Weight gain with twins

Weight gain with twins - what is the right amount?

When you have just discovered that you are carrying twins, once you get over the initial shock - a normal question to pop up is how much weight should you gain over the twin pregnancy. Short answer ? Yes, you should gain more weight than with just one baby.

Gaining enough weight with your twin pregnancy is extremely important to the health of your babies.

Eating right and gaining the recommended amount of weight is important in any pregnancy, but this is especially vital when carrying twins. This is important because there is a higher risk of preterm labor and of having complications and lower birth weight babies in a twin pregnancy.

Weight gain depends on a number of different factors including your height, body type, and your weight before you got pregnant in the first place! Most women who are carrying twins are encouraged to gain between 35 to 45 pounds. Many twin moms that I have met, including myself gained more and had big healthy babies. I would set the 35-45 as an 'at least' not the maximum. Because opinions vary, it is important to discuss your specific weight gain with your midwife or OB who will be most familiar with your specific dietary needs.

You also have to take into consideration that there is double the water weight, the extra blood volume, the extra fluids and the extra two placentas and two babies which all account for some of the weight gain. So don't stress if the scale is reading a pretty large number ! A huge chunk of this weight will come off the day you give birth to your twins and the rest ( hopefully) with time and exercise. Try not to use this as a time to worry about the weight gain, rather a time to enjoy feeding yourself pretty much whatever you want as long as it's healthy , and not worrying about your waistline for a change! My midwife highly recommended milkshakes and full-fat ice-cream - yum !

Now just know that this doesn't mean a total eating free for all ! You are growing two babies so you'll want to be mindful of everything you put into your body. Look at making every single bite you put into your mouth count.A healthy diet is crucial - just don't worry about watching the calories. Protein is important , as is folic acid, vegetables, fruits and plenty of water. Read labels and eat fresh as much as possible.

Women carrying twins will only gain 4 to 6 pounds during the first trimester. Sometimes women think they'll need to pack on the pounds from day one - but really the first trimester is the same as any pregnancy - with the exception of possibly stronger symptoms. During the second and third trimester they should expect to gain 1 ½ pounds per week. Once again, because opinions vary, you need to consult with your midwife or OB and keep them informed on your weight gain with twins.

It actually gets harder to eat the required amount of calories as your twin pregnancy progresses because the babies start taking up all the room in your stomach. You may need to supplement your diet with protein shakes and smoothies which have the needed nutrients for proper weight gain with twins, but don't take up so much space in your squished tummy.

For many women, being pregnant with twins is the only time they can eat pretty much whatever they like, and it's also the largest number they've seen on the scale! Just know that you have 9 months to grow two babies to the biggest size that you can, in order to give them the best possible start to life. Weight gain with twins is important - don't worry about the scale, you have enough to worry about!

You can see our readers big beautiful twin bellies here to get an idea of just how big you might get ! Leave your picture and story as well - and make sure you take lots of pictures as you grow - the time really will fly by!

Good luck!

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