Most twin pregnancies are uneventful, but the risks are higher than being pregnant with one baby. If you're having twins, you may be offered more appointments and ultrasounds. If you have a multiple pregnancy, you are more likely to give birth to your babies prematurely.
Being pregnant with multiples doesn't necessarily mean that your pregnancy will be problematic. However, women carrying multiples do have a higher chance of developing complications such as high blood pressure and preterm labor. For this reason, all multiple pregnancies are considered high-risk.
The majority of twin pregnancies progress smoothly, and the odds of a healthy pregnancy increase if you take better care of yourself. The most important step to care for your pregnancy is proper nutrition.
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.
Additionally, when your babies share a placenta, there is a greater risk for complications, such as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Your physician will closely monitor your pregnancy to check for potential problems. One placenta and one amniotic sac. This is the riskiest and rarest type of twin pregnancy.
Once you've reached the second trimester, the risk decreases substantially. After 20 weeks gestation, the risk of losing a twin is only about 3 percent, according to Dr.
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.
Compared with singletons, monochorionic twins have a 13-fold increased risk of stillbirth and dichorionic twins a five-fold increased risk. Twin pregnancies account for almost 6% of all stillbirths, 18% of neonatal deaths (NND) and 20% of preterm births (many of which occur <28 weeks' gestation).
The survival of monochorionic twins diagnosed in the first trimester is 89%. Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) occurs in 9% and is the most important cause of death.
Overall, it is considered that twin delivery should be around 37 weeks for dichorionic twins and 36 weeks for monochorionic twins. With singletons, the neurodevelopmental outcomes are best with delivery at 41 weeks, but the odds of death around the time of delivery are best at weeks 38-39.
What are the benefits for the twins? Their buddy is always there. They've known each other since they can remember and that is very comforting. They are also a little more social than the average child since they are used to being with another kid since the beginning.
Drink Alcohol, Use Drugs, or Smoke. It's never advisable to drink alcohol excessively, smoke, or take drugs, whether you are pregnant or not. When you are pregnant, doing so exposes your unborn babies to toxic substances, raising their risk of birth defects and chronic illnesses.
The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), for example, recommends delivery between 34 and 37 weeks for twins with a shared placenta and at 38 weeks for twins with separate placentas. Some other physician groups recommend delivery closer to 39 weeks with separate placentas.
While there are risks associated with all twin pregnancies, dizygotic (fraternal) twin pregnancies usually bring about the least amount of complications, carrying the lowest risk of all types of twins.
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.
No.
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.
At 8 weeks pregnant with twins, you've likely seen (or will soon see) your babies on an ultrasound. Pregnancy symptoms at this time include morning sickness, bloating, food cravings or distaste, fatigue, breast changes, frequent urination, and increased vaginal discharge.
Early signs of a twin pregnancy include severe morning sickness, quick weight gain, and more breast tenderness. You may also notice an increased appetite or extreme fatigue. Plus, those who have a twin pregnancy may begin showing sooner.
Moms-to-be who are 7 weeks pregnant with twins should expect to show earlier than that, but at this point, it's nothing but bloating for everyone. Some cravings can indicate a nutritional need (burger cravings can be a sign you need more protein or iron; pickle cravings can be a sign you need more salt).
The causes of fetal death vary and include twin–twin transfusion, placental insufficiency, intrauterine growth retardation related to preeclampsia, velamentous insertion of the cord, cord stricture, cord around the neck, and congenital abnormalities [5].
Twin births account for approximately 3 percent of live births in the United States. Barring pregnancies that result from assisted reproductive technology, dizygotic twins are far more common than monozygotic twins and account for 70 percent of all twin gestations.
The risk of preterm labor and premature birth are heightened when there is more than one baby in the womb. 1 Other conditions such as preeclampsia, placental dysfunction, and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome are more prevalent in twin pregnancy and increase the risk of an early delivery.
The good news is that even though you have two babies, you only have to labor once. Once the cervix is open, each baby will have its own pushing stage. This means you will have to push twice, but the majority of the time the second twin is born much more easily than the first.
Caring for twin babies is a lot of work. There are two mouths to feed, two diapers to change and two different cries to soothe. So don't be afraid to get help from friends, family or a nanny.
What changes can I expect with twins? Your first year of raising twins will be tough. Expect less sleep, as your world will revolve around feeding your twins, burping them, changing them and putting them to sleep, all while constantly washing two sets of everything from clothes to feeding bottles.