Curious what it’s like to be 32 weeks pregnant with twins? When I was 32 weeks pregnant with twins, well into my third trimester, I was already so massive and so uncomfortable. Beyond that, I have some updates on how the babies and I are doing.
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32 Weeks Pregnant with Twins – Development
At 32 weeks pregnant with twins they’re working hard to keep growing, developing their bones, though still soft, and continuing to gain fat. Something really fun that you might even get to see on an ultrasound is practice breathing!! It was so cute to see my little twin boys opening and closing their mouths on the ultrasound to practice for breathing once they get out into the world.
Their bodies are well developed by now and some babies even have a full head of hair by now! Their brain development is continuing to improve and they’re getting better at controlling their body temperature. I can feel fetal movement, little kicks and jabs, all the time!
Previously, their skin was translucent but now it’s looking like regular skin! Their organs are well-formed and ready to go, other than the lungs and brain which would benefit from a bit more time inside the womb. The good news is if they were born prematurely, though they’d spend a lot of time in the NICU, they’d likely survive. Hang in there mama, it’s your last trimester!!
So Big!
At 32 weeks pregnant with my twin boys I’m experiencing the common symptoms of lower back pain, intense pelvic pressure, shortness of breath, leg cramps, itchy skin on my stomach, and so much more. Twin pregnancy is no joke! Yesterday we had a bit of a scare but everything is fine for now.
Overnight I woke up hourly having contractions which was a bit concerning. I had a few other preterm labor signs that concerned me, as well as the immense pelvic pressure I’ve been feeling was even worse that night to the point it felt like my pelvic bone was going to disintegrate every time I got up from bed.
Luckily I had an appointment yesterday and everything is just fine for now. I ended up having a lot of Braxton Hicks contractions after my appointment though so asked my mother-in-law to stick around an extra day in case I went into preterm labor. Luckily it was a false alarm since these babies aren’t ready to come out yet!
Weekly Appointments
Yesterday was the first of my weekly appointments where I had a Biophysical Profile (ultrasound), a non-stress test where they monitor both babies’ heartbeats while I have Braxton Hicks contractions, and an OB check. The appointment was at the Mother Baby Center about 30 minutes from my home and I was scheduled to be there for 3 hours but ended up just being there for about an hour and a half since my twin boys were cooperative and I was able to see the doctor sooner than scheduled.
Babies look good!
Babies checked out just fine yesterday. Both are practice breathing which was really neat to see! They both reacted somewhat during my contractions which was good. I also saw via ultrasound that they are so crowded in there! Poor little guys. Baby A is breech (feet down) on my right side and Baby B is head down (way down) in my pelvis (practically to the birth canal at this point) with his feet up. I’ve been feeling a lot of movement in my upper abdomen and now I know that is Baby A’s hands and Baby B’s feet! How fun! Makes “kick counts” easy to do since I know where they are now. They’re in the same spot they were two weeks ago but I had thought they’d switched like usual but nope! I wonder if this is the way they’ll remain until delivery since they don’t have much room to move.
Cesarean Section Date
Now that I’ve switched my OB to the specialist’s office I’ve been going to biweekly since 14 weeks I don’t have a consistent OB which is odd but also kind of ok because I was able to ask another OB if I could switch my cesarean section (c-section) date since the one 2 weeks ago said it had to be the 24th.
This OB was more agreeable and said that was reasonable to change it from Monday to the previous Friday. Sadly though there weren’t any spots open, even a month in advance. They’re going to keep me on a waiting list though just in case someone delivers early and doesn’t need that date anymore.
A month from today on Sept. 24th I’ll be 37 weeks and 2 days pregnant, which is later than I’d like since MoDi twins should be delivered by 36 weeks and 6 days pregnant.
So. Much. Pain.
I cannot believe I’ve been measuring full term for a month and still have a month to go. (I should explain, that doesn’t mean the babies are ready to come out, just that I’m measuring as large as a woman who is pregnant with a single baby when she’s at the end of her pregnancy.) The amount of pain I’m constantly in is insane. I know every pregnancy is painful but being this big for so long is crazy. The intense pain felt the last couple weeks of a typical singleton pregnancy is what I’ve had for over a month and will continue to have until I deliver.
I thought it was bad at the end of my last pregnancy but that was nothing. My weight gain for this pregnancy is over 50 pounds and as you can see in pictures, it’s mostly all babies/my tummy. That puts SO much pressure and extra weight on my pelvis that it often feels like it’s going to completely crack off my body. Luckily I know that’s impossible but still hurts a lot. Puts a lot of strain on my back as well. Getting out of bed hurts so bad that I have to talk myself through it each time I get up overnight to use the bathroom (generally 3x a night at least, though sometimes hourly).
I can barely walk at this point, not even to the park just a few houses down that I used to walk through with my 2 year old. I’ve been going to weekly chiropractor appointments which help somewhat but really it’s just the way things are going to be until I deliver. It’s also hard for me to even stand to do something like washing the dishes. I can make it about 5 minutes before I get flushed, shaky, weak, and need to sit down. So frustrating how limited I am right now in what I can do. I also end up with really bad back pain on my left side when I sit down too much so no matter what I’m in pain.
Earlier on in my pregnancy, this support belt linked here really helped me but at this point it does nothing.
When I had my C-section with my eldest after 27 hours of induced labor on Pitocin I thought I had it bad. I was in so much pain that on the second night after the C-section I started going into shock when I tried to get up to get into a wheelchair to go nurse him in the NICU. Granted that particular night was worse than what I feel now, but the pain I had overall after the C-section is about the same as what I have now and I haven’t even had my repeat C-section yet. I cannot believe how much constant pain I’m in and there is nothing I can do about it.
At least the C-section pain only lasts so long and I can take some pain meds. With this, I can’t take anything and this has been going on for months and I have a month of it left. I actually asked in a Facebook twin group I’m part of if those who have already had their babies felt their C-section pain was worse or the last couple months of pregnancy was worse in terms of pain. Most of the moms that responded said their last couple of months of pregnancy were more painful than the C-section. That gives me some hope, as odd as it sounds because I keep being so afraid of having another C-section that it’ll hurt so bad again but considering the pain now, maybe it’ll actually be a relief in a sense.
I apologize for complaining. I also apologize if I’m really mood swingy and irritable. Between the hormones of carrying two babies, the constant unbearable pain, the constant worrying about if they’re ok in there or not, and being nervous about another C-section I’m just not me right now.
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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.