Expectations
What to Expect During Twin Pregnancy
It can be a very overwhelming and anxious time or you may take it all in your stride. Nevertheless, your life is about to change and pregnancy hormones can exaggerate the emotional roller coaster you may be about to ride.
I found myself wanting to read and research everything I could about twins especially with my identical twins. The internet is a useful resource and tool for research however I never found too many sites dedicated to twins other than the official organisations such as TAMBA. There are plenty of websites relating to pregnancy and babies etc and some of these have discussion boards where you could talk to other twin mums – this was a useful tool but I really wanted to go to one dedicated place and find all that I was searching for. The other problem I found with most information relating to twins was most of it was “text book” stuff and nothing from anyone who had actually experienced twins.
As I became aware of the possible complications a twin pregnancy involves especially an identical twin pregnancy I felt compelled to understand more. I would imagine that a lot of the “text book” stuff as I call it would frighten many an expectant mother or certainly cause a lot of unnecessary worry. I certainly worried more when carrying my identical girls because of the information I read but I was fortunate enough to have had a successful twin pregnancy with two healthy twins which gave me a certain amount of strength. So, informing yourself means you are equipped with the knowledge which is extremely useful when faced with the consultants and their medical terms. I was more able to ask questions and understand the answers.
My advice to you would be to inform yourself as much as you need to understand the changes that are happening to you. Ultimately this should prepare you for the exciting journey ahead and the fascination that appears to surround twins.
Every pregnancy differs. Some of the symptoms and common problems of pregnancy may be worse in a twin pregnancy. Here’s a guideline of what to expect at each trimester.
First Trimester
During early pregnancy nausea, vomiting, heartburn, shortness of breath, backache, ankle swelling, piles and varicose veins plus extreme fatigue can all be worse during a twin pregnancy.
For those of you who sail through the first part without morning sickness – you don’t know how lucky you are. For the rest of us the first three months can be plain miserable just when you should be delighted you are pregnant.
For me the nausea and the tiredness were the most draining symptoms. My fraternal twin pregnancy didn’t cause me too much fatigue but it was my first pregnancy and all my muscles were lovely and fresh. The nausea however was horrid. I usually felt better as soon as I had breakfast and this would allow me to get to the train. The train journey was spent sipping water and feeling hot probably more in panic that I was going to vomit. I never did.
My identical twin pregnancy 5 years after the first set left me completely drained. My consultant politely said “well you are five years older and it is your second twin pregnancy – it is to be expected”. I think the fact that I still had to carry on as normal for my two existing children made things harder. I couldn’t ignore the cooking; I couldn’t sleep when I needed to. With this pregnancy the nausea really lasted all day and sometimes the evenings seemed worse. I really struggled entering the kitchen. Just the thought of food made me feel terrible.
In reflection I like to think of myself as lucky, at least I wasn’t actually vomiting – a condition many women suffer from during early pregnancy.
Second Trimester
Now this is the part where we are supposed to “blossom” or at least start to feel a little better now the morning sickness should have eased. Some women do “blossom” and do start to feel a surge of energy.
With a twin pregnancy this surge of energy may not be so obvious due to the continuing extra demands on your body. However, with any luck the nausea will have started to ease off at least assisting you with eating healthily and keeping your energy levels up.
It’s true! I started to feel much better during the second trimester with my fraternal twins and I continued to commute on a train and do a full day in the office. Granted I was taking things slowly and I allowed more time for travelling. I kept up the calorie intake and the fluids and this seemed to carry me through. I thoroughly enjoyed eating during this stage. Not that I ever had to worry about my weight before the pregnancy but I really took comfort from the fact that I needed the extra calorie intake for my babies!
At 5 months I was looking and feeling great and my bump was really tight and tidy. I was not wearing maternity clothes; I just went up a couple of dress sizes. Fantastic!!
Alas, this was not the case with my identical twins. I didn’t feel any more energised. I felt as though I had reached the third trimester during the second trimester which only meant this was going to be a really long pregnancy. It was however cut short by 5 weeks due to early delivery.
