Important: Prenatal vitamin

You need to take a folic acid supplement. Folic acid is a B vitamin, and folic acid supplements are standard for pregnant women and women who plan to become pregnant.

Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. You need to take folic acid for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. 

6 weeks pregnant with twins belly pictures

You may be able to spot a small bump by now especially if you’ve been pregnant before. This is due to bloating from the hormonal changes you’re experiencing. If you’ve had babies before you’ll start showing sooner than if you are a first-time mom. Look at week by week pictures of twin pregnancy bellies at different stages.

Symptoms of 6 weeks pregnant with twins

Don’t be alarmed if you’re 6 weeks pregnant with twins and don’t feel any signs or symptoms in your body yet. It’s very different from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy how and when your body reacts. Some will experience pregnancy symptoms like:

• Nausea and/or vomiting. Please consult with your doctor if you vomit a lot. They need to find out whether you suffer from hyperemesis gravidarum. It’s important that you are well-hydrated and that you are able to eat.

• Sore or tense breasts.

• Fatigue. You may feel very exhausted at this point in your pregnancy.

• A bloated belly. You’ll start showing sooner with twins especially if you’ve had other children previously.
• Increased need to tinkle. This is due to the increase of the hormone hCG. It increases the blood flow to your pelvic area. Be aware that the risk of developing cystitis is increased when you’re pregnant. If you are unsure whether you have cystitis, contact your doctor. It’s very important that you are treated if you have a urinary tract infection.

6 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound

At an ultrasound scan at 6 full weeks, a sonographer will most likely be able to spot any type of twin pregnancy. Six full weeks is when you’re 6+0 weeks pregnant.

That’s also called being 7 weeks pregnant. When you’re 6 weeks pregnant with twins, you are between 5 weeks+0 days and 5 weeks+6 days pregnant. A sonographer will only be able to spot dichorionic twins during this week. Dichorionic twins are twins with separate placentas.

They are spotted if the sonographer sees two sacs instead of one. Twins with separate placentas can be both identical or fraternal. All fraternal twins have separate placentas and about 1/3 of identical twins have as well.

From next week, when 6 full weeks have passed, a sonographer should be able to spot twins that share a placenta. Twins that share a placenta are called monochorionic twins and are detected via their heartbeats.

They are identical twins. Read more about dichorionic and monochorionic twins.

Ultrasound & chorionicity in twins

It is important that you find out what your twin’s chorionicity is. Chorionicity relates to whether or not your twins share a placenta. Twins who share a placenta are called monochorionic twins and are more at risk of twin pregnancy complications.

Some women are still being misdiagnosed or are not being told about the importance of correct determination of chorionicity at their ultrasound scans. The picture below is of monochorionic twins at 6+2 weeks.

Baby size & development

Your babies measure about 0,5 cm, when you’re 6 weeks pregnant with twins. This is from head to rump. In the first few months of your pregnancy, your babies will be measured from head to rump – named crown rump length (CRL).

Crown rump length is the measurement of the length of human embryos and fetuses from the top of the head (crown) to the bottom of the buttocks (rump). Babies are measured this way because it’s difficult to measure leg length at this point.

Later in your pregnancy, your babies will be measured from crown to heel – this is the equivalent of standing height in older persons. Your baby’s hearts are not fully developed yet but are being formed.

Sex & being pregnant with twins

Having sex can’t hurt your babies. Your babies are well protected in the womb surrounded by fetal membranes and water. There’s never direct contact with the babies.

However, you may experience a little spotting from your cervix when you have intercourse. It’s quite normal and happens due to increased blood supply to the cervix and vaginal walls during pregnancy.

This means that blood vessels are more likely to break during intercourse. If this worries you, or you are experiencing more than a little spotting, contact your doctor.

Does sexual interest change during pregnancy?

Yes. It’s normal that you and your partner’s desire for sex will change during pregnancy. It’s normal to have more or less sexual interest at different stages of pregnancy. Some pregnant women and/or their partners feel uncomfortable having intercourse because of the notion that the babies are present.

Some pregnant women also experience decreased sexual interest due to fatigue, nausea or other related symptoms. Talk to your partner about how you feel and ask about your partner’s feelings and desires.

Being able to talk about this constructively will contribute positively to your relationship.

Twin pregnancy diet

The sensitivity for negative side effects of alcohol, tobacco and certain types of medication is great in the days and weeks to follow. Speak to your doctor about the use or misuse of any of these substances.

You may be able to change to a different brand of medication that will be better for your pregnancy. You may also be able to get some help with any dependency that might be harmful to you or your babies.

Eating healthy, nutritious food is important for you and your babies during pregnancy. Drinking lots of water and stopping or cutting down on sugary drinks is a good idea too. Among other things, this is to prevent you from getting gestational diabetes.

What you need to buy

There’s not much you need to buy at this point in your pregnancy as long as you’re sure that you have folic acid supplements available.

Prenatal Vitamins are Important!

