Week by week Twins calendar: pregnancy in weeks 8-12


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9 week ultrasound scan on twins

The embryonic period will be over after week 12 and the embyological structure is complete. Your developing twins still have a tremendous amount of developing to do. Their kidneys, intestines and extremities are developing rapidly. At 8 weeks each baby is approximately four centimeters long and weighs about one gram. By twelve weeks they will have more than doubled to be about nine centimeters long and has grown to about 20 grams!

During this time of your pregnancy you will still most likely notice changes within your appetite. You may be noticing more cravings or advesions to certain types of foods or smells. Many researchers believe that a craving is the body's way of trying to obtain something that you are lacking. Some women crave salt and need the sodium, while others crave spinach for the extra iron.

Mild anemia is not uncommon during pregnancy, especially when carrying multiples. This is because your body's blood supply has increased dramatically to support the growing babies and your red-cell production has decreased.

Around this time of a pregnancy, many women report a change in sexual desire. Most women report a decrease in their libido during the first trimester. This can come from nausea, breast tenderness, and the increased pressure on the bladder. However, some women also report an increased desire for intimacy. Both partners should be reassured that sex is perfectly safe during a pregnancy with multiples. The baby is well protected and you can not "poke" the baby.

You may also notice some changes in your complexion. Some women may experience the pregnancy "glow". The increase in blood creates a look of radiance, but also makes your skin more sensitive to skin care products. It is important to take care of your skin during pregnancy.

Bleeding gums is a common complaint throughout the pregnancy. Again, this is due to an increased blood supply which will cause the gums to swell. The bleeding should not be cause for concern. Just be gentle when brushing and flossing.

Most pregnant women worry about stretch marks. Stretch marks are a natural and sometimes unavoidable consequence of skin that is stretching for the growing baby. It is best to accept the fact that stretch marks may occur. After delivery, the stretch marks will generally fade away and become less noticeable. You can keep your skin well moisturized and use Vitamin E creams to help with the marks and itching.

Ongoing symptoms

Breast tenderness
Breathlessness
Constipation
Fatigue
Frequent urination
Increase or decrease in saliva
Increased heart rate
Leakage from nipples
Morning sickness
Nasal stuffiness
Change in sexual desire
Bleeding gums

To think about this month:

Maternity clothes for some women
Spreading the news, if you have not already
Spreading the news to family members and co workers
Finding a pediatrician

At the doctor
You will go back to the doctor again this month for a routine prenatal visit. If you have any questions that you forgot to ask at your previous checkup or that have recently come up, this is the time to bring them to your caregivers attention. Your doctor may classify your pregnancy as high risk, because you are carrying multiples. Some doctors will do an ultrasound assessment to check the baby's well-being. You may also be offered a series of genetics testing, chorionic villus sampling and a nuchal fold scan at this time. They are optional and you can discuss the pros and cons with your caregiver.

Your doctor will be checking the following during your visit:
1.)Weight gain or loss
2.)Blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate
3.)Heart and lungs
4.)Breast exam
5.)External palpation of the uterus
6.)Measure the height of the uterus
7.)Check for fetal heartbeat
8.)Urine screens for blood, sugar and any bacteria



Comments by 8-12 week pregnant Twin mothers

Showing 1-19 of about 19 comments from week 8-12


piecesofyoukp - Wednesday, 24 Jun
3rd pregnany-hello im actually 13 and a half wks along but i did dream i was having twins before i found out and now am seeing two healthy babies at every ultrasound...

jennifern13 - Monday, 22 Jun
Hi everyone. My husband and I just found out that we are expecting twins. They are identical they are called monoamniotic twins. If you have any info please let me know. I also have my ultrasound pic on my page if your interested.

Gigantor - Sunday, 21 Jun
Melissa8, It is higher, but with every day you get closer to the end. Just stay positive, there are many, many women here who did not miscarry their twins.

melissa8 - Friday, 19 Jun
Thanks Gigantor. I do have better days and my nausea is better. I'll be so glad if we get to 14 weeks. I know that the miscarriage rate is high with twins.

