Surprising Differences Between Singleton and Twin Pregnancies
If you’re confused about the differences between singleton and twin pregnancies, you aren’t the only one. I’ll explain some of the nuances between the two that just might surprise you.
I thought I had pregnancy down pat after I had my first baby, so imagine my surprise when the doctor announced I was having… twins.
I was not prepared for two babies and was even scared about having twins. Suddenly, I entered a new world with its own lingo and protocols I’d never heard of or didn’t need to know with a singleton. (I never even knew the word “singleton” until I became pregnant with twins!)
After having both a regular pregnancy and a twin one, I can certainly say that there are quite a few differences between the two. Let’s just say that being pregnant with twins is nothing like carrying a singleton.
Take a look at a few surprising differences between singleton and twin pregnancies. As one parent said about the article:
“Thanks so much for writing your experience. I’m a mother of 3 singletons, so me and my doctor were surprised when we saw not one but two babies in my ultrasound. I was overwhelmed with joy but also worry. I felt like a beginner all over again. You’re right—twin pregnancies are not the same at all. I’m more emotional, tired, hungry, and nauseous, and I get more headaches easily sometimes by just doing basic cleaning are the house. I’m at 16 weeks now. But your advice and story gave me a lot of clarity and ease. Thank you.” -Briana
Table of Contents
A much larger pregnancy belly
How large is a twin belly compared to a singleton? A twin pregnancy at 32 weeks is equal to a singleton pregnancy at 40 weeks. While singleton moms are ready to deliver at 40 weeks, twin moms have a few more weeks to go.
One of the reasons I felt down about expecting twins was because I was imagining the worst with my belly. I couldn’t imagine myself getting so large and scared myself by searching online for images of twin bellies (note: don’t search online for images of twin bellies!).
Thankfully, while our bellies do get larger than singletons, the change happens gradually. Your body will adjust to the extra weight so that, once you’re nearing labor with your twins, it’s not as bad as you may have originally thought.
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More fatigue and morning sickness
Extra fatigue and morning sickness are more common in a twin pregnancy. After all, you’re housing two fetuses and likely two placentas, doubling the symptoms even in the early stages of pregnancy.
You’re also producing more hormones that contribute to all sorts of physical and emotional changes right from the start. And the extra blood and other fluids flowing through your body add extra weight.
Thankfully, my morning sickness began and ended around the same time as my singleton pregnancy. While the nausea felt more intense, at least it only lasted for a few weeks in the first trimester. The fatigue, however, didn’t go away as easily, and, I’d argue, worsened as the pregnancy progresses.
Less exercise
“Is exercise necessary with this twin pregnancy?” I asked my doctor at my next appointment. She smiled and shook her head. “You can do yoga and stretching, but I won’t have you doing aerobics or strenuous activities.”
This blew my mind away. During my singleton pregnancy, I had heard and practiced the importance of exercise. I was encouraged to exercise throughout the pregnancy to better improve my health during those months.
However, I learned that a twin pregnancy poses different risks. For instance, your body is hard at work making two babies, not one. Between rest and exercise, rest became more important than over-extending yourself.
And a twin pregnancy can come with complications that exercise could worsen. Whereas exercise is often a positive factor in a singleton pregnancy, it can become a risk with a twin one.
My doctor advised that I should still be limber throughout the pregnancy, but to choose simple movements. I followed a slow pace and stretching exercises over vigorous and lengthy ones.
Try mild exercise as long as you can, then cut back when it gets to be too much. And don’t get down on yourself or think you’re not tough enough if you get winded after 10 minutes of exercise, even if you’ve been previously active.
Increased risks and more prenatal visits
No matter how healthy you may be, carrying twins means you’re automatically considered a high-risk pregnancy. Our bodies aren’t meant to carry more than one baby, no matter how common it is to give birth to multiples.
Many of these complications are manageable, but your doctor will want to assess them along the way. After all, the best way to increase your chances of a healthy twin pregnancy is to attend all your prenatal appointments.
So, while a singleton mom might see her doctor once a month for the first few months, you might see yours every two weeks. And if you’re like me, you might even need to see your doctor several times a week if you run into complications she needs to monitor.
I also received more sonograms with the twins than I ever did with my first pregnancy. My singleton pregnancy included a total of three sonograms, but with the twins, I’d get an ultrasound at nearly every visit. This isn’t so much for the sake of having mementos as it was to monitor the babies’ growth.
More time resting
A twin pregnancy is deceiving. It seems silly to feel tired when it doesn’t look like we’re doing anything, but our bodies are working at a tremendous pace creating two babies. So much so that we feel exhausted even if all we’ve done is sit all day.
