Are you going to have twins? Congratulations! Here is an article that will dispel the fears and groundless worries that accompany multiple pregnancies, childbirth and twins.
The magazine "Ya Vasha Krokha" interviewed Anastasia Olshevskaya - mother of twin boys, writer, author of six books, including a manual for mothers of twins and twins "Twins, or a Miracle in the square". Anastasia shares her experience with our readers and talks about the misconceptions and myths that often surround the birth of twins.
Myth 1. Multiple pregnancy is a pathology
"I am your baby": In the medical literature, pregnancy with twins is interpreted, as a rule, in this way - pathology. And the Internet is full of similar definitions. Why is this a myth?
Anastasia Olshevskaya: From the point of view of doctors, multiple pregnancies are indeed considered an anomaly. The problem is that there are practically no books in Russian about twins, about bearing, childbirth and raising twins. All that we have is, basically, textbooks and encyclopedias on obstetrics, designed for medical specialists, but not for women expecting "double happiness". And in the face of scarcity practical knowledge, expectant mothers have to draw information from these very textbooks.
Imagine this situation: you are going on vacation at sea for the first time in your life, full of anticipation and expectations. Go to the Internet to read something useful on this topic. But the only thing you see is a flood of information about sunburn, storm warnings and typhoons. Obviously, you're going to decide that a seaside vacation is something very sinister and extreme.
Roughly the same thing happens with the information field in matters of multiple fertility: it is presented very one-sided. There are only "storm warnings" and rare reviews of "tourists" who returned safe and sound from the "trip". The lack of real knowledge is the reason why twins are called "pathology".
According to the Social Insurance Fund, almost twenty thousand cases of twins are registered annually in Russia. It seems to me that with such indicators, the absence of sensible books on this topic should be considered pathology.
Myth 2. Caesarean is inevitable
"I am your baby": There is a widespread belief that a cesarean section is the best way to resolve multiple pregnancies. And according to statistics, the overwhelming number of births of twins takes place in this way. Apparently, the legs of this myth grow from here?
Anastasia Olshevskaya: Partly yes. I think that the high rates of cesarean during pregnancy with twins are also the result of a lack of knowledge among expectant mothers and a desire to “make life easier for themselves” among doctors. Not all doctors are so “lazy”, but we must admit: there are enough of those who make a “diagnosis” of “multiple pregnancy” and automatically issue a referral for a planned cesarean.
It is important to understand that the operation is unambiguously inevitable only in one case: a woman is expecting monochorionic monoamniotic twins. In other cases, indications for cesarean treatment will depend on the same reasons that are possible during pregnancy with one child: underweight baby, IVF, gestosis, chronic diseases in the mother or obstetric pathologies.
Yes, fetal presentation is included in a separate category of reasons, however - according to the same statistics - most often it is such that a woman can give birth on her own. Therefore, each case of bearing twins must be approached individually, delve into the nuances of this particular pregnancy, and not put the stamp "twins means Caesar." This equals sign is invalid. And the decision of how to give birth, both a woman and her doctor should be approached carefully, reasonably and taking into account all circumstances.
Myth 3. Breastfeeding twins is impossible
"I am your baby": The expectant mothers of twins, of course, ask questions about breastfeeding. How to “technically” organize feeding? Will there be enough milk for two? Will the mother herself have the strength for this feat? And many, not finding answers to these questions, even during pregnancy, get used to the thought “a bottle with a mixture is my lot” in advance.
Anastasia Olshevskaya: I use both hands for breastfeeding twins. Yes, until you have two swaddled little bags on your hands, you can only hypothetically imagine how you will feed them. And it is obvious that every woman has doubts and worries on this topic. It seems to me that the most important thing here is "the spirit to win." Milk production directly depends not only on physiology, but also on the moral state of the newly-made mother. Therefore, if there are no medical reasons and contraindications for breastfeeding, then you should not be afraid that "there are two of them, how can I cope?"
Of course, if for any objective For reasons, breastfeeding will not work, and the milk mixture will become the basis of the baby's diet, then you do not need to reproach yourself and engage in self-blame. However, do not start out on the premise that it is impossible to breastfeed twins. Anything is possible if you really want to! Proven by moms of twins.
Myth 4. Identical twins are identical
"I am your baby": Is this a myth too?
Anastasia Olshevskaya: Yes - if we talk about a complete "coincidence". Twins have different fingerprints, bone structure, location of moles, voice, not to mention character and psychological characteristics.
Moreover, there is another misconception - it is believed that identical twins are born outwardly the same. This is not true. It is not at all necessary that from the moment of birth they will be like two drops of water. When I first saw my babies, I was shocked: I had completely different children! Up to the point that one had blonde hair, and the second was a burning brunette. Outwardly, they became similar only in the second month of life.
As for temperament, habits, sociability, behavior - all this was and remains so different that it is absolutely impossible to confuse them. Although strangers, of course, first of all notice their "similarity".
Myth 5. The ability to reproduce is inherited
"I am your baby": If you had twins in your family, then the chances of having twins increase - this has become almost a popular omen. Is it also a delusion?
Anastasia Olshevskaya: Rather imprecise wording. Scientists have proven that the ability to conceive non-identical twins is inherited. In relation to identical twins, everything is very vague. Science cannot yet answer the question of why a fertilized egg suddenly decides to split into two identical independent zygotes, from which two outwardly identical men then appear. Moreover, there is no definite answer whether the "ability" to become pregnant is inherited by identical twins by future generations.
Myth 6. The mom of twins is a super being
"I am your baby": And you won’t get around with one baby, but here there are two… Looking at the mother of twins, you involuntarily think - how does she manage everything? Tell me how?
Anastasia Olshevskaya: This question, of course, tops the hit parade of questions usually addressed to moms of twins. Sometimes I also look in fascination and think: "Lord, how is she doing ?!" when I see ... a mother with triplets. So everything is learned in comparison :)
Seriously though, there is no miraculous way to learn "how to do everything with children and at the same time remain yourself, in your right mind and sanity." Although, wait, there is. True, this is not a miracle secret, but a general universal formula. This formula has four terms:
- Help from loved ones.
- Daily regime.
- Correct prioritization.
- The principle of rational-radical egoism.
With the first three "components", everything is intuitively clear, about the fourth - this is a way to avoid physical and emotional burnout, which I talk about in detail with the book "Twins, or Miracle Squared".
And although this formula of four terms does not look like a “revelation” and a “recipe for happiness,” it reliably guarantees that, following it, the mother of twins will not turn into a tattered, exhausted creature that does not recognize herself in the mirror. On the contrary, her life will be full of those wonderful, unique and very special moments that are familiar only to parents of twins.
Anastasia Olshevskaya (www.olshevskaia.com), author of the book "Twins, or a Miracle in a Square" - specially for the web resource "I am Your Baby"
- Caring for newborn twins - top tips for a young mother
- How to conceive twins and try to influence the gender of babies. Natural and artificial ways
- 10 arguments in favor of a large family
