If you smoke cigarettes, and are pregnant or plan to be pregnant you should definitely consider stopping the habit. When you inhale tobacco smoke you are inhaling substances that are harmful to you and your growing baby. These substances include nicotine, carbon monoxide, hydrogen cyanide, tars, resins and other cancer causing agents. These harmful chemicals are passed through the placenta to the baby when inhaled by the mother to be.

Smoking has a number of harmful effects on babies such as, a low birth weight, lower IQ scores, reading disorders, and hyperactivity. Smoking has also been known to interfere with the baby’s absorption of vitamins B and C and folic acid, which are all important to the growth and development of the baby. There is a risk of developing placental abruption during pregnancy that increases to 25% in women who are moderate smokers, and 65% in women who smoke heavily. Smoking during pregnancy also increases the risk of miscarriage, death of the baby while still in the mother, or shortly after birth. The risk of placenta previa is 25% more likely to happen in women who smoke moderately, and 90% more likely in women who smoke heavily.

Drinking alcohol while pregnant is also not a good idea. There are very serious risks involved with drinking alcohol and being pregnant. Even a little amount of alcohol can increase the risk of having a miscarriage. Large amounts of alcohol can result in abnormalities of the baby. Chronic alcohol use can lead to fetal alcohol syndrome, FAS, which is when the fetus develops abnormally.

Fetal alcohol syndrome refers to growth retardation before and after the child’s birth. This can mean heart and limb defects and unusual facial characteristics. Children born with FAS can also have behavioral problems, impaired speech, and impaired muscle and joint use.

Abnormalities in babies have been associated with as little as two drinks a day. It is best to avoid alcohol altogether, so that you do not put your baby at risk of having fetal alcohol syndrome. Some over the counter cold medicines contain alcohol, so make sure to read labels before use of all medications.

Not only does the mother need to avoid alcohol, but it is also a good idea for the father to not drink also. Research suggests that large amounts of alcohol consumed by the father may cause the baby to be born with FAS. Alcohol consumption by the father has also been known to cause intrauterine growth retardation.

Not only can illegal drugs have harmful effects on babies, but legal drugs and medications can have harmful effects on babies also. You should stop all use of medications until you discuss the medicines with your doctor to find out if they are safe to use while pregnant. The best way to prevent any of these harmful effects on your baby is to stop all drug use before and during pregnancy. The next time you consider getting “high”, having a drink, or lighting up, think of how it would feel if your baby is born with abnormalities, and you single handedly could have prevented these hardships for your baby.

No one can truly prepare you for twins but I am going to try to help some.

Double the Symptoms.

You are probably wondering what pregnancy symptoms you will have. The majority of twin moms had the same symptoms as a normal pregnancy, just multiplied.

Double the Nausea. As I, many women experience increased nausea and vomiting, referred to as morning sickness. If you have severe vomiting and can’t keep any liquids down for over 48 hours you should contact your doctor. They may want to hook you up to an IV to keep you hydrated. Lack of hydration can lead to pre-term labor.

Double the Size. Maybe not exactly double but definitely bigger. One sure symptom for a twin pregnancy is a bigger belly. Expect to gain is about 1 pound per week, or about 40 pounds for a full twin pregnancy. Weight gain for a single pregnancy is normally 25 pounds. You may want to eat especially healthy when carrying twins. You don’t want to get too big. Too much weight can push you into pre-term labor. Many women complain that the sleepless nights were multiplied to what at the time felt like a million times. Since your stomach will grow significantly larger than a normal pregnancy you can expect to be pretty uncomfortable.

Double the Movements. Yes, you can expect more movement. Many women pregnant with twins experience more movement than normal. You may feel a kick at the top of your stomach and at the same time as one in your back. My four year old and I used to love to lay on my back and just watch them move. “It’s an earthquake in your tummy” he would say. It is normal for the movement to slow down later in your pregnancy since there won’t be much room for them to move. I highly suggest watching a movie on twin development in the womb. It is truly amazing to watch them interact. Also consider getting a 3d ultrasound video done.

Double the Ultrasounds. One of my personal favorites. Ultrasounds are used more often in twin pregnancy to watch out for potential problems. An early ultrasound with twins is needed to establish the due date and to see if they are developing in separate amniotic sacs. If they share the same sac there are more risk and complications. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence with twins, only about 1% of all twins. Ultrasound is an excellent way to comparing the sizes of the twins. One baby may be slightly larger but hopeful not too much. Sometimes one baby will steal from the other.

Double the Complications. Twin pregnancies are at a much higher risk of premature labor. They are also at risk for low birth weight, gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, toxemia of pregnancy, and complications of delivery.

Premature Labor. Premature is anything less than 37 weeks completed. Over 60% of all twins will deliver prematurely. Most of these premature deliveries occur after 34 weeks, in which case the overall long-term risks to the babies are quite rare. Deliveries before 34 weeks, especially those before 32 weeks, can result in low birth weight, and increased risks of permanent disabilities such as cerebral palsy, mental retardation, hearing or vision problems. The best timing for delivery of twins is earlier than the actual due date. Keeping them in until the due date may result in larger babies, but also further increases the risks of placental complications, labor-related complications, and delivery –related complications. The ideal timing for delivery of twins is from 37 1/2 to 38 weeks pregnancy.

