Wondering how different a twin pregnancy is compared to a regular one? Read some of the most surprising differences between singleton and twin pregnancies.

I thought I had pregnancy down pat after I had my singleton. I did the research, went through nine months of pregnancy and finally, delivered my baby in a predictable way. My second pregnancy will be just as simple, I figured, especially now that I’d already gone through it once.

So imagine my surprise when the doctor announced I was having… twins.

Let’s just say I was not prepared for two babies. Suddenly I entered a new world with its own lingo and protocols I’d never heard of or didn’t need to know with a singleton. I had never even heard the word “singleton” until I became pregnant with twins.

Surprising differences between singleton and twin pregnancies

I felt like a first-time mom all over again, and for good reason. From twin pregnancy symptoms to new guidelines, I had no idea how different a twin pregnancy could be compared to a singleton one.

I knew close to nothing about a twin pregnancy and was scared of having twins. Sure, I figured twin bellies were larger than normal, and that the babies were more likely to be born on the smaller side. Otherwise, I was clueless.

As you might imagine, I’ve since learned a lot about carrying twins. Helpful things like the best ways to take care of yourself and increase the chances of a healthy twin pregnancy. I also followed new timelines, from when to stop traveling to how much weight to gain (and by when).

This is the information I’d love to pass on to you so you don’t feel as overwhelmed as I did. Because—from the symptoms of twins to different energy levels—being pregnant with twins is nothing like carrying a singleton.

Take a look at a few surprising differences between singleton and twin pregnancies:



1. A much larger pregnancy belly

I was sitting in the waiting room during one of my prenatal appointments when I saw a pregnant woman walk in. Common enough to see in a doctor’s waiting room—except this woman’s belly was large. I knew right then she must have been carrying twins.

Only later when I too was in the later weeks of my twin pregnancy did I know just how big our bellies can get. How large is a twin belly compared to a singleton? As I say in my book, Expecting Twins:

“A twin pregnancy at 32 weeks is equal to a singleton pregnancy at 40 weeks. Don’t feel like you’re exaggerating when you say you’re tired or have morning sickness. They’re real and common among twin moms.”

So while singleton moms are ready to get their babies out at 40 weeks, twin moms have a few more weeks to go.

In fact, one of the reasons I felt down about expecting twins was because I was imagining the worst with my belly. I couldn’t imagine myself getting so large, and scared myself by Googling images of twin bellies (don’t Google images of twin bellies!).

Thankfully, while our bellies do get larger than singletons, the change happens gradually. Your body will adjust to the extra weight so that, come the third trimester, it’s not as bad as you may have originally thought.

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2. More fatigue and morning sickness

“I think I’m carrying a girl,” I told my husband before our first prenatal appointment. “My nausea and fatigue are worse this time around. Maybe it’s because the baby is a girl.”

Long before I learned I was having twins, I noticed a difference in morning sickness and fatigue. The nausea felt more intense than with my singleton. I also felt tired more quickly, even from simple things like a walk around the block.

Extra fatigue and morning sickness are more common in a twin pregnancy. After all, your body is making two babies and likely two placentas, doubling the the symptoms even in the early stages of pregnancy.

You’re also producing more hormones that contribute to all sorts of physical and emotional changes right from the start. And the extra blood and other fluids flowing through your body also add extra weight.

Thankfully, my morning sickness began and ended around the same times as my singleton pregnancy. While the nausea felt more intense, at least it only lasted for a few weeks. The fatigue however doesn’t go away as easily, and I’d argue, worsens as the pregnancy progresses.

Just found out you’re having twins? Here’s what to do next.

3. Less need to exercise

With my singleton pregnancy, I exercised often, from walking to swimming to prenatal yoga. So I was surprised when I took my normal walk around the block and felt ready to pass out a few minutes into it.

“Is exercise necessary with this twin pregnancy?” I asked my doctor at my next appointment. She smiled and shook her head. “You can do yoga and stretching, but I won’t have you doing aerobics or strenuous activities.”

This blew my mind away. During my singleton pregnancy, I had heard and practiced the importance of exercise. I was encouraged to exercise throughout the pregnancy to better improve my health during those months.

As always, check with your doctor about your own physical needs, since yours might differ from mine. But I learned that a twin pregnancy poses different risks.

For one thing, your body is hard at work making two babies, not one. Between rest and exercise, rest became more important than over-extending yourself.

And second, a twin pregnancy can come with its own set of complications that exercise could worsen. Whereas exercise is often a positive factor in a singleton pregnancy, it can become a risk with a twin one.

My doctor advised that I should still be limber throughout the pregnancy, but to choose simple movements. I followed a slow pace and stretching exercises over vigorous and lengthy ones.

Try mild exercise as long as you can, then cut back when it gets to be too much. And don’t get down on yourself or think you’re not tough enough if you get winded after 10 minutes of exercise, even if you’ve been previously active.

Singleton moms might be able to walk miles every day, but a twin pregnancy is a whole other ball game!

4. Increased risks and more prenatal visits

No matter how healthy you may be, carrying twins means you’re automatically considered a high-risk pregnancy. Our bodies aren’t meant to carry more than one baby, no matter how common it is to give birth to multiples.

Many of these complications are manageable, but your doctor will want to assess them along the way. After all, the best way to increase your chances of a healthy twin pregnancy is to attend all your prenatal appointments.

So, while a singleton mom might see her your doctor once a month for the first few months, you might see her every two weeks. And if you’re like me, you might even need to see your doctor several times a week if you run into complications she needs to monitor.

I also received more sonograms with the twins than I ever did with my first. My singleton pregnancy included a total of three sonograms, but with the twins, I’d get a sonogram at nearly every visit. This isn’t so much for the sake of having mementos as it was to monitor the babies’ growth.

