Erika Patten, who has boy-girl twins and a singleton son, had extreme nausea that made her lose 15 pounds in nine weeks during her twin pregnancy. She was swollen, dehydrated, and spent portions of her last four months hooked up to IVs.
"Once we had the ultrasound that confirmed a [single baby this time], I breathed a sigh of relief," Patten says. "The singleton pregnancy flew by!" Moms of only singletons, she remembers thinking, have no idea how easy they have it.
Since twins are difficult both inside and outside the womb, Dr. Atlas says you should solicit extra help if you're expecting twins. "Do not be superwoman," he warns. "You will need your rest."
"Someone told me, from day one, do not treat this like a 'normal' pregnancy," says Stephanie. "And I am so glad I realized that early on. I had to learn to say 'I am pregnant, and I can't do this or that right now.' I had to learn to say no to things."
Patten also advises women pregnant with twins to "take it easy and listen to your body,” rather than expect yourself to have as much energy as you did during your first pregnancy, and to talk to other moms of twins.
"Twin mamas tend to band together," Patten says. "It's a bond I can't explain. We get each other and the craziness, but [we] also know none of us would trade it for the world."
