My Goal: Carry these babies until May 25th!

So, I've been reading a book called When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads: Proven Guidelines for a Healthy Multiple Pregnancy  Dr. Barbara Luke. It is opening my eyes to how I can have a healthy pregnancy and more importantly healthy, good sized babies who are not born early.

When I first found out I was carrying twins, I was most nervous about the pregnancy part. I've done the twin baby thing before but never the pregnancy, birth and breast feeding! I have read many stories of women having their twins prematurely and when you read about twins online the articles always say how much higher risk twin pregnancies are than singletons. So, I was nervous. I desperately don't want my babies to spend weeks in the NICU so if I can do anything to give them a better start in life I am going to do it.

So, I went on the hunt for some solid information about carrying twins to at least 36 weeks, which for me is May 25th. This book is exactly what I was looking for. It is written by a doctor who has spent her career studying mothers of multiples and she has developed some excellent protocols to follow to give multiples the best start in life.

I won't go into everything, but I wanted to enlighten you on the 2 major things I've learned while reading this book. First, I am going to gain a lot and that's ok, in fact, it is a primary goal of mine to gain at least 50 pounds. Dr. Luke has found that the women who gain adequate weight most often give birth to babies who are not premature and who are a very healthy weight, 5-7 lbs each. Guess how many calories I should be consuming each day? Think professional athlete here.....3500!!! I still have a hard to wrapping my mind around just how much food that is! She gives examples of women having a milkshake every night and having no guilt whatsoever about it. Hydration is another huge part of a healthy pregnancy and she recommends a gallon of water a day. So, between the eating and the drinking, I feel like I am constantly putting something in my mouth. If you have any great ideas for high protein snacks let me know. I'm already tired of eating!

Adequate rest is the other key component to a successful multiples pregnancy. I am not to feel guilty about putting my feet up whenever possible and delegating some household chores to my husband. So far I haven't had to do much of that but in the coming weeks I know it will happen and Shaun has promised to have a good attitude:-) I am thankful I don't have a job I have to go to every day. The girls are at an age that I can lay down on the couch while they play for an hour and most of the time they do great without me needing to intervene in any conflicts. I am so thankful my children are 3 1/2 and will be over 4 by the time these next two babies join our family. They will be my big helpers.