Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-17T16:16:45.477Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Chapter 27 - Lifestyle Considerations for Multiple Pregnancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 October 2022

Leanne Bricker
Affiliation:
Corniche Hospital, Abu Dhabi
Julian N. Robinson
Affiliation:
Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston
Baskaran Thilaganathan
Affiliation:
St George's Hospital Medical School, University of London
Get access

Summary

Women with multiple pregnancies are at increased risk of pregnancy complications. However, there are very few high-quality studies to direct recommendations for lifestyle modifications in women with twin pregnancies, and such research is virtually non-existent for triplets and above. Several retrospective studies suggest that improved nutrition and proper weight gain might be beneficial to women with twin pregnancies and reduce the risk of fetal growth restriction and preterm birth. Therefore, we recommend nutritional counseling and attempts to achieve recommended weight gain thresholds. In the absence of complications, most women with twin pregnancies can exercise regularly, continue working, and have no restrictions in sexual activity. Most women with twin pregnancies can travel up to 28-32 weeks, provided they have access to medical care, do not have other significant complications, and accept the small possibility of a complication at their destination.

Type
Chapter
Information
Management of Multiple Pregnancies
A Practical Guide
, pp. 282 - 288
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Fox, NS, Rebarber, A, Roman, AS, Klauser, CK, Peress, D, Saltzman, DS. Weight gain in twin pregnancies and adverse outcomes: examining the 2009 Institute of Medicine guidelines. Obstet Gynecol 2010;116:100–6.Google Scholar
Fox, NS, Saltzman, DH, Kurtz, H, Rebarber, A. Excessive weight gain in term twin pregnancies: examining the 2009 Institute of Medicine definitions. Obstet Gynecol 2011 Nov;118(5):1000–4.Google Scholar
Liu, LY, Zafman, KB, Fox, NS. Weight gain and pregnancy outcomes in overweight or obese women with twin gestations. J Matern Neonat Fetal Med 2019 [in press].Google Scholar
Fox, NS, Stern, E, Saltzman, DH, Klauser, CK, Gupta, S, Rebarber, A. The association between maternal weight gain and spontaneous preterm birth in twin pregnancies. J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2014;27(16):1652–5.Google Scholar
Liu, LY, Zafman, KB, Fox, NS. The association between gestational weight gain in each trimester and pregnancy outcomes in twin pregnancies. Am J Perinatol 2019 [in press]Google Scholar
Luke, B, Brown, MB, Misiunas, R et al. Specialized prenatal care and maternal and infant outcomes in twin pregnancy. Am J Obstet Gynecol 2003 Oct;189(4):934–8.Google Scholar
Dubois, S, Dougherty, C, Duquette, MP, Hanley, JA, Moutquin, JM. Twin pregnancy: the impact of the Higgins Nutritional Intervention Program on maternal and neonatal outcomes. Am J Clin Nutr 1991 Jun;53(6):13971403.Google Scholar
Liu, L, Zafman, KB, Fox, NS. Weight gain and pregnancy outcomes in underweight women with twin pregnancies. J Matern Neonat Fetal Med 2018 [in press].Google Scholar
Crowther, CA, Han, S. Hospitalisation and bedrest for multiple pregnancy. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2010 Jul 7;(7):CD000110. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD000110.pub2Google Scholar
American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Physical activity and exercise during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Committee Opinion No. 650. Obstet Gynecol 2015;126:e135–e142.Google Scholar

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure [email protected] is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×