Posts Tagged ‘Pregnancies’

Double the Trouble. No one in my family had twins, so as you can image it was a big shock when I found out I had two babies growing in me at the same time. Remembering the day the doctor told us always brings a smile to my face. As he was doing the usual ultrasound during my 3rd month, he says in a calm voice. “Here is the baby’s heart”, then moving to another location, “and here is the other baby’s heart.” Just as I did then, I still stop breathing for a minute. Although extremely excited I was also very scared. I didn’t know what to expect of the pregnancy, delivery, and oh my gosh how was I going to take care of two babies?

No one can truly prepare you for twins but I am going to try to help some.

Double the Symptoms.

You are probably wondering what pregnancy symptoms you will have. The majority of twin moms had the same symptoms as a normal pregnancy, just multiplied.

Double the Nausea. As I, many women experience increased nausea and vomiting, referred to as morning sickness. If you have severe vomiting and can’t keep any liquids down for over 48 hours you should contact your doctor. They may want to hook you up to an IV to keep you hydrated. Lack of hydration can lead to pre-term labor.

Double the Size. Maybe not exactly double but definitely bigger. One sure symptom for a twin pregnancy is a bigger belly. Expect to gain is about 1 pound per week, or about 40 pounds for a full twin pregnancy. Weight gain for a single pregnancy is normally 25 pounds. You may want to eat especially healthy when carrying twins. You don’t want to get too big. Too much weight can push you into pre-term labor. Many women complain that the sleepless nights were multiplied to what at the time felt like a million times. Since your stomach will grow significantly larger than a normal pregnancy you can expect to be pretty uncomfortable.

Double the Movements. Yes, you can expect more movement. Many women pregnant with twins experience more movement than normal. You may feel a kick at the top of your stomach and at the same time as one in your back. My four year old and I used to love to lay on my back and just watch them move. “It’s an earthquake in your tummy” he would say. It is normal for the movement to slow down later in your pregnancy since there won’t be much room for them to move. I highly suggest watching a movie on twin development in the womb. It is truly amazing to watch them interact. Also consider getting a 3d ultrasound video done.

Double the Ultrasounds. One of my personal favorites. Ultrasounds are used more often in twin pregnancy to watch out for potential problems. An early ultrasound with twins is needed to establish the due date and to see if they are developing in separate amniotic sacs. If they share the same sac there are more risk and complications. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence with twins, only about 1% of all twins. Ultrasound is an excellent way to comparing the sizes of the twins. One baby may be slightly larger but hopeful not too much. Sometimes one baby will steal from the other.

Double the Complications. Twin pregnancies are at a much higher risk of premature labor. They are also at risk for low birth weight, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, toxemia of pregnancy, and complications of delivery.

Premature Labor. Premature is anything less than 37 weeks completed. Over 60% of all twins will deliver prematurely. Most of these premature deliveries occur after 34 weeks, in which case the overall long-term risks to the babies are quite rare. Deliveries before 34 weeks, especially those before 32 weeks, can result in low birth weight, and increased risks of permanent disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, hearing or vision problems. The best timing for delivery of twins is earlier than the actual due date. Keeping them in until the due date may result in larger babies, but also further increases the risks of placental complications, labor-related complications, and delivery –related complications. The ideal timing for delivery of twins is from 37 1/2 to 38 weeks pregnancy.

Signs of premature labor include: cramps, contractions, and menstrual pains, increasing pelvic or vaginal pressure, increasing low back pain, heavy vaginal discharge, vaginal spotting or bleeding, rectal pressure. If you experience any of these signs you should contact your doctor. Better safe than sorry.

Double the Delivery. The likelihood of you having a vaginal delivery with your twins is about 50%. In order for your doctor to consider a vaginal delivery both babies need to be head down; both should weigh more than 4-5 pounds and be more than 35-36 weeks gestation. They should be similar in size with no evidence of growth problems. No other pregnancy complications should be present such as high blood pressure or low placenta. Twin deliveries usually occur in an operating room with personnel standing by prepared at any moment for an emergency cesarean section. Twins born from cesarean section are usually both about 1 minute apart. Many consider cesarean section to be a better option for twin births since if complication arrives they are better prepared. This is however something you should talk about with your doctor.

I experienced toxemia, often referred to as preeclampsia, which led me to an emergency cesarean section. I was scared out of my mind but when all was said and done they wheeled me down to the operating room at 34 weeks. 5 minutes after the epidural was given, my baby boys were born. Everyone’s experience is different. Just be sure to find a doctor you trust and who will keep you as informed as possible.

Double the Questions. Get prepared now. Everyone is going to want to know are they?

