Twin Pregnancy Recap Weeks 15 to 26

Twin Pregnancy Recap: Weeks 21 to 26

With both of my pregnancies (Rom and Luca), I did monthly or every 6-week or...

With both of my pregnancies (Rom and Luca), I did monthly or every 6-week or so updates during my pregnancy. Since this pregnancy will be slightly shorter (with identical twin pregnancies you’re not advised to go past 37 weeks, apparently!) I want to get in some updates! This update will recap week 21 through the end of week 26 (6 weeks!) and then my next update will probably be my last! 

you can check out more about this pregnancy in my first trimester recap! and then the recap of weeks 14 to 20.

weeks 21 to 26 twin pregnancy recap

Well, it seems that the bulk of your second trimester with twins feels like your third trimester, in terms of weight gain, belly growth, and uncomfortable symptoms! For the first few weeks into the second trimester (weeks 21-23) I was still feeling overall pretty great, energized, and wasn’t feeling pain or discomfort. Once week 23 hit, it was like my body realized it was seriously pregnant and then the heartburn and back pain started to creep in. By week 24, I was toast by the end of the day (whereas with my singleton pregnancies, I didn’t feel that discomfort until later in my third trimester!)

Still, these past 6 weeks have been me trying to be as involved with the kids as possible, and I’ve started some nursery and more baby prep since my last update. What I’ve realized is that clearly, I’m going to be only getting more and more uncomfortable, so I might as well do as much as possible before the real discomfort sets in. I’ve been active with the kids as much as I can, and I’ve started all of the transitioning that needs to be done, starting with weaning Roma off the pacifier. I knew I should do this sooner rather than later, not only because her pediatrician and dentist recommended it, but because I didn’t want to deal with the sleep deprivation farther along in my pregnancy (the first week was pretty rough with naps and getting her to bed at night and then the mid-night wakeups.) Next on the list? To transition Luca and Roma into the same bedroom and then to potty train Roma (not necessarily in that same order.)

Twin Pregnancy Recap Weeks 15 to 26

In terms of nutrition, I feel like my cravings have been sweeter lately and I haven’t been eating as nutritionally focused lately, and I’m definitely snacking more at night, out of stress, so the weight gain is creeping up (which is fine, I’m not afraid of weight gain during pregnancy – I welcome it!) But I like to gain the right kind of weight, so my focus for the remainder of this pregnancy is to really focus on those nutritious source of calories and protein! With summer ice cream stops in there, too, of course!

The exhaustion started creeping back in a bit, too, so I took a couple of naps in this second trimester, around 3-5pm. It was like that first trimester exhaustion when you just can’t fight it and you need to lay down. It only happened a couple of times, but it did the trick – and was obviously a sign that my body needed rest.

So what have been the highlights? I actually spent 2 weeks in Florida during this time, where I got to meet my sister’s baby a few days after he was born (his name is Brooks!) and that was so nice to be with family and take a break from work, which has really, really ramped up. I’ve started to even think about my ‘maternity leave’ and how I’m going to manage everything. I wish I could say I’m the ‘do it all’ type, but I’m not!

Also fun, the baby kicks have been strengthening and around week 25 I could distinguish between Baby A kicks and Baby B kicks. They’re both equally active, and they move all day long, but definitely a lot at night when I’m finally trying to get comfortable on the couch and relax!

At 26 weeks, the ultrasound technician gave us a 3D photo of Baby B (he was hamming it up, apparently) and it made me so blown away by the female body even more (something about seeing their face made it all so much more real – and he looks just like Luca, it’s incredible!)

Twin Pregnancy Recap Weeks 15 to 26

I definitely want to focus on slowing down once I hit about week 32, so the next month or so will be all about my preparing for the twins’ arrival and then I want to relax and spend time with my family, plenty of time resting, and be off my feet as much as possible to avoid preterm labor. Easier said than done, but that’s the goal!

