I’m guessing you have found yourself here because you are either already pregnant after having twins or are thinking of getting pregnant after having had twins.
I wanted to write this post because I had a singleton after my twins and I just had so many questions and expectations on what would be different. I will do my best to answer what it was like in this article.
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How Long Should You Wait to Get Pregnant After Twins
The first question that comes up is how long is appropriate to wait to get pregnant after twins? This actually might even seem like a silly question.
If you had twins, getting pregnant again fast might not even be on your mind. But, on the other hand, some people want lots of babies or have other reasons why they might want to get pregnant quickly.
Maybe you want your children to be close in age or you are worried about your own age and having a safe pregnancy or being able to get pregnant again.
There are just many reasons why you might have twins, and then get pregnant again quickly. So, the question is how long should you wait to get pregnant after twins? Is it longer than if you had one baby in your previous pregnancy?
The typical recommendation is to wait 18 months after the birth of one child to get pregnant again. This timeline is recommended because your body needs to recover and it’s important for your own health that it is allowed to.
Of course, there are many, many people that get pregnant again before 18 months after birth. This is just the standard recommendation given my medical professionals based on research. Now, what about if you had twins first?
I did not find any definitive answer in my research, but I can share what my doctor told me. Your body WILL take longer to recover after twins. The recommendation was still to wait at least 18 months after twin pregnancy, but given with the caveat to be aware that postpartum recovery for twins is longer.
In other words, waiting longer than 18 months would not necessarily be a bad thing. Another possible milestone you can use is to try to get back as close as possible to your pre-pregnancy weight.
My doctor’s advice was the more times you are pregnant, the older you get, and the closer together those pregnancies are, the harder it becomes to lose weight. I felt like that advice was fair and helpful to consider when trying decide the right time to start trying for a baby again.
Could I Be Pregnant With Twins Again?
Oh my, what if you have twins AGAIN? I know this was my fear when I found out I was pregnant for the second time.
There are a few factors that would impact your potential for getting pregnant with twins again. First of all, have you been using fertility treatments? If so, this will increase your chances.
What if you got pregnant with twins without the help of fertility treatments and you also did not use fertility treatments for this pregnancy? In this case, your chances of having twins again will depend on whether you previously had fraternal or identical twins.
For fraternal twins, the chances of having twins again is very high at 1 in 12. That’s three to four times higher than someone who has not previously had twins.
However, if you have identical twins, then your chances of having twins again is actually very low, at 1 in 70,000. I will add a fun fact in here too.
Roger Federer, the tennis player, has 2 sets of identical twins! So, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
TTC & Getting Pregnant After Having Twins
Now that you have read up about the decision to try to get pregnant again after having twins and also the chances of having another twin pregnancy, it’s time to talk about trying to get pregnant again.
If you have decided to start trying to conceive (TTC), congratulations! That’s such a huge step and big decision to make, especially when you already have twins to take care of.
It’s time to start tracking ovulation, or maybe even getting an ovulation kit. But, just be prepared, you never know when you might get pregnant.
For me personally, I had to use IVF for my first pregnancy, but still as recommended by my OB/GYN, had an IUD placed after the birth of my twins. My husband and I decided we were going to “start thinking” about a third baby, so I went ahead and got my IUD removed.
Well, guess what? BAM! One month of trying and I was pregnant again.
I was definitely shocked and maybe not totally ready, but also so happy and unbelievably thankful for the blessing of another child. The moral of this story is that pregnancy really can happen when you least expect it.
There will also be some that are at the stage where you are using fertility treatments. Whatever you are doing to try to get pregnant again after twins, good luck!
If you are here because you are pregnant after twins, let’s start discussing what to expect with this pregnancy. Speaking from personal experience, going through a singleton pregnancy after twins was not as easy as I expected.
Pregnancy After Twins and Showing Early
Let’s say you are now pregnant after having twins and you are wondering if you will show as early as last time. During a twin pregnancy you show earlier than you would with a singleton pregnancy.
But let’s also consider that moms typically show earlier with each additional pregnancy they have. For me, I think I showed even earlier with my singleton pregnancy, which was my second pregnancy, than with my twin pregnancy.
To give you an idea for my first pregnancy with twins, I started showing sometime around 18 weeks. But, with my second pregnancy with a singleton, I felt ike I was barely into my 2nd trimester and already starting to show.
I was shocked to have this happen, so just be prepared. After being pregnant once, you will very likely show earlier than the first time around.
Second Pregnancy With a Singleton After Twin Pregnancy
What are some things you can expect with twin vs singleton pregnancy? What’s different and what’s the same?
Morning Sickness
If you had morning sickness with your twins, you’re probably wondering if you will find some relief this time around. I thought I would feel so much better during my first trimester with a single baby, plus I wasn’t needing fertility medications.
I was surprised that, unfortunately, this was just not the case. My morning sickness was the same or maybe even worse for my second pregnancy.
I think the big takeaway here is that every pregnancy is different and you just won’t know for sure what it will be like until you live through it.
Exhaustion
What about that exhaustion you feel both in the first trimester and also near the end of the third trimester? For both my pregnancies I was very tired during the first trimester!
But, I did have slightly more energy for my singleton pregnancy. The same was true for the end of my third trimester. I had a little bit more energy for my singleton pregnancy.
I do wonder if this was because I had no choice since I had to chase around twin toddlers during my second pregnancy. On the other hand, maybe I would have felt even better and less tired by comparison if I had been pregnant with a singleton first with no children to look after.
