When are twins full term

Twin Pregnancy: Answers from an Expert

Twin Pregnancy: Answers from an Expert | Johns Hopkins Medicine

Reviewed By:

When you’re expecting twins, you know you’ll need two of everything for your registry. But what about staying healthy during your pregnancy? Do you need to double your food intake, weight gain and visits to the doctor? With regard to the babies, are there two placentas and two amniotic sacs, or can they share these?

Johns Hopkins maternal-fetal medicine specialist Jeanne Sheffield answers eight commonly asked questions.

Do twins share a placenta and an amniotic sac?

While some twins may share a placenta and an amniotic sac, that is not the case for the vast majority of pregnancies. Here are three major possibilities that exist:
- Two placentas and two amniotic sacs. A twin pregnancy with two placentas and two amniotic sacs is the optimal twin pregnancy, as each baby has its own nutritional source and protective membrane.
- One placenta and two amniotic sacs. In pregnancies with one placenta and two amniotic sacs, you will definitely have identical twins. Additionally, when your babies share a placenta, there is a greater risk for complications, such as twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. Your physician will closely monitor your pregnancy to check for potential problems.
- One placenta and one amniotic sac. This is the riskiest and rarest type of twin pregnancy. Fetal complications can arise due to tangling of the umbilical cords or an imbalance in nutrients, blood or other vital life supporting systems.
Do I need to double my caloric intake during a twin pregnancy?

A common misconception surrounding twin pregnancy is that you need to double your caloric intake to provide your babies with enough nutrients. However, pregnancy nutrition guidelines aren’t simply based on the number of babies you’re carrying. Instead, they’re based on your body mass index at the time you became pregnant.

Your doctor will make individualized recommendations based on your starting weight. On average, it’s estimated that a woman’s caloric requirements will increase about 40 percent for a twin pregnancy. What’s most important, though, is that a woman eats as healthy as possible.
Do I need to take different prenatal vitamins for twins?

If you’re pregnant with twins, you should take the same prenatal vitamins you would take for any pregnancy, but your physician will recommend extra folic acid and iron. The additional folic acid and extra iron will help ward off iron-deficiency anemia, which is more common when you’re pregnant with multiples.
Will I need to visit my doctor more frequently?

While every pregnancy is different, most women carrying twins will have more frequent prenatal visits than women carrying only one baby. If your twins are sharing one placenta, you will automatically have a more frequent monitoring schedule.

If your pregnancy doesn’t have complications, your prenatal visits may not differ much from a singleton pregnancy until you get to the end of your second trimester. At that point, you’ll be seen more frequently because there is a higher risk of pre-eclampsia and preterm labor.
Do I have to see a maternal-fetal medicine specialist for a twin pregnancy?

Maternal-fetal medicine specialists see high-risk pregnancies, but not every twin pregnancy will fall into this category.

To find the best care provider for your twins, make sure that the physician is comfortable managing twins, including vaginal delivery of twins rather than only offering a cesarean section (C-section) for delivery.
Are all twin pregnancies delivered preterm?

A little more than half of twin pregnancies end in preterm delivery (before 37 weeks). While 40 weeks is the full gestation period of the average pregnancy, most twin pregnancies are delivered at approximately 36 weeks (range 32-38 weeks depending on the type of twin pregnancy).

Unfortunately, preventing preterm labor with multiples is more challenging than with a singleton pregnancy because the interventions used with singleton pregnancies are not as effective with multiples.
Can bed rest reduce the risk of preterm delivery?

Scientific data show that bed rest does not prevent preterm delivery. In fact, bed rest can increase your risk of developing blood clots and have negative financial and social consequences.

Although bed rest is not prescribed as frequently as it once was, your doctor may suggest reducing your activity level if you’re showing signs of early labor at the end of your second trimester or early in your third trimester.
Is labor and delivery significantly different with twins?

Labor is generally the same whether you’re having one baby or two. During delivery is when things differ significantly.

When it’s time to deliver your twins, you will go to an operating room even if you are delivering vaginally. This is a safety precaution known as a double setup. Following the vaginal delivery of the first baby, there is a small risk of an emergency cesarean section for the second baby. There is also the possibility of the second twin being delivered breech, which is a safe form of vaginal delivery if the obstetrician is experienced in this type of delivery.

Of women giving birth to twins over 32 weeks, only about 4 percent who try for a vaginal delivery will have a combined vaginal and cesarean section delivery. While it doesn’t happen very often, by delivering both babies in the operating room, physicians are better prepared to protect the health of the mother and the babies.

Although being pregnant with twins can seem very different, your doctor will treat your pregnancy like any other unless a complication occurs.

Sign Up for Our Free Newsletter

One of the best things you can do to protect and improve your health is to stay informed. Your Health is a FREE e-newsletter that serves as your smart, simple connection to the world-class expertise of Johns Hopkins.

