5 Things I Learned About Having Twins

People react and say all kids of stuff to you when you have twins. This is what I have learned about life with twins so far. 

1. Everywhere and I mean EVERYWHERE you go people will always ask "Are they twins?" And for some reason they yell this. 

2. Sometimes people will see me out and actually say- "Double Trouble!" I normally just flash a little smile but under my breathe I say "How dare you call my perfect angels trouble!" 

I have come up with the perfect response-  

They are not trouble. They are a double blessing. :)

 3. I also get- "They don't look alike."

Public service announcement- Twins do not have to be identical to be twins. I thought that was common knowledge, but some people may have been sleeping in biology class.

4. To any new mom out their with new twins be prepared for looks and comments everywhere you go. The good thing is I can look a hot mess and know that I will pretty much be invisible because everyone will be looking at the girls and will not even notice me.

5. "I totally know what it's like. I have kids a year apart." My response in my head- "Umm.. Not the same. Good try. You totally have no idea what it's like." Having kids a year apart I am sure has it's troubles and is hard too but it's not twins. 

People love twins. It's just a fact. Before I had my girls I had no idea

people reacted this way to twins. The public likes to talk to you. 

As hard as it is to have twins, it is still so rewarding. They sure are cute!

Hello to my Followers!

Hello out there to all of my faithful followers and to my international followers! 

It makes me so happy to see people checking out my blog. 

This is the latest viewers from last few days. 

I hope you find this blog helpful. 

-Is there anything you want to know?

-Have any questions?

-Worried about something or have something on your mind?

Reply to this post or email me-

MBFTurner@gmail.com

I am happy to help any way I can! 

Support Groups Worth Checking Out

There are great groups you can join for preemie parent support on Facebook. It's a great way to meet and have conversations with other preemie parents.  All you have to do is search in Facebook. 

Here are some great ones I have found:

 

Micro preemie Support Network

Parents of Preemies Day  

Preemies Today 

Peek A Boo ICU

I also really like a group on Facebook called The Preemie Parent Exchange. The page is basically like a Craiglist for preemie parents. Parents can post extra supplies they have and parents can also request supplies that they may need.  

I find the groups really helpful but I do have a one suggestion worth noting. 

If you are the parent of a micro preemie I think it is truly best to stick with groups that are dedicated to just micro preemies in my opinion. 

Other preemies groups often have parents who post things about their 34-36 weekers and their issues/concerns are way, WAY different than micro preemies problems/issues.  There is a  reason there is the word micro in front after all. 

 I understand how devastating having a baby early (even if it's a week early) can be and I don't want to down play the seriousness, but the issues are different and I find it helpful to talk to others that have a similar situation. With that said, any time you can talk to another preemie parent it's helpful.

Share the knowledge friends!

Kangaroo Care Awareness Day!

Today is International Kangaroo Care Awareness Day! 

The kangaroo hold is a safe way for moms to hold their preemie babies. The baby is placed on the chest on direct skin. The baby only wears a diaper so they can feel your skin. It is a wonderful time for a mom to bond with her baby, but it is also beneficial for the baby. The skin-to-skin helps comfort the baby and can even help with stabilizing their heart rate and breathing patterns.

 Elizabeth was about 3 weeks old before I could hold her.

 

Abigail was about 6 weeks old.

 I can still remember the first time I got to do the kangaroo hold with them. I was nervous because they were so small, but it also felt amazing to hold them for the first time.  

So to all the moms out there in the NICU world take some time and celebrate today by Kangarooing! 

Happy Nurses Week!

This week is neonatal nurses week. 

I wanted to take this time to thank all the amazing nurses that took care of my girls at University of Maryland and at Hopkins.

You were supportive to me and took care of my girls when I couldn't. 

You were there when I was a nervous reck. 

You were there when we had joys.

You taught me how to change their diapers when they were first born.

You also taught me how to hold them for the first time. 

You taught me to advocate for them and to speak up when I thought someone was wrong. 

You took my calls at all hours of the night.  

You encouraged me to get some rest and to not feel bad about taking a break. 

You were honest with me, but you were also reassuring and gave me faith.

You helped me in so many ways, but most important you cared for my girls and took wonderful care of them.

There is a  hopeless feeling when you can't take care of your own child but I trusted you. You took care of my children like you would have taken care of your own. 

THANK YOU!  THANK YOU! 

You all have touched my life in so many ways and you will always be apart of our journey. Thank you all and God bless. 

Ehlers-Danlos Awareness Month!

As I have posted before my family has a history of a connective tissue disease called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS). I have it, my mom has it, my brother... you get the idea. My daughter Abigail was diagnosed a few months ago too. 

EDS affects connective tissue, skin, joints, and blood vessel walls. People with EDS also have a defect with the collagen they produce. 

There are 6 types and my family has the Classical type.

The types are:

Classical

Hypermobility

Vascular

Kyphoscoliosis 

Arthrochalasia

Dermatosparaxis

Tenascin-X Deficient 

To determine if someone has EDS the doctor has to do a detailed physical examination. 

Doctors will look for the following characteristics:

-soft skin

-easy bruising

-smooth skin

-joint hypermobility

-skin hyperextensibility 

-joint instability 

You can find out more information from:

http://www.ehlersdanlosnetwork.org