Growing Up With Twins

Let's start with the journey of pregnancy 

During the beautiful phase of pregnancy, you know that you are creating not one but two more people who are going to be just like you and your partner, so now your family will be bigger so will be the fun and celebrations also. 

And then comes the important part, about your health and your baby's growth and development.

Following are the noteworthy points during a twin pregnancy-

• Increased nutritional demand

As you have twin pregnancy, the demand for nutrition also increases, not to double but more than that. For example in a mother with a single baby folic acid demand per day is  0.4 milligrams but in twin pregnancy, it increases to around 1 milligrams per day. One more fact I would like to share is that actual nutritional demand doesn't change or increase much...basically, it depends upon the body mass index of the mother. Therefore these two are related.

• Aggravation of symptoms

Just like single pregnancy, in twin pregnancy also there are many changes in a mother's body, but some symptoms and outcomes might be of higher intensity.

• Spotting may increase
• The severity of morning sickness may increase
• Later in pregnancy, chances of hypertension and gestational diabetes may also increase
• Weight gain during pregnancy will also be more than single pregnancy
• Sleepiness and tiredness in twin pregnancy are also heightened
• Instead of increased nutritional demand, eating is like impossible
• The baby bump may appear larger than from single pregnancy

• Recurrent doctor's visits

Twin pregnancy is considered a high-risk pregnancy, therefore the care related to mother and both the babies also increases. So more visits to your gynecologist will be required, more ultrasounds, and more mapping will be required to keep a check on the health of mother and babies and to know about any complications if present.

• Fear of risk also increases

When you are pregnant with twins, you always feel anxious and apprehensive. You have many invisible fears which are inevitable to avoid. There are many risk factors such as premature birth, low birth weight, etc which are associated with twin or multiple pregnancy. So the fear we just discussed is natural to be present throughout the journey of pregnancy, but these risks don't need to be there with all the pregnancies. It depends upon many other factors and situations.

Preparations during twin pregnancy :

Now let's talk about all the preparations related to pregnancy and delivery, which is a very important part of this phase.

Yes, this point is of utmost importance. As soon as you come to know about your pregnancy you should get in touch with a gynaecologist, and also you should try to find a nearby hospital that should be well equipped to deal with neonatal emergencies along with other related requirements. 

Now let me explain why it is important... pregnancy in itself is very critical and when it comes to a twin pregnancy, the related risk multiplies. Therefore it is important to be in contact with a gynaecologist to keep a check on your pregnancy and the overall health of your baby and you regularly. And also the hospital you choose for this phase should be nearby and well equipped because you will need recurrent visits to your doctor for various tests and mappings. Also as a twin pregnancy is supposed to be a high-risk pregnancy, hospital visits can be at any time. Although usually twin pregnancies are scheduled for delivery, emergency or preterm delivery etc. may happen. 

As soon as you come to know about your pregnancy, share this life-changing beautiful news with your reliable people,  you can ask to lend a helping hand during any emergency. You should always have a few of your trustworthy loved ones, who can come to you whenever you need. Pregnancy is a crucial phase, so this kind of preparation is very important.

You may need some extra help with your daily chores during the later stages of twin pregnancies. As your pregnancy progresses, sometimes it becomes really tough to perform your routine chores because during twin pregnancy mentally and physically it's more demanding due to your body weight, your hormonal elevations and changes, lack of sleep, etc. So having an extra helping hand can be a boon.

As you are gearing up for new responsibilities in your life, you and your partner should discuss and plan the expenses. Practically planning this new beginning including financial back-up can save you from some future troubles.

Normally during pregnancy, it is advised to keep a hospital bag ready with all the necessary items which you wiil be needing after the delivery of your baby. But during twin pregnancy, it is better to keep that bag ready much before the actual date. And yes it is not necessary to keep two sets of all the required items in that bag. To know about what items you should keep, you can ask someone of your close contact who had delivered a baby recently or you can take the help of an internet search also.

You can join some group of people with twin pregnancy, or with moms of twins in your locality, and if it's not there you can take the initiative to form such a group to help each other during all the phases or to discuss your worries or confusions. And the already mommies can share the experience and knowledge with the to-be mommies. This kind of gathering can be really helpful to minimize the related apprehension.

Finally, follow all the instructions given by your gynaecologist. The instructions related to your diet, your exercise, your medicines, your regular check-ups and follow-ups... everything is so important, therefore trust your doctor and follow each and every instruction religiously. Eventually, your doctor knows the best.

Wrap up points

Pregnancy in itself is a divine feeling and when it is with twins, it becomes magical. It has its own charm which comes with lots of responsibilities and there might come a few hurdles in your way also, but believe me and have faith in yourself, you are strong enough and everything works out eventually. As your pregnancy progresses, as your time progresses, you will learn everything, time is the best teacher.

In this blog (part-1) I have shared the knowledge and experiences which I have learned during my twin pregnancy. I will share my journey from the arrival of my babies till now in my next blog (part-2).

Hope you find this blog helpful and relatable...if you have any query, do not hesitate to post the comment below. We will be happy to hear from you.

Happy parenting ♥️♥️

Dr. Varun Prabha is a dentist and has experience and various qualifications in the healthcare sector. Apart from this, she is a blogger, author, and YouTube host. She loves sharing her parenthood experiences with other mommies. Connect with her on Instagram (varunprabha.gupta) and Facebook (Varun Prabha Gupta).

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Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this post are the personal views of the author. They do not necessarily reflect the views of The Mom Store.