Someone asked about this a few days ago
but I can't remember who, but here is more
info
http://
pregnancy.About.Com/cs/twinsmore/a/twinbas
ics.Htm
in case the link doesn't work:-
people are very fascinated with twins and
other multiples. It seems mysterious how
one pregnancy can result in more than one
baby.
Multiple pregnancies are on the rise in
recent years with more and more twins and
other types of multiples being born. The
majority of the reason for this rise is
the increased use of fertility drugs.
How twins are made
there are a couple of ways that multiples
are conceived:
multiple eggs are released or there is
more than one ovulation. Both (or more)
eggs are fertilized and you have fraternal
twins. This can happen with or without
fertility drugs.
One egg is release but splits in two.
Identical twins are made. This can happen
with or without fertility drugs.
In cases of ivf, there are usually 3 or
more fertilized eggs put back into the
uterus. The rationale is that not all of
these will implant, though sometimes they
do.
Once conceived you have a lot of
possibilities on placentas, implantation
locations, number of amniotic sacs. For
example, you can have two babies, two
placentas, and two sacs. You can have two
babies one placenta, two sacs. It will be
important to know exactly what you are
dealing with, particularly when it comes
to amniotic sacs.
How multiples are discovered
many people learn about their multiples at
an early ultrasound. Although some
critics say that before twelve weeks
gestation there is still a high risk of
disappearing twin syndrome, where one baby
stops growing and is either absorbed back
into the mother's body or is still born
when the other twin is born.
Some people find a rapid rate of grow in
their uterus which leads some to suspect
twins. I will say, for all of you second
timers out there, that your bellies will
grow faster than with your first
pregnancy, so don't automatically assume
twins.
Sometimes multiple heart beats are heard,
leading your practitioner to believe that
there is more than one bundle of joy in
your uterus.
Some women find out when they have
abnormally high levels on the afp test
that multiples are on the way, since
multiple babies would increase the levels
of these hormones. It's also sometimes
possible to detect multiples with serial
hcg levels in early pregnancy. The more
babies the faster the rate of rise in the
hcg which should nearly double every 48
hours with a singleton.
About 3% of all twin pregnancies are
undetected until birth. It is possible to
have an ultrasound and not see the other
baby, though rare.
Multiple pregnancy
being pregnant with multiples is not
necessarily a high risk situation, except
when dealing with higher order multiples
or specific problems. Someone on the
bulletin board phrased it as being "high
need." I really think that this is a
positive shift away from the technical
side. Find a practitioner who is
experienced with multiples births, but one
who will not panic at every corner.
In general you need to increase the amount
of protein that you eat. Protein is the
building block of every cell in your body
and your babies' bodies. It will help you
build a good placenta and a strong
amniotic sac. A healthful diet will also
help fight against infection.
You will probably see your practitioner
more frequently towards the end of
pregnancy. You may have more testing than
most women during pregnancy, but not
always. Some of these might include:
non-stress testing, more ultrasounds,
etc.
Complications
there can be a higher risk for
complications. You will be monitored for
the normal complications of pregnancy like
high blood pressure, and fetal growth.
However, twins and other multiples can
have higher incidences of things such as
intrauterine growth retardation (iugr),
twin to twin transfusion (ttts), and
others. Remember to keep your
appointments, watch your diet and do your
fetal kick counts.
Multiple birth
in years past cesarean became popular for
multiple births. Now that rate is about
50% for twins, and declining. We've found
that vaginal birth is usually very safe
for multiples, who frequently need the
stimulation and rise in hormones levels
associated with labor.
Whether or not you will have a vaginal
birth will depend on many factors,
including the position of the babies, and
how the babies tolerate labor.
If your babies are in a position where
neither can move, they are said to be
locked. These babies will have to be born
via cesarean.
Breech babies really depend on the size of
the baby and the skill of the
practitioner. Usually if baby a (the
first baby in the pelvis.) is head down a
vaginal birth will be attempted. If baby
b is breech or transverse an internal or
external version may be attempted to help
facilitate the birth, or that baby may be
allowed to be born breech.
Monoamniotic twins will also be born via
cesarean, due to the added risk of cord
entanglement.
No matter how your twins were conceived,
or how they were born, babies are
delightful. Parenting multiples has its
special challenges, but it also yields
special rewards.
