weird things people say when you're pregnant with twins | vol. 1

weird things people say when you're pregnant with twins | vol. 1

• 8.29.2017

I'd always heard that people make bizarre comments to pregnant women but I was wholly unprepared for the kind of comments I'd get with twins. (Not to mention the touching!) Here are some of the things people have said to me:

Are they natural?
I get that IVF and fertility treatments are much more widely discussed but do I really need to disclose to you how my babies were conceived? Is one better or worse than the other?

Do twins run in your family? Did you plan for twins? [See also: Are they natural?]
This is the more subtle version of "Are they natural?". Again, I understand that people are typically just surprised and they are making conversation but it honestly just feels kind of awkward to me. Also most sources out there say that twins are completely random. So if I say "yes" then do you want me to tell you how my aunt's sister's cousin had twins? And if I say "no" are you just going to assume we used fertility treatments (not that there is anything wrong with that). I usually just say "We were just as surprised as you!"

After telling people the genders (boy/girl)... Are they identical? 
I mean...

After telling people the genders (boy/girl)... That's so perfect!
Would it be less perfect if they were two boys or two girls? When you have a child, is there really a perfect gender?

Two at once! Now you can be done!
What if we wanted 15? What if we only wanted one? It's just awkward to comment on the number of children someone has or wants.

I always wanted twins!
Really? Because to be honest, I sobbed when we found out. Most days when I think about the thought of raising two babies at the same time, I become utterly paralyzed by fear. I'm thrilled and honored to be their mom but that doesn't mean I'm not overwhelmed and terrified. Also, growing twins is not kind to the body. I'm not trying to sound ungrateful but twins are scary!

At 24 weeks and I've already started to hear...
When are you due? / You must be due soon!
I would have thought you were further along!
How are two babies going to fit in there? 
You're not going to be able to get that much bigger!

Every belly is different. I've been to several prenatal classes and everyone looks completely different. At 24 weeks, there's over 2 lbs of baby in there already (as compared to only about 1 lb on average for a singleton birth) so OF COURSE I'm larger than your "average" singleton mamma. In fact, I'm extremely aware of the fact that I still have 14 weeks to go and already feel/look huge. I'm trying very hard to mentally prepare myself for the third trimester so your size comments are incredibly unhelpful.

PSA: The ONLY acceptable thing to say to ANY pregnant women is:

You look amazing! You are stunning! Wow, you are beautiful!

Stay tuned for Vol. 2 after the twins arrive!