At 18 weeks pregnant with twins you’re quickly approaching the mid point of your twinnies pregnancy, and I’m sure you’re growing fast.
As you start to show, expect more people to start mentioning it. If you’re the sort of person who thrives on attention, this can be an amazing time, but if you’re a little more reserved, it might be worth thinking up a way to deal with all this increased pressure.
Either way, you’re going to start putting on weight pretty quickly, if you haven’t already, so it might be worth taking some time out for your relationship, because it will only get more difficult in the coming months.
A single fetus at 18 weeks
See 17 weeks pregnant with twins
See 19 weeks pregnant with twins
Your Twin Babies at 18 Weeks Pregnant
Some time in the next few weeks, you might feel a wonderful sensation for the first time. Your babies moving around inside your tummy.
They’ve been doing it for weeks, but now they’re getting big enough and strong enough that you’re starting to pick up on it. Pretty soon, it’ll be a regular occurrence, but right now, it’s going to feel unique, and so amazing!
18 weeks in, and your babies are around 5.5 inches long, and weigh anywhere between 5.5 and 6.5 ounces each, or the size of a large bell pepper!
Twin Pregnancy Symptoms at 18 Weeks
This week, and the coming weeks, will see things start to get a little, um, achy. As you and your babies grow in size, expect it to start taking a toll on your body. But you’ve come this far. We’re almost halfway already!
- Backaches: As your babies get heavier and put more strain on your body and your back, expect this symptom to only get worse. Rest, gentle exercise, and as many long baths as you can get are on the menu!
- Swelling extremities: With all that increased blood flow and pressure in your body, as well as all the extra fluids you’ve got, you can expect your hands and feet to swell up a little bit. As long as it’s steady, and you don’t wake up one morning with feet like a basketball player’s, it’s nothing to worry about. Just a little bit inconvenient.
- Varicose veins: Another present from all the increased blood pressure. You deal with them like you would normal varicose veins. Keep yourself moving, sit with your legs elevated, and try to wear loose, comfy clothes when possible. Compression socks for varicose veins are also quite effective.
- Nosebleeds: They’re only going to get more likely as the weeks go on. Increased blood pressure and weaker blood vessels in the nose mean pregnancy nosebleeds are a pretty common occurrence. Unfortunately. So keep a pack of tissues handy.
- Your babies kicking: Finally, something good! Expect to start feeling your babies moving around in the next week or two!
18 Weeks Ultrasound Twins
If you’re having Di/Di twins who have their own amniotic sacs, watch out on your next scan. Because they’re moving so much, it’s actually possible for you to see the membranes that separate your twins shifting on the ultrasound as they stretch and move about in there.
You can also expect to see them moving around a lot more, now. Expect to see them rolling around, kicking out, even yawning and sucking on their thumbs. It’s both incredible and adorable!
Things to Do This Week for a Healthy Pregnancy
- It’s time to start thinking about sleeping on your side. Your babies are getting big enough to put pressure against the major blood vessels that run up your back, which can inhibit blood flow. This can easily be rectified, though, by rolling over and sleeping on your side, like we said. If you’re not used to it, sleeping on your side can be hard to get comfy with. We recommend a bunch of pillows, or a dedicated pregnancy pillow.
- Decide if you want to find out your babies sexes. Talk it out with your partner, and see what you both think, because you’re getting to the point where you can start to find out the sexes of your babies with pretty high reliability.
Worth Buying Now
Disclosure: These links are affiliate links meaning we earn a small commission for any qualifying purchases.
- A body pillow for back and hip support at night
- Why not set up your Baby Registry?
- Some comfy night maternity wear
We asked the TwinStuff Community what their Must Have products were during the second Trimester:
- Belly cream
- Elastic pants waist extenders
- Bra extenders
- Flipflops
- Belly belt
- Pregnancy pajamas
- Pain heat wrap
- Muscle pain soothing balm
- Car seat support
- Pregnancy novelty t-shirts 🙂
Check out our newborn twins shopping list post.
Are You 18 Weeks Pregnant with Twins?
Learning how to sleep in a different position can be hard, so practice it now before it becomes completely necessary. If you need any help, take a look around.
We’ve got articles about this, and you can always leave a comment if you need specific advice. How do you feel at 18 weeks pregnant with twins?
