Twin and Multiple Pregnancy

Babies on Board!

Some mums just have an odd feeling that their pregnancy is different in some way. Then they push that thought to the back of their mind and get on with their day-to-day life, waiting to see that first glimpse of their wee bundle in the first scan at around 12 weeks. They might feel extremely tired and sick, but put this down to hormones and to every pregnancy being unique. Other mums have no clues at all. But one thing’s for sure; it is an absolute shock when you find out that instead of one little passenger you have another one (or more) on board!

I had joked that I may be having twins when the line on my pregnancy test was so blue it was almost black. To put this into context I had only just missed my period so it was early days, and I could only manage to squeeze a tiny drop of pee onto the stick and decided to run it under the tap just to see how fast the negative result would take to pop up. Mmmm. Either something in the water, or something very strong in my urine!

Also I was so sick. This is my third pregnancy and I had never experienced round the clock sickness like it. But, I was a bit older I thought to myself, and that was my reason for the fatigue too.

But then, at my scan at 12 weeks all was confirmed. "Can you appreciate what you’re seeing here… that’s baby number one, and here’s baby number two…"

In America it’s called "twinshock". Most people react with tears, albeit in delight or utter shock; we laughed hysterically and cried at the same time. I’ve heard that mums of higher multiples sometimes remain silent only to have the crying/ laughter delayed until several hours later. Whatever your reaction you know that life is never going to be quite the same again.

Do they run in your family?

This has to be one of the most common questions asked by others when they find out your multiple news. Twin births account for around 1 in every 80 births in the UK at the moment, and the number is rising every year. There are basically two kinds of twins, identical and non-identical (or fraternal) twins. Incidentally, "Are they identical?" is another common question you’ll face, even if you’ve a boy/ girl pairing! (Identical twins are always of the same sex, whereas fraternal twins can be either boy/girl, boy/boy or girl/girl)

Here are some twin facts:

• The more children the mother has, the more the likelihood of her conceiving twins.
• If the mother is over 35 she has a higher chance of having twins naturally.
• Non-identical twins are more common if there is a family history of twins on the mother’s side of the family. Two different eggs being fertilised by two sperm cause fraternal twins.
• Identical twins are a random occurrence, they happen in one out of every three births in the UK, and are caused by a single fertilised egg splitting into two.
• One in 4 IVF pregnancies result in twins.

Special considerations in a multiple pregnancy

From finding out you’re pregnant with twins or higher multiples you’ll delightfully be classed as "high risk", although it may not feel that way! Yes, you will be treated to more scans to assess the growth of your wee ones, but you may find that your run-of-the-mill midwife at your doctor’s ante-natal clinic visibly shakes when she sees you coming with your larger than average bump. (Your bump will measure around 8 weeks more with a twin pregnancy than with a singleton one). I have been told that a doppler might not pick up the heartbeats of each baby as they can’t really tell if it’s both babies they’re hearing or the same baby twice! Also at a recent appointment the midwife announced she could feel three heads (a skinny bottom can sometimes feel like a head, hence the confusion over some babies who are breech in birth when it’s been thought they were head down.)

The thing is to ask lots of questions, voice any concerns you may have, and if you are not happy with your care ask to be referred to the consultant who specialises in multiple births at your local hospital.

Some of the tests that are used for screening the probabilities of birth defects in a singleton pregnancy are useless in a multiple pregnancy as the hormone levels are present in a higher concentration. Other tests are available, and your consultant should discuss these with you.

As I’ve mentioned the babies will be scanned on a regular basis, especially if they are identical twins as they can be at risk of something called twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). This is where one twin thrives at the other twin’s expense, and can cause one twin to have a much heavier birth weight than the other.

Pre-eclampsia is another consideration for twin and multiple mums-to-be as it is more common in multiple pregnancies. This is when the mother’s blood pressure becomes dangerously high and can come on quite suddenly. Your check-ups should include regular blood pressure tests and urine checks to see if there’s any protein present. Mums should keep an eye on any extreme swelling of hands, face or feet and phone the maternity ward if they have any concerns- it’s better to be safe than sorry.

One of the nicer considerations of a multiple pregnancy is that it’s your duty to eat plenty! Any extra calories will go to the babies so indulge and enjoy (obviously in a lovely healthy balanced diet). The only problem is that you may not feel the urge to go mad as your stomach will be almost as high as your bosom to accommodate for the size of your massive uterus, and the heartburn can be chronic, especially if you have a supper before bedtime!

This is a members article, written by Lynie