20 Weeks Pregnant With Twins – Symptoms, Body Changes, & Ultrasound

At twenty weeks pregnant with twins, you’re around the halfway mark, and your babies are growing rapidly while your body adjusts to carrying two. Your belly may be noticeably bigger, movements may be easier to feel, and symptoms such as backache, heartburn, fatigue, and breathlessness can become more noticeable.

At this stage, your 20 week anatomy scan of twins becomes an exciting opportunity to see how both babies are growing and developing. Along with what you can expect to see on the scan, it’s helpful to know how your body may feel and which changes are typical when carrying twins. This article walks you through the symptoms, body changes, baby development, and ultrasound findings you may encounter at 20 weeks.

The Growth of the Babies At 20 Weeks

The 20th week of pregnancy holds immense importance for fetal development. Here are some of the key changes happening in your babies this week:

1. Your Babies Are Developing Their Sense of Taste

At 20 weeks, your twins are developing the ability to experience different tastes. They swallow small amounts of amniotic fluid, which surrounds and protects them throughout pregnancy (1). The flavour of this fluid can vary depending on compounds from the foods you eat, giving your babies early exposure to different tastes.

You may also notice your babies sucking their thumbs or fingers during an ultrasound. Sucking is an important reflex that develops before birth and helps prepare babies for feeding after delivery (2).

2. Your Babies’ Sex Organs Continue to Develop

By 20 weeks, your babies’ reproductive organs are becoming more developed. In male babies, the penis is formed, while the testicles are developing in the abdomen and will gradually move toward the scrotum later in pregnancy. In female babies, the ovaries are developing and contain millions of immature eggs, while the uterus and vagina continue to form.

Your 20-week ultrasound may also be able to show the babies’ sex, depending on their position and the quality of the scan (3).

What Is the Size of the Babies?

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 (4). In any case, your little ones would now be as large as a small banana this week.

Common Bodily Changes

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.

1. Your Belly and Lower Back May Feel Different

Whether you’ve been a fitness enthusiast or a woman who has had a fit body, the onset of the pregnancy and the growing belly would feel extremely weird around this time. In the usual state, the muscles that are present in the abdominal region, generally termed abs, are arranged in a specific order, even if they may or may not be visible under your tummy fat. But once the uterus starts pushing your belly outside and attempts to make space for itself in the abdominal region, the muscles also need to move around and rearrange themselves to suit the changed structure.

Women who have been used to seeing their muscles might be in for a weird vision when they lie down and see their stomachs. This rearrangement is never painful, but very few women usually speak about lower back pain as a result of it.

2. You May Feel More Short of Breath

The uterus expansion does not merely shift the organs in the abdominal region. It also begins to affect the ones present in the upper areas of your torso. All of this shifting starts affecting your diaphragm as well as your lungs. This might not make itself feel physical, but its effect would be pretty evident once you exert yourself or partake in an activity that increases your heart rate. Most women tend to mention times when they find themselves taking short breaths or failing to take a large deep breath the way they could take before (5).

Thankfully, this does not cause any problems for the pregnant mother, but care does need to be taken to make sure you don’t push yourself harder as a result of it.

3. Your Energy Levels May Improve

While most changes might make you feel like the 20th week of pregnancy would be revolving around coming to terms with some more bodily changes that are discomforting to you, one of the welcomed effects is a high level of energy that revitalises your very core. With nausea levels falling and the excitement of holding your babies taking over you, this mid-pregnancy period would be one of the highly treasured ones in your life.

20 Week Twin Pregnancy Symptoms

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 (6).

1. Swelling and Cramps May Occur

Water retention, boosted circulation, pooling of blood, and the ever-expanding uterus will all result in swellings and cramps in numerous areas of the body (7). The typical ones are your feet and legs, along with your face in certain areas. As long as the swelling doesn’t seem out of the ordinary, it all seems to be safe. Similarly, any stress on the abdomen or the back will result in an ache, which can usually seem to go away once appropriately massaged.