Pregnancy Belly Size
There are a few factors to consider here. Generally, yes, your belly will get larger with twins. However, twins tend to be born earlier.
For instance, my twins were born at 35 weeks and my singleton was born at 38 weeks. That extra 3 weeks did bring me pretty close in belly size to my twin pregnancy at 35 weeks.
At the end of my pregnancies, it was slightly easier to get up and down and move around with my singleton.
Hunger
This was another one that surprised me. I thought for sure I would not be as hungry in my singleton pregnancy after twins.
However, I was starving ALL. THE. TIME. with my singleton. I was hungry during my twin pregnancy experience too, but I could not believe how much I felt I needed to eat during pregnancy with my singleton.
I think this just goes along with my point above, that every pregnancy is different and you will not feel the same during each one.
Sleep During Pregnancy
What about sleep during twin pregnancy versus a pregnancy with one baby? As already discussed each pregnancy and how you feel is different.
But, assuming you are sleeping relatively okay, I did find sleep a little bit easier during my singleton pregnancy, since my belly was not as large. Interestingly enough though, my little guy did move around way, way more while I was trying to sleep.
I attributed this to him having more space and that is why I noticed his movements so much more.
Maternity Clothes
Will you be able to use the same maternity clothes as you did with twins? YES! There’s really not much more to this answer.
If anything, I had trouble fitting into my maternity clothes at the end of my twin pregnancy, so you should be all set with the fit of your maternity clothes for your singleton pregnancy.
Stopping Work
Is there a difference for when you should stop working when pregnant with twins vs being pregnant with a singleton? There could be.
For me personally, I worked until my babies were born for both pregnancies. When you stop working will depend on your health during pregnancy, the advice of your doctor, and your own personal situation with work.
There is a greater chance you will need to stop working sooner during a twin pregnancy, just because of the higher risks associated with it.
Twin Baby Registry Vs. Singleton
You’re probably thinking you are all set with baby gear after having twins. This is mostly true, there are a lot of baby items you have two of. You also have a large amount of clothes too.
Of course, you might run into clothing needs depending on the sex of your babies. But, are there things you just don’t have from your twin baby gear registry that you will need?
Single Stroller
The thing I did not have, and it was frustrating because they are expensive, were single strollers. We ended up purchasing both a single frame stroller that fit our infant car seats. And, a single umbrella stroller.
Baby Feeding
The other area you might need to invest some money is for baby feeding. For example, I only had a double breastfeeding pillow with my twins.
But, breastfeeding didn’t go as planned and I did a lot of pumping. On the other hand, I was able to breastfeed my singleton for over a year.
Because of this I bought single breastfeeding pillows. I also was pumping at work and invested in another hands free pumping bra, among other small items to help with this.
At the end of the day, if the way you feed your singleton is different than the way you feed your twins you will likely need to purchase some baby feeding items.
Besides, strollers, baby feeding items and possibly clothing, you likely have all the other baby gear you need (and probably even some to spare) for your singleton.
Lastly, you might have some baby gear that is no longer in good condition, so you may need to replace those items.
Before we move on, since you are having one baby this time around you might be interested to grab a FREE printable Baby Registry Checklist by filling in the form below. That way you can ensure you have everything you will need for a singleton.
Singleton Delivery After Twins
What should you expect to be different for a singleton delivery vs twin pregnancy delivery? There are actually quite a few things that might be different.
Let’s start with C-sections. If you are having a C-section and you also had a C-section with your twins, there will not be all that many differences. The main difference will be that there are less people in the operating room while the C-section is performed.
What about a vaginal delivery? In this case, again there will be less doctors and nurses present during delivery.
Additionally, for twins, many times delivery is performed in the operating room, in case an emergency C-section is required. But, with a single delivery, if all goes smoothly, you will deliver in your hospital room.
Lastly, with twins it is generally recommended to get an epidural in case an emergency C-section is required. Twins come with a higher risk for needing to convert to a C-section.
However, with a singleton, you will feel less pressure to get an epidural and it will be more based on your own personal preference.
Preparing For Labor & Delivery After Twins
With all that said, if you are expecting your singleton delivery to be different, an example would be a natural delivery vs an epidural with your twins, there are actually some really wonderful online labor and delivery courses available that I highly recommend to make delivery go as smoothly as possible.
The Birth It Up classes from Mommy Labor Nurse are great because you pick the class that applies to your specific delivery. Plus, they are taught by a labor and delivery nurse who is also a mom of 2.
So, if you had a C-section last time and would like a natural, vaginal delivery this time, then you would want to check out the Birth It Up: Natural Series.
Here is the list of courses that you might find useful for this second time around with labor and delivery. Just click below for more detailed information.
I will also add that the reviews for these classes are absolutely phenomenal and taking a class will be extremely useful if you will be going through a new type of birth.
Do you think you will be pregnant again after twins? Or, maybe you already are!
I hope you found some helpful tips on what to expect when you are pregnant after twins. First and foremost, you will wonder if you are pregnant with twins again.
If you find out you are having a singleton this time around, then you will be left wondering what will be different. From how you feel during pregnancy, to the baby gear you will need, and what delivery will be like, there are some things that are different after twin pregnancy and some things that are the same.
Finally before I sign off, you might also be interested in these printable pregnancy resources listed below.
- Pregnancy Checklists – (6) simple, printable checklists so you know what to get done before your baby arrives
- Printable Pregnancy Planner & Journal – stay organized and track your pregnancy
