Because a twin pregnancy can be more complicated than a single pregnancy, health professionals usually recommend specialist antenatal care. Specialist antenatal care usually involves seeing an obstetrician and a midwife in a hospital twins clinic.
Healthy twins develop like a single baby does until the last trimester, when their growth slows down. Twins are usually born before the usual 40-week due date. For the mother, carrying twins can be more difficult than carrying a single baby. And her risks are higher for pregnancy problems.
“Having twins is not twice as hard—it's exponentially more difficult,” says Natalie Diaz, author of What To Do When You're Having Two and CEO of Twiniversity, a global support network for parents of twins.
The process of labour is more or less the same as for 1 baby, but your maternity team will usually advise you to have your babies electronically monitored because of the higher risk of complications. This means attaching belts with sensors (1 for each twin) to your bump.
Rob Atlas, M.D., an ob-gyn at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, calls twin pregnancies "double trouble." Moms carrying twins are at higher risk for premature birth, high blood pressure, and—especially in the case of identical twins—fetal abnormalities.
The hardest thing about having twins is...
“Managing the movement of two babies. Carrying them both up and down the stairs, getting them into the car, etc.” —Simeon R. “Often having to make one baby wait!” —Catharine D. “Being outnumbered—the logistics of two on one is definitely the hardest.
The highest risk twin gestation is called monochorionic/monoamniotic, where identical twins share a placenta and an amniotic sac. In addition to the possibility of developing twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, these babies are at high risk for cord entanglement.
Age. According to the Office on Women's Health , women who are aged 30 years or older are more likely to conceive twins. The reason for this is that women of this age are more likely than younger women to release more than one egg during their reproductive cycle.
Conclusions: The optimal timing for twin delivery appears to be at 38 weeks of gestation, although individual maternal, foetal, and pregnancy characteristics should be considered when determining the best timing for delivery.
Age. People over 30, and particularly those over age 35, are more likely to conceive twins. 4 This is because the level of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) rises as birthing parents get older. FSH is responsible for the development of eggs in the ovaries before they are released.
Babies who are multiples have about twice the risk of birth defects than singleton babies, including neural tube defects such as spina bifida and heart and gastrointestinal abnormalities. Cerebral palsy. Twin babies are more than four times as likely than single babies to have cerebral palsy.
Multiples are about twice as likely as singleton babies to have birth defects, including neural tube defects (such as spina bifida), cerebral palsy, congenital heart defects and birth defects that affect the digestive system. Growth problems. Multiples are usually smaller than singleton babies.
Identical twins reported similar levels of happiness, while fraternal twins exhibited greater variation in their reported sense of well-being. These results were found in families of twins raised together and extended with twins reared apart.
The signs of a twin pregnancy are different for everyone, but typically include heightened normal pregnancy symptoms. Common signs include more severe nausea, earlier weight gain, intense fatigue and increased appetite.
Extreme fatigue is the most commonly reported complaint during pregnancy with multiples. Sleepiness, lethargy, and exhaustion during the first trimester can be enhanced because the body is working overtime to nurture more than one baby.
While 40 weeks is the full gestation period of the average pregnancy, most twin pregnancies are delivered at approximately 36 weeks (range 32-38 weeks depending on the type of twin pregnancy).
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That's not all, Monga says. Women pregnant with twins complain of more back pain, sleeping difficulties, and heartburn than those who are carrying one child. Being pregnant with twins also carries a higher rate of maternal anemia and a higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage (bleeding) after delivery.
Expect around nine to 25 days after birth if your twins need to spend some time in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). But remember, that not all twins need time in the NICU. Let's talk about the first ideal situation, which is when your twins are born, they're super healthy and they're ready to go home.
About 1 in 3 of all sets of twin births are vaginal births. You may choose to have an elective caesarean, or your doctor may recommend a caesarean section because of potential complications. Even if you plan a vaginal birth, you may end up having an emergency caesarean section due to complications during labour.
The chance of a twin miscarriage that affects both babies is around 5 to 10 percent, says Robin Kalish, MD, FACOG, a specialist in high-risk pregnancies.
While it's normal to feel tired when you're pregnant, women carrying twins are more likely to experience extreme tiredness or exhaustion as they adapt to being pregnant with two growing babies, and your body has to adjust to increased energy requirements.
It's equally unsurprising that a Danish study found that twins are less likely to get married than non-twins. As twins have a partner from birth, the study suggests that they may not have the same desire for marriage as singletons.
It has been widely assumed that there has been an increase in twins over the years, largely attributed to fertility treatments. But the increase in the multiple birth rate means not just more twins, but also higher order multiples, such as triplets, quadruplets and the like.