By 20 weeks I found that my own movements were restricted. Dressing myself was a challenge and not a task which could be met standing up. Balancing on one leg whilst trying to raise the other just slightly was proving dangerous. This could have been due to how the babies were positioned. Lifting myself out of our very deep bath was becoming increasingly difficult and quite frankly unsafe something I knew would have to stop. A real nuisance as being submerged in water is often the only relief you get from the weight of that twin bump. Did I say bump? I meant to say Mountain!
And there is more, I developed an itchy leg rash which my GP (General Practitioner) assured me was just a dry skin condition but nevertheless was annoying.
By 24 weeks I had been experiencing contractions of the uterus and was checked thoroughly on the maternity ward for signs of premature labour. My cervical length was measured and checked for early signs of funnelling or dilation. I was given antibiotics to prevent any possible urine infection. Urine infections can lead to premature labour. All in all a worrying time but the outcome was all positive.
Third Trimester
So you are on the home run and almost ready to meet your new babies. Energy is low; your body is really being pushed to its limits with the extra weight you are carrying. Remember not all twins are low birth weights and even if they are, the combined weights plus the two placentas or one large placenta and amniotic fluids means you are still carrying far more than a singleton pregnancy. You will be spending more and more time at the hospital for monitoring and scans.
I’ll start with the fraternal twin pregnancy. I really expanded during this time and it happened fast! The first thing to go was driving. I must have been around 28/30 weeks pregnant and had finished the commute home on the train only to get behind the wheel of my car parked in the station car park and find that I really didn’t have the energy or ability to drive it. All manoeuvrability around the middle of my body had become limited. Turning around was not an option unless I turned my whole self around. Bending over – no longer possible. I decided it was too risky to drive so I called for the cavalry and that was the end of that which was probably just as well because I don’t think I was going to fit behind the wheel for much longer in any event.
I reiterate my main problem during the last trimester was due to my ever expanding twin bump. It wasn’t a bump. I was huge. I had started the pregnancy as a tall size 8 and luckily enough the weight didn’t really pile on but it definitely went to the babies. How I managed to hold that bump up I’ll never know. Everyone can probably recall seeing numerous expectant mothers holding their backs or rubbing their backs well as you can imagine with the weight of a twin pregnancy the back ache can really be quite bad.
I was spending more and more time at the hospital and was on weekly visits from 31 weeks onwards. My bloods were checked the babies were checked by ultrasound and I was always seen by the registrar or consultant. At 31 weeks the registrar did an internal examination because he was concerned that I was going to go into premature labour. His words during the examination were “I have my fingers on your sons head”. I was immediately put on the contraction monitor and strapped in. The contractions were plentiful and the midwife kept asking if I could feel them. I could feel them but they were far from painful. I was given a shot of steroid injections and asked to stay in hospital. Stubbornly or was it just not brave enough yet, I refused. I didn’t have a clue what labour was like and I was completely naïve but decided I wanted to go home. I had to be back by 4am to get a second shot of steroids. The steroids were given to boost the lung development of the babies in case premature labour was imminent.
The scans had really lost there appeal. I was no longer interested in seeing the babies on the screen. I knew they were there, I knew they were ok. My stomach often displayed a freak show. I was so full up with babies and my stomach was so tight that when one decided to move you could actually grab hold of a hand or foot. If it was a head or bottom that was protruding then the mountain looked even more bizarre.
I think it suffice to say that by 38 weeks and no show from the twins I really was at the point where I wanted my body back. Going out was not an option unless it was to visit the hospital. I had no comfortable clothes to wear and walking was increasingly difficult. I was getting hardly any sleep because it was just too uncomfortable. I was told to stay within 15 minutes drive of the hospital at all times being advised that twin labour can come hard and fast when it happens.
After two membrane sweeps and still no labour I decided to elect for a C-Section. The C-section was booked for 39 weeks plus 4 days and I just waited to see if anything would happen naturally before we arrived at the date. If I am being honest, I was relieved to be having a C-section. I was worried and scared about labour and I was so physically tired and fed up I think I just wanted to be through with the pregnancy and out the other side. In hindsight, I would have chosen the natural route.
Anyway, the big day arrived and as planned my fraternal twins entered the world by Caesarean Section. To everyone’s relief we were all fine!
Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute medical advice, it is for your reference only from my personal experience of delivering twins twice. Always seek professional and current advice from a registered medical practitioner.
