Important! Take Prenatal vitamins

You definitely should take a folic acid supplement. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are serious birth defects of the spinal cord and the brain.

You can get folate naturally in foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, oranges and whole-grains. Even though you eat a lot of these foods, you should take a supplement in order to ensure that you get the amount that you need.

You can also take the folic acid supplement as part of a pregnancy multivitamin. There are folic acid in prenatal multivitamin tablets.

Symptoms at 7 weeks pregnant with twins

There’s a high risk that you’ll be experiencing pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness at 7 weeks pregnant with twins – but not necessarily.

It differs from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy. There’s most likely nothing wrong if your 7 weeks pregnant with twins and experience no symptoms. Consider yourself lucky.

Some of the common symptoms early in a pregnancy with twins are:

• You may be very tired to the point where it’s hard for you to do the same stuff as usual. It’s important that you rest and take good care of yourself.

• Nausea. Women pregnant with twins are generally more prone to morning sickness than women carrying only one baby.
• Sore or tense breasts
• A bloated belly. This is due to hormonal changes and not the size of your babies. Your twins are still very small. Read about the size of your twins.

7 weeks pregnant with twins belly pictures

There’s a good chance that you’ll be showing when you’re 7 weeks pregnant with twins. It’s mainly due to bloating caused by hormonal changes. 

7 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound pictures

All types of twins can be detected using ultrasound from six full weeks – 6+0 weeks. Your twins hearts should be beating at this point, and a sonographer should be able to see their hearts beating.

Read more about how early you can detect twins. Because twins can be detected very early on due to ultrasound and more frequent monitoring, the rate of Vanishing Twin Syndrome has grown significantly over the past few decades. However, seeing two hearts beating is a good sign that your twin pregnancy is developing well.

   
Two different pregnancies with identical twins sharing a placenta – monochorionic-diamniotic pregnancies.

Baby size & development

At the end of the week, your babies will measure about 1 cm (0.39 inch) from head to tail. They grow around 1 mm (0,04 inch) per day.

Your babies heads are starting to take shape. Their heads are almost as large as the rest of their bodies. Their faces are forming. You can see one spot on each side of the head which is the beginning of their eyes.

The inner eye is developing rapidly, and the retinal has begun to assume a darker color. You can detect two holes in the middle of their faces. That’ll later become nostrils. They are closed at this point.

Your babies already have tongues and two rows of tooth buds. Your babies now have tiny buds that’ll later develop into arms and legs. They’re shaped like paddles.

Twin pregnancy week by week

4 weeks pregnant with twins
Read about the difference between identical and fraternal twins and find out what happens when the fertilized eggs attach to the lining of your uterus. Learn about how twins develop.

5 weeks pregnant with twins
Find out whether or not twins can be detected in week 5. If you’re pregnant, your body has already begun to produce the “pregnancy hormone” Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG). You may test positive if you take a pregnancy test at this point.

6 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies are developing rapidly. The sensitivity for negative side effects of alcohol, tobacco and certain types of medication is great in the days and weeks to follow.

7 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies are growing at an amazing rate. You may be experiencing pregnancy symptoms. Find out more about how they can affect you.

8 weeks pregnant with twins
If you get a scan during this week you’ll see two miniature babies inside of you with round heads and arms and legs.

9 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies important organs are formed and developing rapidly. You’ve probably started to gain weight.

10 weeks pregnant with twins
You might feel that your stomach isn’t working right. This is partly due to hormones and partly due to your growing uterus putting pressure on the bowels. Find out what you can do to feel better.

11 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies faces take more shape, with eyes, ears, noses and mouths. No guarantees, but many women experience that nausea subsides around this week.

12 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies are nearly fully developed. In many countries you’ll be advised to have a dating scan around this time. Find out what the sonographer will look for during an ultrasound scan.

13 weeks pregnant with twins
You’re now in the second trimester of your pregnancy. Your hormone levels are evening out as your placenta(s) becomes fully operational and starts to create the required progesterone.

14 weeks pregnant with twins
Your children’s hands can grasp at this point and their legs kick but you won’t feel it yet. Many women experience the first signs of life between week 16 and week 22.

15 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies skin are covered by lanugo hair. Your children will have shed all or most of it before you give birth to them if you don’t give birth very prematurely.

16 weeks pregnant with twins
You’ll experience life soon. It should happen anytime between week 16 and week 22. When you’ll feel it, depends very much on the position of your placenta(s) and whether it’s your first time being pregnant.

17 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies are at times very active. They can do somersaults – both forwards and backwards. Your uterus is growing continuously as your babies grow.

