What You Need To Know About A Twin Pregnancy
There are both similarities and differences when it comes to a twin pregnancy from the regular pregnancy. It is true that women who are pregnant with twins or triplets experience special symptoms of pregnancy, and many of the symptoms, including morning sickness, exhaustion and weight gain, are intensified in proportion to the number of babies.
How Does it Happen?
The miracle of birth is amazing enough as it is, but when it comes to multiple babies it is truly even more so. A twin pregnancy takes place when two babies are produced, and fraternal twins, which are the most common kind, occur when two separate eggs are fertilized by two different sperm and each twin has his or her own placenta and amniotic sac. Identical twins on the other hand, occur when a single fertilized egg splits and develops into two fetuses. Although identical twins may share a placenta they do each have their own amniotic sac.
Usually a twin pregnancy is very easy to diagnose, as the woman will appear noticeably larger than she would with a single-child pregnancy. As well, again the mother will feel more side effects, and once a twin pregnancy is diagnosed she will have more frequent checkups and ultrasound exams. A woman carrying twins will see their health care provider often to keep track of the babies? growth and development, and watch for signs of preterm labor as with a twin pregnancy, premature birth is much more common.
Risks and Complications
There are many more risks and complications with a twin pregnancy than any other, and besides preterm labor high blood pressure is a common complication, as mothers of multiple babies are more likely to develop high blood pressure during pregnancy and this condition may result in depriving the babies of the oxygen and nutrients that they need.
Twin to twin transfusion is another possibility here, as with identical twins it is possible for a blood vessel in the placenta to connect the babies? circulatory systems, which typically results in causing one of the babies to receive too much blood and the other too little. When a situation such as this arises the most common solution is for the babies to be delivered as soon as possible once it has been established that the benefits of early birth outweigh the potential problems of prematurity.
Regardless of how many babies you get pregnant with, it is important to take care of yourself and make all your doctor appointments, so that you and your baby can be as healthy and happy throughout pregnancy as possible.