Here are the common signs of premature labour. Contact your doctor if you have any concerns about your pregnancy.
We concieved via IVF so knew we were expecting twins from very early on in the pregnancy. From around 7 weeks I suffered from hyperemesis, which is severe nausea and vomiting in pregnancy. Due to this I spent the first few months going in and out of hospital to be rehydrated via a drip. Thankfully the sickess started to ease up from around 14 weeks and by 20 weeks I felt much better and did nothing but eat! I was constantly ravenous! I would have breakfast before work, then a second mid-morning breakfast, at work lunch, a sandwich mid-afternoon, tea and then supper!
At 27 weeks pregnant I began to experience contractions and other signs of labour so was admitted to hospital. I was given injections to stimulate the twins lungs in case they were born early and was also put on a drug to try stop the contractions. I was transferred to a hospital 2 hours drive away as our local hospital had no room in Neonatal Intensive Care for the babies if they were born. Fortunately everything settled down and I went home but had to take it easy for the rest of the pregnancy. This was very boring and frustrating sometimes but well worth it as I ended up carrying my twins until 38 weeks when I had an elective (planned) caeseraean section. Their birth weights were 6lb 9oz and 6lb 11oz.
In honesty I did find the pregancy really hard and there was no let up on the exhaustion or discomfort as often happens in a singleton pregnancy. It’s a bit like being on a rollercoaster though in that you can’t get off it once you’re on it so you just have to see it through! From 20 weeks my husband slept in the spare room so I could have the bed to myself. This helped a bit with the discomfort as I could prop pillows all around me and also allowed me to turn on the light and read with a cup of hot chocolate when the babies were kicking and wouldn’t let me go back to sleep! From about 34 weeks I found the easiest way to get comfortable was to sit on a birthing ball rather than the sofa. By the end I was incredibly uncomfortable but the minute the babies were born I felt the internal pressure of carrying them ease and I felt much better, despite having just had surgery. I won’t lie, physically and mentally it was one of the hardest things I’ve done but one look at my twins (or my jitterbugs as we call them!) laughing at each other now (they are 9 months old) and I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.
Share your experiences of twin pregnancy below…..
Babies
Mum
Although some twin mums manage to carry their babies until 40 weeks most will give birth around 37 – 38 weeks. You should feel very proud of yourself for making it this far and by now you probably can’t wait for the pregnancy to be over! Most women carrying twins to this point will suffer from aches and pains, sleepless nights, frequent trips to the bathroom, heartburn, swollen feet, breathlessness, an enormous, cumbersome belly and all sorts of other things that cause discomfort . You should by now have a birth plan in place and should be on the lookout for any signs of labour.
Babies
This is the month that the babies development becomes different to that of a singleton pregnancy. Your twins are approaching five pounds each and measure about 46cm in length. Due to the cramped conditons in the uterus their weight gain will be slower than that of a single baby. The babies lungs are beginning to produce surfactant, which will help their lungs to expand for their first breath. The placenta is still functioning well and nourishing the developing babies to allow them to gain the important final layer of fat. The positions that the babies are in at this point are not likely to change before delivery. If your babies were born now, they may need to spend a little bit of time in the intensive care unit.
Mum
There may be an increase in Braxton-Hicks contractions and you should be aware of the signs of premature labour by now as many women will naturally go into labour by week 36 of a twin pregnancy. You are probably finding it really difficult to rest or sleep comfortably. Heartburn, frequent urination and breathlessness may also become worse as your uterus continues to grow. Your hips may feel like they are spreading and the diameter of your pelvis has probably increased a little by this time. Your extremities may swell more now and some women notice a thin, watery substance coming from their breasts. This known as colostrum and, if you decide to breastfeed your babies, it will be the first nourishment they get until your milk comes in. Your appetite may decrease due to the limited space your stomach now has in your body.
