One rowdy bub can inside your tummy can make you feel all sorts of things. What more if there’s two? What do twins feel like in the womb?
A twin pregnancy obviously means that there are two fetuses inside your womb. This might be a rare occurrence that resulted from family history, fertility medications, and others.
When you discover that you are expecting twins, you are apprehensive – happy but nervous, too. The idea of how your pregnancy will progress makes you anxious. But also, you are looking forward to experiencing how your baby twins move inside the womb.
Your baby’s movement may commonly happen around the 18th to 20th week. If you are wondering how twins move inside your womb, and what it feels like and means, let’s review this article.
What Do Twins Feel Like in the Womb?
There is no exact study to describe what twins feel like inside your womb. Most mothers compare twins to popcorn popping. Meanwhile, other mums imagine it as the feeling of fish swimming in your belly or a butterfly flapping its wings.
Additionally, during the early moments of fetal movements, a mother might mistake them for hunger pangs or gas. Then, it will become more distinguishable as time passes on.
With twins in your womb, you might feel much of them, how they move, and how quickly they run out of room. With two, you may progress quickly from detecting each separate kick, punch, or elbow jab to feeling a rolling, pressing sensation in your belly as your twins move around a tighter space.
You may also feel your twin babies move at the same time but in two different areas of your belly.
Image from Shutterstock
Twins Movement in the Womb
One of the exciting experiences for mums-to-be is feeling their baby move inside the womb. The fluttery, swishing, quivery feeling from your belly connects you to your unborn babies. This creates a start of your bond with your children.
Some mothers describe it as butterflies or a swimming fish. Commonly, you can feel this “quickening” sensation, about midway through your pregnancy between 16 to 25 weeks (2nd trimester).
Although, without studies supporting it, some mothers of twins report earlier and more frequent movements, as early as pregnancy’s first trimester. It could be their first clue that there are more than just two tiny hands and feet moving around in your womb.
Additionally, mothers who had previous pregnancies usually recognise fetal movement earlier. They have the basis and awareness of the sensation, giving them a conclusion that there is something more.
How do twins move in the womb?
If you are expecting twins, you may wonder how your twins move inside your womb and if it progresses. Here are some of the interesting and common observations regarding how twins move inside your womb:
- If you are expecting fraternal twins, it is highly possible that one twin will move more than the other.
- Identical twins often move as one or in unison. Or sometimes, they will take alternating times of the day to move.
- Some think that the type of twins you have will determine how much you are feeling your babies move inside your womb.
- Your twins may and will physically interchange places in your womb. However, you can tell the difference once they start kicking.
- Sometimes, we cannot even say how they move, so we need a doctor to tell us more credible facts.
Don’t worry if your babies move too much or too little while they are in your uterus. This is okay because each baby has a distinct behaviour.
But if you are anxious that your twins’ movement is odd, you can always seek help from your doctor.
How early can you feel twins moving inside the womb?
Early fetal movement or quickening in case of a twin pregnancy may be felt between 18 to 20 weeks of pregnancy. This is a similar average period for a singleton pregnancy.
In case this is not your first pregnancy, or your body is lean, then you can feel the fluttering faster. Also, the placenta positioning plays a role in this. Front-facing (anterior) placentas could inhibit the feeling of fluttering.
The difference between how twins and a singleton move in the womb
In the case of a twin pregnancy, babies quickly run out of space inside your womb. You may also detect individual kicks, elbow jabs, punches, or a pressing sensation in your abdomen as your babies move around a limited space.
Their movements can be sensed towards the end of the second trimester. However, usually, movements are relatively felt earlier than in a singleton pregnancy.
How often will you feel your baby move
Image from Shutterstock
It can be hard to tell the frequency of your twins’ movement inside your womb. Obviously, two babies moving and fluttering about mean you feel movement more often than if you’re just pregnant with one. But since they’re quite cramped in there, it means that your babies do not have a lot of space to move around.
At first, you may feel your babies kick once a day, or once in two days. This is because your twins lack the strength to move in a manner that is externally noticeable. It is estimated that twin babies move around 30 times an hour in the second trimester unless they are sleeping.
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Can Twins Be on the Same Side
Some twin mums can tell which of their twins is doing the kicks and other movements in the early second trimester. Also, they can feel which is which if the twins settled on different sides and if there is still space to spare.
For example, baby A might be hanging out on your right side, while baby B is on the opposite side. Or, one twin might be up on the top and the other down lower.
However, many pregnant women are never able to identify if it is baby A or B moving because the twins are positioned close together. Their movements are difficult to distinguish as well as whose arms and legs are moving.
Twin pregnancy movement on one side only
No pregnancies are identical for every mother, even if it is a twin pregnancy. Some mums might report feeling the babies move in different directions and with verve and force during the entire pregnancy.
Some kicks and movements are always in the same usual area or on one side only, then slows down in the late pregnancy. Others are very different, and it depends on which position the twins are in.
Should you worry if the twin fetal movement stops?
Reaching the later stages of twin pregnancy, you may reassure yourself by counting the fetal movements. However, there might be a period of rest, when babies go lull, which is expected to happen because there is less space for acrobatics.
But, if you notice a significant decrease in the movements, you should seek a doctor’s help immediately.
The doctor will check if there is discordant growth, a case where one twin outgrows the other, or if there is a
low level of amniotic fluid. Discordant growth is not something serious and is quite common. But, if there is a greater difference in the twin’s size, it would be a matter of concern.
This condition is because of:
- nutritional deficiency due to a problem with the umbilical cord or placenta
- twin to twin transfusion syndrome
Thus, medical attention is highly suggested if you notice how your twins move less frequently or when they become silent inside your womb.
Remember, more active twins that move inside your womb may indicate healthy babies. But of course, we always need to consult our doctor to seek advice so that we can take care of our incoming twins.
Pregnant with twins checkup | Image from Pexels
This article was written by Nathanielle Torre and republished with permission from theAsianparent Philippines.
Here at theAsianparent Philippines, it’s important for us to give information that is correct, significant, and timely. But this doesn’t serve as an alternative for medical advise or medical treatment. theAsianparent Philippines is not responsible to those that would choose to drink medicines based on information from our website. If you have any doubts, we recommend to consult your doctor for clearer information.
