You made it! You are now officially at the 50% mark of carrying your babies. With a 20-week twin foetus present in your womb all safe and sound, the happiness and excitement would be infectious to everyone. Most women tend to be at their best behaviour and feel ecstatic around this time, while an unlucky few might still be battling the bouts of nausea. The good news is that all of it will pretty much come to an end because more important things are on their way. And these are not merely related to your own body, but also for the babies who will see some of the most significant changes in their own body in the coming months.
The 20th week of pregnancy holds immense importance for babies for their development, as well as for doctors since it provides a massive load of information about your kids, helping them make the right medical decisions.
One of the largest internal developments that your children have is the development of the ability to know how one flavour is different from the other. They might not be able to identify or pin it down to a specific one conclusively, but they can taste the difference. Around this week, babies start consuming the amniotic fluid, through which they get their nutrition. This fluid tends to change its taste based on what you’ve had in your meals. Most of the times the taste borders on sweet and resembles the same flavour as that of your breastmilk. Combined with the reflexive tendency to suck on their thumbs when they drink the fluid, this is the first nudging of the evolutionary process to learn to breastfeed.
The triplets or twins residing inside your womb are now beginning to form their own biological gender identities. Male babies will have developed a small penis while their scrotal sacs will start descending to form the testicles. This process is pretty gradual since the scrotum needs to finish growing entirely for the testes to descend in them. Similarly, female babies will have developed their ovaries inside, with more than 5 million eggs already formed inside it, which tends to reduce by the time they emerge out into the real world. Similarly, her uterus also approaches completion while her vaginal canal initiates its growth in this week, creating a miraculous companionship inside you.
Most babies tend to grow by around an extra centimetre from the last week, coming to about 15 to 16 centimetres, when measured from their head to their butt. Their weight also increases by approximately 40-60 grams, which might be less for multiples. In any case, your little ones would now be as large as a small banana in this week.
The completion of nearly half the pregnancy journey begins to put the body in a good sense of calm and stability. That being said, certain typical signs can affect the body’s behaviour much more intensely, than its physical appearance.
None of the signs that you might witness when pregnant with triplets or multiple babies is anything out of the ordinary from what you might have seen in the previous weeks. Most of them are just repeated irritations or only remnants of the past.
Once you have reached the 20th week of your pregnancy, most doctors would start measuring how large your belly is, and then continue doing so. This becomes another parameter to track the progress of your pregnancy. The measurements are usually taken from the front of the belly starting from the navel, around to your pubic bone.
The uterus sinks further below in the abdominal region, with the belly continuing to grow steadily, with an increased curvature. In the presence of triplets or multiples, the pressure can get too taxing for you, which can be reduced by using a maternity belt for support.
The ultrasound that your doctor conducts around this period is one of the most crucial ones on all fronts.
If you have had regular checkups, you would be quick to notice the extended duration this ultrasound scan will take. This is because your doctor would observe your babies in-depth to understand if there are any anomalies or defects visible in their growth.
Similarly, you would be able to see your babies in more detail as well as listen to their strong heartbeats.
Balanced nutrition needs to continue through this week as well. This is also an excellent time to shift from a typical meal-eating routine to a one that is focused more on grazing through food throughout the day. Boiled and steamed food items remain at the top of the list, along with any nutritional supplements. Make sure your cravings don’t get in the way of a healthy diet.
Though things are changing, your pregnancy requires only the necessary tips to take care of itself effectively.
The mid-point of your pregnancy is a great time to indulge in some useful shopping. You can purchase necessities such as:
Being pregnant with twins at 20 weeks should put you in a position of happiness and confidence. You have safely got your babies this far and there’s just the same amount of time to go ahead. In no time, you will have the babies in your arms and your heart will be filled with joy about being a mother.