There are two little roommates in your uterus. A multiple pregnancy is different from a single one and is often a more “at risk” type of pregnancy because both fetus’ development have to be monitored. That being said, with a closer monitoring, complications are often avoided and the pregnancy is progresses without worries.
During pregnancy
Carrying two babies increases the general fatigue of the mother, who gains more weight – and often more rapidly – than other future moms. “I gained 75 pounds in 30 weeks”, remembers Julie. “I put on 100 pounds in 7 months”, says another Julie. “When they did my C-section, I had gained a total of 60 pounds. Three weeks later, I could fit in my jeans easily and didn’t even have stretch marks!”, notes Anick. Walking around with a big belly brings about other complications (circulation problems, back pain, etc.). These discomforts are very common. “I had twins, a boy and a girl, and it all went really well. It’s wasn’t different from my single pregnancy, except that it got really heavy by the end and my son was positioned very low, which caused a lot of discomfort”, remembers Elaine. Because the uterus grows faster during a twin pregnancy, all the problems related to the pressure it creates – like the need to pee more often – occur earlier and in a stronger way. Some women also have difficulty breathing or get out of breath faster.
It is often recommended that women expecting twins rest more. Fatigue or even just going for a walk can lead to early labor. In fact, the closer monitoring is set up to avoid premature births, one of twin pregnancies’ major risks. Some doctors require more ultrasounds (perhaps monthly) to properly monitor the development of babies and detect developmental problems, worrisome positioning or other complications.
Discomforts
In terms of nausea and reflux, there is no explicit data. A multiple pregnancy doesn’t necessarily bring on multiple discomforts. It varies from one woman to another, no matter how many babies she is carrying. “When I was pregnant with my son, born at term at 10.7 pounds, it was a lot more difficult than when I was pregnant with my twin girls”, explains Sonia. She says that even if her girls deciced to show up at 33 weeks, everything went really well. “My identical twins were born in 2004 and my pregnancy went smoothly. I had regular appointments with my gynaecologist and had an ultrasound at every visit. When I started having contractions, my doctor tried to stop them but nothing worked. They weighed 4.4 pounds and 4.5 pounds, and one of them needed oxygen for 5 days. We spent 3 weeks in the hospital, waiting for them to gain weight. They are now 6 years old and in perfect health.”
Words to know
Monozygotic : the fertilization of one egg by one sperm which splits after fertilization and results in two babies being formed. Each twin develops from the identical half of one fertilized egg. They are also known as identical twins.
Dizygotic: Two eggs are fertilized by two sperms. These twins may or may not look alike and really only are two siblings who share the same uterine growing space. They are also known as fraternal twins.
What about birth?
A vaginal delivery is possible if the mother and the babies are healthy, and if the babies are well positioned. It is often a longer birth process than for single deliveries. Some doctors prefer to do C-sections if the babies are not properly positioned, if it's they are born prematurely and their hearts need to be protected from too much work, or if there's any kind of emergency. A multiple delivery requires the intervention of a large medical team to make sure that everything goes well, which can unfortunately cause more stress to the mother!
It’s also possible for the first child to be born vaginally and the second one by C-section (if the expulsion of the first one changed his position, if he doesn’t seem to be ready to come out or if he’s in fetal distress, for example).
Testimonials
My twins were born through an emergency C-section at 37 weeks and 6 days. It had been a great pregnancy despite the nausea and reflux. They weighed 7 pounds 1 ounce and 6 pounds 6 ounces. I was induced for a natural labor but my uterus had somehow moved. Being pregnant with twins was the best experience of my life. They were conceived naturally without medication. They are now 1 year old and perfectly healthy!
Virginia
I am a twin myself and I had identical twin girls. I didn’t gain a lot of weight – about 40 pounds, just like for my two other single pregnancies. I had a natural delivery and everything went really well. I was induced at 37 weeks at 10 am; Eve was born at 11:56 a.m. and Sarah followed at 12:06 p.m. I had a stressful pregnancy. According to my doctors, having twins – especially identical ones – was not necessarily a great news. We had to monitor very closely the twin to twin transfusion symptoms. My doctor was trying to understand why Sarah was bigger than Eve. In the end, she just was! I was followed in Victoriaville and Sherbrooke and I especially enjoyed the care and kindness of the Sherbrooke team.
If I hadn’t been so worried about the twins health, my pregnancy would have been amazing. But because the doctors were expecting the worst, I was really anxious. Because I was told that I could go into labor at 28 weeks and that one of the twins could die, I was given injections to help their lungs develop faster. From 28 weeks, my bags were packed and I was ready!
Maryse
If you want to share your experience with other Motherforlife.com readers, email us and we will publish your story in this article.
Statistics
- Every year, more than 4,000 twin couples are born in Canada.
- Every year, more than 100 multiple births (triplets, quadruplets and quintuplets combined) occur in Canada.
- Almost half of twins are born preterm and /or have a lower birth weight.
- Babies from multiple births represent 2 % of Canadian births and 16 % of lower birth weight babies.
- Twins represent 1 out of 90 births (without fertility treatments)
- Triplets represent 1 out of 8,100 births (without fertility treatment)
Source: Multiple births Canada
Discounts!
Did you know that many stores offer discounts for parents of twins or triplets? Ask for it when you visit a store!
Interesting websites for parents of multiples
- Multiple Births Canada
- Lethbridge Twins and Triplets Club (Alberta)
- Twins, triplets and more (British Columbia)
- Toronto Parents of Multiple Births Association (Ontario)
- Manitoba Families of Multiples
- Multiple Births Families Association (Ontario and Quebec)
- Twinslist (International)