If you are suspecting pregnancy or know that you are pregnant, it’s very important to take vitamins, especially folic acid supplement. Ideally, you should begin taking folic acid a month prior to you getting pregnant. Another product that we highly recommend is prenatal multivitamin.

If you haven’t started yet you need to begin as soon as possible. You need to take 400 micrograms (mcg) for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. 

Folic acid is a B vitamin, and folic acid supplements are standard for pregnant women, and women who plan to become pregnant.

Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are serious birth defects of the spinal cord and the brain. Don’t take a larger amount than recommended because you may have missed a few weeks.

Speak to your doctor if you’re worried or unsure about how much you should be getting. 

Pregnancy test at 5 weeks

You might not know that you’re 5 weeks pregnant with twins yet, but a lot of women will be able to test positive if they take a pregnancy test at this point.

When you are 5 weeks pregnant with twins, your body has already begun to produce the “pregnancy hormone” Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG).

Pregnancy tests are designed to detect this hormone, when your HCG level is at a sufficient high. You start producing hCG from the moment the fertilized egg attaches to the uterus.

Your level of hCG will rise throughout a successful pregnancy, especially in the early stages of pregnancy. You can do a test on the date you are expecting your period, if it’s missing.

However, if you wait a few days, the result is more likely to be correct. The earlier you take the test, the more inconclusive the result will be. Buy an early result pregnancy test.

5 weeks pregnant with twins symptoms

You may think that you’re pregnant with twins if you experience exaggerated pregnancy symptoms. Those are often associated with twins, because substantial hormonal changes caused by elevated levels of hCG in the blood can cause more severe pregnancy symptoms.

However, this can also happen if you carry a singleton. Some women will experience pregnancy symptoms, when they are 5 weeks pregnant with twins, whereas others won’t yet. It’s different from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy.

• The most obvious pregnancy symptom is a missed period. Be aware that you can experience spotting around the time of your period and still be pregnant. This is because, during pregnancy, hormones prevent your period from occurring. Sometimes, if the hormone levels are not yet high enough to stop your period, you’ll experience spotting. Wait a few days and see if it develops into menstrual bleeding.

• Another early twin pregnancy symptom is sore breasts. Your breasts may also feel heavier or fuller.

• Many women report experiencing morning sickness symptoms early when they are expecting twins. Research shows, that women pregnant with twins experience more of these symptoms than women carrying singletons. You are also more likely to have morning sickness if you carry at least one girl.

Baby size & development at 5 weeks

Three important layers are developing, when you’re 5 weeks pregnant with twins. They each give rise to different body parts.

These are parts like teeth, nails, hair, reproductive organs, central nervous system, blood, veins, the skeleton, airways, intestines, urinary tract, lungs and liver. Also, the neural tube closes and the upper part begins to develop into craniums.

A part of the yolk sac from the egg(s) is confined and is the beginning of the umbilical cord(s). They will soon begin to transport the blood with oxygen and nutrients from you to your babies. 

The fetal parts are at this point called embryos. The embryos are formed like small tadpoles. 

5 weeks pregnant with twins belly

You may feel a bit bloated, but you won’t have a baby bump to show yet. However, you will show sooner than if you were carrying a singleton. This is also the case if you’ve had babies prior to this pregnancy.

It’s often because your tummy muscles have been stretched by previous pregnancies, and your muscles are weaker.

Look at week by week twin pregnancy belly pictures. The woman in the picture below is 4+0 weeks pregnant with twins.

5 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound

If you are having fraternal twins or identical twins with separate placentas, it’s called a dichorionic diamniotic (di-di) twin pregnancy. This means that your babies have their own separate sacs and each have a placenta – this type of twin pregnancy can be detected in week 5.

A sonographer specialist might be able to detect the two sacs if you’re up for paying for an early ultrasound scan at 5 weeks.

If you’re having identical twins that share a placenta – called monochorionic diamniotic (mo-di) or monoamniotic-monochorionic (mo-mo) twins – you have to wait 6 full weeks.

Read more about how early you can detect twins by ultrasound.

What happens to the babies?

The donor has decreased blood volume which leads to a slower than normal growth. The donor may become anemic and experience insufficient nutrition and oxygen due to his or hers inadequate supply of blood. The donor produces less urine than normal, leading to a lower than normal level of amniotic fluid. In turn, the recipient twin becomes overloaded with blood. This excess blood puts a strain on this twins heart to the point that he or she may develop heart failure. It also makes the recipient twin produce more urine than normal. This often results in extra fluid around the baby within the amniotic sac. This can cause premature labour due to extra pressure on the cervix.

How can the babies be helped?

Severe, progressive Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome is associated with close to 100 percent mortality if left untreated. Luckily, there are several treatments available for babies suffering from it. The medical community has come far in terms of treatment. Treatment is dependent on the stage the disease has progressed to when it’s discovered. This is due to the fact that there are different degrees of severity. It’s also dependent on how far along you are.

How often does TTTS occur?

Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome has been estimated to affect 1 to 3 in 10,000 births. Other estimates show a higher frequency.  Several small studies have shown that it develops in about 10-15 percent of identical twins who share a placenta. A large study from 2008 showed an incidence of 9 percent. It’s usually diagnosed in mid-pregnancy. Be aware that identical twins doesn’t necessarily share a placenta. About 2/3 of identical twins share a placenta.  You can be diagnosed with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome at any time during pregnancy. Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome can only be diagnosed by the use of ultrasound scanning. There are no known risk factors in a mother’s life that makes it more likely that TTTS occurs. It seems to be a random event.

Are there any symptoms of TTTS?

Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome should be determined through a Doppler ultrasound. However, there are few signs that might indicate a problem. Those are:

• Rapid growth of the womb and a uterus that measures large for dates
• Abdominal pain, tightness and contractions
• Sudden increase in body weight
• Swelling in hands and legs

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.

Follow recomendations

Ditte Toft Heskjær points to the fact that it generally puts great strain on the body to be pregnant, and with a twin pregnancy even more so. When you’re pregnant with twins it’s important to listen to your body. You need to react if you experience signs that worry you. According to her, the best thing you can do to remedy twin pregnancy complications is to follow official recommendations about twin pregnancy and maternity leave. You need to go on maternity leave earlier than you would need to with a singleton. Also, visit your midwife for regular check-ups. She’ll among other things check for signs of early effacement. This shortening of the cervix is important to discover, because it’s a sign of early labour. There are actions the medical staff can take to prevent early labour, if prevented in time. Also get some rest.
“You need to rest during the day, but this doesn’t mean that it’s a good idea to rest on the couch all day. You need to keep your body active, so it can handle carrying the extra pounds.”

Twin pregnancy complications

Premature labour 

You will often experience quite a lot of braxton hicks contractions in a twin pregnancy. This is normal. However, if the contractions become increasingly severe, painful, you’ve got bloody discharge or a heavy sensation in your pelvis area, your need to contact the hospital. If anything deviates from the norm,  call the hospital or your midwife. You need to be sure that you can feel both babies move around. You need to react if one twin has markedly changed his or her pattern. It’s okay that one child is more active than the other, as long as their patterns are consistent. Also, be aware that your babies might move a little less than a singleton baby would. This is because your placenta area is larger. This might happen if your placenta(s) is positioned in front of your uterus.

Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)

Twins, who share a placenta, can develop Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. It’s rare and only happens to identical twins. This is because babies need to share a placenta in order to be at risk of TTTS. All fraternal twins have their own placenta. Read about how twins are formed. As a result of sharing a single placenta, the blood supplies can become connected, so that the twins share blood circulation. The blood can be transferred disproportionately from one twin (the donor) to the other (the recipient). The donor, as a result, has decreased blood volume which leads to a slower than normal growth. The donor produces less urine than normal leading to a lower than normal level of amniotic fluid.  In turn, the recipient twin becomes overloaded with blood. This excess blood puts a strain on this twins heart to the point that he or she may develop heart failure. It also makes the recipient twin produce more urine than normal, leading to a higher than normal level of amniotic fluid. This can cause premature labour due to extra pressure on the cervix. The mortality rate for severe TTTS is high if left untreated. Read about TTTS and the possibilities of treatment. Mothers with TTTS may experience rapid growth of the womb, a uterus that measures large for dates, abdominal pain, tightness, contractions, sudden increase in body weight as well as swellings in hands and legs.

Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS)

TAPS can be viewed as a passive form of Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome.  Research indicates that TAPS probably results mainly from slow inter-twin blood transfusion without hormonal imbalance, while TTTS results from imbalanced inter-twin blood transfusion in combination with imbalanced hormonal regulation. In TAPS a few small artery-to-vein connections on the placenta allow a slow transfusion of blood from a donor twin to a recipient twin. This creates an imbalance of red blood cells between the babies, that gradually becomes highly discordant. This makes the donor baby anemic, whereas the recipient baby produces thick blood (polycythemia). There are no amniotic fluid discordances in TAPS.

Intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR)

Intrauterine growth restriction is a condition in which one or both twins don’t grow well. A baby with IUGR is too small compared to other twin babies of the same gestational age.

Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction (SIUGR)

Selective intrauterine growth restriction (SIUGR) can only happen to monochorionic twins – identical twins who share a placenta. It’s characterized by unequal placental sharing which leads to one twin being growth-restricted.

Monochorionic monoamniotic (mo-mo) twins

The risk of complications is very high if you’re carrying monochorionic monoamniotic (mo-mo) twins. Mo-mo twins are extremely rare. They only account for about one percent of all identical twins and can never be fraternal. Mo-mo twins share a placenta and both the outer and inner membrane. They lie in the same sac and this make them at risk for umbilical cord entanglement and compression during pregnancy and birth. If you’ve been diagnosed with mo-mo twins, you should see a Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM) physician regularly as you’ll need aggressive monitoring and expert care.