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Two for One

How One Pregnancy
Makes Two Babies

By Melinda Copp

News of twins obviously impacts your family differently than carrying one baby. But besides meaning that you're going to have two little ones, carrying twins impacts the course of your pregnancy as well.

Two babies means two times the joy, but also two times the caution. "The mom's belly gets bigger faster, there's an increased blood volume and she will experience stronger symptoms of pregnancy earlier and later, as far as aches and pains," Dr. Alvarez says. "Twin pregnancies are also more predisposed to pre-eclampsia and diabetes."

To monitor progress, moms carrying twins will get ultrasounds about every month rather than only once or twice during the pregnancy like moms carrying one baby. Your doctor will also monitor the growth of the babies.

"Normally there will be some discrepancy in weight, but we don't like to see too much of a difference," Dr. Alvarez says. Having one baby much smaller than the other can be nerve-wracking for parents.

"Almost right from the start they noticed that twin A was larger than twin B and began tracking them very closely," Sohng Lee says. "The stress of the smaller twin's progress was exacerbated by the fact that it was my first pregnancy."

A large size discrepancy may also indicate a condition called a twin-to-twin transfusion, where one baby is getting too much nourishment and the other isn't getting enough. Again, your doctor will watch your babies' growth closely throughout the pregnancy for any signs of trouble.

"The best part about carrying twins was seeing two heads moving in the womb," Roberts says. "And when they were fighting, I would pat my stomach and say, 'Calm down.' That really solidified the reality of me bringing two people in the world."

Want to see more?

• From the Beginning: Reexamining the Birds and the Bees
• One of Each: Expecting Boy/Girl Twins
• My Hands Are Full? Stupid Things People Say to the Parents of Twins
• Check out our Article Library.
• Talk about it!

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