Pregnancy is a time of great change and adaptation for you and your growing baby. During your pregnancy, you will experience many physical and functional changes that will affect almost every system of your body. All of these changes are designed to support the growth of your baby and to prepare you for birth and motherhood. Appreciation of these normal adaptations and changes during pregnancy will help you to understand how to manage these and to recognise when you need to seek further advice and support from your obstetrician, doctor or hospital.
More information can be found in the Resources.
Your body will undergo some amazing changes over the course of your pregnancy. Whether this is your first, second or third pregnancy, your body will experience changes particular to this pregnancy. So it is not unusual to wonder what is ‘normal’.
There is a wide range and variety of pregnancy changes experienced by women and so it is important to understand the types of changes you can generally expect during pregnancy. These changes are guided by the hormones of pregnancy as well as physical changes due to the increasing growth of your baby or babies. This section covers some of the typical changes pregnant women experience but it is not a complete guide.
Additional information can be found in Minor Discomforts of Pregnancy or the Resources.
The occurrence of multiple pregnancies has increased steadily in Australia in recent years. Whilst there are more IVF-assisted pregnancies now than in the past, the increase in multiple pregnancies is thought to be mainly due to women deciding to start their families later in life. Women aged 35 years or over have a higher likelihood of conceiving non-identical (fraternal) twins because they are more likely to release more than one egg in each cycle.
Non-identical twins develop when two separate eggs are fertilised and implant in the uterus. Non-identical twins each have their own amniotic sac and placenta, so it is like having two separate pregnancies at the same time. The babies may or may not look alike and they may or may not be the same sex; just like any other siblings within your family, but these just happen to be born at the same time.
Identical twins develop from a single fertilised egg splitting into two identical parts. They may or may not share an amniotic sac and placenta. Because the twins share the same DNA, they will be the same sex and will likely share many similar features.
Multiple births of three or more are called Higher Order Multiples or HOMs. They can be a combination of both identical and non-identical multiples. Triplets are most commonly a combination of two identical and one non-identical triplet.
The news about expecting twins or HOMs can come as a shock to parents. Early diagnosis is important so that you can begin to gather as much information as possible to prepare yourself for your new arrivals. If you are pregnant with twins or HOMs you will find that your pregnancy experience and antenatal care will be different compared to women with singleton pregnancies. You might find that your experience of the minor discomforts of pregnancy is exacerbated simply because you are carrying more than one baby and there are more circulating hormones. You will likely need extra antenatal visits and tests as determined by your obstetrician. Your delivery due date may also be brought forward. There are certain risks associated with multiple pregnancies such as, miscarriage, preterm birth, low birth weight, pre-eclampsia, twin to twin transfusion syndrome and cerebral palsy.
For more comprehensive information and advice on twins and HOMs pregnancy and support, please visit the Australian Multiple Birth Association at www.amba.org.au. Additionally, some of our hospitals provide Multiple Birth Classes in their face-to-face antenatal classes. Please check the Website of your hospital.