2. Indigestion and Constipation Can Continue

The stomach and intestines work in tandem to properly digest your food and help synthesise its nutrition. Their functioning depends heavily on their proper location within the body and the levels of various hormones that regulate their activities. In pregnancy, the hormone levels are all over the place. Therefore, indigestion, passing farts, and constipation will be ever-present for quite some time.

3. Vaginal Discharge May Increase

Another sign of worry for women might be the discharge that continues to occur from the vagina. While it might look weird, it is normal. On the contrary, it is a strong sign that your body is functioning appropriately. Any foul smell or an odd colour of the discharge could spell the presence of an infection (8).

4. You May Feel Short of Breath

There will be a feeling of shortness of breath. As your uterus grows, it pushes up on your diaphragm, making it harder to breathe.

Twin Pregnancy – Belly At 20 Weeks

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.

20 Week Twin Ultrasound

The 20 week scan of twins that your doctor conducts 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 (3).

Similarly, you would be able to see your babies in more detail as well as listen to their strong heartbeats.

What to Eat?

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 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.

Pregnancy Care Tips

Though things are changing, your pregnancy requires only the necessary tips to take care of itself effectively (9).

Dos

• Start signing up for childbirth classes and discussing your birthing plans.
• Focus heavily on maintaining high iron levels in your nutrition.

Don’ts

• Avoid indulging in stressful thinking regarding the future of your children.
• Don’t forget to pair good food with a healthy exercise regimen at the right time.

What You Need to Shop For?

The mid-point of your pregnancy is a great time to indulge in some useful shopping. You can purchase necessities such as:

• Decorative items for the child’s crib or nursery.
• Thermal clothes and boots if the due date is in winter.

When to Consult a Doctor?

Contact your healthcare provider if you experience:

• Heavy vaginal bleeding or fluid leaking from the vagina
• Severe or persistent abdominal or pelvic pain
• Regular or painful contractions
• Severe headache or changes in vision
• Sudden or significant swelling of the face or hands
• Fever or chills
• Difficulty breathing or chest pain

FAQs

1. Is it normal to feel more tired when pregnant with twins at 20 weeks?

It is common to feel more tired when pregnant with twins at 20 weeks. This is because your body is working harder to support two babies. You may also experience other symptoms such as back pain, heartburn, and shortness of breath. It is important to get plenty of rest and stay hydrated

2. What should you be eating while 20 weeks pregnant with twins?

Eating a healthy and balanced diet is important when pregnant with twins. You should aim to consume a variety of foods from all food groups, including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, lean protein, and healthy fats. It is also important to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water throughout the day

3. What foods should you avoid during multiple pregnancy at 20 weeks?

During multiple pregnancies, it is important to avoid certain foods that can increase the risk of foodborne illness. These include raw or undercooked meat, poultry, and seafood, as well as unpasteurised dairy products and juices. You should also avoid foods that are high in mercury, such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish.

4. What does a 20 weeks pregnant with twins belly look like?

A twin pregnancy belly at 20 weeks may appear noticeably larger and more rounded than a singleton pregnancy belly, but there is no single “normal” size. Looking at 20 weeks pregnant with twins belly pictures can give you a general visual reference, but belly size varies based on your body type, previous pregnancies, and the babies’ positions.

5. Can you feel twins moving at 20 weeks?

Yes, you may start feeling your twins move around this time. Some women notice fluttering or gentle kicks, while others may not feel consistent movements yet, particularly during a first pregnancy.

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.

Previous Week: Twin Pregnancy Week 19

Next Week: Twin Pregnancy Week 21

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Sources References

1. Cleveland Clinic – Amniotic Fluid

2. American Academy of Pediatrics – Newborn Reflexes

3. NHS – 20-week screening scan

4. Mayo Clinic – Fetal development: The 2nd trimester

5. Tommy’s – Breathlessness in pregnancy

6. NHS – Week 20

7. The University of New Mexico – What Causes Leg Cramps in Pregnancy?

8. NHS – Vaginal discharge in pregnancy

9. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases – Health Tips for Pregnant Women