Look at these real-life twin pregnancy announcement ideas from parents of twins. If you’d like to share how you revealed your twin pregnancy, we’d love to know.

Please e-mail us, and let us know how you did it. If you’re thinking about how to announce the gender of your twins, please have a look at our twin gender reveal ideas.

Twin pregnancy announcement poems & quotes

A cute way of doing a twin pregnancy announcement is to make or use twin poems or quotes. Have a look at how other soon-to-be twin parents chose to announce their twin pregnancy.

Twin pregnancy announcement shirts & onesies

There are many funny and sweet twin pregnancy announcements shirts, you can get for yourself or your family.

Some also choose to buy clothing for their twins such as onesies, which the babies will be able to use once they’re born. The families take a picture of the clothes and use the picture for the twin pregnancy announcement.

The onesies say “you can do it daddy” and arrows are showing where the arms and legs are supposed to go. They were shown to family and friends together with an ultrasound picture.

Twin pregnancy announcement pictures

You can use a drawing or an ultrasound scan picture of your twins to let the world know in a cute and personal way that you’re expecting two babies.

This drawing was made by the family’s two sons and was sent to the extended family. 

When this ultrasound scan picture was posted many people commented twice. They commented “congrats” and then commented again “OMG it’s twins.”

Twin pregnancy announcement riddles

Many soon-to-be parents of twins choose to do a twin pregnancy announcement picture where friends and families need to figure out the message. Look at how these creative couples announced their twin pregnancies.

The mother was very sick with hyperemesis gravidarum. She had to be in the hospital for a month. It was getting very hard to hide the pregnancy, so they decided to do their twin pregnancy announcement from the hospital.

This picture was published on Facebook. For most – apart from the immediate family and friends – there were multiple surprises in store. The mother was single when she became pregnant with twins by a donor. 

This family had their twin ultrasound scan picture projected onto a building in London.

Twin pregnancy announcement with siblings

Letting siblings help with the twin pregnancy announcement can be a great way to bond with them over the new pregnancy. Many children will think it’s funny to be included when surprising people with the big news.

This family had twins twice. In the first picture, the family put ‘two buns in the oven” for their first set of twins. When they got pregnant with another set, they put their three older kids on top of the oven like they were done, and two more buns in the oven again.

When this family did their twin pregnancy announcement on Facebook their daughter was 2,5 years old (in the picture to the left). When they were expecting child number 4, they took a similar picture and gave it to the extended family as a Christmas gift. 

This picture was used as a twin pregnancy announcement on Facebook. The mother was single and became pregnant by donor. She was inseminated with three eggs and felt two eggs attaching to the uterine lining. She wasn’t surprised to learn that she was having twins. 

This hockey family announced the arrival of their mo-di twin boys with this twin pregnancy announcement picture.

Pregnancy diet, nutrition & prenatal vitamins

Remember to take iron supplements to prevent low iron levels, which is common in pregancy. you struggle with morning sickness try and avoid getting too hungry. Eat small and frequent meals.

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

It’s possible to be 15 weeks pregnant with twins and not be showing but it isn’t likely. Most women will have gained some weight by now. Have a look at the recommendations for weight gain during a twin pregnancy. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough data to provide sufficient information to develop guidelines for underweight women pregnant with twins. Other symptoms than weight gain and a growing belly is:

• Your uterus is getting bigger – the tip of your uterus is positioned a few fingers below your navel.

• You may have heart palpitations. It’s usually normal and due to the increased blood volume you gain during pregnancy. Get a medical exam to be sure.

• Many women feel better and are not nauseous any longer at this point in their pregnancy, but it’s not uncommon if you’re still feeling sick. You can get medication or try acupuncture. For some, acupuncture can be the best trick to get rid of morning sickness.

