Hi Beauties!

It’s been awhile since my last pregnancy update, so I figured it’s time for another one! I’ve been so busy this time around that I haven’t done a great job keeping you in the loop. Having 2 toddlers to chase around will do that to you! 🙂

TWIN PREGNANCY UPDATE: 29 weeks

How have you been feeling?

I’ve been feeling pretty good! I’m so thankful. I don’t have any big complaints. I feel very big for 29 weeks (I’m measuring about 4-5 weeks ahead of a singleton pregnancy, which is normal for twins). It’s getting harder and harder to move around. Getting up from the floor is becoming awkward and it’s hard for me to reach under my desk to plug in my computer charger. I can only imagine how I’m going to feel in 2 months!

This pregnancy has been different than my singleton pregnancies in that I have to be much more intentional about reserving my energy. My workouts have been very short and gentle because it takes most of my energy to just get through the day caring for a 2-year old and 4-year old. I’ve found that on the days I exercise in the morning, I am EXHAUSTED by the afternoon (and often quite achey). This has been a bummer because I haven’t been able to keep up my ideal exercise routine. But I’ve been trying to plan strategically so that I exercise more on the days I will be doing more sitting at my desk.

It’s hard for me to not feel great about my exercise routine, but I’m trying to remind myself that my body is doing A LOT each day just to keep these babies growing and keep all the blood pumping, so to go easy on myself. I’m at a place where I’m wondering how much longer I can keep exercising at all. Thankfully I’m able to stay active by chasing my kids around all day, but mentally it’s been a challenge.

I am already looking forward to resuming my usual routine postpartum. 🙂

Any food aversions/cravings?

Nope! Thankfully they all disappeared after the first trimester.

Although for someone who typically LOVES my dark chocolate, I can really take it or leave it these days. My desire for sweets is almost nonexistent. Kind of weird!

Oh and really, really cold drinks hit the spot every time.

How is your diet?

I’ve been working with a nutritionist to make sure my diet is packed with all that I need to support a twin pregnancy. I was very intentional about putting on plenty of weight early in this pregnancy because there is fascinating research around the correlation of early weight gain in twin pregnancies having a positive effect on the ability to carry the pregnancy full term and produce healthy birth weights in the babies.

I’ll do a separate post on this soon, but one interesting reason is toward the end of a twin pregnancy your appetite really decreases because there is no room for food! So in the later days, your body will utilize the fat stores from early pregnancy to continue nourishing the babies during their time of rapid growth. Pretty interesting, isn’t it?

Working with a nutritionist and this book about weight gain in twin pregnancy have both been integral for me on this journey.

My diet has consisted of a lot of eggs, animal protein, ghee, full fat dairy, fruits, veggies and fish.

I am typically not able to digest gluten and dairy very well, but those issues have completely disappeared with this pregnancy. So crazy!

Any other symptoms?

It’s hard to breathe most days and if I go too long without eating I feel a little lightheaded, but that’s about it (I am so grateful to be able to say that)!

Do you have names picked out?

Not yet! We are still thinking about names so if you have any favorites, post them in the comments! 🙂

Will you have a c-section or vaginal delivery?

It depends. My hope is to have another unmedicated vaginal delivery (you can read my other birth stories here and here), but it all depends how I’m doing, how the babies are doing, and what position they are in.

If they are both head down, then I am a candidate for vaginal delivery. If one is head down and one is head up, we’ll have a long conversation about the pros and cons of vaginal vs. c-section with our specialist. And if they are both head up or transverse, then I will have a scheduled c-section.

Of course, all of this is assuming I don’t go in to labor prior to 38 weeks. Thankfully, I have not had any signs of pre-term labor and am feeling pretty good about making it the whole way.

Do you plan to breastfeed?

I do! Wish me luck. 🙂

Any other questions you have? Post them in the comments! This time is flying by and yet at the same time, I can barely remember what it feels like to not be pregnant. Funny how that happens isn’t it?

Thanks for all of your love and support. I cannot wait for you to meet these new Balanced Life babies!

xo,