Anyone who followed Dr. Luke's book??

 I've read Dr. Luke's book and found great reasons for taking all the supplements she suggests.  I even bought one of those pill boxes with 4 boxes for each day of the week!  I feel like an old lady, taking so many pills.  I really hope this is for the best for my babies and helps prevent problems, as outlined in her book!  I'm also eating as best as I can, every 2 hours, and so far (knock on wood!), as long as I do that, I haven't vomited but do feel nauseous often (can deal with that for now!).  Anyone else following/followed the book this closely?  I'm hoping to increase my chances of a healthy, 38 week, vaginal birth of two big babies!!  LOL!  Then, it'll be worth it.  :)  Any thoughts or advice for me?

I read the book, but didn't take any supplements.  If you think it will help then I say go for it!  My OB told me that the most important thing in multiple pregnancies was to get rest from the very beginning.

 Good luck!

I've followed it as closely as possible.  It helped me gain weight since I started out really behind (had lots of medical issues in the beginning of my pregnancy - OHSS, bad m/s, emergency appendectomy @ 13 weeks, huge cyst on right ovary).  My dr is not on board - but he relies on the "lastest research" (which is only on single pregnancies, of course) and I think Dr. Luke's years of proof of big/later/etc babies is worth more, so when they conflict I go with the book.

I'm so sick of protein.  Seriously.  But she's right that you need to work on the weight gain early - my ability to take in food is WAY down now (31 weeks tomorrow). I'm okay with all the water - I always drink a lot of water and it's not an issue for me. 

So far my babies have measured at/above average for singletons at every u/s, and I've not had any other issues, so I'm happy about that.  I'm also hoping for a vaginal birth of two healthy babies, but I think I'd prefer 36-37 weeks to 38.  I'm sure if I make it to 38, I'll be begging to be induced, lol! (I'm pretty big already, and they're just over 3 lbs each at best guess.  Next u/s is next Tues.)

Probably the only thing I haven't followed to the letter is work.  My dr wanted me to stop entirely at 20 weeks. (I did not react well.)  Her book says stop at 24-28 weeks.  I went to 50% time after my appendectomy, and have been at that ever since (this is my last week of work, I'll stop when I'm 31w2d).  But I work entirely from home, and can do so with my laptop in bed, can lay down as needed, etc.  So, my dr thought it would be okay.  But I have to tell you I am more than ready to stop working!!

Good luck! Feel free to PM me with questions.

Jen  

 I am 37w2d right now and 38 weeks is torture! Advice: as stated above get sleep from the start. Full nights of sleep at first and then start sprinkling in mandatory daily naps by the third trimester. Lots of water too! Bubbling water with a splash of organic juice if you get bored of reg water. Good luck!

I didn't follow the book quite as closely as you did - I had a twin specialist as an OB who told me the only supplements I needed were one prenatal and two doses of calcium a day. However, I did follow Luke's high protein diet and ideal weight gain as best I could, and I went to 38 weeks, and my twins were 6 pounds 1 oz and 7 pounds.

I have read the book and am trying very hard to follow the weight gain and rest requirements but have not done any supplements, mostly because I don't want to. I feel like her book is a bit extreme though helpful, so I am trying to take out as much as I feel is reasonable for me. I am 16 weeks with twins but I according to my OB these babies will be born at 37 weeks via c-section.

I did not follow Dr Luke's book at all.  I ate healthy and basically used common sense and took really good care of myself.  I am an L&D nurse so I kinda know what to do and not to do.  I did not really learn anything from the book to tell you the truth and like Luvmyboys all the supplements are CRAZY extreme IMO.

My pg was textbook uneventfull and went full-term so I must have done something right without Dr Luke's help.  I know alot of people found her book VERY helpful.  I guess just take from it what you find you need.  I think the suggested weight gain is WAAAAAAY to unhealthy!  My perinatologists felt frequent u/s to measure the babies weight gain rather then pushing Moms weight gain is far better at keeping track of the health of the babies.  I did not gain anywhere near the recomended weight of that book yet my babies were all healthy weights.