Fraternal Twins. Fraternal twins occur when a women ovulates more than one egg a month. Two babies are born of the same pregnancy that was fertilized by two separate eggs and two separate sperm. Fraternal twins may be of the same or opposite sex and will differ genetically as well as in appearance. Fraternal twins resemble each other the same as any other sibling. Two-thirds of twins are fraternal.

Identical Twins. Identical twins medically occur when an ovum splits during early embryonic development, resulting in two offspring of the same pregnancy. Identical twins are always of the same sex, have the same genetic makeup, possess identical blood groups and will resemble each other physically. Only one-third of all twins are identical.

Do twins run in your families? When having twins, parents often find themselves subject to questions regarding genetics and the birth of their twins. The twins that run in families are fraternal twins. Since releasing more than one egg during ovulation is a trait that tends to run in families. Identical twins come from the same egg and do not run in families. There is no concrete link between a genetic inheritance and identical twins, as no one knows when or why certain eggs will split to cause twins while others do not.

Most people think of Pilates as a new form of exercise because of its recent surge of popularity in the fitness and healthcare industry. In reality, Joseph Pilates invented about 80 years ago by.

Pilates was a sickly child with asthma. To help fight his illness and build his strength, he experimented with various mind-body disciplines and later became an accomplished skier, diver, gymnast, and boxer. While in internment during WWI in England, he taught fellow interns his concepts and exercises that he developed over 20 years of self-study and apprenticeship in yoga, Zen, and ancient Greek and Roman physical regimens. During this time, Pilates began devising the system of original floor exercises known today as “Pilates matwork”. Within a few years, he became a nurse to the many internees under care with wartime disease and physical injury. Here, he began devising exercise apparatuses to rehabilitate the patients by taking springs from the beds and rigging them to create spring resistance and “movement” for the bedridden. This “system” formed the foundation for his style of body conditioning used today.

In many ways, Pilates equipment today is not much different than it was back then. The use of spring tension, straps, supports for back, neck and shoulders are the same uses for the equipment today. The nature of the equipment is to both challenge and support the body as it learns to move more efficiently.

With the determination to help others achieve better health, Pilates opened his first studio in New York in 1926 where he used his exercise apparatuses and more than 500 movement therapy exercises to help rehabilitate athletes and dancers. For over 60 years this form of exercise was a well kept secret – but dancers, athletes, physical therapy patients and fitness enthusiasts have relied on this Pilates method to attain and stay in top physical form.

The benefit of Pilates’ movement therapy exercises for women thru pregnancy and post-partum is mostly misunderstood. Simply put, Pilates is a safe and effective approach to exercise for pregnant women to assist with breathing, body alignment and to recover body shape and tone after birth.

Pilates focuses on breathing, which promotes relaxation and helps activate the transversus abdominus. The transversus abdominus is the deepest of the abdominal muscles and is responsible for supporting the lumbar spine and pelvic area at a time when ligaments are lax due to the natural hormone relaxin excreted by the body during the pregnancy and nursing stages. Lateral breathing also inherent in Pilates fitness, which improves rib cage mobility when the range of motion in the diaphragm is limited due to the high position of the baby in the third trimester.

Back pain is a common side effect of pregnancy. Unless the abdominal muscles, pelvis and spine are strengthened, problems with the back can occur. Strengthening the transversus abdominus (“abs) through guided Pilates movements will not only improve back pain and postural alignment, but will aid women during labor for a much quicker & safer delivery. Research has shown that activation of the transverses abdominus also activates the pelvic floor, keeping these muscles strong and supple for the birthing process. This can also help with any incontinence that you may experience during and after pregnancy.

The nature of movement in Pilates exercise is low impact and allows pregnant women to exercise effectively without experiencing any undue stress on the now lax joints, or an increased heart rate. Pilates also involves many stretching and toning exercises that helps to maintain hip flexibility and stamina, which is essential for well-being and preparation for childbirth. These exercises are aided and supported by Pilates apparatuses such as the reformer: a moving carriage on a bed; the wunda chair with springs to create resistance and the trapeze table to hang from. Pilates exercises also can be performed on a mat with small props such as pillows or cushions which supports the head, the magic circle, foam rollers and therabands for extra resistance.

Most exercise modifications happen during the second and third trimester due to the ever-increasing belly. All Pilates movements, at this point are best done seated up right or side lying. However, you can work supine as long as the head is elevated with pillows at 30 degrees above the heart for no longer than 5 minutes, turning to the side for a break. This ensures natural blood flow and oxygen to the A popular exercise among pregnant Pilates enthusiasts is legwork on the wunda chair. It involves sitting on a small stool with springs attached to a lever and pushing the lever down with your feet. This Pilates movement provides conditioning for the legs and activation of the abdominal muscles, which stabilize the pelvis.

Remember it’s very important that your Pilates instructor is certified and has experience in working with pregnant women.