Congratulations on the blessing of being pregnant with twins! You’re about to embark on one of the most rewarding, yet challenging experiences you could ever imagine. You can expect twice the morning sickness (and by “morning”, I mean “all-day”), twice the exhaustion, twice the thirst, and twice the emotions. The plus side is that after they’re born, you can expect twice the kisses and twice the fun!
Having given birth to identical twin boys a year ago, I know first-hand what you’re going through. You may have been frightened by being officially placed in the “high risk” category simply because you’re pregnant with twins, but please don’t let fear consume you, because I am proof that you can have a healthy twin pregnancy, carry to full term, and even have a natural delivery if you so choose.
After being told that I was in an especially high-risk category due to my twins being identical twins sharing one placenta, I decided to learn everything I could about twin pregnancy complications and ways to avoid them.
I learned that most twins are fraternal twins (non-identical), and have two separate placentas and amniotic sacs to provide them with their own supply of blood and nutrients. They are known as “di‑chorionic, di‑amniotic” twins. Fraternal twins are really no more alike than any other sibling, except that they share a birthday. Identical twins, on the other hand, have identical DNA, and often share a placenta and blood supply. They are referred to as “mono-chorionic” twins. This type of pregnancy carries extra risks, mainly a condition called Twin‑to‑Twin Transfusion Syndrome or TTTS, which is where one baby receives most of the blood supply, and the other twin receives little or none.
If you’ve been told that you have a “mono-chorionic” pregnancy, you’ll want to do your research on the TTTS Foundation website, http://www.tttsfoundation.org/index.php, and pay special attention to the information provided by Dr. De Lia, to protect your babies from developing Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. They are a wonderful organization that will be able to answer all of your questions regarding complications associated with a Mono-chorionic pregnancies.
Against all odds, I carried my twins to 38 weeks with no complications whatsoever despite my age of 36. I chose to avoid all interventions where possible, and allowed my body to go into spontaneous labor, and had a natural delivery. Both of my boys were born at very healthy weights for twins, had no health problems, and were in my arms within ten minutes of being born.
I was able to lose 35 pounds and be back into my jeans within four days of delivery. I am not a doctor, but I want to share with you some of the secrets I used to have a healthy twin pregnancy.
Ten Easy Steps to Ensure a Healthy Twin Pregnancy:
- Follow a diet high in protein. I am not referring to a “fad” diet that limits any other foods, especially fruits or vegetables. I followed the program outlined by Dr. Brewer, http://www.drbrewerpregnancydiet.com/, which is a high protein diet to prevent preeclampsia, and a host of other complications that could cause pre-term labor.
- A minimum of three high protein smoothies or high protein nutritional drinks, such as Boost or Ensure, every day. This will come in handy during the most severe phase of morning sickness, as it ensures the protein intake while you are incapable of eating much due to nausea. After you get to be around six months along, you will likely have your full appetite back, but be out of room for food since your stomach is so restricted. Dr. De Lia, who pioneered the life-saving surgery to correct TTTS in the womb, told me that he has been able to prevent, or even reverse, TTTS with a high protein diet.
- Avoid sodium in the form of prepared foods such as boxed and canned goods, but do not limit table salt.
- No soda or sweetened beverages
- Lots of water
- Eat sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds to provide a natural source of protein, zinc, iron, magnesium, and healthy omega fatty acids. This is one of the secrets to avoiding stretch marks!
- Horizontal bed rest every day. This does not mean all day bed rest, unless you’re put on actual bed rest by your physician. This just means to lay on your side as much as possible to ensure proper blood flow to the babies.
- Soak in an Epson salts bath at least twice a week to provide your body with a supply of magnesium, which helps stave off symptoms of preecmaplampia. This is a safe way to get the correct amount of magnesium into your body, because it is absorbed through the skin transdermally, and only absorbs as much as your body needs.
- Use a moisturizer on your belly at least three times per day. It does not have to be expensive, you just have to remember to use it. I used a very inexpensive lotion with cocoa butter and Shea that you can buy at most retail shopping chains.
- After you give birth to your twins, request a belly-binder! This will get your belly back to your pre-pregnancy shape in no time! I was back into my jeans 4 days after giving birth to my twins thanks to the belly-binder. It doesn’t have to be any special kind or brand, the hospital will have one for patients that have had abdominal surgery, and they can provide you one by request.
