My heart aches for those of you who may have been affected by the bombings that occurred at the Boston Marathon yesterday. Please say prayers for everyone who has been affected – I know my prayers and thoughts are with them all.
This week has been another exciting one – as if my enormous stomach isn’t proof enough for me (as well as ultrasounds, etc.), I have been feeling these baby girls moving like crazy the last few days!!! I’ll describe it more below, but it’s the coolest thing ever.
Reader Carly told me last week to get ready to POP – and booooy, I think she is right. Just looking at last week’s picture to this week’s, I’m in for it. 
My pregnancy update this week told me the babies are going to double in size over the next two weeks or so as well. Holy yikes!!!
Aaand, my cousin Melissa told me on Saturday I barely look pregnant. Lady, you are DELUSIONAL! That big juicy baby must be affecting your brain cells.
Weight Gained: Finally a few pounds! When I went to the doctor on Thursday, I was up two pounds (still under where I started at, but still). I’m guessing things will start to pick up from here. My doctor isn’t concerned, so I guess I’m not either!
Symptoms: Starving. All. The. Time. This week has been crazy in the food department! I can’t believe how much food I can put back in one sitting! I have also had some pretty bad headaches this past week. Every morning I seem to wake up with one, and it never seems to go away. Blech. I have also found if I go too long without drinking water, I’ll end up with a lot of cramping and tightening in my stomach. You have no idea how much water it takes for me to stay hydrated these days!
Movement: YESSSSS!!!! On Saturday morning, I was laying on the couch and I felt what seemed like butterfly wings flapping in my stomach as well as fingers tickling me from the inside. It’s pretty much the weirdest/coolest thing ever. A few times I felt a little “pop” in my stomach as well. It wasn’t obvious at all to begin with, but now that I know what it is, I’ve been feeling these two all day long.
Food Cravings: Oh man, the cravings have been INTENSE this week. Soft serve ice cream has been top on my list, but I only gave into that once because real ice cream and I do not go well together. I have also been obsessed with refried bean tacos (with sour cream – this dairy, I swear!), hard boiled eggs, bagels with cream cheese (thanks Annette) and BLT’s with mayo (and yes, I ate bacon – ::gasp::!!!).
Food Aversions: Nothing really to tell you the truth – I’ve been friends with ALL the foods.
Sleep: Eeeeh, not the best. I have been waking up multiple times a night (think 4-5 – about every hour to hour and a half). However, I can’t figure out why. When I wake up, I don’t have to go to the bathroom, I’m not hungry – I don’t get it. I have been tossing and turning, so that might be the issue. I am usually a back or stomach sleeper, so I’ve been having issues getting comfortable on my sides. Plus, the Husband is currently sick so he’s hacking up a lung most of the night. He was nice enough to sleep on the couch the other night so he wouldn’t keep me up.
Stretch Marks? None.
Miss Anything? Still sleeping on my stomach – and popping an Advil or Motrin when I get a headache! Tylenol does nothing for this head.
Looking forward to: Having the Husband feel them move – I know it’ll be a while before that happens though!
Belly Button in or out? In
Happy or moody most of the time? Happy! I actually don’t think I had any crazy emotional pregnant lady breakdowns this week. Success!
New Baby Items: A lot of new clothes. My mom couldn’t help herself when she was shopping last week, and I couldn’t help myself when we went shopping on Sunday. The only downside is that we have no idea exactly when they’ll be born or how big they’ll be! Especially since they will be born in (fingers crossed) September, September can either be boiling or kind of cold. There are also a lot of clearance items out there right now for other seasons, but I have no idea what size they’ll be in!
Exercise: A lot of walks and a yoga session. My legs/hips were TIGHT!
Eating for Three?
Right when I found out I was having twins, I researched what would be the best resources for me to read. I came across one book that has been recommended to me over and over again by moms of multiples, When You’re Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads by Dr. Barbara Luke. The thing I find to be frustrating about other books is that the multiples section is only a few pages long. A multiples pregnancy is so much different than a singleton pregnancy. While any pregnancy has risks and complications, I’m sure you’d all agree that the more babies are growing in you, the higher the risks and complications can be.
