How To Deal With Twin Pregnancy Stress
Here are some simple tips to cope with the situation. Ask for help from your family and friends as you need a lot of support during this period.
- Talk with other moms who have twins. Try to understand their experiences and how they dealt with any problems that came along. This may help you take the right steps.
- During twin pregnancy, you will feel extremely exhausted. Therefore, get sufficient sleep.
- In the case of depression, talk to your doctor. He can suggest ways to overcome it. You could also seek your familys help.
- If you are a working woman, make sure to take maternity leave as soon as possible. Towards the delivery, you may experience discomforts, and rest is of utmost priority at this stage.
- Eat well and do gentle exercises such as walking as it will help you overcome stress.
- During twin pregnancy, you can expect an early delivery. Therefore, plan for it in advance and get everything in place and organized at home.
Carrying two lives inside you is nothing less than a magical experience. Holding your babies after all the battles makes the pain wane. But during your journey of pregnancy, make sure you take care of yourself, and get the health check-ups done regularly.
Do I Have To See A Maternal
Maternal-fetal medicine specialists see high-risk pregnancies, but notevery twin pregnancy will fall into this category.
To find the best care provider for your twins, make sure that the physicianis comfortable managing twins, including vaginal delivery of twins ratherthan only offering acesarean section for delivery.
Are My Chances Of Having Twins Higher If I Have Multiple Factors That Up My Odds
From the What to Expect editorial team and Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You’re Expecting. What to Expect follows strict reporting guidelines and uses only credible sources, such as peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions and highly respected health organizations. Learn how we keep our content accurate and up-to-date by reading our medical review and editorial policy.
- What to Expect When You’re Expecting, 5th edition, Heidi Murkoff.
- What to Expect Before Youre Expecting, 2nd edition, Heidi Murkoff.
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Chances Of Having Twins After 30
Women who are over age 30 especially women in their late 30s have a greater chance of having twins. Thats because theyre more likely to release more than one egg during ovulation than younger women.
Mothers between ages 35 and 40 who already have given birth have an even higher chance of conceiving twins.
Are All Twin Pregnancies Delivered Preterm
A little more than half of twin pregnancies end in preterm delivery . While 40 weeks is the full gestation period of the averagepregnancy, most twin pregnancies are delivered at approximately 36 weeks .
Unfortunately, preventing preterm labor with multiples is more challengingthan with a singleton pregnancy because the interventions used withsingleton pregnancies are not as effective with multiples.
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Will You Conceive Twins If Youre Taking Supplements
Folic acid is a B vitamin. Many doctors recommend taking it before and during pregnancy to reduce the risk for neural tube defects like spina bifida. Prior to becoming pregnant, doctors recommend taking about 400 micrograms of folic acid per day and increasing this amount to 600 micrograms during pregnancy.
There have been some small studies that suggest folic acid may increase the likelihood of conceiving multiples. But there arent any large-scale studies to confirm that this increases your chances for multiples. If you are trying to get pregnant, taking folic acid will help protect your babys brain development.
Natural Methods On How To Get Pregnant With Twin Girls
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Vaginal Or Caesarean Birth
Its good to talk with your obstetrician and midwife about whether vaginal birth or caesarean birth will be better for you and your twins.
If youre having twins, youre almost twice as likely to have a caesarean birth.
You can discuss with your obstetrician the most appropriate time and way to give birth to your twins.
How You Get Pregnant With Twins: 5 Factors That Increase The Odds Of Getting Pregnant With Twins
Twins have fascinated the world for ages. They are even present in various myths and religions around the globe. Identical twins are also important in science, especially because they can answer many questions scientists have about nature vs. nurture. Here are the overall odds of getting pregnant with twins, plus factors that could increase the likelihood.
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How Can I Get Pregnant With Twins
Circumstances that increase your chances of having twins include:
- Age: People over the age of 35 are more likely to release multiple eggs during ovulation.
- Family history: If your mothers side has a history of fraternal twins, there is a chance you could conceive twins naturally.
- Fertility treatments: Twin pregnancy is more common in people who have fertility treatments, such as in vitro fertilization .
- Having obesity: People with a body mass index higher than 30 are more likely to conceive twins.
- Personal history: If you carried twins during a previous pregnancy, youre more likely to conceive twins again.