Get more tips on how to have a healthy pregnancy.

5. More time resting

A twin pregnancy is deceiving. It seems silly to feel tired when it doesn’t look like we’re doing anything, but our bodies are working at a tremendous pace creating two babies. So much so that we feel exhausted even if all we’ve done is sit at our desks all day.

Think about it this way: Your body needs a total of 600 extra calories a day to make your babies. That’s a lot of energy it’s using! Imagine exercising long enough to burn 600 calories every day, and you can see why your body feels exhausted.

Don’t be surprised if you barely make it through the morning before needing a lunchtime nap. And you just might find yourself spending most of your time on the couch, especially in the third trimester. These are all normal signs of having twins!

Include downtime into your day so you don’t get to that point of feeling exhausted from simple activities, but don’t wait for your body to feel tired before you force yourself to rest. Cut strenuous activities you used to do or take them down a notch.

In other words, take it easy. If you feel like taking a nap, take a nap. If you’re too tired to stand up to cook, don’t. Lie down often and take care not to lift or carry anything heavy.

Taking it easy becomes even more crucial during the last few months when you’re most uncomfortable and just about ready to give birth.

Check out my tips on how to cope when you feel too tired.

6. Drinking one gallon of water a day

I always considered myself an avid water drinker. I don’t drink anything else, other than tea. So when I heard that I should drink one gallon—or 16 (8 ounce) cups—of water a day, I assumed I already was.

Just to be sure, though, I began measuring and tracking how many cups I drank for the day.

To my surprise, I barely reached 10 cups, and that’s with me trying. I never knew how difficult drinking 16 cups of water is, but after that experiment, I made it a point to. I bought a one-gallon water bottle which I kept at my side to track how much water I actually drank.

Why one gallon? Dehydration can trigger complications like preterm contractions and early labor. Drinking water can also relieve uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness and constipation.

And with a twin pregnancy, your body needs an extra dose of water to stay hydrated.

7. Taking a lot more vitamins

With my singleton pregnancy, one prenatal vitamin a day was enough to cover all my needs.

My twin pregnancy, however, needed way more than one prenatal vitamin. For instance, my doctor recommended an extra 2,000 IU of vitamin D and 1,000 mg of calcium. To compare, my prenatal vitamin only contained 220 IU of vitamin D and 145 mg of calcium.

She also gave me an extra iron supplement and recommended at least 1mg of folic acid (the prenatal vitamin only had 400g). On the positive side, taking all those vitamins helped me reach my 16 cups of water requirement!

With all that iron in your body, talk to your doctor about increasing your fiber intake to ease constipation. Supplements or eating fiber-rich food usually do the trick.

8. Limited to no travel

When I was pregnant with one baby, I was able to travel all the way up to 36 weeks. Not so with twins, where my doctor preferred I didn’t travel at all. And if really I had to, 24 weeks is the latest many doctors will allow their twin moms to travel.

Why the travel restrictions with pregnant twin moms?

Travel itself is tiring even for the average person—you don’t want to add extra stress to your already exhausting pregnancy. (Remember that “rest is important” section?)

Complications can also happen more often and at any time during a twin pregnancy, so staying local is advisable if anything happens. Your doctor can monitor you more closely or admit you to a hospital for emergencies.

And if you deliver early while traveling and the twins are admitted into the NICU, you won’t be able to take them home until they’re ready. You then run the risk of being stuck in a different place away from home while you wait for that day.

9. Earlier preparation

The last few weeks of your pregnancy are dedicated to preparing for the baby, from getting your gear assembled to packing the hospital bag. But with a twin pregnancy, you’ll want to prepare even earlier than singleton pregnancies.

Why?

60% of twin pregnancies are born prematurely (less than 37 weeks), with the average twins born at 35 weeks. My own pregnancy was scheduled to go no later than 38 weeks, before that was eventually moved to 37 weeks because of complications.

We rarely have the space or resources to house our twins through 40 weeks or beyond, so most twins are born earlier. Complications and certain types of twins also make it more likely you’ll deliver your twins early.

For instance, mo/di and mo/mo twins tend to be born earlier because these twins either share a sac, a placenta, or both. Even di/di twins like mine don’t always make it all the way to 38 weeks—I ended up going into labor with my twins at 35 weeks.

While no one wants their babies born that early, it’s also smart to avoid putting things off to the last minute. Have your hospital bags packed, car seats installed, and cribs ready to go no later than 30 weeks. Mo/di and mo/mo twin twin moms should be ready even earlier than that.

Get a list of everything you need on your twin registry.

Twins are a whole new world

Before having twins, I thought twin pregnancies just meant your belly gets huge and your babies are small. Boy was I wrong.

You’re more tired starting much earlier in your pregnancy than if you were only carrying one. Exercise isn’t a must-do, especially with the increased risks of a twin pregnancy. Instead, rest is more important, as is drinking double the water and taking more vitamins than a woman pregnant with one.

With increased risks and complications, pregnant twin moms are also advised not to travel at all, or if they must, to do so before 24 weeks. And because most twins tend to be born prematurely, you’ll want to have your hospital bag and baby gear essentials ready to go.

It’s overwhelming to consider how different a twin pregnancy can be from a singleton one, but now you’re one step to feeling better prepared.

Get more tips:

Feeling overwhelmed with expecting twins? Raising twins, from pregnancy and those first few months, is different from a singleton. Get Expecting Twins, my all-encompassing guide and workbook on how to prepare for your twins!

Because if you’re like most people, you’re going to be fully convinced that grabbing these resources is going to be one of the best things you could do for your twin pregnancy. No more feeling clueless and all over the place with your pregnancy, friend! Get your copy below:

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