I HIGHLY recommend this book to any mama to be of multiples. I have read and re-read chapters over and over again as a reference the past few months. Dr. Luke has a few chapters solely focused on nutrition during a multiple pregnancy. While I do take her advice with a grain of salt, she also does have a clinic that is widely known for birthing multiples that are of higher birth weight than normal. One thing Luke advises is that women who are having multiples increase their caloric intake almost immediately (instead of just in the third trimester which is advised in a singleton pregnancy). The reason behind this is because she feels it’s harder to gain that weight and really get in a lot of calories toward the end of pregnancy when mamas of multiples have no room at all to store it. She actually recommends moms of twins to be eating 3,500 calories a day. Holy cow. Not that I’m a skeptic, but that’s a lot of food.
I am definitely already increasing my calories throughout the day, although it was hard to do that in the first 14 weeks or so. I can’t say, however, that I am eating THAT much. I don’t think my stomach can expand that much! While I’ve definitely been indulging in my fair share of treats as of late, I really want the calories I’m taking in to be quality ones. I definitely am not and will not view pregnancy as an excuse to eat whatever I want! I’ve been having a difficult time following Luke’s guidelines though mainly because of some restrictions that I obviously have. While I’ve been eating more dairy than I normally do (I typically only eat Greek yogurt, which I can tolerate), it doesn’t really go over well with my stomach OR my head (I get headaches from most dairy). I also have been eating meat occasionally, which I’m still kind of “eh” on. While it sounds and looks good, the whole texture thing gets to me. Luke advises you to eat a LOT of dairy products and red meat. What I have been doing is supplementing with extra iron and calcium (along with my prenatal vitamin) to avoid my little ones not getting the nutrients that they need.
I’m really just listening to my body. I get hungrier in the morning and around lunchtime, and at night I’m not too hungry, which I guess is a good thing because I’m packing in the nutrients as early as I can throughout the day. If my body tells me to eat more, I’m going to. If my body tells me “that’s enough for the day”, I’ll listen. It’s not rocket science, but I do want to make sure I’m doing what’s best for my girls.
Questions for moms: How did your eating habits change during pregnancy?
Question for moms of multiples: Did you read Luke’s book? What do you think about her nutritional guidelines?
{ 83 comments… read them below or add one }
Um Chelsey, just in case you didn’t realize it, but you state in one section you are eating dairy, and another section you are having headaches, then further down you state you get migraines from dairy. It’s hard to connect the dots when you have a pregnant brain, so I am pointing out to you that you need to stop dairy so the headaches will go away!
I am so glad you feel otherwise so very well and that you are gaining weight and growing! I just adored the feeling of babies moving in my belly too! One of the best things in life!
hahaha - it’s true, I do need to stop because I get headaches. It’s haaaaard because I loove it.
I had headaches from about week 16-20. The dr told me they should subside (a lot of pregnant women get headaches as a side effect) around week 20 because that is when the hormones peak and level off. He was right. After week 20 I didn’t experience many more headaches!
My headaches were at their worst then too!
I also had headaches for about a month - luckily one Tylenol would kick it. Not a fun side effect.
Wow Chelsey, your bump had officially “bumped!”- what a (great) difference between this week and last week’s. Congratulations!
I had pregnancy headaches at night! Poor David spent hours rubbing my head.
Isn’t it funny how I can barely remember pregnancy even though H is only 19 months old? I remember devouring bagels the first tri and eating pretty normal beyond that. I do remember that eating often was key for me not to feel queasy.
Anyways I’m rambling on now about my own pregnancy when I really meant to just say that I love these updates!
Oh yeah, I also tried cooking for things in cast iron to naturally increase my iron intake
haha ramble away! I love hearing about others’ pregnancies!
love that belly pop!
In the first trimester, my appetite was on and off, but when I did want to eat, all I wanted to eat were carbs! The 2nd trimester I started to slowly get back in the groove with my normal eating and by the end of it I’d say I was there. Now I’m in my third and I’m back to being a little pickier than normal. Also I’ve found I’m not really that hungry at all? It’s weird.
