husband was my rock. He reminded me of how badly I wanted to breastfeed and how much healthier it’d be for our babies. So I kept going! By day 6, it was SOOO much easier. It was 10x easier than bottle feeding. My twins had it down completely!
I am strong because at 6 months, I got a job as a lactation consultant helping more moms learn to breastfeed! I always thought breastfeeding was something that would be a piece of cake! It’s mother nature right?? I’ll just put my baby to the breast and BAM! They’ll latch! WRONG! It was a total learning experience for myself and my babies. So I felt empowered to help other women with this!
I am strong because they’re 14 months old now, and still breastfeeding! We switched them over to cloth diapers too! They’re the healthiest children I’ve ever seen. They’ve had maybe 3 short lasting colds over the past year, no ear infections, no crazy illnesses… They’re just plain healthy!
YAY for a happy ending, right?!
-Amanda 
Recommended Reading
2 Videos of Twins and Triplets Born Naturally!
I Am Strong – MoMo Twins 
Birth Story of Ace {Homebirth Transfer to Cesarean}
My CBAVBAC – Cesarean Birth After VBAC
5 Twin Birth Stories – Variations of Normal
These Two Beings of My Being
I’m Not Sorry
The Birth of Luna Pearl: A VBAC Story from Home to Hospital
Finally, Relief! {A Painful Pregnancy, Spinal Injury}
A Mother Will Overcome {I Am Strong}
15 Comments
Amanda
What a story! Love that everything turned out so great for you all!! Beautiful babies, too. Love the pics 🙂
Christy
Wow do we have similar stories or WHAT! I was told I was infertile, conceived twins naturally and suffered from PUPPS. I would have traded PUPPS for ANY other pregnancy symptom. Awful. Mine ended up going away after I literally wrapped my hands in fabric and gloves to control the itching and used oil based balms. If it hadn’t gone away I would have been begging for a c-section too. My boys were born at 33 weeks vaginally because of mild preeclampsia which induced preterm labor. I didn’t get to breastfeed because of the NICU and other factors. But I totally get it girl. Has your skin recovered? My stretch marks are horrible still, some of them are so bad I can’t believe it. I have elasticity back and it’s not saggy or anything, just red and marked up still. My boys are 8 months old, hoping to have at least partially normal skin one day… 🙁
Melissa
Babies only 8 months old? Yes, ma’am, you are still on your way to healing those marks 😉 Don’t worry, mine took about a year before they even began to fade, and now they are just a glimmer. Everyone’s skin is different, but you aren’t out of the healing phase yet.
Michelle
Wow!! Such an encouraging story!! I’m married, 18, and am pregnant with twins. I’ve been told ill most likely have a c-section. Kind of scares me and I feel so not ready. But reading stories like yours helps. 🙂
Ginnie
What a beautiful story. Two little blessings!
Tara
Way to go mama! That second photo is amazing! Definitely shows that there are two babies in there!
Tracy
Ughhh, PUPPS!!!! I also had this awful thing, luckily only from 36 weeks, got it under control a bit at 38 weeks with acupuncture, about 5 showers or baths a day using pintarsol & antihistamine tablets, then I delivered at 39w4d & it just vanished, hope yours did too after delivery (I remember begging my acupuncturist to hit the ‘labour button’ with her needles), truly awful!!!
Lis
I love your double baby bump!
Charlotte O'Donnell
Beautiful….
Lydia
Thing 1 and Thing 2! They’re amazing. Good job momma, you are strong!
Maggie
Great job hanging in there, Mama! Out of curiosity, through what organization did you become a lactation consultant? I’m the process of research different programs so that I too can become one!
Sandy
Poor girl. PUPPS rash is awful. Kudos for trying so hard to breastfeed and succeeding so well. It can be really hard at first, but you stuck with it and then went on to help other people.
Melissa Joines
Your story made me smile. 🙂
Emily
Beautiful story! Wish you were in my area to help me with BF the LO that is due this Saturday. The other two were so difficult and after many tears I gave up. Now I wish I hadn’t.
Ashley
Ugh I had PUPPS too – but for anyone reading… it can be cured!!!! I was informed by my chiropractor (who’s super crunchy) to drink strong stinging nettle tea. What I ended up doing was stinging nettle pills and dandelion root pills multiple times a day and it was GONE in 3 days!!!!!!!!!
Thank goodness because I got it fairly early around 32 weeks and it was sooo horrible!
You go momma!!!