Baby size & development

When you’re 15 weeks pregnant with twins, your babies are approximately 10 cm (3.94 inches) from head to rump. The skin is covered by the so-called lanugo hair. It’s very thin, soft, downy hair. It is thought to act to keep the vernix on to the children’s thin skin. The skin will constantly grow thicker layer by layer. The skin is – like every other thing on your children – developing, and the patterns and lines on the skin will soon be visible. Every human being has their own unique patterns and lines in the skin on the fingertips, but also in the palms, feet and toes – even identical twins.
Your children’s eyes are still covered by skin which means that they can’t open them yet. However, they already have tiny eyelashes and eyebrows that grow at a very moderate pace while the skin over the eyes gets ready to divide.

15 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound

You may be able to detect the gender of your babies if you get an ultrasound scan at 15 weeks pregnant with twins. You might also see one or both of them sucking their thumbs – they’re able to do that now.

Fraternal twins ultrasound picture

This ultrasound picture is of fraternal twin girls at 14+0 weeks. Fraternal twins always have separate placentas.

Identical twins ultrasound picture

This ultrasound picture is of mo-di twin girls at 14+2 weeks. Being mo-di twins mean that you share a placenta and the outer membrane. The girls have their own separate inner membrane. Only identical twins can be mo-di twins.

Previous week – 14 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 16 weeks pregnant with twins

Soon their bodies will be twice the length of what they are now. Arms and legs will grow longer as well.

Pregnancy diet, nutrition & prenatal vitamins

Remember to take iron supplements if your doctor or midwife recommends it. Drink plenty of water. It’s a good thing to keep active doing whatever you like – go for brisk walks, visit the gym or go for a swim.

Just don’t participate in any sports where you are at risk of falling an hurting your belly – this could be soccer, football, skating or horseback riding.

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

Not all women have the same pregnancy symptoms at 14 weeks pregnant with twins. Some haven’t been sick at all, but many women suffering from morning sickness will feel better at this point in their pregnancy.

However, women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum – excessive morning sickness – will usually still feel sick at 14 weeks pregnant with twins.

• Your uterus is about the size of a grapefruit. You can feel it in your lower abdomen.

• You may begin to bond with your children. However, this is very individual. Some women cannot relate to their babies until they’re born, whereas others form an instant emotional connection as soon as they find out that they’re pregnant.

• Your dreams may be more vivid due to the physical and emotional changes you’re going through. Remember to express your thoughts or feelings to someone close to you – also the negative ones. Although it doesn’t always seem completely legitimate, negative feelings and thoughts are common, and can be important to articulate.

Baby size & development

Your babies are approximately 8,5 cm (3.35 inches) from head to rump. They can drink and urinate. This is due to the fact that their kidneys, urinary tracts, and bladders are now developed.

It’s not a problem that they urinate in the amniotic fluid and drink it. The urine inside your womb is clean. Your baby’s hands can grasp at this point and their legs kick, but you won’t feel it yet.

Anterior placenta & fetal movement

Many women experience the first signs of life between week 16 and week 22. It depends on whether or not it’s the first time you’re pregnant.

Women who’ve been pregnant before – and reached the second trimester – often feel life sooner. It also depends very much on where and how your placenta(s) is located.

You’ll feel life earlier if the placenta(s) is lying on the back wall of the uterus  – towards your spine. If your placenta(s) is on the front wall of your womb, next to your belly, it may cushion the movements of your babies.

You may also feel fewer movements in your second trimester if your placenta is on the front wall of your womb. This is called an anterior placenta.

14 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound

When you’re between 11 and 13+6 weeks pregnant you should have your dating scan. This means that if you haven’t had your dating scan already, you should have it during this week of pregnancy.

If this is the first time twins are detected, you need to make sure that your sonographer does a chorionicity scan as well. This type of ultrasound scan is done to determine whether or not your twins share a placenta.

Twins who share a placenta are more at risk of complications during pregnancy and birth. Twins who share a placenta can only be identical. Fraternal twins always have separate placentas.

14 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound pictures

The first and second ultrasound scan pictures show two different fraternal twin pregnancies. The first scan picture is of boy-girl twins at 13+0 weeks. The second scan picture is taken at 13+5 weeks.

This is an ultrasound scan picture of identical twins sharing a placenta at 13+5 weeks.                         

