Babies’ Growth.
The rapid growth continues, with the twins' weight more than doubling to about 42–46 ounces (2.5–3 pounds) each and their length averaging about fourteen inches by the twenty-eighth week. The babies’ skin appearance changes, becoming less red and wrinkled as more fat is laid down under the skin. The fingernails and toenails are fully formed. The babies’ eyelids are open and the eyelashes are present. By the end of the seventh month, the babies’ scalp hair is well-developed.
Mother’s Changes.
It is not unusual at this time for you to experience a brief, occasional pain in your side, like a pulling sensation, as the ligaments supporting the uterus are stretched with the advancing pregnancy. You may also experience muscle cramps or spasms in your legs, calves, or feet. These may be caused by fatigue, changing calcium levels, or by the pressure of the enlarging uterus on the nerves in the pelvis. Kneading the affected area may help relieve the pain, as well as elevating your feet when resting, adequate exercise, especially walking, and increasing your calcium intake. At this point in your pregnancy, you have likely chosen the hospital where you’ll deliver. Now is a good time to start thinking about putting together a birth plan. (To see an example of a birth plan used by a mom of twins, see Birth Plan: Twins.)
Multiple Facts.
- Approximately one third of all twin pairs are identical. Because identical twins share 100 percent of their genes, they are always the same sex and have the same basic physical features, such as eye and hair color.
- Airlines allow pregnant women to fly up to thirty-six weeks gestation on domestic flights and up to thirty-five weeks on international flights. This is not, however advisable for women pregnant with twins as there is a much higher risk for premature labor. After week twenty-four, physicians advise you stay home as air travel can trigger contractions.
Diet and Weight Gain.
This month marks the transition into the third trimester—defined as the seventh, eighth, and ninth months of pregnancy. During this time period, your babies’ bones and teeth require a steady supply of calcium. Although this mineral has been important right from the beginning of your pregnancy, it is even more critical now. If your diet does not contain adequate amounts, calcium is mobilized from your own bones in order to meet the needs of your babies.
