![]() | |
![]() | |
![]() |
Pregnancy Information |
|
![]() |
Twins Pregnancy?A Father's Point of View
So you're expecting twins. Congratulations! Are you still in shock? I sure was. The thought of bringing two babies into the world at one time scared the heck out of me, especially since I was already the father of two boys (ages five and three). I remembered how much work the first year was with both of them, with all of the diapers, the bottles, the sleepless nights, etc? I wondered how in the world we were going to do it with two babies? I immediately started stressing out about all of things that we were going to go through once the babies were born. Little did I know at the time that the most stressful part of having twins was already upon us?the pregnancy. I did not know at the time that a twin pregnancy is not at all like a single pregnancy. With our first two pregnancies, it was relatively low impact for me (I know, all of the women reading this are rolling their eyes, especially my wife). But to my wife's credit, it's true. I figured I had about eight months to play as much golf as I could before the birth of the twins, and that's when I would really have to become involved. After all, my work was already done for the time being, right? Boy, was I wrong! There are many things that happened during the pregnancy that surprised me, or that no one told me about. I'd like to tell you about some of those things here, so maybe you'll be a little more prepared for what happens during a twin pregnancy than I was. First, pre-term labor is fairly common in a twin pregnancy. I didn't even know what pre-term labor was until it happened to my wife. This was definitely the most stressful thing about the pregnancy, and it's something that I don't remember anyone warning me about. Maybe my wife mentioned it to me, but you know how it is, there was probably a ball game or something. My wife went to a routine check-up at about the 25th week of pregnancy. After being gone for an abnormally long time, she phoned me from the hospital and told me that they were keeping her overnight because she was having contractions. What a shock! I couldn't understand how that could be so early in the pregnancy. The babies were less than 3 lbs. each at the time, so we were both extremely worried. They wound up giving her medication to stop labor and kept her in the hospital for a couple of days. This was the first of four trips to the hospital to stop labor. The good news was that the medication that they gave her successfully stopped the contractions each time, and she was able to carry the twins past 36 weeks. Second, prepare for bed rest. My wife wound up going on bed rest for about the last four weeks of the pregnancy. This is a very common occurrence for a twin pregnancy, so you need to prepare yourselves for it. We were fairly lucky because my wife was a stay at home mother, so we did not have to worry about her taking time off from her job. We were also very fortunate that my mother-in-law was able to come and stay with us during that time to help with our two boys and to help out around the house. I'm not sure what we would have done without her. My advice is to recruit family and friends if you can to help out. But however you do it, take bed rest very seriously. Make sure you're wife stays off of her feet. There's a good reason why many mothers of twins are put on bed rest by their doctor, and that's so she doesn't go into labor too early. You want your wife to carry those babies as long as she can for the health of your twins. Oh, and needless to say, golf was just not an option while my wife was on bed rest. Third, don't expect a full-term pregnancy. It very rarely happens with twins. The goal of a twin pregnancy is to carry them at least 36 weeks. Once you reach that mark you are considered to be out of the 'danger zone'. Even though 36 weeks is the target, many twins are delivered earlier. What this means is that you have less time to get everything ready for the new arrivals. I would suggest getting the babies room ready earlier, start buying those baby items that you need to purchase, get things done around the house that need to be done. During this pregnancy, you may not have time to wait until the last minute! Finally, you are about to embark on an emotional and stressful, next few months. It was truly an emotional roller coaster for us. I'll never forget our fourth trip to the hospital because of pre-term labor. My wife started having contractions again at around week 34. The babies were both more than 5 lbs., so we were sure that they would just let it go and we could finally deliver the twins. We thought that the twins were big enough and strong enough to be born safely, so I packed up the overnight bag and the camera and we headed for the hospital, positive that we were going to finally have the twins that day. After all of the other trips to the hospital, we were ready. Once we got to the hospital we were immediately put in a delivery room. And then the contractions stopped?all by themselves. We asked the doctor to induce labor, and he refused, for the safety of the twins. Of course he was right, but we were both devastated. We were just emotionally and mentally exhausted. My wife cried all the way home. My best advice to you is to try to stay calm, help and support your wife (she truly is doing most of the work), and trust your doctor's advice. Remember, you're goal is to try and carry the babies at least until week 36, which will greatly decrease the chance of complications with the birth of your twins. Do everything you can to make this happen. Trust me, even though a twin pregnancy is a very trying time for the mother and the father, its well worth it once those twins arrive! About the Author Dan Brunkow is the owner and moderator of http://www.twinadvice.com. TwinAdvice.com is a site dedicated to providing parenting advice to parents of twins, from parents of twins.
