If this is your second or later pregnancy, then you are most likely to feel the kicks and movements faster, but most first-time moms of twins don’t feel the fluttering or quickening until 18 to 20 weeks, about the same average time for singletons. Where you fall in that range depends on your size and build and also the position of your placentas. Slender women might feel the babies earlier because they’ve got less padding muffing the movements. The position of the placenta also plays a role. A front-facing placenta, also known as the anterior placenta, can block you from feeling the movements for weeks longer than other moms.
Reaching the 17th week of your pregnancy is pretty much a milestone for any pregnant woman with twins because you are almost halfway through the development already.
Their Growth in your womb is at its usual pace and sometimes even faster than before.
One significant sign that will assure you that your babies are growing in the right sense is their movements taking place inside you.
The tumbling around inside you should be strong enough, and your babies will make themselves noticed.
But what happens if there’s no movement at all at 17 weeks of your twin pregnancy?
Growth of twin babies at 17 weeks
Most of the development that took place until the 17th week primarily included the functioning of the babies’ organs and turning the little embryos into fetuses that function like human beings.
Hereafter, the key growth that will take place is in the form of fat accumulation.
The twin’s bodies’ will start putting on layers of tissues that are necessary to maintain their body temperature and give them that energy they need to start rolling and moving around.
At the halfway mark of their growth, there’s no slowing down hereafter.
On the contrary, their growth will pick up, and they will start taking better shape from here on.
This layer of fat and the relentless growth of your twins also demand their heart to beat faster than before, with a heartbeat peak rate of 150 beats per minute which is more than twice yours and can be heard with monitors or during your ultrasounds.
Some babies tend to be in the sac longer and move in a restricted manner. All of that usually changes by the 17th week, and there’s no need to stress about it.
The movements are coming up very soon and stronger. The babies’ will begin to form fingerprints on their tips by pushing their thumbs on the uterus.
The location of the placenta and the weight of the expectant mother makes a difference too.
If the placenta is located in front of the uterus, your babies’ movements may be less noticeable.
Slender women also usually feel fetal motion earlier than their overweight counterparts.
What if I can’t feel my twins moving?
If there’s truly a lack of movement, your practitioner will look for a few things, including low levels of amniotic fluids and discordant growth where one twin is growing faster than the other.
Discordant growth is very common with multiples and doesn’t always signal a problem unless there’s a significant difference in size between the twins, which can be caused by a problem in the umbilical cord or the placenta.
This would mean that one or both of the twins aren’t getting the nutrients they need, or there’s a presence of Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome, an extremely rare condition in identical twins when one twin is getting more blood supply than the other.
Your practitioner may also schedule a nonstress test where you’ll wear a fetal monitor while relaxing in a chair.
This is a simple, non-invasive way to assess how your babies are doing that can greatly put your mind to rest.
FAQs
Should I monitor my babies’ kicks?
Once your babies’ movements are well established, usually around 28 weeks, some doctors recommend keeping track of all those little punches, jabs, and kicks to ensure that your little ones are still developing the way they should.
Known as fetal movement assessment, there isn’t any scientific evidence to prove whether this method is a good indicator of the babies’ well-being.
So, just check with your doctor to see what they recommend.
How often should I feel my baby moving?
Early in your pregnancy, you may just feel a few flutters now and then, but as the baby grows, usually by the end of the second trimester, the baby moves about 30 times in an hour.
They tend to move more at certain times of the day as they alternate between alertness and sleep.
Conclusion
If you haven’t yet reached 25 weeks and don’t feel your twins move, don’t panic. As they grow, you’ll be able to better distinguish their movements.
You’ll also figure out at what times of the day they’re more active but keep in mind that some babies naturally move less often than others.
Once brought to light, twin pregnancies are always termed as high risk.
Still, while the risk of many pregnancy complications and discomforts is greater with twin pregnancies, there’s no need to worry as most twin pregnancies end up in the birth of two healthy babies.
You won’t necessarily have a complicated pregnancy just because you are expecting twins.
