Multiples are about twice as likely as singleton babies to have birth defects, including neural tube defects (such as spina bifida), cerebral palsy, congenital heart defects and birth defects that affect the digestive system. Growth problems. Multiples are usually smaller than singleton babies.
The hardest thing about having twins is...
“Managing the movement of two babies. Carrying them both up and down the stairs, getting them into the car, etc.” —Simeon R. “Often having to make one baby wait!” —Catharine D. “Being outnumbered—the logistics of two on one is definitely the hardest.
With a twin pregnancy, your body makes high levels of pregnancy hormones. So morning sickness may come on earlier and stronger than if you were carrying a single baby. You may also have earlier and more intense symptoms from pregnancy, like swelling, heartburn, leg cramps, bladder discomfort, and sleep problems.
Multiples are about twice as likely as singleton babies to have birth defects, including neural tube defects (such as spina bifida), cerebral palsy, congenital heart defects and birth defects that affect the digestive system. Growth problems. Multiples are usually smaller than singleton babies.
Be patient and know that it'll take longer for your midsection to return to normal after a multiple birth than it does after having just one baby. Your abdominal skin will be really stretched out after giving birth to twins and other multiples, to the point where it can be uncomfortable to walk and turn around.
1. At three months: The three-month stage marks the end of the “fourth trimester” and your twins can better adapt to life outside the womb. For one thing, they'll sleep in longer stretches of about three- to four-hour chunks.
Smith adds: "The prevailing view is that the burden of childbearing on women is heavier when bearing twins. But we found the opposite: women who naturally bear twins in fact live longer and are actually more fertile."
It's the feeling of never being completely alone; there's always someone on your side. Being a twin doesn't feel like there is another “you.” Instead it feels like together we make one; that we complement and complete each other. We are the Yin to each other's Yang! It's having a teammate for life.
“Having twins is not twice as hard—it's exponentially more difficult,” says Natalie Diaz, author of What To Do When You're Having Two and CEO of Twiniversity, a global support network for parents of twins.
Because a twin pregnancy can be more complicated than a single pregnancy, health professionals usually recommend specialist antenatal care. Specialist antenatal care usually involves seeing an obstetrician and a midwife in a hospital twins clinic.
The findings show that twins have a survival advantage over the general population at nearly every age, and between the two types of twins, identical twins have a survival advantage over fraternal twins, said David Sharrow, the lead author of the study and a demographer and postdoctoral researcher at the University of ...
Identical twins share a particularly intense bond. They are the result of one fertilized egg splitting into two, giving them identical DNA. (Fraternal twins are the result of two separate, genetically different fertilized eggs.) As a result, identical twins are as close as two people can be.
There are twins who say they have felt each other's pain. And their close relationship and nearly-identical physical structure means there could be a sliver of truth in the theory — as pain can be psychological and can be felt empathetically.
Twins are always the same age, and they usually share a similar environment, both in the womb and while growing up. Identical twins share 100% of their genes, while fraternal twins share only about half their genes (just like regular siblings). The concept of concordance is important in twin studies.
While the average single baby weighs 7 pounds at birth, the average twin weighs 5.5 pounds. Triplets typically weigh 4 pounds each, and quads weigh 3 pounds each.
Why is multiple pregnancy a concern? Over 60 percent of twins and nearly all higher-order multiples are premature (born before 37 weeks). The higher the number of fetuses in the pregnancy, the greater the risk for early birth. Premature babies are born before their bodies and organ systems have completely matured.
May 24 (UPI) -- According to research published on Tuesday, mothers who give birth to twins are more lucky than they are biologically unique -- a conclusion that goes against previous research done on the issue.
Identical twins reported similar levels of happiness, while fraternal twins exhibited greater variation in their reported sense of well-being. These results were found in families of twins raised together and extended with twins reared apart.
"Moms of twins face unique psychological challenges," says Ruth Simon, a clinical psychologist in San Francisco who works with parents of multiples. These mothers often compare themselves to parents of single infants, and say they feel guilty about not having as much time to bond with each child, she says.
This is called co-bedding and is perfectly safe. In fact, putting twins in the same cot can help them regulate their body temperatures and sleep cycles, and can soothe them and their twin. If you put your twins in the same cot, follow the same safe sleeping advice as for a single baby.
Recent studies lend credibility to that impression. Twin pregnancies are more stressful on the body compared with a single pregnancy because of the physical weight of twins as well as greater hormonal fluctuations.
While 40 weeks is the full gestation period of the average pregnancy, most twin pregnancies are delivered at approximately 36 weeks (range 32-38 weeks depending on the type of twin pregnancy).
Babies born after 35 and up to the 37th week of pregnancy, with no additional complications other than prematurity may need to stay for 10 to 14 days. If your babies are born after 37 weeks of pregnancy and establish feeding well, your babies may be going home after one to five days.
Enjoying the fun of choosing two baby names that fit together perfectly. 3. Being able to hold one baby in each arm while feeling a huge rush of love and pride.