MORE RESOURCES: Migraine Associated With Increased Risk for Pregnancy Complications Neuroscience News Husband's Pregnancy Sleeping Hack Goes Viral Motherly Inc. Kemp pushes bill to grant welfare during pregnancy The Atlanta Journal Constitution Cigarette Smoking in Pregnancy Down Among Mothers | Healthiest ... U.S. News & World Report Pregnancy and Cannabis Are a Bad Recipe Psychology Today Kristen Bell Reminisces on First Pregnancy in Throwback Photo With Ben Schwartz and Justin Long Parade Magazine Is pregnancy safe for everyone? Harvard Health Exercises To Avoid During Pregnancy, According to an Expert Eat This, Not That Deaths Among Pregnant Women and New Mothers Rose Sharply During Pandemic The New York Times How Do Period vs. Early Pregnancy Cramps Feel? Verywell Health Share in the stories of pregnancy loss Tehachapi News Boston Athletic Association Announces Pregnancy Deferral ... Boston Athletic Association Owner of One on One Wellness has received two new certifications ... The Durango Herald Karol G isn’t pregnant in 2023 as singer defends ‘tummy’ in Instagram pic HITC - Football, Gaming, Movies, TV, Music U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights Announces ... US Department of Education Atopic Eruption of Pregnancy | NEJM nejm.org Case Report on Portal Vein Thrombosis Linked With Pregnancy ... AJMC.com Managed Markets Network Vitamin C May Offset Negative Impacts of Smoking While Pregnant ... AJMC.com Managed Markets Network Pregnancy Care: Why Continuous Glucose Monitoring Is Important During Pregnancy? | TheHealthSite.com TheHealthSite Song Joong-ki and Katy Louise Saunders announce marriage and ... Crow River Media Pregnant Rumer Willis Twins With Sister Scout in Sweet Selfie Yahoo Entertainment Super quick Covid test inspired by pregnancy tests Sciencenorway.no Mediterranean diet may help lower risk of adverse pregnancy ... Medical News Today Building more inclusive pregnancy services for trans and non-binary people isn't about a culture war The Conversation What Happened When I Got Pregnant by Sara Björk Gunnarsdóttir | The Players’ Tribune The Players' Tribune Naomi Osaka Announces She Is Pregnant and Won’t Play in 2023 The New York Times I got pregnant while on birth control – my baby boy was born holding my IUD in his hand... The US Sun Advice | Carolyn Hax: She's struggling with sister's surprise ... The Washington Post BBNaija Ka3na makes U-turn on pregnancy claim Punch Newspapers Accused drunken driver breaks down after learning pregnant fiancée died in NYC wreck - New York Post PH teenage pregnancy goes down in 2022- POPCOM Manila Bulletin Is geriatric pregnancy high risk? Nebraska Medicine What To Know About Travel During Pregnancy Health Essentials Is coronavirus to blame for pregnancy complications in the pandemic? The Washington Post Pregnancy Changes the Brain, Possibly Promoting Bonding with a Baby Scientific American Black women face greater risks during pregnancy, childbirth in Texas The Texas Tribune A guide to running when pregnant Runner's World How Does COVID-19 During Pregnancy Affect Child Development? National Institutes of Health (NIH) Can You Hide Your Pregnancy In the Era of Big Data? The Atlantic Anemia During Pregnancy: Symptoms, Risks & Prevention Cleveland Clinic Pregnancy Facts and Statistics: What You Need to Know Verywell Health The Covid Pandemic’s Hidden Casualties: Pregnant Women The New York Times Stanford Medicine teams find biomarkers that predict common ... Stanford Medical Center Report |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
RELATED ARTICLES
Successful Weight Loss After Pregnancy How fast you lose weight will depend on a number of factors, including the amount of weight you gained during your pregnancy.Most women will lose anywhere from 10-14 pounds within the first 2 weeks of delivery. Stress And Pregnancy Stress Relief During PregnancyIf you truly want to ensure a great pregnancy, you should work on keeping a healthy and positive physical, mental and spiritual state. There is substantial evidence which suggests that a mother's physical and mental wellness during pregnancy can affect not only the outcome of their pregnancy but the well being of their child later in life. Pregnancy and Pre-natal Vitamins Pre-natal vitamins are important to the health of a growing baby. They are also important to pregnant mothers because their bodies are going through so many changes. Pregnant? Did You Know You Can Begin Bonding as Early as 8 Weeks into Pregnancy? Maybe someone you know has rented or purchased a fetal doppler from one of the online rental companies