Multiple Pregnancies

If becoming pregnant is one of the greatest joys in life, then being pregnant with twins is twice that joy.

It can be a lot of work being pregnant with twins, but the thought of waking up to your little ones one day is more than enough reward.

Once you find out that you’re pregnant with twins, you might think you have to dramatically change your thinking about pregnancy, but that’s not true.

This article will explore in detail about the joys of being pregnant with twins, what the odds of multiple babies are, and how best to persevere through your multiple pregnancies.

What’s It Like To Be Pregnant With Twins?

You know what morning sickness is like. Now get ready for double the trouble. Twin sickness is even worse than regular morning sickness and nearly twice as troublesome on your hormones.

Chorionic gonadotropin, progesterone, relaxin, and estrogen are all the main culprits when it comes to nausea and backaches.

You might feel nauseous all the time, and get tired even faster than usual. That’s perfectly normal. With twice the amount of babies, the pressure on your back gets even tougher.

Mobility doesn’t become an issue for mothers with single babies until the third trimester. But with twins, you might find that just getting off the couch can seem impossible by the second trimester.

This is because your ligaments and tendons are under a much bigger load. The bigger burden translates into poor weight distribution and lower back pain easily. For this reason, plenty of women consider pregnancy bands to be a huge help, such as the KeaBabies pregnancy support belt.

They correct your posture and reduce all kinds of lower back and pelvic floor pains.

You’d normally gain 35 pounds at most when having a single baby, but with twins, that number can go to 50 pounds or more.

All this means for most women is plenty more pillows around the sofa and bed, but you’ll need to get up eventually, because with twice the babies also comes...

Twice the scans

Doctors typically advise ultrasound scans between weeks 10 and 13 of your pregnancy. Then another between 18 and 22 weeks to confirm that everything is going as planned. With a single baby, there’s not much more you’ll need. These scans are a must because your little ones need to be checked for abnormalities routinely so the doctors can spring into action if something’s wrong.

But with twins, you’ll need way more scans. After week 30, you can expect a scan a week until your babies arrive. Transvaginal scans also become more important, as the thickness of your cervix needs to be examined because it’s an important indicator of pre-term labor.

You might even be advised to carry around a blood pressure monitor such as the one found here.

Routine checks are important because conditions such as high blood pressure can result in reduced blood supply to the placenta or increase the risk of pre-eclampsia. In the vast number of cases, women with high blood pressure will be fine, but it’s safer to have a monitor at home just in case.

What are the odds of twins or multiples?

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services, twin birth rate has increased by over 75% since 1980. Triplet, quadruplet, and higher-order multiple births have increased at an even higher rate.

The single biggest reason is due to the increase of in vitro fertilization and other fertility-enhancing treatments.

Aside from that, a good indicator of having twins is always looking at the mother’s side of the family. Women with a mother or sister who have had twins are twice as likely to have twins themselves.

Older women are also more likely than younger women to get pregnant with multiples.

Twins are the most common multiple, occurring in 1 out of 250 pregnancies.

Triplets are the second most common, occurring in 1 out of 10,000 pregnancies.

And quadruplets occur in 1 out of 700,000 pregnancies.

Your race, age, heredity, and history can all have an influence in increasing the odds of getting multiples, with C-sections becoming more and more common the more babies there are.

How Can I Get Through This Type Of Pregnancy?

The single most important thing is to get familiar with the right health care professionals who are experienced in this kind of thing.

You should ask your doctors any and all questions you might have, as they can provide the most personalized answers to your question.

Secondly, make sure you follow the best pregnancy diet that you can. Gaining weight is an essential part of pregnancy because it reduces the risk of pre-term delivery and low birth-weight.

It might seem funny to most women to worry about gaining weight rather than losing it, but studies show that women routinely get less hungry the later you get in your pregnancy.

You need plenty of protein, carbs, and fats in your diet. Focus especially on important prenatal vitamins such as folic acid, iron, and calcium.

Eating for twins doesn’t mean eating twice the amount, however. The amount of weight you need to gain always depends on your pre-pregnancy BMI. The recommended weight gain for a single baby is around 35 pounds, and 50 pounds for twins.

Make grazing a way of life and slurp down that fruit smoothie guilt-free.

All it takes is around 300 extra calories a day to get to your target weight, the simple equivalent of a pack of biscuits or a bowl of yogurt every single day.

And lastly, consider your mental health.

Pregnancy brings about a mix of feelings, with worry and anxiety being the most common. It’s important to tend to your mental health just as you would tend to your physical health at this stage.

You must find a release for your feelings and lower your stress.

Apart from walking and yoga, there are plenty of deep breathing exercises and meditation techniques you can use without ever breaking a sweat.

Every day brings its own challenges and struggles. No matter your worries, things will eventually get better. Consider making a keepsake frame of your baby’s sonogram like this ultrasound picture frame from KeaBabies so that you can always remember who you’re doing this for.

Get the help you need to feel better. You'll be doing the best thing for you and your little ones.

Meet Our KeaMommy Contributor: Sara Gale Sara loves traveling and exploring new places with her family. She is mom to 2 lovely children and loves bringing them out on adventures.