If you have landed here because you are pregnant with twins - congratulations.We really hope that this will give you a little taste of what to expect during your twin pregnancy. The majority of pregnancy advice and support online tends to focus on a single pregnancy. If you have experienced a single pregnancy in the past the idea of being pregnant with twins is bound to feel daunting. If you have never been pregnant before then the idea of being pregnant with twins is bound to feel daunting too. We hope that this will help paint a picture of what is to come for you and your two bundles of joy. 

You’ll already be aware of this no doubt but the sickness is real. The level of nausea and sickness may have been the first possible sign of a twin pregnancy. A lot of pregnant mothers claim that the sickness associated with a twin pregnancy is a lot more intense than a single one. It is understood to be linked to the high levels of HCG. This is the pregnancy hormones that trigger sickness. With a twin pregnancy, this hormone is in much greater supply. If you are experiencing this right now you have our sympathies but it may help to know that this is completely normal and it will pass. Do what you gotta do to get through the day, Mama!

Did your jaw drop when you found out you were having twins? Did you wonder if you had imagined the sonographer say those words? It is safe to say that most parents react with great shock when they discover that they are carrying twins. Twenty fingers and twenty toes growing inside of you is a difficult thing to comprehend. If you didn’t feel instantly over-the-moon do not feel guilty as this is absolutely the norm. It is a huge shock and this may have never been a consideration for you but here you are pregnant with two babies. You walked in with one baby and left with two – or so it feels. You will be advised to take folic acid just like with a single pregnancy.  Your GP may even suggest that you take a larger dose to help stave off certain birth defects. 

When it comes to appointments and scans you will have more of them than your single pregnancy friends. That is because a twin pregnancy requires more monitoring – particularly when it comes to monitoring the growth of each baby. 

You might be expecting to feel movement at an earlier stage with a twin pregnancy but this is not the case. It is much the same as a single pregnancy and most mothers notice movement in or around eighteen to twenty weeks. It is believed that women who have experienced a pregnancy before will notice fetal movements sooner than those who are experiencing their first pregnancy. 

Weight gain is a normal and expected part of any pregnancy. With twin pregnancies, the weight gain tends to be higher as you are carrying two babies, two placentas and a larger volume of amniotic fluid. A twin mother will usually feel hungrier than a single pregnancy mother. Listen to your body and try to focus on foods that will nourish your body. 

Labour and delivery may come earlier with a twin pregnancy. There is a greater chance of a caesarean birth when you are pregnant with twins but this is by no means a given. If one or both babies are in a breech position a C-section may be the safer option. The average gestation of a twin pregnancy is 37 weeks rather than 40 weeks. Twins may be born with lower birth weights as a result of being born earlier. They may require help in a special care unit. Respiratory issues are among the most common for premature babies.