175 Grams

That's how much protein I have to choke down every day. I just heard my friend Lindsay's jaw hit her hard wood floor. That's the amount the research points to consuming a day to keep twins in as long as possible. Get Them To Term is the mantra I've heard repeated over and over. And not just for my home birth, but for their health and safety as well. Big babies past 36 weeks gestation do the very best.

Just to clear up any misconceptions this is a listing of common foods and their amount!

Food	Grams per serving
Fish (3 ounces)	21
Beef (3 ounces)	21
Chicken (3 ounces)	21
Shrimp (3 ounces)	21
Tempeh (1/2 cup)	15
Yogurt (1 cup)	11
Tofu (1/2 cup)	9
Lentils, cooked (1/2 cup)	9
Cow's milk (1 cup)	8
Peanut butter (2 tablespoons)	8
Beans, cooked (1/2 cup)	7
Cheese (1 ounce)	7
Soy milk (1 cup)	7
Hummus (1/3 cup)	7
Egg, cooked (3 ounces)	7
Miso (2 tablespoons)	4
Millet (1/2 cup)	4
Bulgur, kasha, oats, cooked (1/2 cup)	3

Now add to that the fact that I can, so far, eat about normal amounts of food every 2 hours. In 6 weeks, there is going to be FAR more baby in there and far less room for food.

175 grams of protein, green leafies, and a gallon of water a day. Woo. The water is actually easier than one might think. I am so darn thirsty it's almost comical. If I don't drink it, I get a wicked headache so that's my fail safe.

And today, the exhaustion hit me like a ton of bricks. I've been fighting the feeling but now that I know it's twins, I am just allowing it to sweep over me. I am utterly wiped out, all the time. And my iron levels are excellent. I napped on the couch today, without guilt. The kids played in their playroom and I snoozed. It is unreal how much sleep I need when I also wake every day at 3am like an alarm went off by my head.

The shock still hasn't worn off. It hits me in waves. Especially when I feel them move! It sparks the remembrance that I have two children inside me. I am really frightened beyond anything and I am going to work through some fears with my doula later today or tomorrow. Fear is just the unknown, really.

We've named them, obviously. Benjamin David and Claire Eileen. Ben and Claire. Unreal.