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Mothers With Twin Pregnencies
Mothers with twin pregnancies (DR.BILAL ASAD AHMAD) UK MBBS,BSc(PAK)
In our daily life we come across some
women with twin pregnancies but we hardly notice it as an event until we bump in to one in our own home or any of our close relatives….you ve got twins…no…kidding? / you must be…really don’t tell me…oh gosh….etc.
are different kind of reactions that people show once they hear about someone carrying twins..but do we really know how hard it is to carry two babies continuously for 9 months (day and night ) and then raising them together protecting them from every hot and chill until they get strong enough to take care of themselves…
There are several factors that contribute to the development of a multiple pregnancy:
• Heredity: A history of multiple births on a woman's side of the family increases her chances of having a multiple pregnancy. • Race: women of African descent women are the most likely to have multiple pregnancies. • • Number of prior pregnancies: Having more than one previous pregnancy, especially a multiple pregnancy, increases the chance of having a multiple pregnancy. • • Delayed childbearing: Older women who get pregnant are more likely to have multiples.
• Infertility treatment:
• • Fertility drugs, which stimulate the ovaries to release multiple eggs, or assisted reproductive technology (ART), which transfers multiple embryos into the womb (such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF), greatly increase a woman's chance of having a multiple pregnancy. • It's the last two factors that have been on the rise in the last couple of decades and are probably responsible for the increase in multiple births.
Let’s talk about the first trimester…… ,
I mean once she s diagnosed as a twin pregnant mother the mental stress of what’s gonna happen next is really traumatizing,she gets worried about how to get going and how to co op with daily life events with two babies in her belly…?She actually needs a lot of mental as well as spiritual support at this point of time both from her partner and family members around as well.She has to be taken to the ante natal clinic check ups regularly and more frequently if advised.She should regular in taking folic acid for the initial 12 weeks(3-months) and a regular B.P ,weight Check ups and an initial blood complete profile and urine complete profile done along with a preliminary Ultrasound at the end of 6th.week
From 12th.week onwards she should be advised strongly to start taking some calcium and multivitamin supplements as twins need a lot of minerals to grow and if she won’t take extra she would start loosig health as twins are going to take the essentials out of her body anyway
Because according to medical studies : If you're pregnant with multiples, you should follow general pregnancy nutrition guidelines, including increasing your calcium and folic acid intake. Pregnant women need additional calcium, so extra milk or fortified orange juice, broccoli, sardines, or other calcium-rich foods should be added to your diet. Mothers expecting multiples need approximately 1,600 to 2,000 milligrams of calcium each day
As mentioned earlier multivitamin supplements are essential as well. Another dietary requirement that needs to be increased if you're expecting more than one baby is protein, which has several important functions. First, proteins serve as the building materials of body tissue. Another function they have is to act as enzymes that regulate chemical reactions to keep a body growing and functioning. Iron intake is another essential nutrient during pregnancy to be taken care of. During pregnancy, an increased supply of iron is also needed for haemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that binds oxygen for delivery to the tissues. In multiple pregnancies, anaemia is relatively common. So you particularly need a multivitamin with iron as you can not get enough iron by diet only
But exactly how much weight you shouin depends on your prepregnancy weight and the number of foetuses, so make sure to talk to your doctor. In general, though, you should consume about 300 additional calories a day for each foetus. Although it might be tough to eat a lot when your abdomen is full of babies, it can help to eat smaller, more frequent meals.
A twin pregnant mother needs to be consoled and pampered twice as that of a normal singly pregnant partners can help, too. Something as simple as brushing your hair can make the discomforts of pregnancy fade .It helps if your partner remembers that your body is going through tremendous hormonal changes. Communication and understanding can be the keys to truly enjoying this special time in your lives. Now its time of delivering the twins and concerns about this specific moment …and what really matters a lot is a risk of pre term labour because of twins and the best reassurance is knowing that you have a network of support around you: capable doctors, a caring hospital staff, and hopefully a supportive partner, family members, and/or friends
Published: September 17, 2006
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