By the time you’re 18 weeks pregnant with twins, you likely are showing quite a bit and worn out more than usual. At 18 weeks pregnant with twins, my little MoDi twins are progressing well, though there are increasingly more tests we all have to undergo to make sure they’re ok.
18 Weeks Pregnant with Twins – Development
By the time you’ve reached 18 weeks pregnant with twins your babies are each about the size of an artichoke and they’re both covered in lanugo, a peach fuzz-like hair that helps keep them warm and provides protection.
Between their size, the extra large placenta or two, and all the amniotic fluid, you’re probably showing quite a bit by now!
Your babies are likely moving around more and you may be able to feel those movements, depending on where the placenta is. I had an anterior placenta so I didn’t feel as much with my twins as I did with my first child. It’s ok if you aren’t feeling them yet, don’t worry.
Depending on which type of twins you have, you may have an echocardiogram like my MoDi twins had around 18 weeks along. You may also have regular ultrasounds to track their overall development.
Below I’ll detail what it was like in my pregnancy when I was 18 weeks pregnant with twins.
18 Weeks Pregnant with Twins Symptoms
When I was pregnant with my first child, I remember having a sense of relief and ease once I reached the second trimester, both physically and emotionally.
This has not happened while pregnant with twins.
I continue to be even more concerned with each passing day. Wondering if they’re doing ok in there, counting down the days until my next appointment where we get to see how they’re doing.
Somehow I’m actually a little less drained than previously but I still need to take it easy of course. I’m still going to the chiropractor on a regular basis for adjustments which help somewhat but really, I’m carrying two babies, I’m going to be in pain.
I’ve already gained 24 pounds which was about what I gained my whole first pregnancy. Eek! I’m supposed to gain a lot though and I’m still basically all babies and boobs at this point.
Twin to Twin Transfusion (TTTS) check & Echocardiogram
This week I had an ultrasound for the twins which included an echocardiogram to look at their hearts because twins are at a higher risk for heart defects, measure their growth, check for Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS) and see how they’re doing overall.
It was a 2-1/2 hour appointment with 2 of those hours consisting of the actual ultrasound where I laid there and watched in awe as we got to see the babies again but also in fear hoping that everything was ok so far.
The good news is their hearts are fine as far as they could tell at 18 weeks and 6 days along. There aren’t any signs of TTTS and their growth is pretty spot on as well. Oddly I don’t get printouts of this information so I’ve just requested them from my provider because I’d like to “follow along at home” as well instead of just being told they look good.
Kidney Issues
The bad news is there is an issue.
Both boys have one kidney that has a mild unilateral urinary tract dilation which is also called Pyelectasis. This means one of the ureters that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder is wider at the top than it should be. Normal values are below 4mm and both boys are above 4mm with the more severe of the two being 4.9mm. (For more information on the condition: Pyelectasis)
The position is interesting because one boy has an issue with his right kidney/ureter and the other with his left. The doctor said this further confirms they are identical because they both have the issue, even though it’s on opposite sides. This is sometimes seen in mirror twins.
The doctor told us that the kidney issue is relatively common and most babies outgrow this by the third trimester. If they don’t outgrow it by birth they may need to be seen by a urologist and have surgery after they’re born but that’s very unlikely. The good news I’m hearing from this is it’s not fatal from what I understand. Even still, I’m quite worried.
Looking Forward
I will continue to have ultrasounds every 2 weeks to check for TTTS and they will monitor this new condition every 4 weeks when I have growth scans until I get closer to the end of my pregnancy, then I’ll be monitored more often.
One neat thing about all of the ultrasounds is even though we’ve known for two months now that we’re having boys, every ultrasound they tell us and print us out pictures of their boy parts. Haha! Oh dear. We get the cute profile pictures as well of course and this last time we even got pictures of their little feet and a really good one of one of their legs.
They’re pretty active in there during ultrasounds and I’m starting to feel them more and more now. I felt them early on at 13 weeks but due to where the placenta is located I don’t feel them as much as I would if it were elsewhere now that it’s grown. This is too bad in a sense but also kind of good considering how active they are, I don’t know if I’d ever get sleep if I could feel them completely!
I go in for my gestational diabetes test tomorrow so we’ll see how that goes. I didn’t have gestational diabetes when I was pregnant with my singleton but it’s much more prevalent in twin pregnancies due to the size of the placenta, from what I understand. That’s also why they test a month to two earlier in pregnancy than usual.
Belly Comparison
Here is a belly comparison between when I was pregnant with my first child at 18 weeks along and when I was pregnant with my twins. Quite the difference!!
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Pregnant with Twins? You’ll want the Twin Pregnancy Journal!
When I was pregnant with twins I was using a regular pregnancy journal but there was no place to keep track of all the extra appointments, all the measurements, ultrasounds, etc. Years later, I decided to make the twin pregnancy journal I wish I would have had when I was pregnant!!
The twin pregnancy journal has over 100 pages you can use digitally on a tablet or iPad or print it out and put it in a binder to hold even more info. It includes a page for every week, ultrasound pages you can duplicate if you need more, places to keep track of Baby A and Baby B’s measurements, weights, etc. each week, birth plan pages, and even the hospital bag checklist I created from when I had my twins!
Here it is below, click the button or image below to learn more and purchase. It’s much less expensive than the pre-printed ones, that’s for sure! I know you’ve got enough expenses right now, though this took me a lot of time to put together, I’m ultimately here to help.
As a mom of identical twins and a son two years older, I have gained invaluable experience in the realm, and chaos, of parenting. With a Master's Degree and Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology, I spent years as a school psychologist, helping children navigate through their educational and emotional challenges. Now as a stay at home mom and professional blogger, I combine my areas of expertise to help you in your parenting journey.