You are so spot on looking forward to your husband feeling the baby kicks. For me, that was cooler than ME feeling them!
Your baby (babies?) bump is sooo cute! I love it!
I feel like for the most part I am eating fairly normally - it’s just when I get those cravings, they cannot be ignored!!!
Wow your tummy has really popped! Your so tiny otherwise though. Listening to your body is the best bet; rather than your mind which will have you eating chocolate 24-7
Still loving your Mexican?
Absolutely - bean tacos were my staple last week.
I think you’re doing what’s right by listening to your body! It will tell you what you need! You look amazing by the way!!!
Okay you look sooo cute!! Love it!
I actually towards the middle of my pregnancy ate way less because I always felt full. If I ate too much I would throw up..gross. And I didn’t eat sweets at all either which is very weird for me!
yuck! I’m glad I (knock on wood) haven’t thrown up for a few weeks now!
Feeling your baby move is one of the most awesome feelings ever! So glad that you’re feeling great!
I think your cousin is defenatly delusional
lol
You look amazing!!!
I always wondered if I’ll be able to stomach eating meat when I get pregnant. I think it’s a good idea but not sure if I could handle the texture…
So happy for you that you can feel them move
xoxo
It’s rough - because so many people tell me I “should” eat it, I am craving it, but when I eat it, I’m kind of like “meeeeh, I don’t know how I feel about this!” Except the bacon. I think I could always eat bacon from now on lol
Get ready for lots of people to tell you what you should and shouldn’t do, but really, it’s up to you! I’ve never been pregnant, so I can’t relate to what these types of cravings feel like, but you can do it without meat if you really want to. I know regular cravings are your body telling you you’re lacking in certain nutrients. Just because you want to eat steak, it doesn’t mean your body needs steak. It just means your body needs what’s in the steak (i.e iron & protein). I assume pregnancy cravings come from that, as well, only perhaps a bit more intense?
Also, I’m not at all trying to school you. I just wanted to say that you gotta do what you feel is best and not listen to what others think you should do. Once you become a mom, there will be even more people who think they know better than you. You were healthy before without meat, so you and the babies will be healthy without it, too…if you so choose
Look at you and that belly!!! You were too funny on Saturday with the movement questions - so excited that’s actually what it was.
And hey…we crave things (most of the time) for a reason…so just go with the flow!
You look so happy, love the belly!
That belly has for sure grown since last week, wow! I’m glad you are feeling better and foods are sounding good to you again. If red meat and dairy don’t sit well with you maybe you can eat other foods that have the same things that the red meat has. I’m sure figuring out what to eat can be so confusing as to what is best.
I definitely have to - you’re right!
ah your belly!! I can’t wait to meet theses little ladies! I can’t imagine myself preggers, I will eat us out of our house I feel!
Lol um yeeeah, the Husband is going to be upset when I ask him for more grocery money this month, but SERIOUSLY. I am eating so much food.
Love love love Dr. Luke’s book!!!!!!! Great resource. Like you, I’ve been really in tune and listening to my body when I’m hungry. And every time I eat, I make sure there is some kind of fat and protein in what I’m eating. Also, like you, I tend to be most hungry in the mornings and afternoons. After dinner I’m not as ravenous as I am earlier in the day. I typically eat a couple eggs and english muffin with fruit for breakfast, then a mid morning snack (sometimes greek yogurt), then a hearty lunch, then an afternoon snack, dinner, then dessert with milk for more protein.
My Mom is a registered dietician who also had twins so she’s been helpful with all of this. She says just listen to your body and eat when it tells you it’s hungry…which is often, even being on modified bed rest! Keep doing what you are doing!
I’m glad I’m not the only one eating like crazy
You are gorgeous, and that belly is growing like crazy!
Congrats! I’m 18 Weeks today myself and slowly getting used to all the changes. Might want to ask your obgyn about Advil, mine has it on the forbidden list.
It’s on my forbidden list too. I actually wrote that I miss being able to pop one in because taking Tylenol doesn’t do anything.
I am not having multiples, just one girl, but the bagel with cream cheese thing is absolutely universal. it is the one food i have been able to rely on since day 1!