Planning a Pregnancy
How to Prepare for Pregnancy
Fertility, Pregnancy and Childbirth
Complications of Pregnancy
The Second Trimester
The Second Trimester

What is Full Term for Twins? » TwinStuff

For mothers who are about to give birth to twins, the last trimester is imminently the time to be extra cautious. Because this last stretch can be a bit more stressful, knowing precisely when the full term for twins is will significantly bring a sense of comfort especially when mothers are especially particular about preterm labor and essential preparations.

This article will give helpful insight as to knowing just when your twins are ready to pop out of the oven as well as the essentials to pre and post-natal care.

How Many Weeks is a Full Term Pregnancy for Twins?

Pregnancy Day By Day editor-in-chief Maggie Blott, M.B.,B.S., reports that there are about 1 in 31 twin births in the United since the 80’s. Among those births, more than half of the twins delivered were born at about 37 weeks, which is considered normal and healthy when giving birth to multiples.

Baby Center UK says, the average timeline for twin pregnancies is about 36.4 weeks and doctors consider 37 weeks as the full term pregnancy for twins. Babies born within this time (32 to 37 weeks) have no complications and actually do well.

Preparing for the Arrival of Your Twins

Since multiples are born earlier compared to singletons, it is important to already have a hospital bag packed as early as the 26th week of pregnancy. During the wait time, the Twins and Multiple Births Association (TAMBA) advises thinking about how you would want to feed your babies.

It is important to inquire and attend antenatal classes specifically for twin pregnancies. These classes include sessions on how to breastfeed more than one child. Being able to know the merits of bottle feeding, breastfeeding, or the mixed approach is also very helpful.

How to Take Care of Yourself and Your Twins

When pregnant with twins or multiples, there are a lot of changes that go through until you reach full term. One of which is that weight gain is rapid as early as the first trimester.

The vomiting and nausea can be pretty intense, as well as the pain of breast tenderness. Such physical changes call for extra TLC, so it is important to always have someone with you at home during these times.

Another important thing to note according to The Office on Women’s Health is to visit your doctor. With twins, visits to the doctor will happen more often than those moms who are pregnant with singletons.

Mothers who carry twins have a higher risk of low birth weight, preterm birth, gestational diabetes, preeclampsia and cesarean birth. To avoid complications, frequent prenatal visits are a must. Doing so, allows your doctor to monitor the health of your twins, including your own.

Close monitoring will give you the best chance of having your babies being born full term and at a healthy weight. Plus, you will be able to know the vitamins you need and what activities are unsafe during the pregnancy. In short, your doctor is your best friend at this critical time.

Taking care of yourself as a mom is important to have happy and healthy twins

What if I Give Birth Early? What Should I Know About Pre-Term Labor?

It is important to know the signs of preterm labor in order to avoid complications and be able to get help on time. Since preterm labor is “silent,” being aware of your body is key. The first thing to be keen with is contractions. If you experience these symptoms, be sure to contact your doctor as soon as possible:

Having four or five contractions in an hour
Pressure in the pelvic area that is persistently rhythmic
An aching back
Experiencing cramps

There are also other signs of preterm labor like diarrhea and vaginal discharge or bleeding. Any discharge that looks streaked or bloody may mean that the cervix is about to dilate.

If you feel a gush of fluid or a leak from the vagina, this too can mean that the membranes have prematurely ruptured. This fluid is from the amniotic sac and when it breaks, the fluid gushes through the vagina. Finally, another symptom is that certain gut-feel that something is just not right. When things like these happen, go straight to your doctor.

After Giving Birth, What Now?

Although the pregnancy and delivery can be a cause of worry, it is essential to look forward to what happens next- your twins’ arrival! This is a joy for any mom but then, take note that care is still very much needed. Because your body is still recovering, you’d definitely need to do a number of changes at home.

To allow ample rest, limit the number of visitors at home. Be sure to have some extra hands to help with preparing meals and cleaning up the house. Eat healthily. Drink a lot of water and take in a lot of fiber to avoid constipation. Prevent swelling in your legs by putting your feet up and to avoid vaginal discomfort, sit in a warm bath. Whenever the need arises, apply nipple cream to sore breasts to soothe the pain.

Always be in check with your emotional health. If you feel sad, be sure to open up to your partner and family. If the sadness doesn’t seem to go away, be sure to call your doctor. Take all the rest you can whenever possible. Your babies always need you at your best.

There is nothing like the joy of giving birth and being a mom.

Even if this brings a number of physical and emotional changes, being ready with the essentials throughout the journey of pregnancy to giving birth is a must and will be a source of comfort early on. From knowing when the full term for twins is, doing necessary preparations, being emotionally ready, and of course realizing complications and risks, achieving a safe and healthy pregnancy is more than possible.