who offer this service. If so, you may have heard how easy and wonderful it is to be able to listen to your growing unborn baby. Weight Gain During Pregnancy, and Weight Loss After Pregnancy How much weight gain is normal during pregnancy, and will you continue to have weight gain after pregnancy?How will the link between pregnancy and metabolism affect how you'll be losing weight after pregnancy?Understand what causes excessive weight gain during pregnancy, and.. Vitamin C Prevents Pregnancy Complication Women who supplement with a small amount of vitamin C during the second half of pregnancy reduce their risk of one contributor to premature birth, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2005; 81:859-63).The end of pregnancy and the beginning of the birth process is marked by rupture of the walls (membranes) of the sac that holds the growing fetus and the amniotic fluid. Keeping Cool When Pregnant Chill Out: how to keep your cool this summerWhen the heat is on, life can become very hard when you are pregnant. Instead of looking forward to those long, hot August days, you may find yourself dreaming of igloos and frozen ice-caps, so try out these tricks to help you keep your cool when the temperature rises. How do Pregnancy Tests Work? Pregnancy tests identify a special hormone in the blood or urine produced during pregnancy. This hormone is called human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), often referred to as the pregnancy hormone. How to Lose Weight After Pregnancy Weight control is a prevalent concern for many women after pregnancy. Although common during pregnancy, weight gain is difficult for many women to handle emotionally. Infertility and Pregnancy When a couple is unable to conceive a child, it is the couple's problem, and not the "fault" of one partner or the other. Female issues are the most common reasons cited, but some studies suggest that up to 40% of infertility is caused by one or more reasons originating with the male partner. So You Think You're Pregnant? A Brief Discussion Of Common Pregnancy Symptoms A baby begins life even before he is born - from conception until the uterus finally pushes him out of his mother's body. This is the phenomenon we call pregnancy. The Developing Child We know the fetus is experiencing whatever is going on with the mother. This is the good news or the bad news as the case may be. Doulas Are Laboring Angels Have you considered hiring a doula for added support during labor? Wouldn't it be easier for a mother to have someone nurturing, guiding, suggesting and comforting throughout the entire childbirth process? Doulas have your best interest at heart because they work for you not the hospital.WHAT ARE DOULAS?? Specially trained women helping women through childbirth. Dietary Precautions During Pregnancy When you are pregnant, you should be sure to wash all raw vegetables prior to consumption. Raw vegetables have the potential to carry toxoplasmosis, which is a parasite that is typically carried in the feces of cats. Postpartum Depression - Recognizing The Signs In some cases, bringing home your brand new baby doesn't bring happy thoughts like the ones you were expecting. If this is the case, you may be suffering from postpartum depression. What You Need To Know About Pregnancy And Tanning Booths If you are pregnant, there are things you should know about pregnancy and tanning booths. Tanning beds safety while pregnant has become very questionable. The Dos and Donts of Pregnancy With so many people giving their opinion on what to do and what not to do during pregnancy, it becomes hard to determine what is fact and what is fiction. Below is a list of some of the more important factors to consider in regards to pregnancy do's and dont's. Pregnancy And Celiac Disease If you have celiac disease and are well controlled because you stick rigidly to a gluten-free diet, you are as likely as anyone who has not got celiac disease to have a healthy pregnancy and baby.Those who have celiac disease and who do not have a completely gluten-free diet have an increased risk of problems for themselves and their baby. Is Pregnancy Changes You? People say pregnancy is a fun and exciting time. Probably they are right, but don't you think that behind the fun and excitement, you also feel the changes in your body. Vacation Is One Way To Run Away From Stress During Pregnancy What should you do to have a happy pregnancy? Many things you could do, but what most pregnant women rarely do is having a vacation. Get a life and try to relax a little bit. ![]() |
home | site map |
© 2006 |