Week 18

Saturday, Dec.6th Look at my belly! The girls are sure growing in there! Once I get over the morning sickness, I truly do enjoy being pregnant. I love watching the changes my body goes through, knowing there is another life, in this case 2, growing bigger and stronger every day. I feel pretty good. It's time to break out the maternity clothes though, my shirts and pants are getting to be a little snug! I can tell I can't walk as fast as I normally do. This is especially true at work. The IRS campus is so big, but I guess the exercise is good for us! Mother’s Changes- If not experienced earlier, you will feel the twins’ movements sometime this month. By the twentieth week, the uterus is slightly below or just at the level of the umbilicus. In fact, around eighteen weeks, a woman typically finds out she is having twins after having an ultrasound—although many may have an inkling due to fertility treatments or just a hunch. In many women, a darkened line, called the linea negra, may appear at this time, extending from the umbilicus to the pubis. This discoloration fades soon after delivery. During pregnancy, there is an increased tendency to develop varicose veins and hemorrhoids, so you should wear supportive stockings, elevate your feet whenever possible, and be sure to include ample fiber and fluids in your diet. Multiple Facts: * The natural incidence of twins is one in eighty-nine births. * About two thirds of all twins are fraternal. Half of these pairs are boy/girl; one fourth are girl/girl; and one fourth are boy/boy.