Twin Pregnancy: What You Should Expect
Posted on: 28 May 2015
When you find out you are pregnant, it is a happy event filled with joy and excitement. If your gynecologist has told you are carrying twins, you might need to add some fear and anxiety to those emotions. In order to better prepare, it helps to know what to expect when you are carrying twins.
You Will be More Uncomfortable
As you might expect, you will be larger if you are carrying twins due to the extra weight of two babies. You will also gain more weight than someone who is only carrying one baby. Because of this, you should expect to feel more uncomfortable than a pregnant woman carrying only one baby. If you have had a single baby before, don't be surprised if you feel twice as uncomfortable as you did the first time around. Give yourself plenty of rest and don't overdo it. If you feel that you need to take maternity leave earlier than you originally planned on, don't hesitate.
You Need Additional Nutrition and Calories
With a twin pregnancy, you need to get enough calories and adequate nutrition. While this is true of any pregnancy, it is even more important when you are carrying multiples because more of your own nutrients are being used to grow healthy babies. Make sure you eat enough throughout the day. Eat nutritional meals and snacks, making sure you get adequate vitamins and minerals. Aside from your prenatal, you also need plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains in your diet to get enough vitamins through food sources. You may also be prescribed extra folic acid for a twin pregnancy.
You May Deliver Early
When you are pregnant with twins, you will have a higher chance of delivering your babies early. You may also not be able to deliver your babies vaginally, so be prepared for a C-section if your doctor feels it is necessary. It is not uncommon to deliver babies several weeks early and have premature babies. With a natural labor, it will last longer if you are carrying twins than a singleton labor would last. However, the babies should only be a few minutes apart.
You Will Need Careful Monitoring
Make sure you visit your doctor as soon as you find out you are pregnant and go to every scheduled appointment. You should expect to have close monitoring throughout your entire pregnancy. You are at a higher risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, preeclampsia, and premature rupture of your membranes. These will be monitored along with the premature signs of labor.
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