The hospital staff will look for whether or not twin a – the baby closes to the cervix – is head down. If twin a isn’t in a head-down position, you’ll most likely be offered a c-section in a few weeks.

Pregnancy diet, exercise & prenatal vitamins

Make sure you set aside time to rest during the day. A short nap in the early afternoon is good for your body as well as your energy level. It’s especially important you do it if you have trouble sleeping or don’t sleep well.

Remember to take your iron supplement. You may have to continue with your iron supplement until a few weeks after birth. It depends on the amount of blood you lose during labor.

Signs of labor at 34 weeks pregnant with twins

Contractions and pelvic pressure can be early signs of labor. You should react if your contractions increase in duration and strength and/or if you feel sudden abdominal pressure.

Minor vaginal bleeding may occur as well. You should contact your doctor or midwife if you’re unsure about whether or not the changes you feel in your body are early signs of labor.

If your twins are born at 34 weeks they are considered born moderate to late preterm.

Fetal development & baby weight

Your babies measure approximately 45 centimeters (17.72 inches) when you’re 34 weeks pregnant with twins. The median weight for dichorionic twins is 2300 grams (5lbs, 1oz) and for monochorionic twins, it’s 2183 grams (4lbs, 13oz).

Look at our estimated fetal weight charts to learn more about how twins grow in the second half of pregnancy. The main thing they need to do at this point is growing and gaining weight.

Their lungs also need to mature. The lungs are one of the last things to finish developing in a baby.

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

Some women feel that their belly is very much in the way at this point in their twin pregnancy. They feel big and uncomfortable – maybe even miserable. Other common symptoms are:

• Pelvis pain. Your pelvis might be tender or sore. It’s heavy carrying two babies around.

• You can’t sleep. This can be due to your belly getting in the way, hormones or thoughts of worry.

• Braxton hicks contractions. They are your body’s way of preparing for birth and not necessarily an early sign of labor.

Previous week – 33 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 35 weeks pregnant with twins

Even though almost all babies survive at 33 weeks if they’re born in high-income settings, doctors will try to stop the labor if they can. Your babies will still benefit most from staying inside your womb to grow and gain weight. This is if your pregnancy is progressing as it should.

If you’re expecting monoamniotic-monochorionic (mo-mo) twins, most doctors will recommend that you get a c-section around this week. Mo-mo twins are identical twins that share a placenta and both sacs.

Pregnancy diet, exercise & prenatal vitamins

It’s important that you take care of yourself and that you get some rest. It’s a good idea to take a nap during the day if you feel exhausted. Get family or friends to entertain your older children if possible.

Life with newborn twins can be tough, and you need energy for it. Use the last pregnancy weeks to rest as much as possible. Also, continue taking an iron supplement. It is very important to take this iron supplement so that you’ll be ready when you give birth. Through giving birth, you will lose a lot of blood, which means you’ll lose a lot of iron.

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

You may feel quite large and uncomfortable. Pelvic pain is no stranger, and you may feel more braxton hicks contractions. Other common symptoms at 33 weeks pregnant with twins are:

• Swollen feet. This can be caused by either fluid retention or your twin pregnancy weight gain. For some women, their feet will stay bigger even after they’ve given birth and lost the weight they gained. However, most women experience that their feet go back to the size they were before pregnancy.

• Some women sweat a lot during pregnancy. This is because your blood flow and metabolism is increased during pregnancy. That can cause your body to sweat more. Hormones are also partly to blame. The surges – increases and decreases in hormones that constantly occur during pregnancy – can give you hot flashes.

• You may feel that you’re stomach is in the way. You may need help to tie your shoes.

• Cramping and a tight stomach is not uncommon and not necessarily signs of early labor. It could be braxton hicks contractions which is your body’s way of practicing for delivery. However, if you feel intense or sudden abdominal pain, or contractions increasing in duration and strength, you should call your doctor or midwife.

Baby weight & fetal development

Your babies measure approximately 43,5 centimeters (17.13 inches) when you’re 33 weeks pregnant with twins. The median weight for dichorionic twins is 2110 grams (4lbs, 10oz) and for monochorionic twins, it’s 2014 grams (4lbs, 7oz).

Look at our estimated fetal weight charts to learn more about how twins grow in the second half of pregnancy. When you’re 33 weeks pregnant with twins, your babies are practicing nursing inside your womb. They’re sucking on their fingers and toes.

Some babies are born with red marks or blisters on their hands from sucking in utero. The space in your womb is tight by now. Nevertheless, you need to feel both your babies move every day. If you feel less or no life at all one day, you need to react.

Try drinking a glass of cold water and nudge your stomach a little. If you still don’t feel any reaction, contact your doctor or midwife. 

Previous week – 32 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 34 weeks pregnant with twins

Pregnancy diet, exercise & prenatal vitamins

Do what’s possible to make yourself feel good. Go to a spa, get a massage, relax and keep your feet up. Do any kind of exercise you like – as long as you don’t engage in contact sports or horse riding. You still need to take an iron supplement at 31 weeks pregnant with twins.

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

Your babies are getting bigger and that takes a toll on your body. There’s no doubt that it’s hard work carrying two children. Common pregnancy symptoms are:

• You feel exhausted. You may also feel misrable or unwell.

• You may feel like there’s not enough room in your abdomen. Your babies are pressing on your diaphragm, liver, stomach, intestines and bladder.

• You might feel sore – like when you have a bruise. That’s often caused by your babies kicking in the same place again and again. They may have a favorite position.

• Your lower back and pelvis might be tender or sore. It’s common to have muscle tension in your buttocks, abdomen and pelvis.

