When Hanna found out she was expecting twins, she was shocked, but also curious, about the journey ahead of her. In this interview, she shares the story of her pregnancy and first year as a mother of twins!

You’ve almost been a mum to your twin girls for a year now – CONGRATULATIONS! How does it feel?
Oh thank you! It feels completely surreal and just like I think most parents feel; it has gone by so fast! I have felt so incredibly grateful and happy this year, but it has also been overwhelming to go from two to four.

You have identical twins, when in your pregnancy did you find out that there was more than one baby in your belly? How did you feel?
I found out it was twins during my first ultrasound. Before the midwife could say anything, I clearly saw two heads almost immediately and exclaimed “There are two of them!” I also had to communicate this to Johannes (my partner) over FaceTime and I thought the picture was frozen on the phone. We were both so shocked! The first few days I felt a lot of anxiety as I knew so little about twins. How big and heavy will my belly get? How can I deliver two babies at the same time? Can I breastfeed? So many questions that I didn’t know the answers to, but thanks to a couple of friends who have twins and after a lot of contact with midwives and doctors, I quickly calmed down and was then able to enjoy the news and feel happy about it in a different way. If only I knew then how well everything would turn out!

How was your pregnancy?
Unfortunately, I had a very tough pregnancy and there was always one thing after the other. The worst was the nausea which never got better and I threw up constantly during the 8 months I was pregnant. I’ve probably thrown up in every rubbish bin in town. I tried to live off of the nice moments I had with my belly, like when I felt both kick at the same time. That was awesome!

Was there anything you missed during your pregnancy about expecting twins?
I really felt like we were in such safe hands throughout the pregnancy. Because I had a high-risk pregnancy, I went for an ultrasound every two weeks throughout my pregnancy and always got answers to all the questions I asked.

How was your delivery?
It was really the greatest thing I’ve been through and such a crazily positive experience, even though the labour itself was obviously difficult. They induced labour in week 37 and had expected a long process, but everything went relatively quickly and I apparently said to Johannes that “I want to do it again” just as Alba (number 2) came out. So those expectant mums of twins who were like me, terrified, a twin birth can be great and doesn’t have to be as painful and tough as you would imagine.

How has your first year as a twin mum been? What has been the hardest and what has been easier than you first thought?
So, it really has been the greatest year of my life. I imagined it would be a lot tougher than I thought having twins would be. I have nothing else to compare it to, but the double love you get back all the time is worth so much more. I can sit and watch them for as long as I want as they play and laugh together, and seeing their love for each other is absolutely incredible. It can be hard though as I sometimes feel inadequate, like when both are upset and need a hug. It’s hard to comfort two sad babies at the same time.

What do you wish someone had told you during pregnancy about expecting twins and want to tell others who are in the same situation now?
We all have such different experiences and feelings about things, but I wish someone had been able to reassure me that it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you might imagine. That a vaginal birth does not have to be traumatic and that double breastfeeding does not have to be so difficult. But also do not be afraid to ask for help and support from family and friends.

Hanna Uggla is a mother to twins Mila and Alba. The girls were born on March 2, 2021 after Hanna had been induced at week 37. You can find her Instagram here.