40 Weeks Pregnant With Twins: Belly, Fetal Movement & Labor
Your babies will probably be born this week. Most midwives and doctors won’t let you go this far and will urge you to get an induction or c-section at 40 weeks pregnant with twins. This is because the risk of stillbirth and other complications in twins increases slightly as you approach 40+0 weeks.
Pregnancy diet, nutrition & prenatal vitamins
You need to remember taking an iron supplement. Continue taking the supplement until a few weeks after birth. If you don’t have enough iron, your body can’t make enough red blood cells. A lack of red blood cells is called iron deficiency anemia. There’s an increased risk of bleeding more than you normally would during labor, when you give birth to twins. This is because the uterus is very large. Pregnancy and labor increase your likelihood of becoming anemic.
Fetal development & baby size
Your babies measure approximately 51 centimeters (20.08 inches), when you’re 40 weeks pregnant with twins. Many women experience that their babies act more quiet in the days leading up to the birth. Nevertheless, it’s important that you feel your babies kick several times a day even though their movements may be more quiet. If you can’t feel your babies as often as usual, call your doctor or midwife. They’ll probably ask you to come in so they can do an exam and make sure that everything is okay. You also need to react if one of your twins changes his or her pattern markedly.
Pregnancy symptoms & belly
Your belly is large at this point in your pregnancy, and you’ll feel the extra weight in your pelvis and back. As you hopefully have throughout your pregnancy, take good care of yourself in these last days of your pregnancy. Rest, nap and get family or friends to pitch in if you have older children. It can be hard to put yourself first especially if your have older children that are still quite young – and you probably won’t be able to a lot of the time. However, make sure that you do it once in a while – if you run yourself down, you won’t be able to care for your children in the way you’d like.
