Being pregnant with twins, I have learned a lot. While twins run on my Mom’s side, we knew very little about what a twin pregnancy looked like, sadly, because my amazing Grandma (who had TWO sets of twins, back to back) is no longer with us. As grandchildren, we were more focused on the fact that our grandma raised NINE children that we never thought to ask about what the twin pregnancies were like. Plus, when you are kids you don’t really think to ask since you feel like that experience is so far off for you. She also had twins in the 60s and ObGyns handled things MUCH differently then.
So when it came to my twin pregnancy, I felt like a kid in school absorbing all the info online and at the doctors about how my pregnancy may differ a little bit from a singleton. One of the wildest things that had not come across my mind was that twin pregnancy is shorter. Not that it naturally is shorter, although some moms do go into labor naturally much earlier, but mostly because the doctors do not want twins to go full term for safety purposes.
So, very quickly I learned that nearly half of twin pregnancies go before the 36-week mark. While I have no idea how long mine will be, as I approach the 18-week mark, I can’t help but think of how crazy it is that this is almost halfway! So as I approach this halfway mark, I am updating y’all with what the twin pregnancy has been like since the end of the first trimester. If you want to read about my first trimester symptoms week by week, check out my blog post here.
So for those who are curious or just found out they are having twins, here are some of the twin pregnancy symptoms that I have experienced so far this second trimester:
Week Thirteen
Slightly more energy than before. No nausea whatsoever. Hungry ALL the time! First time experiencing spotting which was really scary for me being that I was a first-time mom and no one really gave me a heads-up that this can happen due to the cervix becoming a lot thinner and a lot more sensitive to activity – whether it is sex, too much walking, exercise, etc. Sex drive is back to normal which I am pretty relieved about because I was afraid I was losing parts of myself.
Week Fourteen
Symptoms are similar to the week before. I felt a bit moodier, apologies to my husband! Hungry very frequently as per usual. Although, I love massive protein-packed, fibrous salads, I noticed that certain vegetables such as kale make my stomach SO sensitive and prone to dealing with the most uncomfortable bloating and gas. This wasn’t totally an issue until this week.
Week Fifteen
OMG – the moods swings are at an all time high. I passed a dog today and cried just from seeing its happy face that reminded me of how homesick i was and in need of quality time with my fur babes at home. I begin to wonder if my depression is creeping back in but I also have been struggling with the fact that my body has changed a lot in this second trimester. Gaining weight (which I now know not to pay attention to).
The baby bump looks noticeable and jeans aren’t fitting. Not overly tired and zero nausea! While I have zero nausea my stomach is so sensitive to fibrous foods still, aka kale and spinach. Time to go to the small mixed greens for my daily intake of veggies. Zero desire to socialize: absolute home body 🙂
Week Sixteen
Again appetite is fully there, no nausea, but my appetite for socializing is minimal. Noticing the belly pop the end of this week. It’s no longer just my uterus area that is expanding but the upper part of my stomach is popping out. It feels uncomfortable, especially after a big meal, I almost feel like I can feel the abs expand and make room for the growing babies.
Week Seventeen
The twin bump has officially POPPED. All of a sudden it looks like I woke up and gained a few inches. Midweek I got my first bout of bad HEARTBURN. Never in my life have I had to use Tums but it was time for it, luckily it helped pass it by and a day later I was feeling it less so but also making sure to eat foods that wouldn’t increase it. Lots of almond butter and jelly sandwiches.
