Proper Pregnancy Diet with Twins and Multiples

If you are expecting twins or multiples, get ready for some exciting times ahead! Not only can a multiple pregnancy be a very enjoyable and uplifting experience, but you also get to welcome multiple bundles of joy into your family! Of course, being pregnant with twins or multiples can also be very challenging. In particular, you will need to pay close attention to your pregnancy nutrition to be sure that you and your babies are getting all the vitamins, minerals, and energy that you need to stay healthy. Here are some great pregnancy diet guidelines for mom’s expecting twins, triplets, or more!

Weight Gain

Now that you are expecting multiples, you may be particularly worried about gaining weight during your pregnancy. Many women expect that they will have to put on lots of extra weight in order to support twins or triplets, but this is typically not the case.

Here are the suggested weight gain guidelines for twin and multiple pregnancies. Remember, if you were underweight before you become pregnant, you may need to gain more weight, while if you were overweight you won’t need to gain as much.

Twin Pregnancies

If you are pregnant with twins, you will only need to take in about 600 more calories each day. This is only 300 calories more than you would consume during a singleton pregnancy. This extra 600 calories will help you to reach a target weight that is somewhere between 35 and 45 pounds, which is only about ten pounds more than with a singleton pregnancy.

Weight gain is especially important during the second and third trimester. Try to gain weight steadily during this time, putting on about one and a half pounds per week.

Higher Order Multiples

If you are expecting triplets, quadruplets, or higher order multiples, you will need to increase your caloric intake accordingly. Try adding an additional 1000 calories to your daily intake in order to gain enough weight to support the pregnancy.

Typically, women who are expecting triplets, should try to gain about 2 pounds per week during the second and third trimester. Speak with your health care provider about the right weight gain for you.

Tips on Gaining Weight

It can sometimes be quite difficult for women carrying twins or higher order multiples to gain the right amount of weight.

As your pregnancy continues, you may find that you just aren’t as hungry as you used to be. This is because your babies will begin to push on your stomach as they grow, limiting the amount of food that you can comfortably eat.