Twiniversity followed twin mama Claire from 30 weeks pregnant with twins through her delivery at 35 weeks. Here’s a look at her postpartum with twins experience.
Welcome to the other side of Claire’s twin pregnancy journey!
This is the final update in her behind-the-scenes twin pregnancy series following her from Weeks 30 Weeks Pregnant With Twins through her delivery at Week 35.
After weeks of swelling, breathing trouble, blood pressure concerns, and knowing something was not right, her labs finally confirmed that she had preeclampsia.
Within days, she went from monitoring her symptoms at home to delivering Callie and Riley by C-section. She made it to 35 weeks and 3 days.
Her postpartum with twins journey included a NICU stay, feeding challenges, and even a postpartum blood pressure scare. But it also included healing, empowerment, and a feeling of being the strong mother she had wanted to be after her first birth.
Watch her postpartum with twins update here or keep reading for the biggest takeaways from her post-delivery conversation with Natalie Diaz.
Takeaway 1: Preeclampsia can change the delivery timeline very quickly
At her regular OB appointment, Claire’s blood work and a urinalysis finally protein in her urine that’s consistent with preeclampsia. Her doctor pretty much told her she had two choices: deliver the next day or wait until Sunday, when she would already be on call.
Claire chose Sunday, and her body held steady long enough to get there. After weeks of feeling unwell while tests looked reassuring, the diagnosis moved everything forward in a matter of days.
Twiniversity tip: Though not all twin pregnancies will be riddled with complications, it’s important to know the signs of preeclampsia. Read this article to learn more about preeclampsia in twin pregnancy.
Takeaway 2: A scheduled C-section can still be unpredictable
The plan sounded simple: arrive Sunday morning, be first on the schedule, and deliver the girls via a planned C-section. Instead, other multiple emergency C-sections in the same hospital repeatedly moved Claire back.
Because her blood pressure remained fairly stable and the babies looked good, she waited until around noon. The delay was frustrating, but it also showed the strange reality of a scheduled delivery. Even the best plan can change when another family needs immediate care.
Twiniversity tip: If you’re preparing for a C-section with twins and you’ve never had a C-section before, read this article to learn what twin moms wish they knew before their C-section.
Takeaway 3: A prenatal anesthesia consult gave Claire a better surgical experience
Claire’s epidural experience with her first baby Graham was traumatic, so she completed a prenatal anesthesiology consult before the twins arrived. Her team knew her history, had a placement plan, and used ultrasound guidance. The numbing medication was uncomfortable, but the spinal itself went smoothly.
For Claire, having that plan in place removed a major layer of fear and helped the C-section feel safer and more supported.
Takeaway 4: Callie and Riley arrived strong, with a short NICU chapter
Callie was born at 5 pounds, 6 ounces, and Riley at 5 pounds, 2 ounces. Both girls needed help maintaining their blood sugar at first. This turned into a two and a half day stay in the NICU for Callie and about a day and a half for Riley.
Since Claire had prepared herself for the possibility of NICU time, she was able to take this all in without too much overwhelm. She knew the girls were being cared for, and she had a little room to recover from the major surgery she just underwent.
Takeaway 5: Postpartum blood pressure still required serious attention
Claire’s discharge was delayed because her blood pressure remained too high, even though she felt physically fine. After finally going home, she woke feeling unwell and recorded a reading of 176/110.
She did not return to the hospital, despite being told to come back if her pressure spiked, and now says clearly that she should have gone. Her experience is an important reminder to follow the return precautions from your own care team, even when leaving your newborns feels impossible.
Takeaway 6: Twins are not automatically harder in every single way
Claire was worried that two newborns would recreate the sleepless, anxious postpartum season she experienced with Graham. Instead, her experience so far has been far from that.
The twins eat together, settle into their twin bassinet, and often sleep for three- to four-and-a-half-hour stretches. She and Jacob have even taken them shopping and gotten out of the house.
Of course, that may not be every twin family’s experience, especially in the early weeks and months. But Claire wants fearful expecting parents to know that twins do not have to equal nonstop suffering and struggle.
Takeaway 7: A big sibling can adore the babies and still struggle with the transition
Big brother Graham runs to kiss his sisters, calls them ‘sissies,’ and has a special nickname for Callie. Yay for older sibling-twin sibling love!
At the same time, he is also hitting, disobeying, and directing more challenging behavior toward Claire. While this can feel like a challenge, it’s all to be expected. Older siblings can love the babies and still feel displaced by such a major change in the household.
The goal isn’t to force perfect behavior; it’s to help the older sibling(s) feel seen and heard while the whole family finds its new normal.
Twiniversity: If you’re expecting twins and worried about how your other kid(s) may handle it all, be sure to check out our Twins After Singleton Class!
Takeaway 8: Removing pressure made feeding emotionally safer this time
If you remember back to earlier in this series, Claire opened up about her struggles with feeding the first time around with Graham. She had felt that breastfeeding difficulties meant that her body had failed.
Before the twins arrived, she made a more flexible agreement with herself: if nursing worked, great; if pumping or formula worked better, the babies would still be fed and okay. The reality she faced once the girls arrived is that they were small and struggled with latching, so pumping became the option that felt most sustainable.
The biggest key is that this time, she is not seeing feeding as a test of her worth as a mother.
Takeaway 9: Bottle flow can be one important part of the feeding puzzle
After discharge, Callie’s weight dropped from 5 pounds, 6 ounces to roughly 4 pounds, 5 ounces. She was taking a very long time to finish bottles with a preemie nipple and getting overly tired during feeds.
To remedy this, Claire and Jacob increased the nipple flow, and Claire reports that Callie began feeding more efficiently and climbed to nearly 7 pounds.
Nat, an IBCLC who specializes in twin lactation, explains that nipples labeled the same size may not flow identically. That’s why it’s super important to watch the baby, test the flow, and use paced feeding when changing nipple sizes. It’s also vital to loop in the baby’s pediatric care team when weight or feeding is a concern.
Takeaway 10: Caring for the mother changes the whole postpartum environment
Claire’s first birth left her disconnected, anxious, and grieving the experience she had hoped for. This time, when Jacob returned to her side with both girls, she felt the rush of love and connection she had missed with Graham.
The difficult first experience did not disappear, but the second gave her a new story that feels like healing. Claire can now look at herself and say that she feels like the strong mother she always wanted to be.
She also describes how she is prioritizing her own physical and emotional regulation. When the mother’s body, nervous system, and confidence are cared for, the entire household benefits.
One decision worth making before your twins’ delivery: cord blood banking…
One more item to at least think about before your twinnies comes is cord blood banking. Cord blood is a one-time source of newborn stem cells that’s collected just after birth, and it can be used later down the road in the case of certain health circumstances.
If cord blood banking is something you want to explore, this series’ sponsor CordBlood.com offers special twin-family pricing. Use the code DUO2 for a special discount for parents of multiples!
Watch the full episode:
This Week 35 update is part of a larger playlist following Claire’s twin pregnancy through delivery. See the full playlist here.
Check out the rest of the updates in Claire’s twin pregnancy journey:
- Week 30 With Twins: Twin Mom Pregnancy Update
- 31 Weeks with Twins: Twin Mom Claire’s Pregnancy Update
- 32 Weeks With Twins: Twin Mom Claire’s Pregnancy Update
- 33 Weeks With Twins: Twin Mom Pregnancy Update (Surviving Modified Bedrest)
- 35 Weeks With Twins: Claire’s Twin Pregnancy Update
Connect with Claire:
Claire and her husband run Reignite Chiropractic. Show them some love by following along with them on Instagram or Facebook.