Girl, you look amazing!!! I am so so happy to see the girls growing so beautifully.
Gosh just reading about your lil girls moving in your belly makes me miss it! Obviously I’m loving that hunter is out of my belly and here, but being pregnant was such a special time. There’s nothing like feeling your kiddo moving around in your belly. Just wait until they start rolling around like crazy!
Glad you found a helpful book! My friend that had twins read that one too. You are looking too cute with your bump
haha I told my mom I would rather feel the pokes and jabs than the feeling like worms are crawling through my stomach. She laughed and said juuuust wait, you’ll regret that statement!
Hi! You mentioned having issues with sleeping and I thought I would share this magic pillow with you.
http://www.amazon.com/Leachco-Snoogle-Total-Body-Pillow/dp/B0000635WI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1366125831&sr=8-1&keywords=snoogle
I’m currently 18 weeks pregnant and was having the same issue sleeping. Pretty much just waking up and being slightly uncomfortable. I was hesitant about purchasing this pillow because it is a little pricey (over $70 with a cover), but it is so worth it! It has made sleeping, and even just sitting in bed, so much more comfortable. Life changing. And I swear they haven’t paid me to say that.
One of my amazing friends is going to donate her Snoogle (?? is that it?) to me during pregnancy. I am PUMPED.
Cute baby bump! You’re definitely one of the cute pregnant ladies. I just know I’ll get all bloated and blow up like a balloon. haha
haha I have a loooooooong way to go. Definitely a lot of time to blow up!
Your bump is soooo dang cute!!
I can ONLY imagine eating for two babies….woweeeee. I still have a hard time getting enough in, I think. And of course, I’m eating highly caloric foods often (mac & cheese, chips, pizza) with some fruits/veggies thrown in, but I also teach a lot. It’s a tough one. And of course I want my baby to grow -and for me to grow. It’s been something on my mind…so I’m rolling with eating foods that have more calories, but also making good choices like having snacks of nuts, granola, fruits, veggies. It’s SO hard though, b/c of feeling sick. Gahhhh. Sorry, for the novel, just thought you’d understand.
And that is THE BEST that we blamed each other
Hah. I really did eat an entire box of mac & cheese. And it was sooooo good.
If I were having a girl (I find out in 2.5 weeks!!) I’d probably be buying a bunch of dresses too-they’re so darn cute!
p.s. for headaches, I use peppermint essential oil. Works like a charm! (I use doTERRA’s -it’s 100% certified pure, so no chemicals or other crap in it). Rub it on your temples or bottoms of your feet (more pores there to get into your blood stream). It’s like magic!
eEEEK 2.5 weeks! That’s so exciting! And nothing wrong with eating a whole box of mac and cheese. Now I want some.
My eating varied like crazy throughout my pregnancy. I would randomly have the most intense cravings, and then the next week that food I was craving would sound disgusting. One week I’d be starving and the next week I’d have no appetite. I just tried to go with it and eat as much nutrient dense food as I could while not beating myself up about the occasional indulgence.
You look adorable! I remember the beginning of my 2nd tri thinking I looked SO big, and then I looked back on those photos at the end of my pregnancy and realized that it was nothing compared to the big belly I had at that point.
haha I’m sure at 35 weeks with twins I’ll be thinking “was I crazy? I barely look pregnant!”
You are just belly-the rest of you doesn’t look pregnant
haha there’s plenty of time for that to change!!
I grew my baby on baked lays the first few weeks… I couldn’t get enough. And all throughout my pregnancy, I NEEDED salsa… I could have drunk it if I let myself.
Oooooh look at that bump! So great!
I have 17 month old identical boys. I read Dr. Luke’s book and referenced it many many times during my pregnancy. You touched on this above, but part of the reason she recommends the calorie increase from the start is because towards about week 32 on, you simply don’t have room to eat enough and so your body starts to mobilize the fat stores that have created up until this point to nourish and help finish “growing” the babies. At 32 weeks, the uterus of a woman who is pregnant with twins is the same size as a woman who is 40 weeks pregnant with a “singleton”.
