Womb to Bloom - Maternity & Beyond

When I first found out I was having twins, I was a little taken aback. Once the initial shock wore off, I was elated. I couldn’t believe that I was going from being motherless to having two babies at once. But the happiness of my twin pregnancy was quickly overshadowed by the discomforts associated with it.

Because of the additional hormones, and strain on the body, women who are expecting multiples experience pregnancy discomforts more intensely than women carrying singletons.

Morning sickness is a common discomfort experienced by pregnant women—and carrying more than one baby inside of you can amplify the symptoms big-time. You’ll find yourself spending an enormous amount of time hugged up with your new best friend—the toilet. But excessive vomiting during a twin pregnancy can cause you to become dehydrated, and make it difficult for your babies to get the nourishment they need to grow. 

Going extended periods of time without eating can cause a drop in blood sugar, and trigger nausea. You should try to eat something every couple of hours. I kept packages of crackers and small bottles of juice in my bedroom and in my purse at all times. On the days when I couldn’t hold down solid food, I used nutritional drinks to supplement my diet. Sometimes I was only able to swallow a few sips, but it was better than nothing.

I had a huge smell aversion to my husband’s job. So every evening when he would come home from work, he’d call me from the driveway to let me know that he was preparing to enter the house. This would give me time to go into another room, and close the door until he could remove his work clothes, put them in the washer, and take a shower. After he was finished, he’d yell, “You can come out now.” Smell aversions can be a nuisance, and the only way to remedy them is to avoid scents that bother you.

My heartburn was so bad I had to sleep with a bottle of Tums under my pillow. I couldn’t go anywhere without them. When the Tums didn’t work anymore, I moved to Rolaids. And when those didn’t work, my doctor gave me the okay to use a once a day over-the-counter medication to manage my heartburn. Since all pregnancies are different, it’s important to get the approval of your doctor before taking drugs of any kind while you are pregnant.

Eating smaller meals and avoiding foods that are too spicy can help combat heartburn. When I was pregnant with my twins, I had a weakness for foods with a kick—particularly Mexican dishes. Unfortunately, my excessive heartburn didn’t allow me to indulge in them the way I would have liked.

Anytime you have to stand for prolonged periods of time, wear a maternity belt. This can help alleviate any back pain, or pelvic pressure you may feel from the heaviness of your expanding belly. If you don’t have a maternity belt, you can use your hand to lift the underside of your belly periodically to relieve some of the discomfort.

Constipation is probably one of the most uncomfortable pregnancy symptoms of all. Eating plenty of foods rich in fiber, drinking six to eight glasses of water daily, and enjoying a nice cool glass prune juice can help soften your stools, and prevent constipation.

The most important thing you can do to deal with the common discomforts of a twin pregnancy is get plenty of rest, and enjoy the amazing miracle of feeling your twins grow inside of your beautiful baby bump.