29 Weeks Pregnant with Twins or Multiples

29 Weeks Pregnant with Twins or Multiples

When you are 29 weeks pregnant with twins or triplets, foetal development will pretty much be the most critical thing that you and your doctor will be concerned about. By this time, you will start feeling that things are starting to get serious all of a sudden. This is true to some degree since your babies will begin to develop a unique sense of identity and would behave in ways only you would be able to understand. Knowing how and when your babies move and kick is just as important as putting all things together to help them settle when they finally come out. Any responsibilities that you need to take care of for the family and your babies need to wrap up in these weeks as you won’t be able to function more in the coming months.

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The Growth of the Babies At 29 Weeks

The growth of your babies will reach a point of slowdown, but only in matters of their length and size. Most babies begin to plateau around on these fronts by the 29th week, but their weight keeps increasing substantially. It would reach nearly thrice of what it might be now, giving your back a hard time, literally.

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Any hair that was present on the skin of the babies until now will find its way out rapidly in this week. The vernix covering their skin would start thinning as their skin gets thicker with all the fat deposits, keeping them safe. If there are tiny remnants of hair that stay even after your babies are born, those too will go away in a few weeks post their birth.

Their movements will get a new energetic vibe. With the amniotic fluid surrounding them and providing them with a natural medium for movement, their kicks, punches, stretches, thumb sucking periods, acrobatics, and all kind of activities will reach their zenith. These activities are quite essential for their development and these also help the mother get a fair idea of how their babies are progressing. Knowing that your children are active around specific time periods of the day can reassure you of their well-being and if you feel something is wrong, you can intervene immediately. There is no need to compare your twins or triplets with someone else’s.

What Is the Size of the Babies?

As mentioned earlier, this current phase focuses more on the weight of the babies than their physical attributes. When looking at their size or their length, it would tend to be nearly the same as that of the previous week, hovering close to 38-39 centimetres. Their weight, however, would nearly cross a kilogram or come close to it pretty much.

Common Bodily Changes

The bodily changes that a pregnant woman undergoes are more pronounced when she is expecting twins or triplets. While some might continue to irritate just as before, a few might ruin the entire experience altogether.

  • Constipation during pregnancy is normal and you will experience it even in the third trimester of your pregnancy. Not only is it difficult to combat, but it can be quite irritating also because you don’t want to spend your precious pregnancy time sitting on the pot. The culprits making this worse than before are two parameters that work in tandem. The two hormones, relaxin and progesterone, relax the body during pregnancy. The other is the increasing size of the uterus that tends to disturb the position of the intestine. Since one relaxes the bowel muscles and the other makes it difficult to push out the contents, you will be constipated. To combat this, all you can do is drink a lot of water and eat fibrous foods.
  • While you may not attribute haemorrhoids to be a result of the various changes in the body, the truth is that they are indirectly related to all the reasons that cause constipation to occur in the first place. The presence of a constipated digestive system is what causes many women to strain and apply pressure to pass the stools. This increased strain causes the blood vessels to come under immense pressure, which can swell and form haemorrhoids. Furthermore, the blood circulation is already at its peak, with a lot of quantity flowing in the lower body region. Therefore, the strain can easily cause haemorrhoids to form. Handling constipation effectively can keep these in check, too.
  • The relaxation of muscles can cause your intestines to not function with the same strength as they did before. This relaxation also affects smaller muscles within the body, which prevent substances from flowing back in the reverse direction. The most significant organ to be affected as a result of this is the sphincter that separates the stomach from the oesophagus. Once this valve-like muscle is relaxed, the contents of the stomach will begin to find their way back up your throat. Stomach acids will increase, causing you to feel that acidic and you may experience a burning sensation in your throat. A dietary restriction combined with a streamlined eating schedule can reduce its frequency, but won’t treat it completely.

Symptoms of Twin Pregnancy At 29 Weeks

Apart from gaining weight, many other symptoms of the pregnancy would resurface around this week.

  • The tendency to scratch your belly and itch it all over will get a lot stronger, but you need to be careful not to give in. It is quite natural to feel that, since your skin is being stretched extensively to house your babies comfortable, and that causes it to be thinner than usual. This thin layering is what increases its sensitivity, with any minor interaction resulting in irritation or the need to scratch it out. These can leave red marks that won’t fade away even after pregnancy. Therefore, investing in some moisturiser would be a good choice for you.
  • Your lower body will be stressed. By the 29th week of pregnancy, there will be a lot of pressure on the back, as your back supports your increased tummy weight and your hips and leg struggle to keep your balance and posture upright, with the change in weight and joint strength. The hormones don’t make it easy for you, and your ligaments loosen up. There will also be an undue pressure in various regions of your body.
  • Just when you are making your peace with all these changes and looking forward to much-needed rest or sleep, your bladder will awaken you from your slumber and cause you to walk wobbly to the toilet to pee. This will be a frequent situation for you and your bathroom will become your second home.

Twin Pregnancy – Belly At 29 Weeks

The size of your belly will increase and you will feel the urge to itch it. Your stomach will be quite large by now, but don’t let that large size affect you. You should feel proud that your babies are developing in the right manner. Any slight twitching experienced in the abdominal region would be a result of the tiny hiccups the babies tend to experience. Your uterus would have expanded quite a lot by now and you can touch your tummy above your navel to look for its topmost portion.

Twin Pregnancy at 29 Weeks – Ultrasound

Your doctor would suggest an ultrasound scan in the 29th week only if they require to check something on an early basis. On doing an ultrasound scan, you will see that the membrane separating your babies will begin to show itself in a much clearer way. Your twins’ or triplets’ bodies would also be developing rapidly now and the head would tend to increase in size to house the brain comfortably.

What To Eat

Babies require a balanced and proper diet without fail for their unhindered growth. Consuming anything harmful will affect the babies directly. So, watch before you eat. Your diet should be rich in calcium and protein during this week. Include a lot of green leafy vegetables and cereals to maintain your haemoglobin levels. Also, eat fibrous fruits to ensure that your health is fine.

Twin Pregnancy at 29 weeks - green vegetables

Pregnancy Care Tips

Take a few tips into account to prepare yourself for the weeks to come and stay healthy and calm.

Dos

  • Take maternity leave if you haven’t done so already. Enjoy your time at home.
  • Keep a bag ready with all the necessary items that you’d require for your delivery.

Dont’s

  • Avoid consuming smoked meat or uncooked items.
  • Don’t expose yourself to extreme temperatures as it can be harmful to the child.

What You Need To Shop For

With your little ones arriving in a few months, get yourself some useful items, like:

  • Quick use baby wipes
  • Tiny nail cutters and thermometers
  • Sanitary napkins for yourself

Be ecstatic that you are 29 weeks pregnant with twins or triplets. It won’t be long before you would have them in your house. Soon your family will be complete and your little ones will call you mommy-mommy and your heart will swell with pride.