31 Weeks Pregnant With Twins: Symptoms, Baby Size, Ultrasound, & Care

By 31 weeks pregnant with twins, you may feel like every day brings a new pregnancy symptom as your babies continue to grow and your body prepares for their arrival. Your belly is getting bigger, movements may feel stronger, and symptoms such as back pain, pelvic pressure, heartburn, swelling, and fatigue can become more noticeable. While these changes can be uncomfortable, many are a normal part of reaching the third trimester with two babies.

So, what should you expect at 31 weeks with twins? This article covers baby size and development, common symptoms, ultrasound findings, antenatal care, and important warning signs to help you feel prepared for the weeks ahead.

How Are Twins Developing at 31 Weeks?

The onset of the 31st week of pregnancy might awaken most women from their rapture of the initial stages and put them at an alert stage of making sure they get the end part right. Similarly, your babies inside would be highly active now and alert of their surroundings.

The sensory perception is at its peak. Nearly all the senses present in the body have initiated their functioning, giving your children a good level of awareness. While they might already be sensing the presence of light and turning around to face the darkness when they need to sleep, this will also be paired with a better understanding of your voice, which could even calm them down (1). Similarly, eating certain food items might get them all riled up and excited, and they would also be experiencing certain emotions as a result of it. Rarely are any of these perceptions distinct enough to form a memory or a place for recall, but all these signals end up stimulating the brain and test its functioning.

When tracking the kick count of your little ones, you would be able to establish a rough schedule of sorts, getting a better idea of when your babies prefer to sleep and when do they turn your uterus into their playground. This is essential for doctors as well, so that they can establish a benchmark of normalcy in children. In their active periods, babies are also experimenting with their limbs and practising their grip, which will soon be enveloping around your pinky finger.

In case of male babies, the scrotal sac usually finishes its development around this week, and the testicles begin descending into it rapidly. By the time your babies are born, the testicles should be fully descended, which would also be checked by the doctor. Any presence of cryptorchidism, where the testicles fail to descend fully, would be detected only after birth (2).

Size of the Babies at 31 Weeks of Pregnancy

All the previous weeks of fat development will begin to show its benefit around this week. With a good layer of deposits having occurred throughout, the skin will be quite smoother than before, as well as stretched to a pretty good degree. Those fat deposits will also be responsible for increasing the weight of the babies, putting them somewhere in the range of 1.3-1.5 kilograms, with a length that is nearly 38-40 centimetres (3). While these values might fall on the lower end for twins and triplets, their size will be as large as a coconut.

Common Bodily Changes at 31 Weeks of Twin or Multiple Pregnancy

Your body will be pushed into yet another state of its own, as it begins to come to terms with a different degree of changes taking place within it. Right from an increase in weight to the changes in the biochemistry, the body will display all of them to you (4).

1. Mood Changes and Emotional Ups and Downs

You may feel more impatient, irritable, anxious, or overwhelmed as delivery gets closer. With twins, thoughts about labour, delivery, and your babies’ wellbeing can add to the emotional pressure. It is normal for your feelings to shift from excitement to nervousness and back again.

2. A Growing Belly and Changes in Foot Size

Your belly is likely quite prominent by now as your babies continue gaining weight. You may also notice swollen or wider-looking feet, particularly toward the end of the day. Pregnancy-related fluid retention can contribute to swelling, while hormonal changes may loosen ligaments and alter the way your feet feel and fit into shoes.

3. Shortness of Breath and Increased Fatigue

As your uterus expands to accommodate two growing babies, it can put pressure on your diaphragm and lungs, making you feel short of breath. You may also tire more easily, especially after routine activities. Sitting upright, taking regular breaks, and avoiding strenuous activity may make breathing and fatigue more manageable.

What Are the Symptoms at 31 Weeks Pregnant With Twins?

At 31 weeks, twin pregnancy symptoms can feel more intense as your babies grow and your body gets closer to delivery. The most common ones include (3):

1. Increased Aches and Pains

The extra weight and pressure of two growing babies can make backaches, pelvic pressure, and general body aches more noticeable during this stage.

