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Here we are, in the last stage of what seems like a never ending journey.
Welcome to the third trimester of twin pregnancy!
It’s hard to believe it’s only been a couple months, right? On one hand it seems like just yesterday you saw the two heat beats on the monitor, but on the other it feels like a lifetime ago since you hadn’t felt like you’re carrying bricks everywhere.
If you haven’t been following along, you can check out the first and second trimester posts by following the links.
So far you have experienced hundreds of new aches and pains, along with countless new memories (like feeling the babies for the first time!) and eaten enough for an army base.
BUT you’re finally in the home stretch- the third trimester of twin pregnancy!
This is probably going to be the shortest trimester of your pregnancy. It will feel like the longest, but for most moms it is the shortest.
In this post you will find all you need to know, do and buy during the third trimester of your twin pregnancy.
Let’s get this over with!
What you should know-
The biggest thing you should know about in the third trimester of twin pregnancy is that you are at high risk for premature babies. In reality- they could come at any time now.
Your goal is 34. 34 weeks. Before 34 weeks, doctors will do absolutely anything they can to keep those babies in. Once 34 hits, the mindset shifts. At 34 weeks the babies are still premature, but they are developed enough that if they came into the world they (more than likely) wouldn’t need a lot of intervention.
When I started to develop preeclampsia at 29 weeks, it seemed like I was the VIP of L&D. Everyone was doing everything they could to get me better so that we didn’t have to deliver that weekend. Thank the lord that my body worked with them and my babes got a few more weeks to cook.
You can read my entire birth story series here!
Here are a few things you should look out for right now:
Please contact your provider if you’re experiencing any of these symptoms. I am not a doctor. I have just been through the ringer of twin pregnancy and am spreading awareness.
- Headache that will not go away
- Blurred vision/seeing spots
- Swelling in hands and face
- Pain in liver area
- Extreme weight gain (1-2 lb per day)
- Labor pains in back
- Inability to catch breath
- Bloody discharge
Aside from those things to look for, here are the things you will probably experience during the third trimester:
- Braxton hicks- While they aren’t real contractions, they will for sure feel like it! As long as they aren’t rhythmic, meaning they aren’t coming in the same intervals, or increasing in pain, you are totally fine. Even if you feel like hell
- Heavy chest- With all of the extra weight and blood volume, your heart is working extra hard right now. If you need to sit down to catch your breath, please do so. Suggestion- stop taking the stairs.
- Spider veins- I hated these. Well, hate. Because they are here to stay unfortunately. They don’t cause any harm. Just decorate your legs
- Difficulty walking- between the swelling, weight gain, and hip pain, walking is now a task. An unwanted task.
- Exhaustion. Oh boy will everything just wear. you. out. But sleeping won’t be easy. Since everything hurts and is uncomfortable, by the time you find any position worth sleeping in, you’re going to have to pee. Maybe invest in some depends?
- Last but not least- worse second trimester symptoms. Yep, the second tri was only the beginning. Everything is about to get a lot worse. BUT! You are almost there and soon you will be able to hold those beautiful babies!
Something you are probably going to notice is that your belly might slow down growing outwards. I was very concerned about this. Since I had a long torso, after about 26 weeks my stomach basically stopped growing outwards and started growing in length. I started the third tri with a round belly, and ended with a more rectangular shaped belly.
Another thing you might notice, if you haven’t already, is that your stomach might not be even. My belly button was far to the right because baby girl (on the left) was bulging out so much. It was hard to get a picture of, but you can Google ‘twin mom bellies’ and see the weirdness!
If you haven’t already, make sure to also check out my 13 things you should know about twin pregnancy post for more information 🙂
What you should do-
In this final stretch, you’re going to want to do as much as you can to prepare for babies!
This means…
- Have your baby shower (early on!)
- Plan when you are taking off work (the earlier the better)
- Take more breaks at work and at home. Do not over work yourself. You’ll feel it in your chest, feet, legs, and stomach when you’re starting to over work yourself. Listen to your body
- Put your final hospital bag together and put it in the car
- Finish up the nursery (check out what I did here!)
- Pick a pediatrician
- Watch out for preterm labor
What you should buy-
At this point, you should have everything you need pregnancy wise. You’re going to have to shift to what you need baby wise. You should buy anything that you didn’t receive from your shower that you still need.
Well that is it!
You have completed my twin pregnancy series. From here forward, make sure to let your doctor know about any concerns you might have. Sure, they might be silly. But they could mean something potentially dangerous is going on and you’ll need to get checked out. No question is a bad question.
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