Finding out you are pregnant can be a momentous occasion but many women are shocked to find out that they are carrying twins and may find the propsect a bit daunting! Here is a guide to the key stages of your twin pregnancy, your twins’ development and guidance on what to expect during your 1st, 2nd and 3rd trimesters.
Nasal stuffiness and nosebleeds
Bleeding gums
Breathlessness
Changes in appetite
Change in sexual desire
Leg cramps
Edema
Overheating
Fatigue
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Sensitivity to sun
Constipation
Increased heart rate
Leakage from nipples
Fetal movements
Heartburn
Stretch marks
Babies
The babies will double their weight during this period and by week 28 each baby will weight around 3 pounds and will be about 35cm long. The twins will cross the threshold of viability, meaning that due to the remarkable advances in care for premature babies, their rate of survival increases considerably. If born now, there is a 90% chance of survival with medical intervention. Their facial features are becoming more distinct and their eyelids will become unfused. You can even sometimes see one or both babies opening and closing their eyes on ultrasound. Each baby has their own sleep cycles and will begin to respond to sound during this month.
Mum
Your uterus continues to grow and stretch as the babies increase in size. This can cause ligament pain and general pain in the uterus as well as frequent urination. Edema (fluid in your body tissue) can be causing swollen extremeties. By now you will be feeling very heavy and exhausted and the weight of the pregnancy is probably starting to affect your back and legs. As the babies move down into your pelvis, you will experience pelvic pressure and increased pressure in your rectum. You should still be feeling movements from the babies every day although the movements may feel different to before as they do not have as much room to move around now. Because you are carrying twins you are likely to experience a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions. These are contractions of the uterus which feel a bit like period cramps and will make your belly feel hard. These are unlikely to be painful but can be uncomfortable and unlike true labour contractions, there is no pattern to Braxton Hicks contractions.
Babies
The babies are continuing to grow and have produced some fat under the skin. By 24 weeks they will be approximately 23cm long and weigh about 1lb 6oz. The babies are also starting to be covered with a cheesy substance called the vernix caseosa coating. The twins are in constant contact and kick and nudge at one another for space. The membrane that separates them still is amazingly elastic. Every joint in their bodies are flexed. Their chins are at the chest and their elbows are tucked at their sides. Their legs are often brought up to their chest and the feet are tucked under their bottoms. During periods of awake time, they will stretch out and move around.
Mum
You should be feeling your babies move around every day although you might not be able to tell which one is which though. Edema (swelling due to fluid in body tissues) is not uncommon during any pregnancy, especially when carrying twins. Sometimes the extra accumulation of fluid can cause carpal tunnel syndrome. This is a tingling or numbness in part of the palm and fingers caused by excessive compression of the bones and nerves. Symptoms usually go away after delivery. You may be noticing that you are warmer than everyone else in the room. Your resting metabolic rate is increased during pregnancy and causes you to feel overheated. Some pregnant women also begin to experience leg cramps at this point of their pregnancy. This may be due to a shortage of calcium.
Babies
Your babies are continuing to grow at an amazing rate. By week 20, each baby measures around 20cm and weighs about 260 grams. Although they can not see or hear yet, researchers believe that the babies have knowledge of each other at this point. Each foetus has the appearance of a very tiny baby and their movements are becoming more coordinated. Most of their development is now complete but the babies still need to grow and their internal systems, lungs and brains will continue to mature throughout the coming weeks of the pregnancy.
Mum
Most women will feel the foetal movements now and will look obviously pregant. Your uterus is much larger than a woman with a single pregnancyas it has to stretch more for the extra passenger. Nausea and vomiting should now have eased up and your appetite is probably ferrocious. You may also be experiencing new symptoms, such as round ligament pain. This is a sharp pain in a precise location on one side of your stomach. It is usually between the hip and navel. The pain is generally brought on by movement, but can also occur from nowhere. It is caused by the stretching of the uterus and ligaments that support it and is a normal pain of pregnancy.