Content

• Steps
• Advice

You just went for an ultrasound and found out you are pregnant with twins. You might think you will have to eat more because now you eat for two kids, not one. However, twins are classified as high-risk pregnancies, meaning that you need to be more cautious and have better care than a single pregnancy.It is important that you eat and develop eating habits that provide enough nutrition for you and both babies. Instead of adding lots of carbs or sweets, focus on mineral intake and have nutritious meals to ensure your baby is healthy in and out of the womb.

Steps

Part 1 of 3: Adjusting Your Diet

1. 

   Increase calorie intake every day. Part of the myth about twins is absolutely true: you will need to increase your daily caloric intake. You will need to consume about 600 extra calories per day, depending on your body mass index, activity level and doctor's recommendations.
   • You can calculate the daily caloric intake by multiplying your body weight (kg) by 40 or 45. For example, you weigh 62 kg, so you multiply 62 by 40 and 45, and you will get The results are from 2,480 to 2,790. These are the calories you may need each day.
   • However, how to get these calories into your body is even more important. You should maintain a healthy diet, with a balance of protein, carbs and healthy fats. 20-25% of your calories will come from protein, 45-50% from carbs and 30% from fat.
   • Avoid overeating and exceeding the recommended number of calories. Gaining too much weight too quickly can put your baby at risk and lead to other health problems.

2. 

   
   
   Eat foods rich in essential vitamins and minerals. When you are pregnant with twins, it is important for you to include enough vitamins and minerals in your meals throughout the day. Focus on increasing your intake of folic acid, calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and several other vitamins and minerals to keep your pregnancy healthy.
   • Protein: A woman of average weight and body size needs about 70 grams of protein per day. It is recommended that pregnant women get an additional 25 g of protein per day per fetus. Therefore, when pregnant with twins, you need to add 50 grams of protein to your normal diet. Protein helps pregnancy as it grows and develops muscle in utero. You should eat protein-rich foods like lean meat (beef, pork, turkey, chicken) and nuts, yogurt, milk, cottage cheese (a type of cottage cheese). Avoid fatty protein sources like fatty beef or pork, hot dogs, bacon, and hot dogs.
   • Iron: This is the main nutrient in ensuring the healthy development of the fetus and the ideal weight at birth. Iron supplementation during pregnancy will help reduce the risk of hypertension, anemia and preterm birth. Get at least 30 mg of iron per day. The best sources of iron are red meat, seafood, nuts and fortified cereals.
   • Vitamin D: This is a nutrient that helps increase blood circulation in the placenta and helps the fetus absorb calcium in the mother's womb. Pregnant women should get about 600-800 IU of vitamin D per day.
   • Folic acid: Maintaining a high amount of folic acid will help reduce the risk of birth defects. You should get at least 600 mg of folic acid per day. Most pregnancy multivitamins contain folic acid (or folate). You can also find folic acid in spinach, asparagus, or fruits like oranges and grapefruit.
   • Calcium: Get at least 1,500 mg of calcium per day. The fetus needs a lot of calcium to build strong bones as it develops in the womb. Milk and yogurt are excellent sources of calcium.
   • Magnesium: This is another essential mineral that helps to reduce the risk of preterm birth and support the development of the baby's nervous system. Get at least 350-400 mg of magnesium per day. You can get magnesium from nuts like pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, or from wheat germ, tofu, and yogurt.
   • Zinc: You should get at least 12 mg of zinc per day. Maintaining a high level of zinc in the body will help reduce the risk of preterm birth, low birth weight, and prolonged delivery. Black beans are a good source of zinc.

3. 

   
   
   Make sure the meal contains 5 food groups. Your daily meal should include 5 main food groups (fruits, vegetables, seeds, protein and milk) to ensure you get enough and balanced nutrients and minerals.
   • Eat 10 servings of nuts per day. 1 serving can be a slice of whole-grain bread, or ⅔ cereal, or ¼ muesli (a cereal breakfast dish, dried fruit, nuts), or ½ cereal pasta, pasta or rice cooked.
   • Eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day. One serving of fruit and vegetables could be: ½ cup of vegetables like spinach, asparagus, baby carrots; or a medium sized fruit such as an apple or a banana; or ½ cup of fresh berries; or 2 fruits such as plums, apricots; or 30 g of dried fruit.
   • Eat 4-5 servings of protein per day. For example, 1 serving of protein could be: 65 g of cooked beef / pork; or 80 g of cooked chicken / turkey; or 100 g of cooked salmon; or 2 cooked eggs; or 170 g of cooked tofu; or 1 cup of lentils; or 30 g of seeds such as almonds, pumpkin seeds and tahini (a type of sesame seed).
   • Eat 3-4 servings of milk per day. For example, 1 serving of milk could be: 1 cup of non-fat (250 ml) milk; or 1 cup of calcium-fortified soy or rice milk; or 1 carton of yogurt (200 ml); or 1 or 2 slices of hard cheese.

4. 

   
   
   Eat less cakes, cookies and fried foods. While you are not completely banned from these unhealthy foods, you should eat only a little and only eat too occasionally. Avoid eating foods that contain all calories as they will cause you to gain unhealthy weight and provide too little nutrition to your baby.
   • You should also limit your consumption of artificial sugars from confectionery and soft drinks. Avoid foods that are processed with trans fats and switch to foods made with healthy oils like olive, coconut, or avocado oils.

5. 

