TWIN PREGNANCY CARE

If you are carrying more than one baby you will be closely monitored during pregnancy to make sure that your babies grow normally and that you experience no health problems. They are likely to be born early and you will be advised to have a hospital birth so that a medical team is on hand if any problems do occur

Antenatal care with twins

Your antenatal care, including the number of scans you have, will be based on whether your babies share a placenta or not. If your babies do share a placenta, you are likely to have at least eleven antenatal appointments and you’ll be under the care of an obstetrician. 

However, if your twins have separate placentas, you will be offered eight antenatal appointments and you will see your obstetrician at least twice.

In both cases you’ll also be offered frequent ultrasound scans so that the growth and development of your babies can be accurately assessed. 

Having a healthy twin pregnancy

Eating a healthy pregnancy diet and taking moderate exercise is important no matter how many babies you are carrying. 

You may also be surprised to learn that you don’t have to eat significantly more when you are carrying twins. Your GP or midwife will check your iron levels during the pregnancy as you are more likely to become anaemic and may need to take iron supplements .

Possible pregnancy problems with twins

You may find that some of the early pregnancy symptoms you have, such as morning sickness and tiredness, are exaggerated – compared to if you were carrying a single baby. 

In later pregnancy you are more likely to suffer from low back pain and pelvic discomfort while piles and varicose veins are also more common. 

You are also at a higher risk of pregnancy complications such as anaemia, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, growth restriction and premature labour. This means that it is very important that you attend all your antenatal appointments so that if there are any problems they can be picked up and treated early. 

As your pregnancy progresses, you are likely to find that extreme tiredness and an increased need for rest means you may have to stop work earlier than you might otherwise have done.