Carrying twins makes your pregnancy completely discrete for various reasons. Twin pregnancy not only indicates that you give birth to two babies but it brings in additional pain, complications and incredible changes to your mind and body. To cope up with your twin pregnancy you have to certainly take some supplemental care. So today we will try to discern how to ensure a safe and healthy twin pregnancy.
Disclaimer: All content in this post should be purely taken for informational purpose only and not considered as actual medical advice. Read our Disclaimer page for more details.
Healthy Twin Pregnancy
Caring for you and your twins is more significant right from the day one. This additional care should be taken at different levels of your pregnancy and in different ways. I have categorized this twin pregnancy care into five types for your easy grasping. All these will make certain you have a safe and healthy twin pregnancy.
#1 Antenatal Care
Antenatal care is the support and guidance you receive from the healthcare professionals for your entire pregnancy period. It makes sure that the mother is fine and the babies are developing well.
Your antenatal appointments will include Ultrasound scans, Blood and Urine tests for determining various deficiencies or any wary conditions. This will help you to predetermine any of the pregnancy complications and take early actions if possible. Also, you can keep track of the development of your fetuses.
So for a healthy twin pregnancy, you should make sure to get consistent antenatal care from your medical practitioner.
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#2 Physical Care
Mother’s womb is generally comfortable for one baby. When two babies have to share this womb then there will be more stress/pressure in your uterus. So though not a complete bed rest, still getting relaxed from your normal livelihood will be necessary. It’s better to take good rest and keep away from tiring household work or long travels.
Try to have a caretaker on your side all the time. He/she can be your relative or friend or if affordable a maid who can look after you round the clock. By not stressing yourself with more physical work (other than what is required) you can slightly avoid complications like the incompetent cervix.
Women who have conceived through ART procedures(Assisted Reproduction Techniques – IVF, ICSI) would have already undergone acute stress with their uterus during egg retrievals, embryo or blastocyst transfer etc., They need to be more careful and completely restrict themselves from all the day to day routine work and rest as much as possible to avoid any further complications in the pregnancy. Stick to your medical practitioner’s instructions and complete your long-awaited journey happily.
As days pass by, you will feel more uncomfortable and lack sleep. This will increase your tiredness. Relax, take the needed rest, comfort yourself and work towards a healthy twin pregnancy. Once the babies are born, you will have NO TIME TO REST 🙂 They will keep you totally engaged.
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#3 Delivery Care
Twin pregnancy care also comprises of the delivery care. Though vaginal birth is also possible with twins, in most cases it might be a c-section, as one or the other baby might have issues to be delivered normally(based on their position or any other complication).
Another possibility is preterm labor when you may have to deliver the twins well before the due date owing to various reasons. So reporting any abnormal physical conditions and having a constant touch with your gynecologist is a must.
If you are in the labor for a normal delivery, stay calm. Follow the instructions given by your doctor and go ahead with all the nerve. This is the moment you have to be more strong both at heart and body. Think positive and support bringing your twins into this beautiful world.
Whenever a c-section is planned, keep yourself more composed. So this is going to be THE DAY, for which you have been caring for so long. Stay focused and listen to your medical adviser and anesthetist. Provide the needed co-operation. Soon twin cries are going to pierce through your ears.
Make sure you have all the packing done for your delivery well in advance. As there may be a preterm labor or an emergency c-section at any moment, it is best to be prepared.
Many of you might have the knowledge of Stem cell therapy. Stem cells can generate additional stem cells or develop into blood cells or nerve cells. This makes them extremely useful in the latest medical treatments. Nowadays, the practice of collecting umbilical cord stem cells during delivery and storing them is becoming more common. These stem cells can serve as a boon for your kids’ medical treatments in the future. If you have plans to store the umbilical cord stem cells of your twins, talk to your doctor and the stem cell bank you have chosen. Be sure to make the arrangements during the early third trimester itself, as there may be a chance of preterm labor. This will help you to avoid any hassles at the last moment.
#4 Postnatal Care
Caring shouldn’t stop with the delivery, it is required even after you give birth to your babies. Handling a newborn baby itself is quite challenging. When it is twins, needless to say, you will be having a tough time. Both the babies can cry at the same time, you may have to feed them both together, they may sleep at different parts of the day giving you no rest, constant changing of diapers all these can be certainly overwhelming. You may feel depressed, weak and lose confidence. But trust me if you have the right planning, schedule and support you will be able to handle this adorable life with your twins easy-peasy.
It is good if you can arrange for at least one caretaker or if possible more than one in case of c-section. They can take shifts to manage the babies as you wouldn’t be able to do all the chores alone after a c-section.
Also, it is significant to follow your doctor’s advise, take care of your health and prepare yourself to care for the little ones. Eventually, you are the one who will be nurturing your babies 24 x 7, so you need to be hale and healthy.
There is also a possibility for your twins to be in the NICU (Neo-natal Intensive Care Unit) immediately after delivery due to certain health conditions. This can be even for a small support and not any major issue. So don’t get panic if you have to separate from your twins after birth. It is for their well being. Sooner or later they are going to be with you forever. Relax and understand what is needed from your side to support the babies in NICU like pumping breast milk to feed the babies(some preemies may not be ready for direct feed from their mother) , providing kangaroo therapy(skin-to-skin technique practiced in preterm babies with their mother) etc.,
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#5 Emotional Care
This is the most needed twin pregnancy care. From the first week of your pregnancy till delivery and further in the NICU, it is very important that you and your partner stay cool, support each other (as there is more possibility of mood swings), talk/hear good things, be positive (even if any complication arise), do finance planning (as two newcomers are awaiting), plan on who is going to help during the initial few months after delivery etc., More than all, love each other and build a family of love and affection to welcome your twins.
Twin pregnancies are generally coined as High-Risk Pregnancies. But you need not panic, as there are quite a number of moms who have had a safe and healthy twin pregnancy and delivery. With medical technology grown to unimaginable heights, there are almost no pregnancy issues that couldn’t be taken care of. We have specialists for each and every problem.
So be calm, expect the good. Even if at times you are facing complications, still be confident and think of the little ones you will be holding in your arms very soon. They will keep you positive and strong to face any uncertainty.
Strenuous care is more important for a safe, happy and healthy twin pregnancy cum delivery. So don’t compromise on any of the above-mentioned points.
Though there may be hardships while carrying your twins, it will still be a mind-blowing experience and feel, which you will cherish throughout your life 🙂
“Twice the joy, Twice the love, Twice the blessings from above”
If you are a twin mom and would like to share your pregnancy experience please post it under the comments section.
Also if you found this article to be helpful, you can share it with your loved ones.
Happy twin pregnancy 🙂
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