Help me set expectations: How much of a relief, physically, is having the twins out?

[billbydesign]

@marie2018 Oh, the heartburn goes too?? I'm so acidy, it's just become a default to eat as many tums as they let me.

 

[nativenewyorker1980]

@billbydesign The being able to breathe right away is awesome. I also instantly lost 25 pounds, so that is less weight on joints. It made a huge difference for me. Mine were not quite that big but were over 6 pounds.

 

[obadiahhaidabo]

@billbydesign It is SO MUCH BETTER. Almost immediately. After the first twin was out, it was an hour before I birthed the second. I remember looking down at my belly after birthing baby A and saying to the doc, “wow, my belly feels small!” (Even with a baby still inside ).

The post-birth was an adjustment for a few days.. definitely not comfortable. The extreme swelling/water-weight I had took about a week to go away fully. After I gave birth some of the swelling went away but then came back with a vengeance until my breastmilk finally came in. It took almost 5 days for my milk to come in, and the swelling got pretty bad again. But, once it did….. magical. I lost at least 20 lbs of pure water/swelling that first week and it was such a relief.

I’m a tiny gal who had knee/joint pain even before pregnancy, so it was really rough during the end of pregnancy.. there were times I gained 5 lbs overnight just due to swelling.

After all was said and done, even during the hard times of infancy with twins, I would turn to my husband at least once a day and say, “you know what’s really nice? Not being pregnant.” Twin pregnancy is SO taxing on the body. Once the babies are out, it’s still hard in different ways, but at least you have your normal bodily functions back.

 

[smf97]

@obadiahhaidabo Omg I’m 4 months postpartum and I still tell my husband how grateful I am to not be pregnant anymore lol

 

[yorkiegal]

@smf97 Literally same

 

[manzanopeek]

@obadiahhaidabo Yes this! I still say that to my partner from time to time 2 years later!

 

[shc73]

@billbydesign Agree with everyone and also I could finally sleep! Yes it was only like an hour or 2 at a time for a while. Between the heartburn, trouble breathing, and insomnia near the end of my pregnancy I was barely sleeping at all. Plus everyone telling me to “get your sleep now” just made me irrationally angry because I was hardly sleeping! My sleep was immediately much better quality after they were out!

 

[ariesagro]

@shc73 Oh gosh that comment was the worst. I'm fatigued but still overall better rested now with 8-week old twins than I was while pregnant.

 

[billbydesign]

@shc73 I HATE the "get your sleep now"! Like, I would if I could! I'm sleeping in 2 hour stints IF THAT.

 

[katrina2017]

@billbydesign I felt so much better the nurses kept reminding me to take it easy (which please remember to do). Before they were born I felt like my leg was going to fall off my hip and I was in so much pain. As soon as they were born the pain was gone. C-section pain is a completely different type of pain and much more manageable. Just remember to take it easy. My girls were 7lbs 13oz and 6lbs 4oz.

 

[itsavibemannotascience]

@billbydesign I had a c section at 37+2. When baby A was out I felt 95% better, and once B joined her it was incredible. I could breathe, my hips didn’t ache, my sciatic nerve chilled the f out. The healing from the c section was nothing compared to the constant pain and aching I felt in the three weeks leading up to it!

 

[karyn]

@itsavibemannotascience I could have written this! I had a scheduled c at 37+3. The moment when baby A came out and I could actually breath heaven. Basically all the pregnancy symptoms that plagued the final weeks went away by day 3 for me. I was insanely congested for the last month or so and realizing I didn’t have to focus on breathing was the best!

 

[billbydesign]

@karyn I'm also congested! It's been pretty bad the whole pregnancy but has gotten way worse the last couple weeks.

 

[nastradamus]

@billbydesign I only made it to 30 weeks and I felt so much relief after giving birth… and I delivered by c section and vaginal. The worst part of the c section recovery was trying to get out of bed and sitting up to pump. Since the babies were in the nicu I didn’t have to care for them and was able to recover rather quickly.

 

[ginny16]

@billbydesign Good lord… I’m 9 weeks and this thread is scaring me

 

[kristoffer1983]

@ginny16 It's rough but it's worth it

 

[billbydesign]

@ginny16 Real talk, I was cruising pretty well until third trimester. Like, I had PSD pretty early but the physical therapy, KT tape, and support belt were helping a lot.

Then the weight started to get on, and the welling, and BAM I'm miserable.

 

[ginny16]

@billbydesign PSD?

 

[billbydesign]

@ginny16 Pubic symphysis dysfunction. Nasty bit of business, that, makes you feel like you're being pulled apart sometimes

 

[ginny16]

@brothermark83 Oh gosh. I’m house hunting in the middle of all of this! I hope we get that taken care of soon. Ha!!