18 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies sebaceous glands are starting to produce sebum – oil on the skin. Together with cells, that have sloughed off your babies skin, and shed lanugo hair, this becomes vernix. Find out how the vernix protects your babies.

19 weeks pregnant with twins
You should be offered an anomaly scan when you’re between 18 and 20+6 weeks pregnant. Find out what the sonographer will look for, and remember to let him or her know whether  you’d like to know the sex of your babies.

20 weeks pregnant with twins
You’re in the second half of your pregnancy. You might begin to notice that your navel is “turning inside out” because your uterus has grown bigger.

21 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies kidneys and urinary tracts are working. Your uterus takes up quite a lot of space in your stomach, and acid reflux and heartburn might bother you. Find out how to cope.

22 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies are listening inside your womb. They’re mainly able to hear sounds from your body and voice at this point, but sounds from the outside world also get through.

23 weeks pregnant with twins 
You may feel Braxton Hicks contractions. Your uterus will contract and feel tight or hard. Learn about the difference between Braxton Hicks contractions and labour contractions.

24 weeks pregnant with twins
You may notice swelling in your body during pregnancy. Find out why and how to remedy it.

25 weeks pregnant with twins
Your children’s internal organs – except the lungs – are fully developed. The progress of medical care in recent years means that your babies have better chances of survival than ever before if you give birth during this week.

26 weeks pregnant with twins
Women carrying twins often begin their maternity leave or go on sick leave around 26 weeks. Talk to your doctor or midwife about it and find out what they recommend.

27 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies might not be as long or weigh as much as singleton babies at this point. It’s normal that twins weigh less than average and in general are smaller when they’re born.

28 weeks pregnant with twins
We still don’t fully comprehend how babies experience life in the womb. But scientists have discovered that babies are far more developed than previously thought. Find out how to communicate with your children before birth.

29 weeks pregnant with twins
You’re now in the third trimester of your pregnancy. By now,you should be able to feel your babies move every day. Read about how to react if you don’t or if you feel that one or both of your babies are less active than usual.

30 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies lungs are almost mature. Your babies are practicing breathing. You may have very vivid dreams at this point in your pregnancy.

31 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies can distinguish light from dark, feel, hear and taste what you’re tasting. You may feel that there’s not enough room in your belly and you may be bothered by acid reflux.

32 weeks pregnant with twins
Your children are often in a sought of “dozed-off” state between sleeping and being awake. There’s brain activity both when the babies are sleeping and when they’re awake.

33 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies are practicing nursing inside your womb. They’re sucking on their fingers and toes. The space in your womb is tight by now.

34 weeks pregnant with twins
Premature labour is a risk when you’re expecting twins, so your doctor and midwife will monitor you closely. Read about early signs that you’re going into labour.

35 weeks pregnant with twins
If you give birth in this week, your babies may not need any medical treatment. They may be able to go straight to the maternity ward with you.

36 weeks pregnant with twins
Most babies born in this week have mature lungs. This means that your babies won’t need special help breathing if they’re born now.

37 weeks pregnant with twins
You may be fed up with being pregnant. You want to meet your babies. Hold on – next week is the official date for when your pregnancy is considered at term.

38 weeks pregnant with twins
Your babies are considered born at term, if you give birth in this week.

39 weeks pregnant with twins
Your children’s bones are still soft. It’s a good thing as it helps your babies through the narrow birth canal.

40 weeks pregnant with twins
Your doctors have probably insisted for weeks that you get an induction or c-section. Find out why.

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Severe pregnancy symptoms

Substantial hormonal changes – like those you have during a twin pregnancy – can cause more severe pregnancy symptoms. You may feel much more nauseous and be more tired than you would be if you were having a singleton. However, be aware that you can also feel absolutely hellish and only be expecting one child.  A large study shows that you are more at risk of experiencing nausea if you carry twins and especially so if one or more of the babies are girls.

Elevated levels of hCG

Elevated levels of the hormone “human chorionic gonadotropin” (hCG) in the blood is another sign that you are pregnant with twins. However, levels can also be elevated during the early phase of a singleton pregnancy, so you won’t know for sure. If you want to find out for certain whether or not your twin pregnancy symptoms stem from you having two babies in your womb, you’ll need to get an ultrasound scan. Find out how early you can detect twins in a scan.

Bigger baby bump

Are you getting comments about you looking like you’re further along than you know you in fact are? A big – an early – baby bump can imply that you are having two guests in your womb instead of a singleton. However, be aware that after each pregnancy, the skin, muscles and surrounding ligaments have been stretched. This means that when the pregnancy hormones kick in, your belly will take its round shape earlier on, if you’ve had children previously. You’ll also feel bigger if you weigh more when you get pregnant, than you did when you got pregnant previously. Have a look at other women’s twin pregnancy bellies at different stages in pregnancy.

