Do Twins Run in either of your families?
Not at all! Having twins was completely random for us and definitely unexpected. Neither of us have any twins in our families that we know of. It was so crazy that we ended up with them!
How early did you find out you were having twins?
We actually found out super early. This one is a bit long to explain. Zack and I had actually miscarried a baby in October of 2016, which resulted in a D&C (rumor has it, a D&C can make you more fertile, but with my twins being identical- the D&C had zero effect on us producing twins). Due to the miscarriage I was instructed to contact my doctor as soon as possible upon finding out I was pregnant again. So on January 7th, 2017 I took a test that was positive. At the time I thought I was six weeks, because of how it lined up with my cycle and my nausea had started at six weeks on the dot (exactly how my first pregnancy was). Surprisingly after going in to get an ultrasound because the “baby” didn’t have a heartbeat yet, we found out it was actually twins and I was only three weeks pregnant! We found out before our little nuggets even had heartbeats. They literally looked like little Easter eggs!
What was your reaction to finding out?
Shocked of course!!! I was completely ecstatic and for Zack- I think he was scared to death. LOL! Seriously, our first ultrasound tech found the first yolk sac and then started to look puzzled and studied the screen very intensely. All I could see was Zack starting to squirm and get super antsy. Needless to say, his face was the priceless one to see when she announced that she found a second yolk sac. At that point they didn’t really refer to them as twins, more so as me having a “double yolk sac”, because many times the second yolk sac dissolves away. My reaction on the other hand was a different story. My mom has always told me that I have dreamed of having twins since I was a 3 years old and that was still true to the day we found out about the girls. Something about twins has always been SUCH a big infatuation to me and I’ve just always said I have to have them! I guess God heard me and chose to answer my prayers.
Did you have any indication it was twins?
I’ve been asked this question so many times by other girls who are expecting a baby, nervous that it might be twins. The answer to the question is no, there was no feeling or indication that I was pregnant with twins whatsoever. I did not feel two babies inside me until they were bigger (maybe 20 weeks). Yes, I do think it made my pregnancy harder due to it being twins… I was very sick and had all the things including: nausea, heartburn, indigestion, and acid reflux. I suffered a migraine for days so bad that I ended up in the ER, my body pushed my hips so far apart from the very beginning, to make room for twins to come, that it felt like I needed a belt to hold them from completely just falling off, and exhaustion… don’t even get me started there. But none of those things would have made me think I was having twins if I didn’t already know. That was just how twins affected myself and my body, that doesn’t mean everyone is affected by carrying them that way. To finish answering the question though: no- being super sick, strong symptoms, or being bigger this pregnancy than you were your previous pregnancy does not mean it’s twins (I only gained 25lbs with the twins, which my doctor said was smaller than a lot of singleton pregnancies) so size is not always an indication. You will not feel that it’s twins inside you until one is up in your ribs and the other is hanging out on your pelvis.
Were they natural or IVF?
They were all natural! Some people find this question to be so offensive, but it does not bother me a bit. Like I said previously, we had just miscarried at the beginning of October and then found out we were pregnant with twins in January. I thought of it like God just decided to send us back our baby we lost with her sister (you do and believe what you can to get yourself through miscarriage).
Are they identical? & Are they genetic?
I combined these two questions because they go hand in hand from what I know. This is where it gets to the science if you will. My twins are identical (seriously, not a freckle difference). Because of them being identical, no they are not “supposed” to be genetic. From what we have learned (many people have different opinions, but I think twins are still something doctors are learning more about everyday) fraternal twins are the ones known to pass the gene on. Fraternal twins are where there were two eggs and two sperms involved (hence the D&C making you more fertile and why it didn’t make sense for my identical twins). Identical twins are one egg that splits into two eggs (that’s why they literally have the same DNA, because they started off as one egg) and fertilized by one sperm, which more so means it just happened by chance not genetics. Some also like to claim that environmental things can make identical twins happen such as: riding a rollercoaster or doing something that jerks your body into splitting the egg. I think that’s hysterical, but who knows if it’s actually true or not (in my case nothing like that happened!). I am no expert at all so don’t quote me on all of this, this is just what we have learned on our fun journey of twin parenting. I fully think twins are a study that still has so much to be discovered. Every day I find something new that amazes me about my twinsies!
How did you guys tell them apart when they were babies?
When they were babies it was nearly impossible for us to tell them apart. We had bracelets, blankets, clothing…etc. to differentiate the two, but that stuff always seemed to fall through (Ex: spit-ups led to outfit changes, people around would take their blankets off, and their bracelets would fall off). Yes, as horrible as it is, we did get them mixed up several times, but never longer than a few hours). It most certainly did not affect anything, even their health and appetites were the exact same). Resulting to the next question: yes, I am POSITIVE we have them switched back to this day, many reasons that are too long to explain in this. Until you have multiples, you cannot imagine the struggle!
How do you tell them apart now?
Besides personalities, I have no idea how Zack and I can tell them apart now. At this point we just know our babies. Yes, they are identical and we are not those people to make you feel stupid and say they aren’t, but I honestly don’t have any specific thing that I know is different that I look for when telling them apart. We both can just look at our babies like you would look at yours and see who is who.
Do they fight more or get along well?
They most definitely get along more than they fight! They are quite obsessed with each other and it is the sweetest thing to watch. Anything that they find enjoyable they have to hurry and run to the other and make sure she enjoys it with her as well. But if you have ever watched their videos, you know these girls definitely know how to fight. It’s your average sister fight, but SO funny with them being the same age and size doing so. We all loved to watch a good paci war go down between them as babies and now as big girls they are still the same.
When did they become best friends?
It took them awhile to notice each other as babies. I think a lot of it had to do with being frequently held separately and not getting as much one on one time with each other. Until they were sitting up it was hard on me to always hold two babies and still function. When they were around 4 months old they started to acknowledge and play with each other more. From then on they have been the best of friends. I love that they have no problem going and doing their own things, but always find their way back to each other in the end. The love they have for each other is just incredible to experience and I cannot wait to watch it grow as they do!