Previous week – 13 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 15 weeks pregnant with twins

Pregnancy diet, nutrition & prenatal vitamins

Take an iron supplement if your doctor or midwife recommends it. Be aware that constipation can be a side effect of using iron supplements. It also increases the risk of constipation to take medication for acid reflux and heartburn. There are some natural things you can do to get your stomach going:

• Exercise at least half an hour a day

• Drink plenty of water

• Eat foods high in fiber. It can be vegetables, fruits or foods with wholegrain

• Prunes and figs are loaded with fiber and are great at relieving constipation

Baby size & development

Your babies are approximately 7,5 cm (2.95 inches) from head to rump when you’re 13 weeks pregnant with twins. All your children’s organs are developed but are still maturing. At the end of this week, lines can be spotted on their fingertips. These will develop into fingerprints. All the bones still consist of cartilage but will continuously be replaced by harder bone.

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

Many women suffering from morning sickness feel the nausea subsiding in the second trimester. Your hormone levels are evening out as your placenta becomes fully operational and starts to create the required progesterone. You may feel more energetic and have more energy during the day. When you reach your second trimester, the risk of miscarriage drops significantly. This fact makes many women feel a lot more confident and secure about their pregnancy. However, for a woman carrying twins it can be a little different. Many women are aware that their pregnancies are higher-risk and have a lot of knowledge about what potentially can go wrong. Try to keep in mind that the great majority of twin pregnancies result in healthy babies. However, don’t hesitate to contact your doctor or midwife if you’re worried about any signals you’re body might be sending you.

Ultrasound scans at 13 weeks pregnant with twins

If you haven’t had one already, you are going to have your dating scan soon. It’s important that your sonographer looks for your twins chorionicity. Chorionicity relates to whether or not your twins share a placenta. Fraternal twins always have separate placentas. About 1/3 of identical twins have separate placentas as well. The rest share a placenta. Twins, who share a placenta, are more at risk of complications during pregnancy and birth. Chorionicity is determined by the use of ultrasound. If the sonographer isn’t able to determine chorionicity, you should be referred to a  maternal-fetal medicine (MFM) specialist.

Fraternal twins ultrasound pictures

Boy-girl twins 12+0 weeks

   
Fraternal boys 12+2 weeks                          Boy-girl twins 12+5 weeks 

Identical mo-di twins ultrasound picture

4D ultrasound of twin girls at 12+2 weeks

Previous week – 12 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 14 weeks pregnant with twins

Pregnancy diet, nutrition & prenatal vitamins

Many women need to take an iron supplement at this point in the pregnancy. Pregnant women need double the amount of iron compared with non-pregnant women. Your body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a protein in the red blood cells that carries oxygen to your tissues.

Your body needs this iron to make more blood to supply oxygen to your babies. You can get blood tests to screen for iron-deficiency. You can also try to prevent an iron-deficiency by eating iron-rich foods such as:

• Beans and lentils
• Baked potatoes
• Cashew nuts
• Dark green, leafy vegetables

You also need to think about whether or not you get enough protein. Protein-rich foods are important building blocks for you and your growing babies. This may especially be the case if you’re expecting monochorionic twins – twins that share a placenta.

Some research suggests that mothers with pregnancies complicated by Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) may have lower protein levels in their blood than other pregnant women. Please be aware that there’s still a lot of research to be done in the area. If you have questions regarding your pregnancy diet, speak to your doctor or consider visiting a dietitian.

Baby size & development

Your babies are around 5,5 cm (2.17 inches) from head to rump. Your twins are nearly fully developed. Now it’s all about gaining weight and maturing the last organs such as the lungs.

On your baby’s heads hair can start to come out. In many countries, you’ll be advised to have a dating scan, when you’re about 12 weeks pregnant with twins. This will usually take place when you’re between 11 and 13+6 weeks pregnant.

This will most likely be your first scan unless you’ve had help conceiving or experienced problems in early pregnancy. This could be problems such as pain, cramping or vaginal bleeding.

12 weeks pregnant with a twins ultrasound scan

At the same time as your 12 weeks dating scan, you can have combined screening for Down’s syndrome. Also, when you are expecting twins, you will most likely be offered a chorionicity scan.

