Welcome to week 28 of your twin pregnancy! How are you feeling mama?
This week we are talking about how you are going to feed those delicious cherubs of yours.
If you are set on breastfeeding your twins, then it is definitely a great idea to spend some time reading about it first. Being prepared can greatly improve your chance of success.
Read on to find out what those twins of yours are up to this week.
How are you feeling mama?
Twin Pregnancy Symptoms at 28 Weeks
By now you’re likely to be feeling heavy, sluggish, and possibly suffering from backaches because of the extra weight you’re carrying. Sorry! It will all be worth it in the end we promise.
You are now officially the size of a full-term singleton pregnancy so it’s no wonder you are feeling the need to slow down a bit.
If you’ve noticed any puffiness or swelling of your feet, hands, or face, be sure to tell your doctor, as this can be a sign of pre-eclampsia.
Breathing can be difficult as your uterus is taking up a lot of room in your abdomen, constipation is also very common.
Braxton Hicks are continuing, but preterm labor is now also a huge concern. Any labor signs should be reported to your doctor immediately.
The position your twins are in is also checked around now before they completely run out of room to turn. Your doctor may even have them manually turned if they are breech.
As your tummy grows and the babies are more squished you may begin to feel less movement. Some days they’ll move more and others less, so it pays to be keeping a kick chart to share with your doctor at your next appointment.
READ MORE: Twin Pregnancy Questions to Ask your Doctor
What are your twins up to this week?
Your Twins at 28 Weeks – Height & Weight
The rate of growth of your babies is very fast now. Measuring around 40cms in length and weighing around 1kg they will put on around 200g a week from now until the end of the pregnancy. Imagine two very large eggplants in your belly!
Your Twins Fetal Development at 28 Weeks
Your twins are growing and storing fat, as well as building up their iron and calcium levels so that means lots of spinach and milk for you mama.
At 29 weeks their heads are in proportion to their body and their brains can now control their own breathing and body temperature – amazing huh?
In a couple of weeks, they will notice light and dark and be able to open and shut their eyes of their own accord.
The brain of each of your twins now also resembles an adult brain and their digestive system is now fully working. In fact, their lungs are now the only organ that is not working fully just yet.
What you might be wondering about this week
Feeding Your Twins
To breastfeed or not…… Deciding on how or what you want to feed your newborn twins can be quite a controversial decision. And one that is often fraught with emotion.
MANY twin moms are told that it is impossible to successfully breastfeed twins which is just not true.
Plenty of twin moms successfully breastfeed their twins for 6, 12, 18 months, or more. Yes, it can have its challenges. But with the right tools and support, you can get there.
Helping mamas to breastfeed their twins is something I am really passionate about. This probably stems from my own breastfeeding journey with my girls. I have a few blog posts on breastfeeding twins and lots of great twin breastfeeding pillows, breast pump options, and supplements to help.
You may also decide that breastfeeding is not for you (or your babies decide for you). And you need to give them either part or 100% formula. If you are a member of your local Twins Club you may get a discount on formula purchases so check with them.
It can also get very confusing about which type of formula to buy as there are so many. We have an article covering the various types of formula available, but sometimes it’s a case of trial and error to see which one your babies tummies prefer. It is best to talk with your post-natal midwife or doctor if you have any questions.
Do I REALLY need a Breast Pump for Twins?
If you are planning to breastfeed your twins then the answer is most likely yes you will need a breast pump.
It can take quite a few weeks for your milk supply to reach an optimal level to feed two babies. So expressing between feeds can help speed up the production line!
If your babies are premature and haven’t yet developed the sucking reflex, then you will express and then either bottle or tube feed your expressed milk to your babies.
Newborn babies can often get very sleepy so may not have enough energy to take a full feed, enough to sustain them so may require a bottle top-up feed of expressed milk.
READ MORE: Discover why you need a breast pump when breastfeeding twins
I hope you have found this week’s Twin Pregnancy guide informative and helpful.
If you want to check out our 24 weeks pregnant with twins blog post, you can find it here.
I look forward to catching up again when you are around 32 weeks mama!
Take care and much love.
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