I generally eat everything in moderation (but try to avoid processed food) and so during my pregnancy I just tried to eat more of everything and ate gelato whenever I wanted. I really focused on protein intake- my doctors sent me to a nutritionist (standard for multiple pregnancies for their practice - they had delivered 300 sets of multiples in 5 years!) and she said that I should try to eat 100 grams of protein a day. I am an avid meat eater and thought that the 100 grams was crazy - but followed her advice. I delivered at 36.5 weeks (went 3 days earlier than my scheduled c-section due to some complications) but my babies were healthy. One was little - 3lb 10 oz and was in the NICU for a few days as a feeder and grower. Protein and healthy fats are essential building block for the brain during development - I can’t tell you how many eggs (and burgers and steaks but I know that you don’t each much meat) I consumed. Also - the babies will take what they need from you - so please be mindful of your calcium intake as your body will direct calcium from your bones to the babies in order to develop their bones if necessary.
I gained 40 lbs during my pregnancy and 30 of them were gone by my 6 week follow-up. I held onto another 10 while breastfeeding and am now still working on losing the last few straggler pounds. Enough from me - but please feel free to email me offline about anything! I am so excited for you!
Woohoo for healthy babies!!
My biggest suggestions would be using more healthy fats that are higher in calories, like coconut oil, avocado and nut butters. That way you get more calories for less volume! And I need to see your face asap. Sending you an email…
Done and done. Does froyo count?
You’re adorable! I’m glad the appetite has returned, but I’m sorry to hear about the headaches. Ice cream helps headaches, right?
haha unless the dairy actually causes your headaches to begin with.
Around week 14-18 I got those bad headaches too. And the fact that I never get headaches made me such a baby when dealing with them. I suffered through though, lots of water is good. Tylenol didn’t help my any either. I am in week 25 now and feeling great. Just remember, this will pass!
A lot of water definitely helps!
Hi chelsey, I don’t often comment on your page, usually I just sit back and take it all in, recipes, food and workout tips etc.
But seeing your pregnancy posts the past months and your growing belly I just wanted to say how very happy I am for you. I know it has been long journey to this and you will be a wonderful mother to those two beautiful Baby girls. I wish you all the happiness in the world.
Thank you Katie!!
Ahh that’s so amazing that you’re starting to feel them moving! And hurray for having an appetite again. We learned about pregnancy with multiples in my nutrition classes and they said the same thing about gaining all your weight early - especially since multiple pregnancies often deliver early, do you don’t always have as much time to gain weight!
I can’t remember if it was this book but the book that I read on being pregnant with multiples recommended gaining 25 lbs by 25 weeks. The reasoning seemed to be there so I figured I’d give it a shot. When I first read it I thought it would be impossible to do but I quickly realized that with my never ending appetite it wasn’t going to be an issue at all.
It recommends that in this book as well!
It’s so fun to read about your adventure with twins. I have to admit I’m pretty worried about headaches during pregnancy. I get headaches and migrains and tylenol does squat for me too. I will be sending lots of prayers your way that your headaches get better soon! Hang in there!
My cousin who had brain surgery when she was 13 has always had HORRIBLE migraines. When she was pregnant with her first, they worsened and she wasn’t able to take her medication. I can’t even imagine.
You look GREAT!!!! And I love that you are starting to pop
It makes being pregnant so much more fun b/c it is so obvious to EVERYONE when it gets big. I swear I wake up and I’m bigger EVERY day! My eating habits haven’t changed TOO much since I’ve been pregnant. I find myself eating more red meat and drinking a lot of milk. I naturally enjoy healthy food, so I have been trying to find ways to still stay healthy and get in extra calories. I eat 2 breakfasts - 2 eggs before I leave for work and then something with more protein when I get to work, I add more olive oil to my veggies instead of a small splash like I was before, I have a BIG snack in the afternoon instead of something small, etc. I’m actually eating fewer sweets than I did pre-pregnancy because I really don’t crave them?!?! crazy! I also give in to whatever my body wants - if its a big salad with fun toppings or a burger with fries I figure that’s what my body wants and needs 
As for Dr. Luke’s book, I haven’t followed the calorie guidelines because I don’t count calories. I have been using her weight gain as my target (at 19.5 weeks I was up 19 lb!) and I have definitely been following her advice on high protein. Keep up the good work, mama!!!!!!!