Signs of premature labor include: cramps, contractions, and menstrual pains, increasing pelvic or vaginal pressure, increasing low back pain, heavy vaginal discharge, vaginal spotting or bleeding, rectal pressure. If you experience any of these signs you should contact your doctor. Better safe than sorry.

Double the Delivery. The likelihood of you having a vaginal delivery with your twins is about 50%. In order for your doctor to consider a vaginal delivery both babies need to be head down; both should weigh more than 4-5 pounds and be more than 35-36 weeks gestation. They should be similar in size with no evidence of growth problems. No other pregnancy complications should be present such as high blood pressure or low placenta. Twin deliveries usually occur in an operating room with personnel standing by prepared at any moment for an emergency cesarean section. Twins born from cesarean section are usually both about 1 minute apart. Many consider cesarean section to be a better option for twin births since if complication arrives they are better prepared. This is however something you should talk about with your doctor.

I experienced toxemia, often referred to as preeclampsia, which led me to an emergency cesarean section. I was scared out of my mind but when all was said and done they wheeled me down to the operating room at 34 weeks. 5 minutes after the epidural was given, my baby boys were born. Everyone’s experience is different. Just be sure to find a doctor you trust and who will keep you as informed as possible.

Double the Questions. Get prepared now. Everyone is going to want to know are they?

Fraternal Twins. Fraternal twins occur when a women ovulates more than one egg a month. Two babies are born of the same pregnancy that was fertilized by two separate eggs and two separate sperm. Fraternal twins may be of the same or opposite sex and will differ genetically as well as in appearance. Fraternal twins resemble each other the same as any other sibling. Two-thirds of twins are fraternal.

Identical Twins. Identical twins medically occur when an ovum splits during early embryonic development, resulting in two offspring of the same pregnancy. Identical twins are always of the same sex, have the same genetic makeup, possess identical blood groups and will resemble each other physically. Only one-third of all twins are identical.

Do twins run in your families? When having twins, parents often find themselves subject to questions regarding genetics and the birth of their twins. The twins that run in families are fraternal twins. Since releasing more than one egg during ovulation is a trait that tends to run in families. Identical twins come from the same egg and do not run in families. There is no concrete link between a genetic inheritance and identical twins, as no one knows when or why certain eggs will split to cause twins while others do not.

How much of Folate?

When trying to conceive 400mcg every day for at least a month is the sensible thing to do. Continue with this for at least the first three months of pregnancy. A deficiency in this vitamin can lead to anemia causing the woman to feel tired all the time. It is better to continue taking folic acid throughout your pregnancy. While leafy greens and green beans are rich in folate but to depend on natural food sources alone is not advisable; supplements become essential to combat this insufficiency. Folic acid levels are labeled differently; it is best to check with your doctor on the level that is suitable during pregnancy [400 mcg (micrograms), 0.4 mg (milligrams), 400 ?µg (international units)]. Check your multivitamin label to ensure the correct dosage of this vitamin. Some women will require higher doses (5mg) and they include those who:

1. Have had a previous pregnancy affected by neural tube defects

2. Have NTD themselves

3. Have a family history

4. Have a partner with a family history of NTD

The wise thing to do is take your supplements along with foods rich in folate. Examples of such foods are:

Green leafy vegetables especially spinach, broccoli, asparagus

Other vegetables such as green beans, cabbage, peas, cauliflower, avocado

Oranges and other citrus fruits

Breakfast cereals fortified with this vitamin

Eggs, lentils, kidney beans, chick peas, baked beans

Yoghurt & milk

Key Facts

Did you know that during the first trimester, the embryo develops 3 layers of cells? The outer layer will form the neutral tube and this further develops into the brain, spinal cord, nervous system, ears and eyes.

Folate increases birth weight of baby and lowers the risk of growth restriction in the later part of pregnancy, thereby lowering the odds of premature birth

Poor development will cause baby to be born with a neural tube defect (NTD) such as spina bifida (or split spine in layman’s terms). In severe cases babies with this defect may not be able to walk and will face bowel and bladder problems.

Folate lowers the chances of the mother developing preeclampsia

Though not conclusive, some researchers have indicated that folic can prevent the incidence of Down’s syndrome

For the vegetarian mother-to-be some examples of dishes that are folate-rich include chickpeas curry, mixed bean salad, mixed roasted nuts and broccoli and cheese quiche. Water cress, tomatoes, green and red peppers, lettuce and avocado all contain folate; prepare a salad bowl with these.

Important tip FYI: Folate levels decrease in value if groceries are kept or stored so use them fresh. Cooking and washing destroys the nutrients. To get the maximum folate out of your veggies bear these tips in mind:

1. store vegetables in the fridge and use them as soon as possible i.e. the fresher the better

2. serve them raw (uncooked); if cooked vegetables should preferably be steamed, simmered or boiled