Healthy pregnancies
The vast majority of women who
are expecting twins have healthy
pregnancies and healthy babies, and
serious complications are rare. However
some complications, such as premature
birth, are more common for twins.
Pregnancy-induced high blood pressure
is also more common with multiples, and
pre-eclampsia, a complication related
to high blood pressure that can happen
later in pregnancy, is also three times
more likely in twin pregnancies, and nine
times more likely in triplet pregnancies.
Gestational diabetes is another
complication that is more prevalent
with multiples. Consequently, mothers
expecting multiples will be offered extra
antenatal care and monitoring.
Mandy’s fears about premature
labour became a reality at 29 weeks,
when she was admitted to hospital with
contractions and bleeding. She says,
“Thankfully, they managed to stop the
labour, but after that I had to go on total
bed rest until I gave birth. The doctors
were great, though – they really took
care of me, and we managed to keep
the babies inside until 37 weeks, and
they were born completely healthy.”
Getting good medical care during
pregnancy and for the birth is crucial.
In Hong Kong, you have the choice of
going through the public system, or the
private system (if you can afford it or your
insurance covers it), or a mixture of both.
For Meg, the obstetrician she chose
only delivered at the private Matilda
Hospital, so the decision on where to
give birth was made. Nicola wanted to
go to the Queen Mary Hospital, so she
went through the public system but
saw a private obstetrician so she could
have additional scans. It is also worth
remembering that if there are any serious
complications during the delivery or after
the birth, your baby will be transferred to
the nearest public hospital with a neo-
natal intensive care unit.
Unfortunately, Meg experienced
this emergency transfer as one of her
newborn twins was born with medical
issues. She explains, “Our paediatrician
transferred our son to Queen Mary
Hospital on a gut feeling. Our son
wouldn’t have made it through the
night, and to this day I have the greatest
respect for him. We had a hard and
stressful 14 months, as it was touch
and go on many occasions, but today
we have a lovely little seven year-old
who brings us joy every day.”
Birth and beyond
When it comes to the birth, Caesarean
sections are more likely (but not
inevitable) for twins than for singletons,
and triplets are almost always born by
Caesarean section. Mandy, Nicola,
Fiona and Meg all had Caesareans,
for a variety of reasons, including
difficulties with delivering their twins and
complications from previous births.
Most twins and multiples will be
delivered earlier, for single babies full
term is considered to be 40 weeks, but
for twins it is 37 weeks, and for triplets
34 weeks. Consequently, as babies
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