Twins: myths, fears, reality - Letidor

When a woman first learns that she will soon become a mother, she is overwhelmed with joyful and amazing, previously unfamiliar feelings and thoughts. “Is it really true that I will have a child?”, “What will it be like? Who does he look like? “Can I become a good mother?”, “How will my life change now?”.

If the expectant mother, in addition to the news of her pregnancy, receives information that she is carrying twins…. To put it mildly, unfamiliar feelings and thoughts arise an order of magnitude more.

I remember my first ultrasound. Surprised and joyful exclamation of the young doctor: "Ah, there are two of them!". Joy, fear of not being able to endure, fear of not being able to cope, fear that there will not be enough milk. And then some irrational pride - “Twins! I have! Envy! This is not a beetle sneezed for you!

And then - "the threat of abortion" for almost all nine months, regular blows to the liver from the inside from one of the closest relatives, a stomach like Carlson after eating an eight-kilogram cake. In this regard, your appearance in public transport is accompanied by giggles of irresponsible teenagers and respectful sympathy from the female audience.

Even further away - the doctor, who delicately taps you, tired and exhausted, on the shoulder, saying, "Mommy, don't relax, you're about to give birth to another one." Two babies who want to eat 24 hours a day. Sleepless nights, crazy days, relatives fussing underfoot... In general, the picture is in the best traditions of surrealism.

One of my personal biggest fears was mixing up the children. Expecting two boys, and naming each before birth, I was very afraid that the doctors would mix everything up, and in the end we would screw up with naming. Going to the birth, I gave the doctor valuable instructions on how to mark each of the babies being born.

I marvel at his humility – another would have repeatedly decided to give a crazy patient general anesthesia. For the peace of mind of the team. By the way, my boys from the very moment of birth were so different that only an alien could probably confuse them. Or an African, for whom "all whites look the same."

After a long introduction, let's try to clear up some myths about twins.

Myth 1. Twins are always born premature and underweight

Yes, multiple pregnancies are more likely to end a little early. But twins and mature a little earlier than ordinary kids. Twins born at 37 weeks or later are already considered full-term. And by weight, some of them are no less than "single" babies. But, as a rule, the weight of each full-term twin baby is no more than 2.5 - 3 kilograms. Even with such a weight, it is very difficult for mommy to carry babies, especially in the last stages.

Myth 2. Naturally unnatural

Or "twins are born exclusively by caesarean section." Indeed, in Russia, the vast majority of twins and twins are born as a result of surgery. In some cases, this is really necessary: when a woman in labor has an "anatomically narrow pelvis", which is determined by special measurements that allow us to estimate the size of the pelvic bone. In this case, no matter how many babies a woman is going to give birth to - one or two or three - in any case, an operation will be recommended. If one of the twins is in the head presentation and the other is in the breech presentation, then the doctor will definitely stop at the CS. If the birth is the first, and “the young woman was no longer young,” then the obstetrician can again play it safe by offering a CS, not paying attention to the presentation of the fetus and the size of the pelvis.

In other cases, no one prevents a woman from giving birth to both children on her own. In the end, nature took care of conception - it will take care of childbirth.

Myth 3. “Breastfeeding twins is impossible”

I have known many mothers who breastfeed their twins for up to a year or more. With the right approach: feeding children on demand, not excluding nightly attachments, this is quite possible. Of course, here you can not do without the help of household members. Very young twins usually eat half-asleep on a special feeding pillow. What completely blocks the mother, chaining her to the kids, and depriving her of the opportunity to benefit the cell of society in the household field.

My own young men ate milk for up to a year and two months, and one of them refused any complementary foods for up to a year. At best, he favored porridge, and then in homeopathic doses.

Myth 4. Psycho-emotional connection between twins is so strong that if one cries, the other immediately supports the relative with a loud roar

Yes, of course, there is a connection. But from experience (personal experience and numerous familiar "twin" mothers) I can say that collective tantrums, although they happen, are rather an exception to the rule. On the contrary, sometimes it seems that the children in some incomprehensible way "agree" on who exactly at what moment "solo". And when one of them enters into an infernal cry, twitches his legs and does not make contact, the other is an example of the classic good-natured "Agusha": he hums, smiles and makes eyes. And only an experienced parent knows that very soon this cute baby will replace a brother or sister who is tired of screaming.

This is why many parents of twins, after a while, it seems that their young heirs are constantly brawling. Of course, there are times when both babies cry at the same time. As a rule, this happens when both are tired, sick, or they are worried about teething.

Interesting facts about twins

• “Identical” identical twins have different fingerprints.

• In Rus' in the old days, the appearance of twins in a family was considered a misfortune. The tribesmen were wary of the twins and their parents. Such an attitude is typical not only for the ancient Russians, but also for many other peoples. Moreover, primates in a monkey pack behave in a similar way. A mother who has given birth to two babies must stay away from the group, and the leader himself drives her away.

