About Pregnancy

  What to expect during labour It's natural to be concerned about how you will cope with labour, but one of the best ways to overcome any anxieties you may have is to find out as much as you can beforehand. Here we explain what happens during labour and tell you about your pain relief options. A first labour usually lasts for anything between 6 and 20 hours, while any subsequent labours are often much shorter. During labour you will go through several stages and it helps to know what happens in each so you can recognise the signs that you are progressing, Early labour (latent phase) This can take hours, or even days as contractions start to build up. Unless there's a medical reason for you to go early to hospital, you'll be much more comfortable at home during this stage. Initial contractions are short and irregular. During this time you may experience a ' show'. Try to rest and stay relaxed when you are in early labour, even if you can't sleep. Having a warm ba...

  6 labour myths DEBUNKED Here we look at some popular misconceptions about labour and birth and give you the facts. Myth 1. When you are due, home remedies such as drinking castor oil, eating curry or pineapple will help to get labour started. The thought behind this is that these will stimulate the digestive system, and in turn the uterus, but there is no evidence that any of these will work. You are much more likely to end up with diarrhoea or heartburn. Myth 2. Having a ' show' means you are in labour. A ‘ show ' is when the blood-tinged plug of mucus that has been protecting your uterus from infection during your pregnancy is discharged from the vagina. It can appear as a single blob or in several bits. Although a show is a sign that the cervix is softening, it doesn't mean that labour has begun. Labour may not start for a few days, and in some cases, a few weeks after a show. Myth 3 . Your waters breaking will be dramatic Having your waters break unexpectedly in...

  Giving birth to twins Giving birth If f you are expecting twins you will be advised to give birth in hospital where a medical team will be on standby if any problems arise. Although it is perfectly possible to give birth to twins vaginally, it is more common for twins to be born by Caesarean. Discuss your birth preferences with yoru midwife or consultant. If you are carrying triplets you will be advised to give birth in hospital by elective Caesarean. Vaginal delivery Providing the first baby is lying head down, giving birth to twins vaginally should be possible, with labour progressing much the same as it would for a single baby. The main difference will be that your babies will need to be closely monitored throughout. The babies may also require assitance delivery such as ventouse or forcepts. Once the first baby has been born, the midwife wil check the position of the second baby, who providing all is well, should be born quite quickly as the cervix is aready fully dilated. Wh...

  Twin pregnancy care If you are carrying more than one way you will be closely monitored during pregnancy to make sure that your babies grow normally and that you experience no health problems. They are likely to be born early and you will be advised to have a hospital birth so that a medical team is on hand if any problems do occur Antenatal care Your antenatal care, including the number of scans you have, will be based on whether your babies share a placenta or not. If your babies do share a placenta you are likely to have at least nine antenatal appointments and you'll be under the care of an obstetrician. However, if your twins have separate placentas you will be offered eight antenatal appointments and you will see your obstetrician at least twice. In both cases you'll also be offered frequent ultrasound scans so that the growth and development of your babies can be accurately assessed. Having a healthy pregnancy Eating a healthy pregnancy diet and taking moderate exercis...

  More than two babies Identical triplets occur in almost the same way as identical twins, but instead of the egg dividing once, one of those halves divides again to create three genetically identical babies. If three eggs are released and each one is fertilised by a different sperm the babies are fraternal triplets. Triplets can often be a combination of identical and fraternal – two identical and one fraternal. This means that two eggs are released by the mother and fertilised, and then one splits to form identical twins.

  The different types of twins You are most likely to have either identical or fraternal twins, as these are the most common.Fraternal twins are known to be hereditary whereas identical twins happen spontaneously Fraternal twins, also known as dizygotic, occur when two eggs have been produced by the mother and then fertilised by two sperm, leading to each twin having its own placenta. The twins can be the same sex or different sexes and look no more like each other than other siblings in the family. There are in fact more fraternal twins born than identical twins. Identical twins, also called monozygotic, are created when one fertilized egg (zygote) splits into two separate embryos. These twins are the same sex and usually look very alike as they share the same DNA. Identical twins often share the same placenta.

  Twins and multiple pregnancies Although most multiple pregnancies are normal and healthy, carrying twins or more can create additional complications than a single baby and your health care team will want to monitor your progress closely. One of the first things they will want to find out is whether your babies share a placenta-where there is only one placenta there is a more of a risk of the babies having health problems. Rarely, twins also share the same amniotic sac and placenta. These babies are considered high risk so you would be referred to a specialist.