Preparing for Multiple Births

Over the past two decades, there's been a phenomenal rise in the number of multiple births in the United States. Between 1980 and 2004, the number of twin births increased by 70% and the number of births involving three or more babies has quadrupled.

What's responsible for this dramatic rise in multiple births? And how should you prepare for your own multiple birth experience?

The Miracle of Multiples

Several factors contribute to the development of a multiple pregnancy:

• Heredity: A history of multiple births on a woman's side of the family increases her chances of having a multiple pregnancy.
• Race: Women of African descent are the most likely to have multiple pregnancies.
• Number of prior pregnancies: Having more than one previous pregnancy, especially a multiple pregnancy, increases the chance of having a multiple pregnancy.
• Delayed childbearing: Older women who get pregnant are more likely to have multiples.
• Infertility treatment: Fertility drugs, which stimulate the ovaries to release multiple eggs, or assisted reproductive technology (ART), which transfers multiple embryos into the womb (such as in vitro fertilization, or IVF), greatly increase a woman's chance of having a multiple pregnancy.

It's the last two factors that have been on the rise in the last couple of decades and are probably responsible for the increase in multiple births.

The Types of Multiples

There are two types of twins: monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal).

Identical twins result from a single fertilized egg dividing into separate halves and continuing to develop into two separate but identical babies. These twins are is a common term for triplets and other higher-order multiple births, such as quadruplets or quintuplets. These babies can be identical, fraternal, or a combination of both. But higher-order births are rare; triplets occur in approximately 1 in 7,000 to 8,000 births, whereas quintuplets are likely to be born only once in 47 million births.

The most immediate risk involved with multiple births is pre-term (or early) labor resulting in numerous health challenges. Because the care of premature babies is so different from that of full-term infants, preemies are usually placed in a cerebral palsy occur more commonly in twins than in single births, and there's a higher risk of enduring health problems with higher-order multiple births.

Because of these concerns, many doctors who specialize in fertility treatments require prospective parents to undergo intensive counseling on the possibilities and risks associated with multiple births.

Staying Healthy During a Multiple Pregnancy

Eating properly, getting enough rest, and making regular trips to the doctor are critical measures for any expectant mother to born with a health problem.

Your Nutrition

If you're pregnant with multiples, you should follow general pregnancy nutrition guidelines, including increasing your calcium and folic acid intake. Pregnant women need additional calcium, so extra milk or fortified orange juice, broccoli, sardines, or other calcium-rich foods should be added to your diet.

As with all expectant mothers, spina bifida).

Another dietary requirement that needs to be increased if you're expecting more than one baby is protein, which has several important functions. First, proteins serve as the building materials of body tissue. They also act as enzymes that regulate chemical reactions to keep a body growing and functioning.

During pregnancy, an increased supply of iron is also needed for hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that binds oxygen for delivery to the tissues. Insufficient iron can lead to a condition known as cesarean section (C-section) with your doctor well before your due date. Several factors affect the safety of each approach. Even if you and your doctor agree to attempt a vaginal delivery, circumstances may arise during labor or delivery that make a C-section necessary.

You may opt to have additional birthing attendants in the room during labor and birth. For example, first day.

Taking Your Babies Home

The first days, weeks, and months are often the most difficult for parents of multiples, as everyone learns to get used to the frequent feedings, lack of sleep, and little personal time involved in recover from delivery, it can also give you the precious time you need to get to know your babies.

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