The beauty of the Monsoon rain is its propensity to chill down the wrath of the dreadful Summer. We are so glad when the pitter patter raindrops kiss the most sweltering Indian grounds. The only downside of the rainy season is the monsoon diseases which hit us oft-times. You would have noticed a slightly longer gap in my writing and the credit goes to our monsoon rains. I was down with a viral infection and I miserably transferred it to my twinnies. So far we couldn’t enjoy the sweetness of this monsoon but were destined to stay indoors and run on medicines. We are hoping to relish and enjoy the rest of this season. All because of these glitches, I had to delay in publishing the interview of Ms. Mukta Jain, a beautiful, strong, determined and stout-hearted twin mama.
She is the mother of an endearing little prince and amazingly cute little princess who is 3.5 months old now. There is a reason why I mentioned her to be a Stout-hearted Mom. Mukta was fortunate to be a twin mama, but this wasn’t a painless blessing. She had to go through a lot of hurdles and overcome many gruelling situations to bear these double joys in her womb. I can swear, you will be certainly moved by this heart-rendering journey of Mukta Jain in embracing the motherhood. Meet the Twin Moms series is honored to present this inspiring interview to you.
If you are a Twin Mom and would like to share your parenting expertise with our readers, Please contact us. We will be happy to feature you.
Over to Mukta Jain.
Mukta Jain, the Valiant Woman
Hello pals,
I am a post graduate from CU Kolkata and was working earlier. But post-wedding I wanted to settle sometime as a homemaker and also break from work was much needed.
I conceived in December 2013, but that pregnancy could not last. From there started my struggles and I had to fight with an unexplained Infertility. At long last, on March 26, 2017 , we were blessed with our twinion one blue and one pink angel (Mimi and Miki).
Mukta Jain shares her experience and cognizance about Raising Twins
What was your first reaction when you found that you were carrying twins?
After two D&C’s because of a non-viable pregnancy and an ectopic pregnancy, six failed IUI cycles, two failed IVF cycles this pregnancy was very precious. When we got to know we were pregnant with twins the reaction was so beautiful. Tears filled our eyes and we were thanking God. Finally, God answered all our prayers. But in a corner of my heart, I was always scared of losing this pregnancy as my past experiences were worse.
Did you take any special care to cope up with your twin pregnancy?
During earlier days of pregnancy, my placenta was low lying and cervix length was short. So I needed immediate cervical stitches and doctor put me on bed rest. But after 22 weeks, placenta shifted upwards and the doctor wanted me to be on complete bed rest. But as I stayed in a two storied building and pantry was on the ground floor, complete bed rest was never possible for me.
Here is a beautiful letter from Mukta to her twins in the womb
Did you have any complications during your pregnancy or delivery? If so, can you share your experience?
Due to BP fluctuations, my c-section was planned when I was 35 weeks. As per doctor, both the babies were ready. Twin A weighed 2.25 kg and twin B 2kg. I got steroids injections in week 34 for the maturity of my babies’ lungs. Main complications popped up post delivery.
After completing stitches, due to the heavy bleeding doctor had to remove my uterus. I was in a big mess. Higher antibiotics almost killed me. My babies didn’t have to stay in the NICU but still, they had to remain in the nursery as my recovery was slow. I was emotionally, psychologically, physically weak. But there were bump buddies and more friends who gave me a lot of strength to overcome the situation. My hubby supported me a lot those days.
Were your twins born Premature? Did they stay in NICU? How did you handle the Prematurity and NICU journey?
Yes, my twins were premature as they were born in 35 weeks. But my babies didn’t need any NICU time. Both were healthy and breathing without support.
I would like to mention that I felt NICU time was not needed for my twins because of my healthy eating and regular checkup. I always prefer to go for a second opinion in the case of any complications.
How did you handle their infant stage (0-1 yr) and save your sanity? Can you share some tips?