2. Frequent Urination

As your uterus grows, it puts additional pressure on your bladder, so you may find yourself urinating more often, including during the night.

3. Breast Leakage

You may notice small amounts of colostrum leaking from your breasts as they prepare for breastfeeding. This can happen before delivery and does not necessarily mean labour is near (5).

4. Braxton Hicks Contractions

Braxton Hicks contractions may continue at 31 weeks. They are usually irregular and tend to ease with rest or a change in activity. Regular, increasingly painful contractions should be discussed with your healthcare provider (6).

5. Forgetfulness and Poor Sleep

Sleep disruption, physical discomfort, and the mental demands of preparing for twins can leave you feeling tired, distracted, or forgetful.

What Does a Twin Pregnancy Belly Look Like at 31 Weeks?

With the twins’ weight at 31 weeks reaching another milestone of sorts, their effect on the tummy would be substantial, causing a slight increase in the size. Similarly, you would also continue experiencing minor contractions randomly, which would signal a return of the Braxton Hicks contractions.

What Does a 31-Week Twin Ultrasound Show?

The ultrasound conducted this week would not only check your babies but also examine you, too. A three-dimensional scan might also be undertaken, giving you a full-fledged look at your children. This usually would have to be requested by you, since it is quite expensive than the usual one.

What Should You Eat at 31 Weeks Pregnant With Twins?

Vitamin-rich food should be your go-to choice this week. A lot of proteins, fats, calcium, and numerous elements of nutrition need to be taken by the mother so that the milk production can get the boost it needs, and contain all the necessary constituents that would make the babies healthier once they are born.

Care Tips at 31 Weeks Pregnant With Twins?

With your due date closing in, make sure you adhere to a few tips to be careful at this last stage.

Dos

• Make a list of things and activities to be completed before delivery.
• Keep a plan-B ready in case your hospital visit does not work out.

Don’ts

• Don’t refrain from asking for help from your friends and family for any support.
• Avoid being fearful or exposing yourself to scary movies or incidents for this week.

What Do You Need to Buy at 31 Weeks Pregnant With Twins?

All you need to do is focus on the delivery and the babies coming in soon, which can be supported by purchasing:

• A light cream to treat sore nipples
• Nursing bras that can facilitate easy breastfeeding
• Twins nursing pillow to feed the twins easily.

FAQs

1. Can the babies still change position at 31 weeks?

Yes. Twins at 31 weeks pregnant can still move and change position, although the available space is becoming more limited. Their positions may continue to change before delivery, and your doctor will assess them during prenatal visits and ultrasounds.

2. Can labour start at 31 weeks with twins?

Yes, preterm labour can occur at 31 weeks, although it does not happen in every twin pregnancy. Regular contractions, leaking fluid, vaginal bleeding, or pelvic pressure that is getting stronger should be reported immediately so you can be assessed.

31 week twin pregnancy can instil a combination of excitement and fear in most mothers. Let the enthusiasm grow a sense of confidence within you, and it will gently take over any anxiety or worry that might arise.

Previous Week: Twin Pregnancy Week 30

Next Week: Twin Pregnancy Week 32

Our Editorial Policy

Parenting is a huge responsibility, for you as a caregiver, but also for us as a parenting content platform. We understand that and take our responsibility of creating credible content seriously. FirstCry Parenting articles are written and published only after extensive research using factually sound references to deliver quality content that is accurate, validated by experts, and completely reliable. To understand how we go about creating content that is credible, read our editorial policy here.

Sources References

1. University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center – Womb with a view: Sensory development in utero

2. Mayo Clinic – Undescended testicle

3. NHS – Week 31

4. Tommy’s – 31 weeks pregnant: baby’s development, Braxton Hicks and your baby’s movements

5. Cleveland Clinic – Colostrum

6. Cleveland Clinic – Braxton Hicks Contractions