At your first ultrasound, you will undoubtedly eagerly stare at the monitor, ready to catch your first glimpse of your baby. Or, perhaps, your babies. It's at this first ultrasound that multiple births, while perhaps already suspected, can be confirmed. There is also the possibility that this will be the very first time that the fact you're having more than one baby will be raised. It can certainly be a surprise, but the ultrasound doesn't lie, and there they are—twins, triplets and, in some rare cases, even more. Once you've gotten over the initial surprise that the baby you're carrying is, in fact, multiple babies, what do you need to do to prepare for the impending arrivals?
Signs of Multiple Babies
Although often first performed between 18 and 20 weeks of pregnancy, an ultrasound can also be performed earlier in order to determine an accurate due date. Given that a pregnancy is considered to be full-term at 39 to 40 weeks, this means that you might not have multiple babies confirmed until approximately halfway through your pregnancy. There can be other signs that you might be carrying multiples, such as your level of morning sickness, the expansion of your uterus, your fatigue levels and your weight gain. If you suspect that you might be carrying more than one baby, do not hesitate to schedule an ultrasound (even if it's well before your initial planned ultrasound) for confirmation.
Preparations for Multiple Births
Of course, the earlier you have multiple babies confirmed via an ultrasound, the more time you have to prepare. Some of these preparations are purely logistical, meaning that you will need to double up (or more) with certain items, such as clothing and cots. Other items (prams/strollers) will need to be reconsidered too, since you'll need a device that can accommodate more than one baby. Although you will learn of your multiple babies well before your due date, this time frame can be different when expecting more than one baby.
Your Due Date
51% of twins and 91% of triplets will be born prematurely, and this means that your due date might be a rough estimate only, as your babies could easily arrive prior to this date. It's not anything to be concerned about, but you should discuss the matter with your doctor in order to ask any questions you might have. Your doctor might also make a suggestion as to whether a vaginal delivery or a C-section is going to be the best option for you and your babies. Additionally, more-frequent ultrasounds might be scheduled in order to gauge the development of your babies, ideally gaining an accurate insight as to a realistic, possibly changing due date. It can be as simple as preparing to go into labour earlier than expected, ensuring that your home is ready to receive the babies and that your overnight case for the hospital is packed and ready to go.
Being told you're going to have more than one baby can be a bit of a shock, but it's news you will need in order to properly prepare for your multiple bundles of joy.