Preparing for the babies

Around week 25 I realized that it was time to start preparing for the babies, because I couldn’t treat this as a singleton pregnancy (where you feel silly preparing too early.) I think with your first pregnancy, it’s easy to get caught up in the apps and the articles that tell you certain times of when to do certain things (like when to have a baby shower, when to build your registry, when to set up your nursery, etc.) And of course, there’s superstition and this little voice in the back of your head saying, “don’t prepare too early, what if something happens?” (I have had that with all of my pregnancies, especially this one!)

But, I’m rapidly becoming bigger, slower, more tired, and sitting on the ground folding baby clothes and organizing a closet last weekend was tougher than I thought it was going to be, so now I’m kicking it into high gear, and my goal is to have the nursery mostly finished and everything ordered by week 30, right before we go to the beach for a week with family. I want to come back from the beach, be in week 31 and not have to do anything for baby prep and be able to focus on spending time with the kids, relaxing myself, and finishing out work.

Twin Pregnancy Recap Weeks 15 to 26

Thus, I’ve already ordered all the baby clothes, and I organized all our old baby gear (what was left of it after I gifted it all mostly to my sister!) and made a master list of what to purchase. I feel “organized,” even though there is so much to do. The next 3 weeks are going to be intense, but because of the high risk nature of this pregnancy, I don’t want to end up in a situation where I deliver early and I’m not ready (that’s my biggest fear!)

Week-by-Week Updates

  • Week 21: Started to experience some shortness of breath/difficulty breathing, which at first, given the pandemic, freaked me out.
  • Week 22: Heartburn! I had zero heartburn with Luca and then so much heartburn with Roma, and I am experiencing heartburn again with the twins. It tends to creep in an hour or so after a meal and all that really helps is water (which doesn’t help much.)
  • Week 23: All the major symptoms hit this week! Back pain and my first Braxton Hicks! Seriously, by the end of the 23rd week, it was hard to move by the end of the day, my back was seizing up a bit.
  • Week 24: At my doctor’s appointment, my belly was measuring 5-6 weeks ahead, and I’ve heard towards the end of your twin pregnancy, you can measure up to 10 weeks ahead (that is scary!) Also, my belly started becoming very, very veiny (like you look at your skin and it looks like it’s about to burst from all the green veins.) Also, this may be a bit much, but my BO (body odor) is back – I feel like nothing I do keeps it at bay except for re-applying deodorant (and not the non-toxic kind, that is useless!) I blame it on the hormones.
  • Week 25:  I woke up to this week and my linea negra was there – it’s very, very faint, but I can see it. This was the week of Roma’s 2nd birthday and after her birthday party and being on my feet from 7am to 8pm, my back was in so much pain that I woke up in the middle of the night with such bad lower back cramps, I thought I was having contractions (they might have been from dehydration, too – I barely drank water that day!) Needless to say, I started putting together a hospital bag list, that freaked me out.
  • Week 26: Woa, pelvic floor pain. Out of nowhere, it just started and sometimes, it’s honestly hard to walk! It comes and goes in severity, but I feel a lot of pelvic floor pressure and a pain that, coupled with the back pain, isn’t pleasant. I’ve been trying to stretch, not sit down for long periods of time, and work on my posture. I’m going to ask about it at my 27 week appointment!

Twin Pregnancy Recap Weeks 15 to 26

Maternity Favorites

I hope you liked this little recap, and as always, thank you for the kindness as I share my personal journeys with you all! 

with love, Ali

leave a comment

comments

  • Love all your helpful content!your family is beautiful. The only thing that helped with my pregnancy and post partum BO was Lume deodorant- it’s LIFE CHANGING!!
  • I just discovered your blog and I am loving it! I am 14 weeks pregnant with identical twins! We find out the gender next week. This is my 2nd pregnancy and I can relate to everything you've mentioned thus far. I can't wait to hear more about your journey!