Welcome to Pregnancy Guide
Stages Of Pregnancy Article
. For a permanent link to this article, or to bookmark it for further reading, click here.
You may also listen to this article by using the following controls.
Defining the Stages of Pregnancy with Twins
from:Sometimes, women wonder if they are going to have more than one baby. Women who may be pregnant with twins for the first birth generally come from families with a high incidence of twins, have been taking fertility drugs or are at an advanced age. Frequently, women who wait until they are in their thirties to have their first child may release more than one egg. This then increases the chances of having a multiple birth.
Sometimes, a woman who has already given birth will believe that she is gaining weight faster than she did with the first pregnancy. This is normal. Her internal organs have already been stretched by the first pregnancy, so they will respond somewhat differently during subsequent pregnancies.
The stages of pregnancy with twins aren’t much different than the stages of pregnancy for a single child, but these stages may be more pronounced. During the first stages of pregnancy with twins, the first weeks aren’t that much different than that of the first weeks of a pregnancy with a single child. The fetus during the first weeks of any pregnancy is so small that it would be difficult to detect by the woman or even modern medical technology. Some mothers report that they have more severe morning sickness when they are in the stages of pregnancy with twins, but that may not be a reliable indicator if a woman is pregnant for the first time.
As indicated earlier, increased weight gain during the first trimester can be due simply to the increased size of a woman’s uterus, if she has had prior pregnancies. During the second and third stages of pregnancy with twins, weight gain with twins would be more noticeable. If a woman gains more than fifteen pounds by the end of the second trimester, her physician may need to run tests and take an ultrasound to see if a second fetus is evident. It is during those third and last stages of pregnancy with twins that potential problems can result.
The fetuses generally develop in the same way and at the same rate as single births. This isn’t a problem when the fetuses are small. Problems may occur when the fetuses get to be considerably larger. At this time, the mother will be increasingly uncomfortable because of her weight gain. The fetuses won’t have as much room to maneuver as a single fetus and many multiple births have premature deliveries. If the fetuses can be kept in the mother’s uterus as long as possible after the 30th week of the pregnancy, the fetuses have a better chance of surviving on their own. Once born, they will develop at the same rate as any other child.
Stages Of Pregnancy News
Warning over twin pregnancy
PREGNANT women having twins are advised to check for twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) in the early stages of pregnancy to avoid losing the foetuses.
Read more...Bumping it up: pregnancy fashion
I'm often asked about pregnancy fashion, and it's a subject I've been meaning to get around to for a while. I have friends who are knocked up, are trying to get knocked up, or have recently finished being knocked up (which has miraculously ended with a child); so while everyone is breeding around me I thought it's as good a time as any.
Read more...Experts recommend at least 39 weeks for pregnancy
Graphic courtesy of March of Dimes Foundation Graphic courtesy of March of Dimes Foundation This illustration shows the difference weeks can make in brain development during the final stages of pregnancy.
Read more...