This is to check whether your twins share a placenta or have one each. During the ultrasound scan, you’ll be able to watch your babies move around in the amniotic fluid. The sonographer will check their anatomy as well as their size.

Your due date needs to be confirmed, and the sonographer will examine whether or not your babies are developing and growing as expected. The sonographer checks that your twin’s hearts are beating and that they seem healthy.

If you haven’t had a previous scan and don’t know that you’re pregnant with twins, you will most likely find out at this scan.

What extra scans will I have?

When you’re having twins or multiples, the sonographer will do a chorionicity scan to check whether or not your twins share a placenta. This is because twins who share a placenta need to be monitored more closely.

They are at risk of developing Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS) and Selective Intrauterine Growth Restriction (SIUGR). If your twins share a placenta, the sonographer will also look for whether they’re monochorionic-diamniotic (mo-di twins) or monochorionic-monoamniotic (mo-mo) twins.

Both types of twins share a placenta, but mo-di twins only share the outer membrane, whereas mo-mo twins share BOTH the outer and inner membrane. They account for about one percent of all identical twins. They require aggressive and regular monitoring due to the risk of cord entanglement and cord compression.

Regardless of the type of twins you’re carrying, you’ll be offered growth scans in your third trimester. You may have scans quite often due to the risk of complications.

Identical twins ultrasound pictures

Identical twins can share a placenta or have one each. About 2/3 of identical twins share a placenta. They are called monochorionic twins. The twins in the first two pictures are monochorionic-diamniotic (mo-di) twins.

This means that they share a placenta and the outer membrane. They have a separate inner membrane. Almost all monochorionic twins are mo-di twins.

About 1 percent of identical twins are monoamniotic-monochorionic (mo-mo twins). This means that they share everything – the placenta and the outer AND inner membrane. The twins in the last pictures are mo-mo twins.

   
Identical mo-di twin girls at 11+3 weeks             Identical mo-di twins at 11+4 weeks

Mo-mo twins at 12 weeks

Fraternal twins ultrasound pictures

Unlike identical twins, fraternal twins always have separate placentas. If you are told that your twins have separate placentas, there’s a high probability that they are fraternal.

This means that they stem from two different eggs, unlike identical twins who stem from one egg that has split into two. However, you’ll need a DNA test to be sure about what type of twins you’re having.

You may learn sooner if you choose to know the genders of your twins. If you have boy-girl twins, they are fraternal. Identical twins always have the same gender. Identical and fraternal twins with separate placentas are called dichorionic-diamniotic (di-di) twins.

Di-di twins at 11+4 weeks

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

In a singleton pregnancy – if you haven’t been pregnant before – you may begin to feel something hard above your pelvic bone. This is the top of your uterus.

If you’re carrying twins or multiples – or if you’ve been pregnant before – your uterus will start growing and stretching sooner. This means that you should be able to feel your uterus by now.

Previous week – 11 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 13 weeks pregnant with twins

Note: Prenatal vitamins are Important!

Keep taking your folic acid supplement or a prenatal multivitamin. There are folic acid in prenatal multivitamin tablets. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects.

However, this is the last week that you need to take these vitamins!

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

It’s possible to be 11 weeks pregnant with twins and has no pregnancy symptoms, but most women will be showing at this point in a twin pregnancy. There are a few positive benefits of reaching this point in your pregnancy:

• Many women experience that their nausea subsides

• You feel more energetic. If you don’t, think about what you can do to get more rest. It’s okay to cut corners sometimes if it makes life easier

• You may suffer from mood swings and be more sensitive than usual. This is quite normal and often due to hormonal changes. Also, it can be caused by thoughts of worry due to the pregnancy and upcoming birth. Read more about the emotions associated with having twins

• Your partner might be struggling with emotional issues as well. It could be in relation to you and the baby’s safety or how to cope financially. Also, there is a syndrome that is a matter of debate among medical professionals. This phenomenon is called couvade syndrome or sympathetic pregnancy

What is a sympathetic pregnancy?

Some partners have a number of health problems before, during and after their partners’ pregnancy. They resemble some of the same symptoms and behavior of the expectant mother.

