Have you recently found out that you are pregnant? If you are like most pregnant women, everyone is probably teasing you with predictions of twins. While you may be laughing with them on the outside, worries that you really are showing the first signs of twin pregnancy may be creeping up on the inside. While having twins is certainly a blessing, it does require special prenatal care and preparations for when your new babies arrive home. Therefore, it is important to know how to recognize the first signs of twin pregnancy and how you should respond when they occur.
The First Signs of Twin Pregnancy During the First Trimester
As with any pregnancy, the first signs of twin pregnancy vary from woman to woman. Many women carrying twins experience the same symptoms as women enduring normal pregnancies. Many times, intensified single-birth symptoms are mistakenly thought to be one of the first signs of twin pregnancy. Below are a few symptoms to be aware of that may be indicative of multiple babies.
Extreme Morning Sickness
For those women with intensified signs of pregnancy, one of the first signs of twin pregnancy may be extreme morning sickness. Many women enduring single-birth pregnancies also experience this symptom, so, unfortunately, it is not a guaranteed method of determining multiples. However, if you are enduring extreme cases of morning sickness, you should consult with your doctor as he can better determine if the intensified bouts you are experiencing now will result in a double-wide baby jogger later!
Increased Weight Gain
Another one of the first signs of twin pregnancy is weight gain. Weight gain is not restricted to being a sign of multiple babies, as it is normal for any pregnant woman to gain weight, however, women that are pregnant with twins may gain weight at a faster rate than a woman carrying a single child. This increase is partly attributed to the body preparing to carry two children – and possibly two placentas, depending upon how the twins develop. If the twins are fraternal, for example, there will definitely be two placentas. If they are identical, they may each have a placenta or they may share one. Whether or not two placentas are formed depends upon when and how the egg splits.
Some women carrying multiples only start to gain more weight than a woman carrying a single baby in the third trimester, the time when babies put on the majority of their weight. Women who are at their normal weight should expect to gain 25 to 35 pounds with a single pregnancy, whereas a woman carrying twins may gain 35 to 45 pounds.
Just because you are carrying twins, does not mean you need to eat twice as much food! The extra weight you gain with a multiples pregnancy should be a result of the extra baby, placenta, and amniotic fluid, not because of excess body fat. Rather than eating more, follow a healthy diet and take prenatal vitamins as prescribed to you by your doctor. If you are not certain how much you should be eating, you should discuss your diet with your doctor as no two women are the same.
What To Do After Recognizing the First Signs of Twin Pregnancy
After recognizing the first signs of twin pregnancy, it is important to obtain proper prenatal care. Every pregnancy should receive proper monitoring, however, a twin pregnancy is more difficult than a single birth pregnancy. Therefore, for your safety and that of your twins, it is essential to immediately schedule a checkup if you think you are carrying more than one baby.
If you are like most women carrying multiples, you probably will not notice any unusual symptoms in the beginning. In fact, this realization may not take place until your doctor performs an ultrasound or listens for the heartbeat of your child. After identifying multiple heartbeats and multiple embryos, your doctor will likely put you on a different program than that of mothers carrying one child. This is due to the fact that twin pregnancies require closer monitoring and extra care to ensure two healthy babies.
Risks
When carrying multiples, you are at an increased risk of developing health problems. For example, high blood pressure and gestational diabetes are both risks that are associated with every pregnancy, however, risks of developing these problems during a multiple baby pregnancy are much greater. You are also at a higher risk for miscarrying or experiencing premature births. Therefore, your doctor will need to monitor your health closely.
In addition to keeping a close eye on your health, your doctor will also need to monitor the fetuses development more closely. This way, the doctor can make sure both fetuses are growing normally and that one is not dominating the other. If one twin is dominating all of the available nutrients, it may be necessary to induce a premature birth in order to save both of their lives.
The doctor will also watch for the "disappearing twin" phenomenon after noticing the first signs of twin pregnancy. With the disappearing twin syndrome, one twin simply goes away. Researchers are not certain why this happens, but this occurs in about 2-3% of all twin pregnancies and generally takes place during the first trimester.
After recognizing the first signs of twin pregnancy, your doctor will also monitor your pregnancy closely as twins have a tendency to position themselves in the breach position. In this case, a caesarean section may be necessary to deliver the babies.
Recognizing the first signs of twin pregnancy is important in order to get the proper care for you and your babies. After experiencing the first signs of twin pregnancy, be certain to discuss proper care with your doctor. Although discovering you are pregnant with twins may be a bit nerve-racking, take joy in the fact that you will soon have twice as much love in both your heart and your home!
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