I’ve been doing the same thing for sure. I have not been counting calories per se - it’s just so cumbersome for me. I will randomly check every couple of weeks however to check up on my protein/cals/fat by just inputting it really quickly into a program. But other than that, no siree.
Bummer about the headaches, but look at your adorable belly! Why is it that I get excited when I see a pregnant belly, but not my own bloated stomach? C’mon, it’s similar right? Oh…no? Oh well.
hahaha I totally hear you on that one. I could make myself look 16 weeks pregnant even if I wasn’t pregnant!!
You look adorable btw!! I’m also struggling with intense meat cravings. I haven’t eaten it in 2 years and haven’t craved it much at all. But now that I’m pregnant I find myself daydreaming about steak tips and cheese burgers. It’s something I plan to bring up at my doctors appt tomorrow.
Lol - I feel you!! I’m sure your doctor will tell you to increase your iron or protein intake. And honestly, I know it happens to a lot of vegetarians. I’m not one who is ashamed to eat meat right now. I highly doubt ill eat meat again after pregnancy. It’s really not my thing and I never craved it or even thought it looked good before! Oh how hormones and our little parasites (I say that with love) change things!!
I don’t have any baby experience so I can’t really pitch in much, but you look great!!
LOL - thanks!
My eating habits were more different in the first half of my pregnancy than the last. For the first 20ish weeks, I would get ravenous and need to eat immediately. I also didn’t want sugar or chocolate (very strange for me) but protein like cheese and hard boiled eggs. Now I feel like I eat pretty much as I did pre-pregnancy, and my sweet tooth is back.
And you have such a cute bump! Enjoy watching it grow and feeling them move - it’s the coolest thing
You look so fabulous!!! I am so excited for the twin girls, they are going to be little beauties!! Buying baby clothes is SO fun and hard to not go overboard on, Mike and I have a hard time with that over here, haha!
I am glad all is going well and know it will continue to throughout pregnancy! You are a healthy and strong mama!
p.s. The water thing you said, amen, I ended up in the hospital last night with contractions due to dehydration. All is ok though, got lots of fluids in me and the contractions spaced out and were eventually gone. Very scary, I have been traveling lots and water the past couple days was not as much as my typical day. I have been SO good about hydrating, but bad the past 2 days and that happened. Thank you for mentioning that , too crazy I was in the hospital all night due to that.
I need sleep today and hydration YES!
I went through a refried bean/sour cream kick as well except I wasn’t pregnant
It’s just delicious!
Your baby bump and YOU are just adorable!
CHELSEY! I don’t think I’ve congratulated you yet…so CONGRATS!!! So excited for you, and you look absolutely amazing and happy
xoxo
I think I have mentioned before - I loved this book and feel like it really helped me to carry my boyz to 32 weeks (not bad for triplets - had hoped for 35- they turned 13 Wednesday and are big and healthy!). I do remember though, eating breakfast and crying - wanting the day to come when I could just eat a simple bowl of cereal for breakfast! (I did just that moments ago!). 4000 calories a day is a lot of food - but growing babies is a lot of work for the body too. I was vegetarian but not vegan when I was pg and I continued with that - no meat cravings at all. I think it is great that you are listening to your body and eating what feels right without rules and restrictions. Happy baby growing
I just found your blog! I love it already! Congratulations on twins! That is so exciting!!!
First of all, big congratulations! Two girls - so exciting!!
I too am pregnant with twins (just under 15 weeks, so a bit behind you). I was lucky in the first trimester in that I was able to put on a bit of weight, but I’m finding it so hard to consume anywhere near 3,500 calories. My doctor and midwife advised me to listen to my body, but certainly not eat 3,500 calories a day. And I was underweight when I became pregnant. They advised just a bit more than normal. Do you find that you get a lot of conflicting advice?
Hope you’re feeling well:-)