It’s not recognized as a real syndrome by many medical professionals, but those who do acknowledge it believe it to be a psychosomatic condition, while others believe it may have biological causes relating to hormonal changes.

Baby size & development

Your babies are about 4,5 cm (1.77 inches) from head to rump when you’re 11 weeks pregnant with twins. Your baby’s faces take more shape, with eyes, ears, noses, and mouths. Now, the eyelids are fully formed, but not yet able to open.

The organs of the inner ear are fully formed this week. Your babies are not able to hear what you are saying yet but can already begin to pick up loud sounds. The ears are – like the eyes – fully developed around week 26. Your babies are able to open their mouths.

11 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound

The time for your 12 weeks dating scan is approaching. Most women get their dating scan between 11 and 13+6 weeks. In many countries, they check for Down syndrome at the dating scan as well.

Down syndrome is one of the most common chromosome abnormalities. If you haven’t had one already, you should be offered a chorionicity scan to determine whether or not your twins share a placenta.

This is very important because twins who share a placenta are more at risk of complications during pregnancy. They need to be monitored more frequently than twins with separate placentas.

   
Fraternal twins at 10+0 weeks                  Twin girls at 10+2 weeks

Pregnancy diet, nutrition & prenatal vitamins

This is the last week you have to take a folic acid supplement – following this week it isn’t necessary any longer. It doesn’t hurt to continue, but it has no effect on the neural tube defects you are trying to prevent.

Also, some women are advised to take iron supplements when they’re 11 weeks pregnant with twins. Talk to your doctor about what you need.

Previous week – 10 weeks pregnant with twins

Next week – 12 weeks pregnant with twins

Note: Prenatal vitamins are Important!

Keep taking your folic acid supplement or a prenatal multivitamin. There are folic acid in prenatal multivitamin tablets. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects.

Baby size & development

Your babies measure about 3,5 cm (1.38 inch) from head to rump. Your babies heads are almost as large as the rest of their bodies.

Their brains are developing rapidly. Their nervous systems are in full development. The nerve cells in their brains are forming thousands of new nerve cells which are beginning to make contact with each other.

It’s the contact between the brain cells that are crucial to how well we use our brain – how much we understand. The frontal lobes are visible. All organs are now in place but are still immature.

The children are urinating in small amounts. It goes into the amniotic fluid that surrounds them in the womb.

Fraternal twin ultrasound pictures

These ultrasound pictures are of twins with separate placentas. This type of twin pregnancy is called dichorionic diamniotic (di-di).

All fraternal twins have separate placentas. About 1/3 of identical twins have separate placentas as well. All twins in these ultrasound pictures are fraternal.

   
Fraternal twins 9+0             Fraternal twins 9+5

Identical twin ultrasound pictures

These ultrasound pictures are of monochorionic twins. Monochorionic twins share a placenta. They can only be identical.

There are two types of monochorionic twins. Monochorionic-diamniotic (mo-di) twins share a placenta and an outer sac. They have their own separate inner sac.

Monoamniotic-monochorionic (mo-mo) twins share both the outer and inner sac. They are very rare. Only about 1 percent of identical twins are mo-mo twins.

   
9+5 weeks monochorionic-diamniotic                 9+6 weeks monochorionic-diamniotic

Pregnancy symptoms & belly pictures

Most women will have a pregnancy belly bump to show off at 10 weeks pregnant with twins, but the size can vary greatly. Many women feel changes in their bodies at this point in their pregnancy.

You can be 10 weeks pregnant with twins and experience no symptoms. Many women are:

• Feeling more tired than usual

• Feeling sick – vomiting or feeling nauseous

• Struggling with digestive issues – it feels like your stomach isn’t working right. The muscles in your stomach and intestines are working more slowly. This is partly due to hormones and partly due to the growing uterus putting pressure on the bowels

Pregnancy diet & exercise

If you’re having digestive issues, be sure that you  drink plenty of water – 2-3 liters a day. Make sure that the bread you eat is made out of whole grain.

Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables. If that doesn’t help, prunes and raisins may trigger your stomach. Also, exercise at least half an hour a day – it boosts the digestive process.

Prenatal vitamins

You also need to take a folic acid supplement. In some countries, it’s standard to take iron supplements as well at 10 weeks pregnant.

In other countries the health care providers rely more on the several blood tests taken during pregnancy. If they show a mild iron deficiency, you’ll be asked to take supplements or alternatively up your intake of foods high in iron.

Read more about how to increase your iron levels.

During pregnancy, your body produces more blood to support the growth of your babies. If you’re not getting enough iron, your body might not be able to produce the amount of red blood cells it needs to make this additional blood.

It’s normal to have mild anemia, when you are pregnant. A typical sign of anemia is that you feel tired and worn out.

Previous week – 9 weeks pregnant with twins 

Next week – 11 weeks pregnant with twins

Important! Take Prenatal vitamins

You definitely should take a folic acid supplement. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects. Neural tube defects are serious birth defects of the spinal cord and the brain.

You can get folate naturally in foods such as dark green leafy vegetables, oranges and whole-grains. Even though you eat a lot of these foods, you should take a supplement in order to ensure that you get the amount that you need.

You can also take the folic acid supplement as part of a pregnancy multivitamin. There are folic acid in prenatal multivitamin tablets.

Symptoms at 7 weeks pregnant with twins

There’s a high risk that you’ll be experiencing pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness at 7 weeks pregnant with twins – but not necessarily.

It differs from woman to woman and pregnancy to pregnancy. There’s most likely nothing wrong if your 7 weeks pregnant with twins and experience no symptoms. Consider yourself lucky.

Some of the common symptoms early in a pregnancy with twins are:

• You may be very tired to the point where it’s hard for you to do the same stuff as usual. It’s important that you rest and take good care of yourself.

• Nausea. Women pregnant with twins are generally more prone to morning sickness than women carrying only one baby.
• Sore or tense breasts
• A bloated belly. This is due to hormonal changes and not the size of your babies. Your twins are still very small. Read about the size of your twins.

7 weeks pregnant with twins belly pictures

There’s a good chance that you’ll be showing when you’re 7 weeks pregnant with twins. It’s mainly due to bloating caused by hormonal changes. 

7 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound pictures

All types of twins can be detected using ultrasound from six full weeks – 6+0 weeks. Your twins hearts should be beating at this point, and a sonographer should be able to see their hearts beating.

Read more about how early you can detect twins. Because twins can be detected very early on due to ultrasound and more frequent monitoring, the rate of Vanishing Twin Syndrome has grown significantly over the past few decades. However, seeing two hearts beating is a good sign that your twin pregnancy is developing well.

   
Two different pregnancies with identical twins sharing a placenta – monochorionic-diamniotic pregnancies.

Baby size & development

At the end of the week, your babies will measure about 1 cm (0.39 inch) from head to tail. They grow around 1 mm (0,04 inch) per day.

Your babies heads are starting to take shape. Their heads are almost as large as the rest of their bodies. Their faces are forming. You can see one spot on each side of the head which is the beginning of their eyes.

The inner eye is developing rapidly, and the retinal has begun to assume a darker color. You can detect two holes in the middle of their faces. That’ll later become nostrils. They are closed at this point.

Your babies already have tongues and two rows of tooth buds. Your babies now have tiny buds that’ll later develop into arms and legs. They’re shaped like paddles.

Your genes, whether you’ve been pregnant before, your weight and how you’re built play a significant role. Have a look at the twin pregnancy week by week pictures below and find out just how different twin pregnancy bellies look.

We thank the many women who’ve been so kind to share their twin pregnancy pictures with us. Some are first time moms while others have had several children. To share your own twin pregnancy belly pictures, please write to us.

First time moms

Second time moms

Third time moms

Your twins are growing and developing rapidly. If you get an ultrasound scan, when you’re 8 weeks pregnant with twins, you’ll be able to see two miniature babies inside of you with round heads and arms and legs.

Note: Prenatal vitamins are Important!

