7 Weeks Pregnant With Twins or Multiples

Being seven weeks pregnant with twins is one of the greatest feelings for a young mother and a totally different ballgame for first-time moms. All the things that you might have expected at the beginning of your pregnancy will start getting prominent around this time. Right from your pants getting tighter to having a feeling of something growing inside you, these sensations are all that govern and define the seventh week of pregnancy. The babies are at an important milestone of their own growth as well, having grown to nearly twice the size they were in the previous week.

Twins Baby Growth and Development At 7 Weeks

At 7 weeks, your twin babies are bigger than the previous week, marching up to 0.5 inches long (13 mm) each from crown to rump, about the size of a blueberry.

Continuously growing without stopping a second, your twin babies’ heads are the prominent feature, and their brain cells are developing at a lightening scale. Besides brains, their legs and arms are also lengthening and taking shape. As their organs continue to grow, other features like fingers, toes, teeth, bones, ears, eyes, and nostrils continue to form.

While the twin babies are still embryos with their tiny vestigial tails, they continue to form their structure and lose the vestigial tails as it shrinks down until a tailbone is left in the coming weeks.

Common Body Changes

Since a growing foetus experiences one of its largest spurts of growth around this time, the changes experienced by a pregnant woman’s body are also quite substantial.

• You might feel warmer than other people and may want to turn the fan or AC on more often, which is a result of increased blood circulation within the body.
• Many women tend to experience a darkening of the skin. The most prominent is the formation of a dark line near the abdomen. Other areas of the body could have small patches of pigmentation, which tend to fade away after the delivery. Even the palms of your hand could darken a shade.
• The swell and fullness of the breasts will make them tender. There might even be a chance of noticing slight veins in the region. The areolas start getting darker as the nipples themselves become darker and larger in size. Tiny bumps will begin to appear around the nipples.
• The uterus undergoes the biggest change as it increases in size and develops into a shape that resembles a pear. At times, it may start shifting gradually to the right of the abdomen. Such a movement can make the inner ligaments tighter than usual and can be painful if you turn your body quickly.
• Ovulation stops completely at this point, and the production of newer eggs is totally closed down. The cyst that is formed by the ovaries continues to support the production of hormones and help the pregnancy sustain itself.
• The vaginal discharge might also increase around this point since the blood vessels multiply rapidly. Also, the discharge increases in order to lubricate the vagina in preparation for the delivery. The discharge would be thick and white in colour since the vagina becomes slightly more acidic than usual.
• The blood volume will rise to provide extra blood flow to the uterus. This increased blood volume can cause the pulse rate to increase during the second trimester of pregnancy. 
• By the second trimester, as your babies start occupying more space within your body, your organs move around to accommodate them. Your heart moves a little to the left. The lungs, on the other hand, tend to move upwards, causing your chest to expand a bit. This leads to the lungs expanding vertically a lot more than before, causing them to inhale and exhale a larger amount of air easily.
• With so much nutrient exchange taking place within the body, the kidneys swell and end up working overtime. The toxin secretion and flushing tend to be higher, causing more sensation of urination throughout.
• Although you might feel hungrier than usual, you will most likely feel satisfied after a small meal itself, due to the tendency of the stomach to empty itself at a slower rate than before. This could even result in increased instances of acid reflux in pregnant women. Lack of fibrous food items could result in constipation, which could inevitably cause haemorrhoids.

Symptoms of Twin Pregnancy at 7 Weeks

The signs of twin pregnancy at 7 weeks, tend to get quite strong around this time.

• The recurrent feeling of nausea, morning sickness and fatigue will increase in intensity, especially in the case of multiple babies, since the hormones are secreted in a higher quantity than before. But it is not for everyone, as many pregnant women conceiving twins may just experience normal symptoms.
• Food cravings can reach their peak and can make you want to gorge on anything and everything in sight. Having more food than usual is fine if you stick to a healthy diet. On the contrary, certain women can experience strong aversions to specific food items. This could happen with foods that have a particular smell or aroma that might trigger your morning sickness and cause you to throw up. Most of these aversions are a result of hormone fluctuations and are completely normal as long as the mother keeps getting the nutrients from alternative sources. Dry food items with a light flavour, such as yoghurt or biscuits, can be a good way to handle the situation.
• During pregnancy, some women may experience acne breakouts. However, a doctor’s advice must be taken before opting for any treatment.
• Salivation increases tremendously as a general accompaniment to the tendency to throw up frequently. You may even drool while sleeping.
• Women can experience minor cramps as a result of the growing uterus. As long as the cramps are not too intense and don’t repeat frequently, you are safe.
• Mood swings will be on top of the chart because of fluctuating hormones in the body to support the growing baby.
• Heaviness and sensitivity in breasts and on the areola region are common signs of twins at 7 weeks as well as in normal pregnancy. Investing in comfortable bras would be a wiser choice.