Would you like to have twins? Read our guide to know what you can do to increase your chances of having twins.  

Different articles related to:

Pregnancy
Use our twin pregnancy week by week guide and stay updated throughout your pregnancy. Find out how twins are formed and know the difference between the many types of twins. Get insight into the feelings and emotions associated with being pregnant and how you deal with them.

Birth
Be prepared for the birth of your twins. Get advice from midwives and be informed about pregnancy complications and early labour. Also read our twin birth stories and get advice from other twin mothers. Learn how to take care of yourself, your partner and your twin babies.

Babies
Having twins means dealing with two babies at once. Find out how to handle this and learn more about nursing, breastfeeding and sleep.

Toddlers
Two active toddlers are a joy, but can also take a toll on you and your partner. Learn tips to cope and receive information about potty training, parenting and other subjects relevant for parents having twins.

Children
Your twins are getting bigger and may be starting school or on their way to college. Read about twin scholarships and the joys and challenges of having twins, who are maturing.

Family
A strong family foundation is a strength, especially when you’re having twins. Read about parenting and how to develop or maintain a thriving family. Read about how other families are handling having twins and what you can do to make sure that you, your partner and your children stay connected emotionally.

In Denmark vaginal twin births are recommended, if the mother and both twins are healthy. Also, the twin closest to the cervix needs to face head down. This is explained by Ditte Toft Heskjær, a Danish midwife. She is employed in a hospital team that specializes in twin births and birth anxiety.

When is a c-section with twins necessary?

If the twin closest to the cervix is breech – buttocks or feet first – a c-section will be scheduled. This is among other things due to the fact that the babies chins might interlock during birth. Also, if the cervix is not fully dilated, there’s a risk that the mother will push out the first twins legs and body, but won’t be able to push out the head, which is the largest part of the babies autonomy. Also, if her water breaks, the umbilical cord can slip out with the risk of it being squeezed. This will cut the blood and oxygen supply, suffocating the child.
A vaginal birth is possible if the second twin is breech, as long as the mother and the second twin is doing fine, but if the second twin is lying transverse – sideways – the midwife will use the contractions during the pushing phase to try and turn the baby so it’s facing head down or breech. If she’s not successful a c-section is necessary for the second twin.

How does a c-section with twins progress?

Planned c-section
If it’s a planned c-section you’ll arrive in the morning at the maternity ward. You meet your midwife and the hospital team designated to the task. It will usually consist of doctors and nurses. You’ll get an anesthetic, often an epidural, numbing you from the waist down. This allows you to be conscious during the procedure, but a screen will be put up so you are unable to see the operation. You’ll get an incision across the bikini line in your abdominal wall then through to the uterus. A catheter and an IV drip will be inserted. The first twin will be lifted out and wiped off. If the baby is doing fine, he or she will be handed over to your partner. The second child will be lifted out, wiped off and be given to you. Then the placenta(s) will be lifted out. You’ll be stitched together and moved to a resting area. A c-section with twins takes about 1 hour.

Emergency c-section
A c-section may be necessary, even though you’ve started to give birth vaginally. This will be necessary if there are complications, for instance if you or one of the twins aren’t doing well or if you lose more blood than normal during a vaginal birth. It can also happen if the second baby moves to a position that’s not optimal for vaginal birth. If an epidural is in place, you may be able to remain awake for the birth of your twins. In the case of an emergency c-section, a general anesthesia will be given which knocks you out for the entire operation. Afterwards, you’ll be moved to a recovery room. If the babies are doing fine they will be with you or your partner. If not hospital staff will take care of them.

What can I do to prepare for a c-section with twins?

Talk to the hospital staff and your partner about your expectations and thoughts regarding the birth of your twins. You need to be prepared that even though you may want to deliver your children vaginally, a c-section with twins may be necessary. Most countries offer a meeting prior to the c-section, where they’ll give you a lot of facts about what’ll happen and when you’re expected to fast etc. Let the hospital staff know that you’d like to hold your children as soon as possible after you’ve given birth, if this is how you feel. Skin-to-skin contact with your newborn’s is important in order to release oxytocin. Oxytocin stimulates the uterus to produce contractions during labour. It’s also critical for your milk let-down reflex enabling you to nurse. The hormone also has the effect that we become calmer, blood pressure and heart rate is lowered, the amount of stress hormones decreases, and we experience less anxiety. It also strengthens the ability to form emotional ties to our children.
Also, women in some countries are offered a post-birth conversation to talk about the birth-experience with the hospital staff who participated in the birth. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions and talk the process through. The hospital staff will in return get feedback on how you experienced the birth and their effort.