Keep taking your folic acid supplement or a prenatal multivitamin. There are folic acid in prenatal multivitamin tablets. Folic acid helps prevent neural tube defects.

Symptoms at 8 weeks pregnant with twins

You may already have experienced several pregnancy related symptoms like:

• Morning sickness
• Feeling bloated and tired
• Sore or tense breasts
•  Round ligament pain

You feel round ligament pain as pain or tenderness in your abdomen. Round ligaments surround your uterus in your pelvis.

As your uterus grows during pregnancy, the ligaments stretch and thicken to accommodate and support it. These changes may occasionally cause pain.

This is completely normal and nothing to worry about. However, if you experience severe pain, cramping, bleeding and increased pressure in the pelvic area, you should call your health care provider immediately as this has nothing to do with round ligament pain.

Be aware that you – were you not pregnant – were supposed to have your second period around this time. That may cause you to experience minor spotting without anything being wrong.

What You Should Consider Buying

There’s still not much you need to shop for, but some parents like to start buying books about twins or to look at cute twin onesies. These are great choices for moms who are expecting twins!

Twin chorionicity ultrasound scan

You need to have a chorionicity ultrasound scan in your first trimester, many women get it with the dating scan at 12 weeks. Chorionicity relates to whether or not your twins share a placenta.

It’s important to know whether or not your twins share a placenta, because twins who share a placenta are more at risk of twin pregnancy complications. They are also at risk of diseases related to them sharing a placenta such as Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) and Twin Anemia Polycythemia Sequence (TAPS).

In severe TTTS or TAPS cases, where there is no intervention, both twins will die. However, there are treatment and surgery for TTTS you can get, also in severe cases.

Parents are sometimes misinformed about chorionicity or not told about the importance of determining chorionicity, so it’s important that you talk to your health care provider about it.

Chorionicity and fraternal & identical twins

You’ve probably already thought about whether your having identical or fraternal twins.

Identical twins stem from the same fertilized egg that split in two. Fraternal twins stem from two different eggs fertilized by two different sperm cells. All fraternal twins have separate placentas.

About 1/3 of identical twins have separate placentas as well. This type of twin pregnancy with separate placentas is named dichorionic diamniotic. It’s the type of twin pregnancy that carries the lowest rate of complications amongst twin pregnancies.

Twins who share a placenta are called monochorionic twins. About 2/3 of identical twins are monochorionic twins. They are more at risk of complications compared with dichorionic twins, and they need to be monitored more frequently.

8 weeks pregnant with twins ultrasound pictures

Here are three ultrasound scan pictures of three different monochorionic-diamniotic twin pregnancies. In this type of twin pregnancy, the twins share a placenta.

Baby size & development at 8 weeks

Your babies will measure about 1,6 centimetres (0,63 inch) at the end of this pregnancy week – that’s the size of a pinky nail. Skeletal structures are developing with the formation of spines, arms and legs.

In the beginning, the skeletal structures start out as flexible cartilage, but already in week 8 they begin to ossify, turning into harder bone. The paddle-formed buds, that are developing into arms, have grown. Wrists and fingers can be glimpsed.

The paddle-formed buds, that are developing into legs, will form into thighs, lower legs, feet and toes. The babies bodies are becoming more erect, and their arms and legs drift apart to reach their final positions.

Twin pregnancy diet

You need to eat a balanced, healthy diet when you’re pregnant. Many women get enough protein, but if you don’t – maybe because you suffer from morning sickness – you should consider upping your intake.

The amino acids that make up protein are the building blocks of your body’s cells – and of your twins bodies as well. You can get protein shakes if you’re having a hard time keeping food down.

Make sure to buy high quality shakes with as little sugar as possible.

Diet for women expecting monochorionic twins

Some research suggest that mothers with pregnancies complicated by Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) may have lower protein levels in their blood than other pregnant women.

That’s also why some doctors have started recommending mothers with TTTS pregnancies to consider additional protein through nutrition supplements such as protein shakes.

There’s no research that shows that a high protein diet can prevent TTTS, but there’s still a lot of research to be done in the area. TTTS can only happen to identical twins that share a placenta.