• On the other hand, Colombians believe that twins bring good luck.

• And the Indians are convinced that in a pair of twins, one personifies the good, and the other - certainly the evil inclination.

• If twins of opposite sexes were born in ancient Egypt, they were subsequently forced to marry each other in order not to “spoil the purity of the breed”.

_ See also:
Tandem feeding: personal experience
Rules of life for a young mother of twins_
Conscious parenthood: feeding cannot be weaned

Gemini.

What is it preparing for?

928

Nazarok Yana

3 May

What could be more beautiful for parents than the arrival of a newborn baby? Probably only the realization that twins or even triplets are expected. Today we will tell you interesting facts about twins and triplets.

If two or more babies grow in a woman's uterus at the same time, they are called "multiparous". Sometimes they look exactly the same - identical - and sometimes they look no more like typical brothers and sisters - fraternal. They happen in different ways.

Identical twins.

A fertilized egg consists of one egg and one sperm. If it splits in two, which sometimes happens, you will have identical twins. If one of those eggs separates again, you will have identical triplets, and so on. All children start with the same set of genes: either all boys or all girls, and they will look the same. Identical multiples occur in three or four out of every 1000 live births.

Sometimes more than one egg is released from a woman's ovary in one month. If each of them is fertilized by different spermatozoa, fraternal multiplicity occurs. Unlike identical, siblings' genes are just as different as any other siblings from the same parents. Such multiples are born more often than identical ones.

Same mom, different dad.

If a woman has two or more eggs during her fertility window, it is possible that each of them can be fertilized at different times - even by different men. So twins can be born from different fathers.

Strong connections.

Parents of twins often say that their children have a special language that they only use with each other. Apparently, communication begins early. One study showed that by the 14th week of pregnancy, twins make intentional movements towards each other. More research is needed to see if this is true for other multiple couples — triplets, quadruplets, etc.

How are large families born?

A caesarean section, also called a caesarean section, is a way of giving birth through an incision in the abdomen. This is usually done to protect the health of the mother and their children. Women are more likely to give birth if they have twins, and most triplets and twins are born this way.

Reason: Fertility drugs

Why are some women more likely to have twins? Several things can affect the odds. For example, if a woman is unable to conceive, her doctor may recommend medication to make her ovaries release more eggs. This can increase the chances that they will become pregnant and the chances that they will have a fraternal twin.

Cause: In vitro fertilization

This is when a doctor removes eggs from a woman's ovaries, usually after the woman has taken fertility drugs. The eggs are fertilized by sperm outside the uterus and then placed back into the uterus. Because this can be difficult and unpredictable, two or more embryos are often returned to increase the chance that at least one of them will grow and develop. Sometimes there are two or more, and the parents have fraternal twins.

Reason: Mother's age

More than 35% of American women are over 30, due in part to fertility treatments. Even without the help of a doctor, women over 30 are more likely to release two or more eggs at the same time, perhaps because their bodies produce more ovarian-stimulating hormone to stimulate the ovaries. And African-American women are the most likely to have twins, while Asian women are the least likely to have twins.

Cause: Mother's growth

Moms with twins are on average 1 inch taller than other moms. The reason may be a hormone that is higher in tall women - insulin-like growth factor, or IGF. It is possible that IGF causes a woman's ovaries to produce more eggs, but more research is needed to know for sure.

Reason: milk

One study found that women who drank more milk or dairy products were more likely to have twins. Some scientists believe that this causes your body to produce more IGF, which can lead to more eggs in a monthly cycle.

Other causes of multiple pregnancy.

A woman whose mother or sister has fraternal twins is about twice as likely to have twins. And women with a higher body mass index (BMI) also have a higher rate of fraternal twins. BMI is a measure of body fat content. A BMI above normal is generally harmful to health.

Complication: early birth

This is the most common complication of multiple births. A "term" baby is born around 39or 40 weeks, but most multiples are born "premature" or before 37 weeks. They are 6 times more likely to be premature than a single baby. Babies born before 32 weeks are more likely to have long-term health problems, such as hearing loss, vision problems, and possibly brain damage.

Complication: pre-eclampsia

This causes high blood pressure and other problems. This can happen with any pregnancy, but more often with multiple pregnancies. High blood pressure is usually the first sign, but women with it may also have headaches, vision problems, nausea, and vomiting. It can be dangerous for mother and baby, but there are medications to lower blood pressure and treat other symptoms. The condition resolves after the mother gives birth.

Doctor visits

Since multiple babies are more likely to have problems and deliver earlier than single babies, doctors like to keep a close eye on them. They monitor the growth and development of babies, monitor the health of the mother and look for signs of early labor. They may also do ultrasounds - a way to look at babies in the womb - and other tests to make sure everything is going well.