Belly at 7 Weeks Pregnant With Twins

The sudden increase in the size of the babies within a week can be evident from the size of your belly, which will make its presence felt more than before, making it a pronounced 7 weeks twins belly. Some women can even observe some light lines or streaks on the skin, which could be slightly reddish. These are also observed on the breasts and thighs. This is the beginning of your body developing stretch marks as it prepares to accommodate the growing babies. Whether you are conceiving identical babies or fraternal babies, you are building more than one placentas.

7 Weeks Twin Ultrasound

Most doctors would be able to let parents know by this stage if they should expect multiple babies in their pregnancy – twins, triplets, or more! Conclusive evidence may even be obtained up to two weeks prior, but this stage makes it easier for parents to come to terms with the fact as well, which is why most doctors wait until the seventh week and sometimes use the previous weeks to prepare the couple. The presence of two (or more) separate sacs can be spotted easily in the ultrasound scans of the seventh week. Although you may not be able to see much development in the shape of the babies, as long as the vital organs and physical limbs are developing in each of your babies, you can relax.

What to Eat?

The seventh week of pregnancy is usually the time when most women start experiencing cravings that you have heard of! Sometimes, food items that might not have been very interesting before could suddenly feel like the most delicious food ever! Some say that cravings are the body’s way of letting you know that it needs replenishment of nutrients. For example, wanting an ice cream could be a sign of a calcium fix or looking forward to devouring a meat item could necessitate the intake of proteins.

Irrespective of intense or minimal cravings, certain food items should be a part of your diet to ensure a balanced provision of all elements and nutrients you need. Initially, tackling a variety of food items while combating your triggers for morning sickness can be tough to navigate. Opting for a nutritious diet during twin pregnancy with colourful fruits and vegetables, lean meats, eggs, nuts, fish, dairy items, and green leafy vegetables that complete the dietary requirements of folate, protein, calcium, carbohydrates, iron, iodine, and fats, is a must. Also, do not skip supplements your doctor has suggested.

Pregnancy Care Tips

Taking care of your pregnancy goes way beyond healthy eating and taking care of your body. A few dos and don’ts are essential in keeping you safe.

Dos

• Get your medical checkup done as soon as you can. Make sure you prepare a list of questions and doubts you might have so that you can get all the answers.
• Remember to photograph your belly daily, at least twice or thrice a week. Doing so can give you an idea of how your pregnancy has progressed over the past months.

Don’ts

• Avoid raw food products such as meat and fish, no matter how much you crave them. Stay safe from any infections.
• Don’t opt for a weight-loss programme or restrict your diet to keep your weight under control. It could harm your baby in irreversible ways.

What You Need to Shop For?

Investing in some nice incense sticks or teas might benefit you as your morning sickness symptoms will get stronger over the coming weeks. Get a gentle scrub and moisturiser to keep your skin smooth and healthy. Start reading books or articles about pregnancy and baby development.

FAQs

1. How Early Can the Twin Pregnancy Be Detected?

At about 6 weeks, the doctors recommend an ultrasound to confirm the progress of the pregnancy and during this time, a twins pregnancy can be confirmed. In case a pregnant woman is going through any fertility treatment or any other medical condition, an ultrasound recommended around 4-5 weeks after a woman’s last period may detect twins pregnancy.

2. Can You Tell If You Have Twins at 7 Weeks?

Yes, a doctor can confirm a twin pregnancy at 7 weeks with the help of an ultrasound. Your 7 weeks belly would not look much like your earlier belly, so getting an ultrasound is always the best way to confirm a twin pregnancy at seven weeks.

3. Is Cramping Common at 7 Weeks if You Have Twins?

Yes, cramping at 7 weeks of pregnancy with twins is common. There are also many pregnant women like that also who do not experience twins pregnancy cramping at 7 weeks. Remember, that doesn’t mean anything is wrong with your pregnancy or baby. However, you must contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe cramping alongside spotting or bleeding.

Hearing twin heartbeats at seven weeks might be possible for some women, and that feeling is utterly precious. Seeing your babies growing safely can instantly turn a woman into a mother and boost your confidence about properly caring for your children.

References/Resources:

1. Fetal development; MedlinePlus; https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/002398.htm

2. Expecting Twins or Triplets; Cleveland Clinic; https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9710-expecting-twins-or-triplets

3. Fetal development: The 1st trimester; Mayo Clinic; https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-care/art-20045302

4. Twins Pregnancy Symptoms; Amercian Pregnancy Association; https://www.oviahealth.com/guide/256654/seven-weeks-pregnant-with-multiples/

5. Horsager-Boehrer. R; Patience is key: Understanding the timing of early ultrasounds; Ut Southwestern Medical Center; https://utswmed.org/medblog/patience-key-understanding-timing-early-ultrasounds/; November 2018

6. Pregnant With Twins; raisingchildren.net.au; https://raisingchildren.net.au/pregnancy/health-wellbeing/twin-pregnancy/pregnant-with-twins

7. Twins; Yale School of Medicine; https://medicine.yale.edu/obgyn/kliman/placenta/twins/

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