Hey Mama! Are you starting to feel very pregnant and a bit uncomfortable?
Did you know that by the time you are 29 weeks pregnant with twins, you are the same size as a full-term singleton pregnancy! So it’s no wonder you are starting to slow down a bit. Just take things a bit more slowly and give yourself a break. You are growing two little humans super-mama.
If you (or your BFF) are busy preparing for your baby shower, then we have some great inspiration for you over on our Pinterest Board. And please, share your baby shower photos over on our private Twins & More Facebook group.
If your friends are starting to ask you for gift ideas, then you can set up a Baby Register with Amazon, or at BabyList.com. I’m sure they will be relieved to get some suggestions from you.
This week we are also talking about birth plans. If you’re like me, you are probably finding yourself obsessed with TV programmes like One Born Every Minute anyway, so now it’s time to start planning your own.
While it’s great to have a plan in mind, with twins it pays to be a little more flexible in your thinking.
Your Doctor or OB/GYN should talk through with you all your options at your appointment and help you clarify your thoughts for the various scenarios you may face.
Read on to find out what those twins of yours are up to this week.
How are you feeling mama?
Twin Pregnancy Symptoms at 24 Weeks
How are you feeling this week mama? A little tired no doubt.
This is because your babies have developed somewhat of a regular sleeping pattern. But they still don’t know their days from nights and are often awake at night. Which unfortunately tends to lead to you being awake too mama. Perhaps they are helping practice for the months to come, once they arrive.
Sleeping with extra pillows can definitely help, especially between your legs and under your tummy.
Have you felt any Braxton Hicks yet?
As your body starts preparing itself for labor some moms feel an uncomfortable tightening of their belly. Others have sore muscles as a result of these fake contractions.
You will still be feeling your babies move. But you may have noticed the movement feels a little different from what it has done up until now.
Space is becoming a bit of a premium. And the area for them to move around in is getting smaller as they, and you, get bigger.
Sometimes you may even see a little hand or foot shape poking out from within your tummy.
What are your twins up to this week?
Your Twins at 24 Weeks – Height & Weight
At 24 weeks, your babies now measure about 30cm long and weigh around 650g.
Your Twins Fetal Development at 24 Weeks
Those gorgeous little faces that you will spend hours staring at are almost fully formed now (including eyelashes and eyebrows).
Their cute button noses are also working and they are spending time breathing and even picking up different scents!
And guess what…. their little eyes are open now!
At around 26 weeks your teeny duo will see each other for the first time. Albeit it a very blurry version of their partner in crime.
Week 24 is officially the week when your twins can live outside your womb. Although you really would like them to stay in for a while longer.
Their little lungs are forming but won’t be fully developed until much closer to the full-term date.
What you might be wondering about this week
What if my twins come early?
It is impossible to go through a twin pregnancy without having a discussion with your pregnancy team about the risks of your twins arriving earlier than planned.
Around 50% of twin pregnancies will end before 36 weeks, so it is better to arm yourself with this possibility and spend some time reading up on how this might affect you and your babies.
You can read about some of the complications that can occur during a twin pregnancy in our article – Twin Pregnancy Complications
If your twins do come early, then chances are they will need to spend some time in the neonatal unit (NICU).
Often premature twins will require help with breathing, regulating their body temperature, and feeding until their little bodies are developed enough to venture out into the big wide world.
Just remember that you are the most important person when it comes to caring for your twins, so don’t be afraid to ask the medical staff to help explain what they are doing and what you can do to help them too.
We have an entire section relating to premature twins and tips and advice if you find yourself in a neonatal unit with your twins.
READ MORE: Your Premature Twins.
We asked a Neonatal Nurse Specialist what most parents wanted to know when their babies are staying in the NICU ward. Have a read about what they had to say in our blog post – Your Top 9 Questions About NICU Answered.
Your Twin Baby Shower
In some cases, whether or not to have a baby shower may have already been decided for you. Gotta love those friends and family that work behind the scenes to create something special for you….
Planning your own baby shower? Check out our gorgeous Twin Baby Shower Pinterest board to give you lots of inspiration.
You will find that people are so incredibly generous with gifts – especially if they know you are having two!
As you may have already purchased quite a few things for your soon-to-arrive twins, it is a good idea to share a list with your family and friends of the items you still need.
You can do this by creating a baby registry with places such as Amazon or Babylist.com.
Your baby shower guests will appreciate a list to choose from. And you end up with items you really need.
Creating your twin birth plan
Sometime over the next few weeks, your Doctor or OB/GYN will make an appointment with you to discuss your twin birth plan. It is a good idea to spend some time considering what is important to you and your partner during this very special time.
There are so many variables with a twin pregnancy. So while it’s nice to have an ‘ideal’ plan for what you would like on the day, be prepared for a plan b should things not go quite as you would like.
Your babies haven’t read your birth plan, so they may have different ideas about how and when they want to make their arrival into the world!
At the end of the day, your babies safety should be your number one priority.
READ MORE: Planning your big day – Things to consider when creating your birth plan.
Packing your hospital bag for twins
I know it seems ridiculously early to be thinking about getting a bag ready for the mad dash to the hospital, but twins have a habit of arriving into the world a little earlier than planned.
It pays to have your hospital bag packed and ready to go by around week 25 so it’s time to get ready mama.
Some of the items like diapers/nappies and maternity pads may be supplied by your hospital, so it pays to check beforehand.
I hope you have found this week’s Twin Pregnancy guide informative and helpful.
If you want to check out our 20 weeks pregnant with twins blog post, you can find it here.
I look forward to catching up again when you are around 28 weeks mama!
Take care and much love.
PIN TO SAVE AND READ LATER
