Premature Labor With Twins

The home pregnancy test revealed a plus sign. The blood test was positive. Congratulations – you're pregnant! But when your waistline is expanding exponentially in the first trimester, you have an extra dose of morning sickness and you're already feeling fetal movement – that's when you discover you're pregnant with twins.

After the shock subsides and you've told everyone you know the latest news on your bundles of joy, it's time to concentrate on keeping those babies where they belong. This place, of course, is inside the uterus. The uterus is meant to house a fetus for nine months. But when there is an extra baby vying for growth space, twin pregnancies often result in early deliveries. Your first job as a mother of twins is to keep your duo corralled in your uterus for as many weeks of the 40-week pregnancy cycle as possible.

"Nature is so good to us," says Dr. Shanta Srivastava, an obstetrician/gynecologist in Upland, Calif. "The uterus will typically keep expanding and proceeding as normal until around the 28th week. Then when the twins start pushing the uterus into full capacity with their rapid growth, sometimes problems with pre-term labor can develop."

Dr. Srivastava offers tips on how to help prevent pre-term labor with twins.

• Take two prenatal vitamins daily instead of one. After all, you're now eating for three! Taking two vitamins daily helps ensure each twin is getting enough nutrients.
• Increase the intake of all fluids, especially water. Dehydration and a lowering of amniotic fluid are both contributing factors of pre-term labor.
• Increase the amount of bedrest, or overall relaxation, after the 28th week. It's a good idea to take as much pressure off the uterus as possible. Enjoy frequent naps, lounge on the couch and do activities sitting or lying down when possible.

Talk to your OB/GYN for more personalized advice.

If you consult with your physician and find yourself on a more regimented rest schedule, don't fret. Many mothers of twins have gone before you and successfully kept their brains from turning into mush. Perhaps cleaning the grout on your kitchen tile sounds more exciting at this point, but don't give up. In this case, the benefits to be gained from bedrest and taking it easy are more than worth the hassle.

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