Pregnant with twins was most probably not something you had planned.
The increased physical and emotional stresses, the financial worries, as well as feeling completely overwhelmed and terrified at the thought of having twins is perfectly normal.
But there is this sneaky little nasty called ante-natal depression which can pop it’s head up and cause you even more grief before your babies are born.
What is Antenatal Depression?
Hormones are running rife during pregnancy and even more so with twins. Adjusting to the idea of a world where you have a new massive responsibility, a loss of career and knowing that your entire world is about to change is enough to freak any new Mama-to-be out.
But when things don’t improve and life gets harder, that’s when you need to consider it may be antenatal depression.
When we are pregnant, hormones run rampant through our bodies anyway and even more so when having twins! Your pregnancy hormones affect the chemicals in your brain, making you more anxious and in some cases depressed too. But antenatal depression is not just crazy hormones, it is a very real and serious threat to both your health and that of your twins too.
Often the first person to identify that things are not going quite right for you is yourself, but often we are too close to the problem to be a real advocate for ourselves. Chatting openly and honestly with your partner and midwife or obstetrician is probably the best way for them to get a handle on how you are doing.
Read more : Questions to ask your Doctor during your Twin Pregnancy
Don’t be afraid or ashamed to share what you are feeling, because you are not the only Mum to have had those thoughts before! Getting help now before you deliver your babies is one of the most positive steps you can take for all of your family.
Support for Antenatal Depression during your Twin Pregnancy
Your first port of call should you feel you may be suffering from antenatal depression during your twin pregnancy is your midwife, OB-GYN, or your Doctor. As trained health professionals, they have the skills and experience to diagnose and start you on the journey of getting better. Depending on where you live, you may or may not have access to local support groups, but your midwife or doctor should be able to put you in touch with them.
Joining Facebook groups created to support twin mamas are also a great source of support and advice. We have a great Twins & More Facebook Group that is private so nothing you talk about can be seen by your friends and family so you can get love and support from others that have walked the same path as you. We would love to have you join us.
You are bound to be given plenty of ‘helpful’ advice about how hard it is to have twins and that you won’t be able to cope. Just thank them for their opinion and leave it at that!
While family and friends may mean well and truly believe in what they are saying, you are best to chat with other twin mums to get the real picture of what life is going to be like for you. We’ve got the experience ourselves in what it really is like to have twins, so head over and read some of our other articles to help ease your mind – you will be ok mama xx
