Adding an addtional mobile number to imessages

Hi all,

Losing the will to live here!

Scenario: I have installed a new sim in my iPad and would like to add this mobile number in order to receive sms in imessages on that iPad. I have read several forums where people have claimed that you can have more than one mobile number in iMessages on multiple devices.

Spent hours will Apple support and getting nowhere. The help pages are worse than useless!

When I try to add the number from the settings/apple ID/phone, the iPad settings auto fills the new number, but then wants to send a code to that number. This I cannot retrieve as I am in process of setting it up.

I realise that I could put the SIM into my phone to retrieve the code that way, but surely there is a better way to do this?

I could create a new ID, then I would have the issue of being able to use my purchased and whole host of other issues. So, not really a good option.

Is there a way to simply add the new number to my current apple ID? Then, when I turn iMessages back on I should be able to select the new number from the iMessages on the iPad

I am sure I am not the only person who has had this issue.

Any ideas/help/suggestions would warmly appreciated.

Thank you in advance.

Perry