   Avoid certain foods during pregnancy. Just like a normal pregnancy, when pregnant with twins, you should avoid certain foods such as:
   • Raw or undercooked eggs.
   • Raw or undercooked meat.
   • Sushi.
   • Raw shells and snails.
   • Ham.
   • Herbal tea.
   • Unpasteurized cheese may contain Listeria. (Queso sauces usually contain unpasteurized cheese.)
   • In the past, doctors often advised pregnant women not to eat peanuts. However, research has shown that eating peanuts and other nuts (unless you're allergic to them!) During pregnancy can help reduce the risk of an allergy to these nuts.

6. 

   Build a daily tracking table. One way to help ensure you are getting enough nutrients while pregnant is to build a daily eating chart. This table should contain all 5 food groups as well as the recommended amount for each group. You can fill in how many servings of each meal you have eaten and mark the groups of foods or how much food you are missing at each meal.
   • Go to the market with a list of foods prepared based on the number of servings you need to eat each day. This will help you to limit unhealthy meals and ensure that you get enough vitamins and minerals from your daily diet.
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Part 2 of 3: Changing Eating Habits

1. 

   Eat healthy snacks to reduce nausea and fatigue. These are common in early pregnancy and can last up to 16 weeks. It is important to still eat and drink even though you often experience nausea or morning sickness. Instead of eating three full meals, eat less and include healthy snacks to reduce nausea. It also aids in digestion and reduces the heartburn you may experience during pregnancy.
   • Keep crackers, fruit (berries, plums, bananas are all easy to eat), low-fat yogurt, smoothies (no additives and preservatives) indoors for convenient snacks .

2. 

   Drink enough water. Drink it several times a day to help your body stay hydrated. Although you may need to use the toilet more often, it is recommended that you drink plenty of fluids to aid in the circulation of the fetus's blood and waste products.
   • You should drink about 10 glasses of water (2.3 l) per day during pregnancy. You can tell if you are drinking enough by observing your urine: urine will be clearer and lighter in color if you drink enough water.
   • Try to drink more water in the morning and reduce it after 8pm. This will help you sleep more deeply at night without having to wake up to the bathroom.
   • You can get a little caffeine during pregnancy. You should limit your caffeine intake to less than 200 mg, which is equivalent to about 2 cups of coffee.Do not drink more as too much caffeine during pregnancy can lead to fetal health problems. You should also avoid drinking coffee near the time you take an iron supplement or eat foods high in iron because caffeine can interfere with the body's iron absorption. You should wait 1 hour after drinking coffee.
   • There is no safe threshold for drinking alcohol during pregnancy.

3. 

   Eat foods high in fiber to relieve constipation. As the baby gradually grows in the womb, the baby will insert into the mother's intestine. The digestive process in the gut also slows down to absorb more vitamins and minerals. As a result, mothers often experience constipation during pregnancy and need to eat more fiber to help the bowels digest food more easily.
   • If you are constipated, eat more fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, and whole grains. You can also do light exercise like walking or some muscle stretching to help support your bowels and stimulate digestion.

4. 

   Seek medical attention if you gain weight fast or have frequent headaches. Pregnant twins increase the risk of preeclampsia. With pre-eclampsia, pregnant women experience increased blood pressure, increased protein in their urine, and swelling more than normal. The swelling usually occurs in the face and hands. Rapid weight gain and headache can be symptoms of pre-eclampsia and should be checked by an obstetrician immediately.
   • The obstetrician will treat these symptoms depending on their severity. They may recommend rest and medication for mild cases, or take a baby immediately if it gets worse - this is the only way to “cure” pre-eclampsia.
   • You should know that with twins, you increase the need for more than with a single pregnancy. Healthy women with a normal BMI before pregnancy should gain 17-24.5 kg during twins, and 11-16 kg during a pregnancy. Your doctor will give you an exact, more suitable number.

5. 

   Tell your doctor if you have symptoms of preterm birth. When you are pregnant with twins, your risk of having a preterm birth is often higher. If you experience bleeding or vaginal discharge, have diarrhea, have pressure down your pelvis or lower back, and contractions are more frequent, you should notify your doctor.
   • Even if you are not born prematurely, it is important to detect and treat these symptoms promptly to ensure the safety of your unborn baby.
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Part 3 of 3: Taking Supplements

1. 

   Discuss vitamin and mineral supplements with your doctor. Most pregnant women can get enough iron, iodine, and folic acid from their daily diet. However, doctors may also advise you to take supplements if you regularly skip meals, eat poorly or have other health problems.
   • Do not take supplements without first consulting your doctor.

2. 

   Do not double your dose during twins. Taking too many vitamins and minerals will be harmful to the fetus.
   • If you're a vegetarian or don't eat a lot of dairy products, you may need to take a calcium supplement. Vegetarians also need vitamin B12. Pregnant women should take a folic acid supplement every day to ensure that they get enough of this acid.
   • Do not take fish liver oil supplements, high dose vitamins, or oral vitamin A supplements, as it can be harmful to your unborn baby.

3. 

   Talk to your doctor about the use of herbal products. The FDA does not evaluate or regulate herbs, so the quality and effectiveness of each may vary between manufacturers or even shipments from the same manufacturer. However, the FDA recommends that pregnant women consult their doctor about the safety of taking herbal supplements before buying or consuming them. Some herbs may contain ingredients that are not safe for pregnant women and that could be dangerous to your unborn baby.
   • If you are interested in herbal remedies to help alleviate a problem during pregnancy, consult a trained and certified herbalist. You can ask your doctor for a referral for such a specialist.
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Advice

• Keep in mind that it's important to have a balanced diet, but taking care of yourself during pregnancy is just as important. Pregnant women are often stressed out, so if you sometimes like to eat ice cream or chocolate, it's okay to pamper yourself a bit (unless you have diabetes or gestational diabetes).