Good Luck

Tina

 Wow, congrats on your triplets!  I'm sure I'll get sick of the supplements and I always gain lots in the 1st trimester.  I'm at around 5lbs right now and I eat about every 2 hours.  This is mostly because I will be very sick if I do not eat like that.  So far, so good.  I know that I might even lose weight after the end of the 2nd trimester so, as a pharmacist, it does make sense to me to take the supplements and gain weight early so I don't feel so pressured later on to keep on gaining! lol.  It's good to know that many women did not take supplements and still had perfectly healthy pregnancies and baby weight.  

 I found her book really helpful in a lot of ways.   One was the emphasis to eat eat eat.  It was really hard to eat much of anything the 3rd trimester.  Her words would echo in my head about eating high protein/high fat foods.  If I could stomach a cheeseburger and milk shake I did.  I ate hostess fruit pies with big glasses of milk.  I would chug high protein Boost shakes.  My girls were born at 35w5d and weighed 5lb 8oz and 4lb 3oz.  I credit the diet with helping my little twin be born healthy.  I gained 43 pounds total TRYING to gain as much weight as possible.  My singletons were 9 lb babies.  Such little girls were a shock.  But they came right home with me, no NICU time.

The other thing I studied was her gestational age/NICU cost chart.  Can't remember what page it's on but I would show it to DH when I needed him to help me more.  See honey if I don't rest and the babies come this early their hospital cost could be over $100,000.  That would get his attention!  

Also water water water keeps the uterus calm and from contracting, it bathes the babies in their amniotic fluid and keeps it fresh. You need to drink as much as you can and then a little more. 

FWIW I did not pay a lot of attention to the supplement section.  I took a good prenatal, calcium and extra folic acid.  With my first pregnancy I did take ALL the supplements.  I'd count them out and put them in a shot glass and try to take a few all through the day.  Not sure if it made a difference but DS1 is super smart.  

 Thanks, ready4pink.  That was very helpful!  I really don't think husbands have a clue unless we force them to see it.   

Hi Lydiamarie,

I am having twins as well and i was thinking about the samething ! I want to eat well and not gain a ton of weight . 

 I know it's hard to imagine but it's really really hard to gain any weight the 3rd trimester.  I lost a couple pounds the last month.  The babies are taking up all of your stomach room and you have to make yourself eat.  That's why she promotes weight gain early and really high calorie stuff all along.  You need to gain a cushion so there are extra resources in your body for later.  I gained 43 pounds eating as much as I possibly could.  The weight literally fell off after the twins were born.  I nursed them both and ended up losing all the baby weight plus another 30 pounds without trying at all.  Between bouncing colicy babies, needing to cut out dairy and other things for my daughter who was allergic and not having time to sit down and eat - it was the best weight loss plan ever.  

IMO I don't think twin mama's should try to restrict their weight gain. Sure it's scary to see those big numbers on the scale but it's temporary.  Just my  

 Very well said, ready4pink.  I'm listening to the experts: BTDT moms!  Even with my singletons, I gained all of my weight in the 1st&2nd trimesters and NOTHING in the 3rd!  I even lost weight in the 3rd with most of them so it will be doubly hard to gain a thing later on.  I'm eating what I can now, as I know it won't be long before I physically cannot fit anything in my stomach, appetite goes way down and I end up losing.  Then, the nursing of 2 babies after?  I can't imagine the calories that will drop off without trying.  I am big on the supplements too, though and so is my perinatologist.  Especially vitamin D.  Anyway, just *my* 

I followed Dr. Luke's book the best I could and gained the weight the best I could.  Although my girls came little early (34 weeks) everyone in the nicu and my obgyn said they did so well because I had gained the weight which enabled the girls to put on weight.  Drinking the water was hard because somedays I felt like all I did was pee, pee, pee because the added pressure plus the added water I was in the potty alot...  It was summertime when I was in the homestretch and my obgyn kept telling me to keep hydrated to prevent early contractions...  I took the supplements with okay from my obgyn.  Good Luck to you and love reading your updates and all you current mommies pregnant with twins! 

Hugs, TJ

ready4pink:

The weight literally fell off after the twins were born.  I nursed them both and ended up losing all the baby weight plus another 30 pounds without trying at all. 

IMO I don't think twin mama's should try to restrict their weight gain. Sure it's scary to see those big numbers on the scale but it's temporary.  Just my  

Just wanted to agree here - I gained (gulp) 70 lbs with my twins, but it melted away within a couple of months with all the breastfeeding I was doing.