For our miracle babies, me and hubby struggled a lot. They are almost three months now but we are just enjoying the parenthood. We mutually share the responsibility of raising them so it doesn’t seem very tough till now. Few things we maintain a routine like their feeding schedules are together, they almost nap at the same time. The funny part is they even go to the potty at the same time.
Are there days when you were overwhelmed with the mommy guilt and felt that you couldn’t do justice to your twin mom role? If so, how did you overcome this?
There are times when I feel I am not so perfect or I could have handled things much better. But when I hear people saying that me and my hubby are taking care of our twins in the best way, then I feel proud. Moreover, I am learning from my mistakes every day in motherhood.
Do you have any tips for breastfeeding twins? Did you feed them formula? What routine did you follow to feed your babies during the first year?
For the last three months, I am an exclusively pumping mama. I pump almost 5-6 times around 800-1000 ml. I breastfeed them 2-3 times in a day. But still I need formula as breastfeed and pumped milk are not enough for them. So 2-3 times I give them SIMPLAC advance. I don’t have any guilt of feeding formula to them as I am putting my best efforts.
How did you handle their sleeping pattern?
First two months I didn’t make any changes in their sleeping pattern. They use to sleep the whole day and will wake every hour at night. They cried sometimes at night due to colic pain. Me and my hubby divided our feeding shift so we both can get some sound sleep. Mehul co-operated a lot in feeding, diapering and making them burp.
Mimi and Miki are sound asleep!
In the third month, I brought some changes in their daily routine. I don’t let them nap more than two hours at a single time. I wake them up after every 2 hours. After 6 pm in the evening, I don’t let them sleep until 10 pm. So nowadays they sleep well at night. Every 3-4 hours they wake up for feed and then sleep back. I don’t swaddle them at day time. Swaddling at night again helps a lot.
What was the toughest challenge that you faced during their toddlerhood and how did you handle it?
They are just three months and I am still to face lots of challenges.
How did you potty train your twins?
Potty training long way to go they are just 3 months. Looking forward to getting potty training tips from Twin mommies.
What is the one thing that you admire from their twin bond?
Lol.. Their potty time.
Do they fall sick together? How do you handle their sick days?
Yes sometimes in very early days they fell sick together. It is difficult to handle the crankiness when babies are not well. But when you have helping hands you are a bit at peace.
Twin Moms have to be different but are often judged for their varied parenting style. What are the unique challenges that you encounter in your society as a twin mom and how do u deal with them?
I am on the edge of completing four months of motherhood and there is a long way to go. Lots of efforts are yet to be done. As per Society members, twin parents are lucky as we are done with family planning at once. Yes, I feel Twin parents are lucky as we are blessed twice not because we completed our family planning in one pregnancy.
The journey of major parenthood responsibilities starts after the birth of a baby. So raising two kids perfectly is a very big responsibility. Every mama is the best but I feel a twin mama is a super mama.
Did you separate your twins in school or did you have them in the same class? Which worked for you and why?
I want my twinnies to be in the same school and college until and unless their academic interests are different.
How do you describe your life with twins?
Without these two angels, my life was incomplete. My pregnancy was a precious pregnancy and these babies are god’s gift to all my struggles. Thank you God, for blessing me with Mimi n Miki. Life is hectic with them but super beautiful. I am feeling very proud to be a twin mama.
The adorable little blessings!
What will be your supporting words for new twin moms?
Twin mommas, you all are double blessed as God found you perfect to bless with two babies. Have a healthy diet during your entire pregnancy because you have an extra responsibility to nourish. Never give up as u are selected to be the super mom. Ask for help from others whenever you are in need. A full-time helper is not a bad demand. Don’t neglect your health too as if momma is healthy then only she can take good care of the babies.
Being a twin mom is all sorts of crazy, but when you embrace it for all it is, on the easier days and the hard days, you’ll find yourself on your knees in gratitude, thanking the Lord that he would trust you to raise two of his treasured kids at once.
Thank you, Mukta Jain, for expending your precious time and sharing us about your enthralling journey with your twins. This surely is an inspiring feature for all the twin moms who are striving hard to cope with their double joys.