Does Family History Increase Your Chances Of Having Twins
If both you and your partner have a history of multiples in the family, your chances of conceiving twins is higher. This is especially true for women who have fraternal twins in their family. Thats because theyre more likely to have inherited the gene that makes them release more than one egg at a time.
According to The American Society for Reproductive Medicine, women who are fraternal twins themselves have a 1 in 60 chance of having their own twins. Men who are fraternal twins have a 1 in 125 chance of fathering twins.
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How Can I Get Pregnant Naturally With Twins
There is no way you can ensure that a twin pregnancy will occur naturally, as it will depend on the probability that a woman will ovulate more than one egg in the same cycle or on the probability that the embryo will fragment and give rise to the development of two independent embryos.
What Kind Of Prenatal Care Do You Need If Youre Pregnant With Multiples
If youre pregnant with multiples, you may need extra medical care during pregnancy, labor and birth. You may need to go to extra prenatal care checkups so your provider can watch you and your babies for problems. You also may need more prenatal tests to check on your growing babies throughout your pregnancy.
If youve had pregnancy complications in the past or if you have health conditions that put you at risk for pregnancy complications, your provider may refer you to a maternal-fetal medicine specialist. This is a doctor who specializes in high-risk pregnancies. High-risk means youre more likely than most pregnant people to have problems with your pregnancy. If youre referred to this kind of doctor, it doesnt mean youll have problems during pregnancy. It just means they can check you and your babies more closely to help prevent or treat any conditions that may happen.
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Can Bed Rest Reduce The Risk Of Preterm Delivery
Scientific data show that bed rest does not prevent preterm delivery. Infact, bed rest can increase your risk of developing blood clots and havenegative financial and social consequences.
Although bed rest is not prescribed as frequently as it once was, yourdoctor may suggest reducing your activity level if youre showing signs ofearly labor at the end of your second trimester or early in your thirdtrimester.
No : Risk Of Developing Gestational Diabetes Is Higher In Twin Pregnancies
“The gestational diabetes risk is higher in twin pregnancy,” says Monga. She notes that gestational diabetes can mean having larger babies and needing a C-section delivery — but twins tend not to be big babies. Still, developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy also makes you more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later in life, she says.
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No 1: Cesarean Section Deliveries May Be More Common In Twin Pregnancies
“The likelihood of having a C-section is absolutely higher in twin pregnancies,” Al-Khan says. “There is also a higher incidence of the baby being in breech position among twins than singletons.” When the baby is in a breech position, a C-section delivery is usually required.
Show Sources
Abdulla Al-Khan, MD, director and chief of maternal and fetal medicine and surgery, Hackensack University Medical Center, New Jersey.
Manju Monga, MD, Berel Held Professor and division director, maternal-fetal medicine director, maternal fetal medicine fellowship, University of Texas Health Sciences Center, Houston.
Mayo Clinic web site: “Twin pregnancy: What multiples mean for mom.”
Institute of Medicine: “Weight Gain During Pregnancy: Reexamining the Guidelines.”
No : If You Have Two Buns In The Oven You May Need Extra Folic Acid
When you’re pregnant with twins, you may need more folic acid to help stave off birth defects, says Manju Monga, MD, the Berel Held Professor and the division director of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Texas Health Sciences Center in Houston.
“We recommend 1 milligram of folic acid per day for twin pregnancies and 0.4 milligrams for singleton pregnancies,” says Monga, who has twins. Folic acid is known to reduce risk of neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida.
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What Are The Chances Of Having Twins
The twin birth rate in the U.S. is 31.1 per 1,000 live birthsabout 3% overallper data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Multiple Births. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Accessed 5/2/22. . While this is a relatively low percentage of births, that rate is higher than its been in prior decades. In fact, a study published in the journal Human Reproduction reports that twin birth rates have jumped by more than 30% from the 1980sMonden C, Pison G, Smits J. Twin Peaks: more twinning in humans than ever before. Human Reproduction. 2021 36:1666-1673. .
This increase is largely attributed to IVF treatments. However, the rise is expected to level off as fertility experts have reduced the number of eggs transferred through IVF. This is due to the significant risks associated with multiple pregnancies, both for the babies and for the pregnant person.
Its also important to note that this spike has occurred in dizygotic, or fraternal, twins, rather than monozygotic, or identical, twins. The rate of identical twin births has remained at around three to five out of every 1,000 live births, according to Michael Cackovic, M.D., who specializes in maternal fetal medicine at the Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University.
