'You've got your hands full'

I never thought I'd see the day/Save the Children

Along with my partner, I met a new health worker last week – an oncologist.

I felt a now familiar mix of dread and hope as we listened to what he had to say.

His efficient approach was a breath of fresh air compared to the disorganised communication we've had with other medics.

In drought-stricken Eastern Africa, where children are dying, nobody cares much about how doctors communicate.

All that matters is that they save lives. Please sign the petition to help.

I'm tagging Liz, Tara, Becky, Laura and Erica to blog about this too.

Half a story

  © Copyright Keith Havercroft and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

I'VE been writing a lot about mental health lately on our Breaking the Silence blog as well as for the magazine One in Four.

This has largely involved helping people tell their stories of mental distress.

Posts by Suzie Grogan about her family history and Deerbaby who wrote about a fleeting moment etched on her memory inspired me to find out more about an institution I mentioned in our recent carnival of blog posts about mental illness.

And I've discovered half a story. It's the sort of story the me of 15-20 years ago would have jumped on. I may still do that. Perhaps I could pull a more in-depth report together.

BBC Coventry and Warwickshire radio interview about twins

A FEW weeks back I was interviewed by Mark Powlett on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire about twins.

Our chat touched on the following among other things and I hope you enjoy it:

• A unique bond between twins
• Sibling rivalry
• Do you dress twins the same?
• Should they be in the same class at school?
• How does a twin pregnancy compare to a singleton one?
• My crap maths

I know I sound a bit "eccentric" which is of course a polite way of saying well, a bit strange, but then I always do on the radio. I don't care as I've got used to it!

Press on the button below to hear the interview.

Massive thanks to producer Kate for sending me the MP3.

Everyday Stranger on the "fragility and darkness" of postnatal depression

SHANNON's blog Everyday Stranger, is a new find for me. It's filled with beautiful writing and photos and  captivating thoughts.

She's also shortlisted for a Best Writer award in The MADs, where her blog is described as a "glorious patchwork of stories."

Here, she shares with us her experience of depression and what I'd call a cautious optimism about life on the other side.

Thank you Shannon for sharing your story, which I'm also including at Breaking the Silence.

She writes:

MY twins are two years old now, hurtling towards three.

This morning our son decided to "caterpillar" across the floor with his Thomas the Tank Engine trains, and our daughter politely asked “Can I have a turn too please?” after her brother had a spin from his half-sister.

They sing, they hold my hands, the kiss me, they fill my days with light.

It hasn’t always been this way.

The loss of a twin by Emily Carlisle

AS a mum and a journalist, overuse of the words "every parent's nightmare" are bound to wind me up. Every parent's nightmare is not that they can't afford the latest trainers or worry over whether their little girl should have a mobile phone. Every parent's nightmare is quite simply that they should lose their precious child. Here, in the latest guest post for our Twins, Triplets & More week, the amazing blogger More than Just a Mother shares what that nightmare is really like.

I have read this post with tears running down my face and would like to say a massive thank you to Emily for sharing her story. She describes how she wishes she had been able to 'open up'' more and I hope by the simple act of doing that here, other parents searching for help in their darkest hour may find some and know at least, they are not alone.

FROM mythical Romulus and Remus to pop-duo The Cheeky Girls, the world is fascinated by twins and their unique bond. 

Parenting twins is hard work but an incredibly rewarding experience. 

Mothers of multiples, such as Julia Roberts and Angelina Jolie, are part of an elite club many women would love to join.  But what happens when you are unceremoniously thrown out of that club?  When celebrations for the birth of your newborn are overshadowed by the funeral of their sibling? 

Twenty-six weeks into my twin pregnancy my waters broke and I was admitted to hospital.  The babies held on until the milestone marker of 28 weeks. 

Two is a magic number by Four down, mum to go

HERE's a guest post from the wonderful blogger Fourdownmumtogo, who previously shared this wisdom on her own site. if you haven't yet discovered this blog, I hope you can check it out as it's one of the best out there.

THIS week is Twins, Triplets and More week. The idea is to raise awareness about the challenges that can face the parents of twins or more. This is a laudable aim, but I think that perhaps one of the best ways to get parents ready for twins is to bolster them up with some of the good news about having two at once.

Rosie Scribble and LivingwithKids welcome Twins, Triplets & More blog tour

THANKS to Rosie Scribble for letting me set up my stall today where I focus on a mum of twins and her story of post natal depression. I hope by spreading the word about the new free/subsidised help on offer from Tamba, word can reach those expectant mums who could most benefit so they can learn that support is out there.

Thanks also to Liz at LivingwithKids who published a guest post from me yesterday, with some facts and figures about twins. I know when I was expecting, I had my eyes opened and a "learning curve" has continued ever since.

Coming tomorrow is another pit-stop in the "tour" and a guest post here from the brilliant Fourdownmumtogo.

So you think you know about twins?

 

THIS is the first guest post in a special week of multiple birth inspired topics. So it's a big welcome to Harriet from the much admired Is there a Plan B? blog which charts the trials and tribulations of shifting from being a London lawyer to a stay at home mum of three in Scotland.  

Her post made me laugh out loud. When I read about some of the questions she has been asked, it takes me back a bit. So, thank you very much Harriet and now it's over to her...

“Goodness, you’ve got your hands full!”
Thank you to Linda for hosting this week of multiple birth inspired posts and for her support of Tamba,

This is a post about about twins. And more precisely about the stuff everyone thinks they know about twins. 

And the stuff everyone says to mothers of twins (I’ve got A and S, who are eighteen months old and identical as well as 3-year-old L). 

And  about the stuff, that sometimes we wish they wouldn’t.

Parenting, relationships and health: Various features

I'M a former editor of Tamba's Twins, Triplets & More magazine and have written for various newspapers, magazines and websites. 

My blog You've got your hands full has received lovely feedback from parents, as well as being featured by publications including The Times Online and The Telegraph.

Essentials magazine: 'The secret we need to start talking about'

HERE'S a (rare) snap shot of me that wasn't a) taken 10 years ago or b) taken under extreme duress c) taken at a Disney theme park.

The reason I decided to brave the camera for a change was as part of a feature for Essentials magazine all about different mental health conditions and why you shouldn't feel ashamed.

My headline reads: "At last it made sense, I wasn't mad or weak - I was ill."

I'm featured discussing past episodes of depression alongside Sasha talking about post-natal depression, Barbara who details her OCD and Siobhan who explains how she has been affected by bipolar disorder.

The photo shoot was hilarious and full of fun. It's not a day I will forget in a hurry thanks to the warmth of the Essentials team and the laughs I shared with the inspirational women featured, not least Barbara who had me in stitches. I'm also delighted that the piece, the brainchild of journalist Alison Palmer, includes a plug for our mental health blog Breaking the Silence.