28 to 31 weeks pregnant with twins or multiples

The 26 to 28-week mark is another point when viability shoots up — babies born around this time not only have better chances of surviving with no long-term health issues, but also may need fewer interventions and less time in the NICU than babies who are born at an earlier gestational age.

During the next few weeks, your twins or multiples will go through a lot of the same physical changes that a singleton might during this time — growing taller, gaining weight, developing more mature lungs — but twins and multiples have the extra challenge of competing with each other for nutrients and space in the womb. This means a few things. First, it’s extra important to make sure that both you and your babies are getting all the nutrients you need. Second, you may start to feel a little less kicking and major movement from your babies as you get closer and closer to your delivery date.

Counting kicks in a twin or multiple pregnancy

Even though it’s normal to feel slightly less dramatic movement from your twins or multiples starting earlier on in your pregnancy, it’s still important to count your babies’ kicks. Your doctor may have recommended that you start counting kicks a little earlier than you might have during a singleton pregnancy — maybe even as early as a couple of weeks ago.

Kick counting can be tricky when you’re carrying more than one baby. Some parents find that they can tell which twin is which based on the position of the kicks, and most parents start to get a sense of their babies’ routines and habits over time, but figuring out which baby is kicking when is not an exact science. When you’re counting kicks, the most important thing is to start to get a sense of your babies’ normal count, so that you can know if anything changes later.

Sources

• American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. “Multifetal gestation: Twin, triplet, and higher order multifetal pregnancies.” National Guideline Clearinghouse. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, May 2014. Retrieved January 25 2018. https://www.guideline.gov/summaries/summary/48025/multifetal-gestations-twin-triplet-and-higherorder-multifetal-pregnancies.
• Stephen T. Chasen, Frank A. Chervenak. “Twin pregnancy: Labor and delivery.” UpToDate. Wolters Kluwer, December 2017. Retrieved January 25 2018. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/twin-pregnancy-labor-and-delivery.
• Richard A. Ehrankranz, Mark A. Mercurio. “Periviable birth.” UpToDate. Wolters Kluwer, December 2017. Retrieved January 25 2018. https://www.uptodate.com/contents/periviable-birth-limit-of-viability?search=viability%20milestones&source=search_result&selectedTitle=2~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=2.
• William Goodnight, Roger Newman. “Optimal nutrition for improved twin pregnancy outcome.” Obstetricians & Gynecologists. 114(5): 1121-1134.
• Atsushi Kuno, Masashi Akiyama, Toshihiro Yanagihara, Toshiyuki Hata. “Comparisons of fetal growth in singleton, twin, and triplet pregnancies.” Human Reproduction. 14(5): 1352-1360. https://academic.oup.com/humrep/article/14/5/1352/766210.
• http://www.mfmsm.com/media_pages/MFM-Optimal-nutrition-for-improved-twin-pregnancy.pdf.
• Kenneth J. Leveno, J. Gerald Quirk, Peggy J. Whalley, Robert Trubery. “Fetal lung maturation in twin gestation.” American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecologists. 148(4): 405-11. March 1984. Retrieved January 25 2018.
• Mayo Clinic Staff. “Twin pregnancy: What multiples mean for mom.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, December 13 2014. Retrieved January 25 2018. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/twin-pregnancy/art-20048161.
• “FAQ: Multiple pregnancy.” American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, July 2015. Retrieved January 25 2018. https://www.acog.org/Patients/FAQs/Multiple-Pregnancy.
• “Tracking your weight, for women who begin a twin pregnancy at a normal weight.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved January 25 2018. https://www.cdc.gov/reproductivehealth/pdfs/maternal-infant-health/pregnancy-weight-gain/tracker/twins/normal_twin_weight_tracker__508tagged.pdf.
• “Twin pregnancy obstetric care guidelines.” Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Brigham and Women’s Hospital, June 28 2016. Retrieved January 25 2018. http://www.brighamandwomens.org/Departments_and_Services/obgyn/Services/twin-pregnancy/twin-pregnancy-obstetric-care-guidelines.aspx?sub=6.