• Some women feel abdominal pressure. As your twins grow and become heavier, it puts increasing pressure on the muscles in your pelvic floor. If you feel intense and sudden pressure, you should be aware that it can be early signs of labor.

Baby weight & fetal development

Your babies measure approximately 41 centimeters (16.14 inches), when you’re 31 weeks pregnant with twins. The median weight for dichorionic twins is 1730 grams (3lbs, 13oz) and for monochorionic twins it’s 1642 grams (3lbs, 9oz). Look at our estimated fetal weight charts to learn more about how twins grow in the second half of pregnancy. Your children are developing their senses. They can now distinguish light from dark, feel, hear and taste what you’re tasting. The flavors your babies taste inside the womb won’t be quite as strong or distinct as those you taste. Sensory impressions are sent to their brains, stimulating their brain development.

Twin boys & genital abnormality

If you are expecting a boy – or two – their testicles will start to descend into the scrotum a few weeks before birth. When you’ve given birth, the midwife or doctor will check to make sure that their testicles are in the right place, as a part of a newborn’s physical examination. Cryptorchidism – known as undescended testicles – is the most common genital abnormality in boys.

How common is undescended testicles?

Undescended testicles affect about 3-4 percent of baby boys born at term. If your twins are born preterm, there’s a greater risk that one or both of the testicles haven’t descended. Often, the undescended testicles will descend on their own within the first sixth month after birth. If not, they can be helped in place with a minor operation. The operation is important as the condition can affect fertility later or lead to other medical problems.

Previous week – 30 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 32 weeks pregnant with twins

Premature twins survival rate

Today most children born very preterm – from 28 weeks – survive in high-income countries. In low-income countries about half of babies born at or below 32 weeks die. WHO estimates that preterm birth was responsible for nearly 1 million deaths in 2015. Three-quarters of them could be saved with current, cost-effective intervention.

How will my premature twins do?

How your babies will do depend on the course of your pregnancy and on how early your babies are born. It also depends on the individual babies and the care that they receive. Being born prematurely means that there are some long term risks. There is a greater risk of being diagnosed with cerebral palsy, mental retardation, visual and hearing impairments and more subtle disorders of different central nervous system functions, such as language disorders, learning disabilities, attention deficit-hyperactivity disorders and behavioral problems. Consult your doctor or your Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) specialist if you’re worried about giving birth to premature twins. 

Premature twins week by week overview

Twins born at 27 weeks
Twins born at 27 weeks are in the extremely preterm category. More than 90 percent of extremely preterm babies born in low-income countries die within the first few days of life. Less than 10 percent of extremely preterm babies die in high-income settings.

Twins born at 28 weeks
The vast majority of twins born at 28 weeks survive in high-income countries. But they are in for quite a long stay at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

Twins born at 29 weeks
Twins born at 29 weeks require treatment with oxygen, surfactant and mechanical assistance to help them breathe. They’ll need help eating.

Twins born at 30 weeks
In low-income countries about half of babies born at or below 32 weeks die. Twins born at 30 weeks need to be born in a medical facility equipped to deal with preterm babies. Proper medical care is essential. Your babies will need help breathing as well as eating. The NICU staff will guide you on how to start breast- or bottle feeding once your babies have developed their sucking reflexes.

Twins born at 31 weeks
Twins born at 31 weeks will need help breathing and eating. It’s important that they gain weight and grow.

Twins born at 32 weeks
Twins born at 32 weeks are considered moderate to late preterm, which means that they’ve hit a major milestone. They’re no longer considered born very preterm.

Twins born at 33 weeks
Your babies have come far, but they still need to grow and gain more weight. The far majority of babies born at 33 weeks will need help breathing.

Twins born at 34 weeks
Twins born at 34 weeks will probably need help to learn to regulate temperature and master eating, and some will have breathing issues.

Twins born at 35 weeks
Twins born at 35 weeks may not need any medical treatment. They may be able to go straight to the maternity ward with you. In most cases they are now able to breathe by themselves.

Twins born at 36 weeks
Most babies have mature lungs by now. This means that your babies won’t need special help breathing, if they’re born at 36 weeks. However, since babies develop at different rates, there are exceptions to this.

Twins born at 37 weeks
Even though your twins are in the moderate to late preterm category, it’s very likely that they won’t need medical treatment. They may very well be able to go straight to the maternity ward with you.

Premature twins & attachment

Studies have shown that parents are more likely to have a less secure attachment to babies born preterm compared to babies born at term. A twin study concluded that parents with premature twins face similar attachment issues. The study showed that both mom and dad have a less secure attachment to babies born prematurely.  The study also showed that for fathers with preterm children less education and having babies with lower developmental scores were associated with lower attachment scores. Fathers seem to find the interaction with less developed children more difficult than with more developed children.

Premature twins, dad & the NICU

A PhD thesis from Denmark focused on how to be better at understanding and acknowledging the fathers of premature babies at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Eight principles were developed. The principles focused on early involvement of dads by making sure that the dads were able to take part in the care of their premature babies as soon as they were born.

1. Early skin contact between father and child immediately after birth while the mom is being treated.

2. Planning of important events so fathers can take part. That could for instance be the transfer from the incubator or the first bath.

3. Fathers should be able to get information directly from the healthcare professionals.

4. Better planning so fathers can participate in conversations about the child’s development.

5. Financial advice and information about opportunities for leave.

6. Formation of birth groups for fathers.

7. The possibility that a family member or friend could help the parents in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).

8. Making it possible for older siblings to stay at the department.