Gigantor - Thursday, 18 Jun
melissa8, I got better around week 14. But my energy level is nowhere near to a singleton. It comes and goes. Good luck!

mommy2many - Wednesday, 17 Jun
Anyone out there who has HB with twins?
• I am 10 weeks pregnant with twins...they could not tell by U/S if they were identical or not...I won't find out until my 20 wk U/S and then we will find out what gender they are also.

kay05 - Monday, 15 Jun
HI everyone, Preg with frat. twins, had a doc appointment for ultrasound with the folds on the neck, and they werent big enough for the test so she said come back thursday and they will redo it. She also said if she can see it she will tell me the sex of the babies, who would of thought this early! my first one i had to wait 19 months, but i didnt have this test done with her. SO EXCITED.

melissa8 - Thursday, 11 Jun
I recently found out I am pregnant with twins, and I am 8 weeks along. With my last pregnancy the fatigue and nausea went away at 13 weeks. Does anyone know when the fatigue and nausea improves with twin pregnancies?

3rdpregnancy - Thursday, 11 Jun
hi ladies.....this is my 3rd time around and it came as a complete shock to my husband and I....thought I was just gaining weight then the nausea kicked in...well I think im about 10 weeks but I look like im 5 months nausea has been by my side 24/7...anyways my question is this.....Did you dream you were having twins before you found out you acutally were having twins???? Ive had this dream at least 10 times....its always a diffrent dream but its always about twins a boy and a girl???? Im going to my 1st app Monday, hopefully put my mind to rest...

kay05 - Tuesday, 9 Jun
Hi, New here, just wanted to say im 10 weeks pregnant with fraternal twins! so excited!!:) I feel like im already showing ahh.

Arrow - Sunday, 7 Jun
Btw, have completed 9 weeks.
• Ladies, the shock is wearing off. I had my first scan last week and the first word from my doctor's mouth was 'twins.' Never in my wildest dreams did I imagine this even though twins run on both sides of the family. My husband and I are so thrilled at the double blessing =)

krose - Saturday, 6 Jun
hello i heard that my husband has twins in every 4th generation of his family and hes the 4th in his family will i have twins?

mimi2b - Wednesday, 3 Jun
hi ladies in 8 week twin pregnancy. i'm 8 weeks pregnant but haven't had an u/s yet, but today i felt the baby move and actually saw it from the outside. i was just wondering if any of you 8 weeks have felt this yet? i have an u/s scheduled for friday because its lil weird, but everyone keeps sayin i have twins in there.

babybump3 - Friday, 29 May
~Nicole1stTimeMom~ hey I just found out Tuesday that I am pregnant with twins. I will be 8 weeks tomorrow. On Tuesday they told me that my HCG was 57,377. I am not 100% positive but I don't think that those levels at 9 weeks indicate twins. I could be totally wrong though. The best thing to do is just wait for the ultrasound. Good luck to you!

mrscorrigan - Friday, 29 May
Hi Nicole, are you Ok? did you go to the doc? Are you talking about HCG levels? I'm not sure about those as i've never had mine tested. I did spot(brown stuff) in week 5 and at the end of week 8 but my 10 and a half week scan showed everything was fine. Try not to worry, easier said than done I know. take care of yourself xx

Nicole1stTimeMom - Wednesday, 27 May
hello everyone..im new here..I'm 9 weeks. so I've been having spotting. my levels were 12,321 then dropped to 10,873 then went back up to 18,399. a lot of ppl have told me that I could have a twin pregnancy and m/c one. nothing has passd yet..then I've heard that I could have twins and just have a sac of blood trapped in my uterus. I don't have an ultrasound til june 2nd(my bday) and I go to the doctor 2morrow..don't really know what's gonna happen. I need opinions please! sorry for the life story!

daddyneedluv2 - Monday, 25 May
sending love to all my mommies....we are on our way to healthy babies...We have started to saving all our coins as well. Bigger car is going to be needed.

mrscorrigan - Monday, 25 May
Hi! I just found this page. I was leaving comments on the 11 weeks page but this page is much better as it's for twins! yeah! sorry i'm still really excited. I'm 11 wks 2 days pregnant with non-identical twins. my doc was about to put me on clomid- can you imagine? I had my first san last tuesday and was so scared but got the best news in years! I've only put on about 3 lbs but I was very sick up until last week as my appetite wasn't great. I do have a little bump though which i think is really obvious. My appetite is back to normal now so hopefully i'll start putting on a few more lbs. some women i've spoken to want to have small bumps, but I find that my bump is getting bigger really reassuring. I'll be very satisfied when I have a huge bump! husband and I have started saving all our pennies now that we're having twins. will also ahve to buy a new bigger car.. going to see in-laws this weekend. these babies will be their first granchildren so very exciting times ahead. good luck to all of you xx

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