Having Twins

While in her 30th week of pregnancy with twins, Kathleen Kabak found herself in the hospital after a routine exam showed she was 4 centimeters dilated. For weeks, she was given medication to stop contractions and underwent a battery of tests: ultrasounds every third or fourth day, and fetal monitoring once each day. "This has got to be worth it," she reminded herself. And in the end, it was. After three weeks, Kathleen went home and was on bed rest until her scheduled Cesarean section. At 39 weeks, she delivered two boys, 7 pounds, 9 ounces each.

Stories like Kathleen's are not uncommon for twin pregnancies. Twin pregnancies are potentially more complicated and higher-risk than their singleton counterparts. Dr. Scott Moses of Chicago says, "Weight gain is 40 [pounds] instead of 28, you need more calcium, folic acid, more exercise." Dr. Jodie Escobedo of Santa Monica, Calif. says, "There's a higher rate of complications: morning sickness, placental bleeding, hypertension, diabetes, pre-term labor."

An important factor of twin pregnancies is the greater risk of premature delivery. Moses says that on average, twins are born at 36 1/2 weeks instead of 40 to 41 weeks for singletons. In addition, there are "many more admissions to the prenatal ICU. Most ICU beds are filled with multiples." The long-term effects depend on the level of prematurity. "It depends on how premature," Moses says.

"If you find you're having twins, prepare to be on bed rest for the end of your pregnancy," Escobedo says.

If twins bring double the happiness, they also double the stress. Kathleen Kabak says the lack of sleep was difficult in the beginning, but establishing a schedule eased a lot of the pressure. "A routine is important," she says. "Find something you're comfortable with. Find what's natural. Where sleep deprivation was a problem, it was just finding a routine or system. Then it worked."

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