But think about it this way: Your body needs a total of 600 extra calories a day to make your babies. That’s a lot of energy! Imagine exercising long enough to burn 600 calories every day, and you can see why your body feels exhausted.
Don’t be surprised if you barely make it through the morning before needing a nap. And you just might find yourself spending most of your time on the couch, especially in the third trimester.
Include downtime into your day so you don’t get to that point of feeling exhausted from simple activities. But don’t wait for your body to feel tired before you force yourself to rest. Cut strenuous activities you used to do or take them down a notch.
In other words, take it easy. If you feel like taking a nap, take a nap. If you’re too tired to stand up to cook, don’t. Lie down often and take care not to lift or carry anything heavy.
Taking it easy becomes even more crucial during the last few months when you’re most uncomfortable and just about ready to give birth.
Drinking one gallon of water a day
I always considered myself an avid water drinker. I don’t drink anything else, other than tea. So, when I heard that I should drink one gallon—or 16 (8-ounce) cups—of water a day, I assumed I already was.
Just to be sure, though, I began measuring and tracking how many cups I drank for the day.
To my surprise, I barely reached 10 cups, and that’s with me trying. I never knew how difficult drinking 16 cups of water is, but after that experiment, I made it a point to. I bought a one-gallon water bottle to track how much water I actually drank.
Why one gallon? Dehydration can trigger complications like preterm contractions and early labor. Drinking water can also relieve uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness and constipation. And with a twin pregnancy, your body needs double the dose of water to stay hydrated.
Taking a lot more vitamins
With my singleton pregnancy, one prenatal vitamin a day was enough to cover all my needs. My twin pregnancy, however, needed way more than one prenatal vitamin.
For instance, my doctor recommended an extra 2,000 IU of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium. To compare, my prenatal vitamin only contained 220 IU of vitamin D and 145 mg of calcium. She also gave me an extra iron supplement and recommended at least 1mg of folic acid (the prenatal vitamin only had 400g).
On the positive side, taking all those vitamins helped me reach my 16 cups of water requirement!
Expert tip
With all that iron in your body, talk to your doctor about increasing your fiber intake to ease constipation. Supplements or eating fiber-rich food usually do the trick.
Limited to no travel
When I was pregnant with one baby, I was able to travel all the way up to 36 weeks. Not so with twins, where my doctor preferred I didn’t travel at all. And if really I had to, 24 weeks is the latest many doctors will allow twin moms to travel.
Why the travel restrictions?
For one thing, travel itself is tiring even for the average person—you don’t want to add extra stress to your already exhausting pregnancy. (Remember that “rest is important” section?)
Complications can also happen more often and at any time during a twin pregnancy, so staying local is advisable if anything happens. Your doctor can monitor you more closely or admit you to a hospital for emergencies.
Lastly, if you deliver early while traveling and the twins are admitted into the NICU, you won’t be able to take them home until they’re ready. You then run the risk of being stuck in a different place away from home while you wait for that to happen.
Earlier preparation
The last few weeks of a typical pregnancy are dedicated to preparing for the baby, from getting the gear assembled to packing the hospital bag. But preparing for twins should come even earlier.
Why?
54% of twin pregnancies are born prematurely (less than 37 weeks), with the average twins born at 35 weeks. My own pregnancy was scheduled to go no later than 38 weeks before that was eventually moved to 37 weeks because of complications.
We rarely have the space or resources to house our twins through 40 weeks or beyond, so most twins are born earlier. Complications and certain types of twin pregnancies also make it more likely you’ll deliver your twins early.
For instance, mo/di and mo/mo twins tend to be born earlier because these twins either share a sac, a placenta, or both. Even di/di twins like mine don’t always make it all the way to 38 weeks—I ended up going into labor with my twins at 35 weeks.
While no one wants their babies born early, it’s also smart to avoid putting things off until the last minute. Have your hospital bags packed, carseats installed, and cribs ready to go no later than 30 weeks. Mo/di and mo/mo twin twin moms should be ready even earlier than that.
The bottom line
Before having twins, I thought twin pregnancies just meant your belly gets huge and your babies have a low birth weight. Boy, was I wrong. It’s overwhelming to consider how different a twin pregnancy can be from a singleton one, but now you’re one step to feeling better prepared!
Get more tips:
- You Know You’re a Twin Mom When…
- Surprising Costs of Raising Twins
- 11 Interesting Facts about Twins You May Not Know
- Raising Twins After a Singleton
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