What About Twins, The Best Baby Gift of All

Babies born in couples during the same pregnancy period from a mother's womb are defined as twins. The offspring could be of the same sex or of different gender. Twins are normally classified as similar looking or identical twins (monozygotic) and non-identical or fraternal twins termed as dizygotic. It is roughly estimated that world wide there are over 125 million twins. However, the medical fraternity opines that there are chances of more miscarriages in multiple pregnancies than in the case of single birth.

Often twin pregnancies have a curtailed stay in the mother's womb. It is estimated that on an average they have three weeks' less than full term normal single birth. The premature births usually suffer from health consequences as such twin babies need to be handled with special care.

The Nigerian ethnic group, Yoruba, records the highest number of twin births. Male twins are more susceptible to death at birth than females. The "dizygotic" twins result when two eggs are independently fertilized by different sperm cells. These twins look dissimilar and either may be of different sex or of the same gender and is commonly associated with women who give birth at a later age. The "monozygotic" twins are usually of the same sex and the physical characteristics of the twin babies are almost similar.

The co-joined twins result when the divisions of the developing zygote in two embryos occur later than eight days. In co-joined twins, the mortality rate is the highest as complications set in when the organs are shared. Research studies have revealed that vegan mothers are less likely to give birth to twins in comparison to non-vegetarian mothers. The number of twin births appears to be on the rise in recent times and is attributed to the increasing popularity of fertility drugs. Twins normally suffer from low birth weight and tend to be of smaller size than single births.

Having twins brings great joy and reward to any family who enjoy parenting twins. Mothers should be more careful when carrying twins as they can pose risk to her as well as to the unborn babies. Mothers require greater prenatal care and should eat more to nourish the babies as well as keep their energy levels high. It is of top priority that mothers take ample care of themselves during pregnancy period while carrying twins.

Doctors usually prescribe extra vitamins and minerals during this phase. Caring for the twins is normally stressful, hence it is strongly advised that mothers take substantial rest at frequent intervals and eat healthy food with plenty of liquid so that mothers and their unborn babies develop sufficient strength and energy level. This would provide the mother's the ability to nurse and take care of their twin babies.

The bottom line is, don't panic at the thought of having 2 babies. Just keep your cool and follow the guidelines set by the doctor and all will go well. Having twins can also be a blessing in disguise, because once they grow up together, they will have each other for company and you will become a free mother at a once.