Birth Control Pills Are Another Way To Get Pregnant With Twins
Conception after stopping birth control pills can indeed help one to have twins. If a person has been taking contraceptives for 6 months or more, the body will tend to regulate the production of hormones which sometimes can accelerate the production of hormones. Ultimately, the ovaries may release several eggs which might help a person to get pregnant with twins. Female infertility treatment in Hyderabad is certainly available for those parents who desire to have twins.
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Risks To Mother And Baby In Multiple Pregnancy Higher
Twin pregnancies are associated with more frequent complications for both the mother and the babies. The mother might experience severe morning sickness that is persistent, diabetes in pregnancy, high blood pressure, or early onset of labour due to waters breaking prematurely giving rise to preterm delivery of babies. For the babies, the increased risks are due to being born prematurely or due to complications due to a shared placenta or blood vessels and due to uterine restriction.
No : Risk Of Preeclampsia During Pregnancy Is Higher In Twin Pregnancies
“People really don’t know what causes preeclampsia to start, but we know it occurs more frequently in twin pregnancies,” Monga says. Preeclampsia is marked by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, and sometimes swelling in the feet, legs, and hands. It is the precursor to the more serious, potentially fatal eclampsia.
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Early Signs Of Twin Pregnancy
These early pregnancy signs hint you about your twins.
- Higher hCG levels result in extreme morning sickness during the first two weeks of pregnancy. In some cases, you might experience extreme morning sickness, which is also termed as hyperemesis gravidarum . And, extreme nausea may set in even before missing periods.
- Twin pregnancy translates into fatigue, exhaustion, sleepiness, and lethargy, two to three weeks into pregnancy. As you have to nurture two babies, you need good sleep and sufficient food for your body to work properly.
- When you are carrying two babies, you develop an increased appetite as your body demands more food for the growing babies.
- Twin pregnant belly is obvious as the bump is bigger than normal. Your uterus might expand more than that of the single fetus mothers as it has to accommodate two babies.
- Mood swings become common due to the higher intensity of hormones generated by the body to meet the developmental requirements of your babies. This is easily noticeable from six weeks into pregnancy.
- Pregnancy is detected by the increased level of hCG in the blood or urine. If the level is higher than the normal range, then it is an indication of twin pregnancy.
Besides these, there are more signs and symptoms, which differentiate a twin pregnancy for a normal pregnancy.
Trizygotic And Quadrazygotic Babies
If three eggs are fertilized by three separate sperm, this may result in trizygotic triplets. If four eggs are fertilized by four separate sperm, you may get quadrazygotic quadruplets. It is also possible for a person pregnant with high-order multiples to have a combination of twins.
For example, triplets may start as non-identical twins . Then, one of those zygotes splits, leading to a set of identical twins . Altogether, you would have two identical twins and one non-identical twin making up the set of triplets.
If you need help visualizing how this would work: Take two pens, one red and one black. Draw a smiley face with the red pen. Draw another smiley face with the black pen.
Now, from the black pen face, draw two lines down and out, each going to a separate new smiley face. In one big circle, draw a line around one of the red faces and two of the black faces. Those are the tripletstwo identical twins and one “sibling” twin .
The majority of high-order multiples are made up of non-identical twins.
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How Common Is It To Have Twins/multiples
The birth rate for twins in the United States rose more than 75 percent from 1980 to 2009. An estimated 3 percent of pregnant women are carrying multiples in the United States each year.
The American Society for Reproductive Medicine reports that twins happen naturally in about 1 out of every 250 pregnancies. The rate is much higher in women who get fertility treatments. According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, approximately 1 out of every 3 pregnancies with fertility treatments will be multiples.
How Twin Conception Happens
If you want to understand your chances of getting pregnant with twins, its important to know how they are conceived.
There are two different types of twins:
- Identical: Identical twins occur when one egg is fertilized by one sperm. The egg then divides into two separate embryos. Identical twins might share a placenta and an amniotic sac, or they might share a placenta and each have separate amniotic sacs. Genetically, the two babies are identical.
- Non-identical: Non-identical, or fraternal, twins occur when two separate eggs are fertilized by two separate sperm. Non-identical twins have their own placenta and their own unique genetic composition.
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