Congrats! You’re now well into your second trimester. Now that you’re 5 months pregnant with twins, you’re feeling much better, you have more energy, and you’ve started to look really pregnant. Expect people to bombard you with questions about your growing babies and comments about your bump.
By now, you must have found out your twins’ genders (boys? girls? one of each?). Now it’s time to go through those baby name books and baby name websites in search of the perfect monikers for your twins. You’ve also probably been flipping through racks and racks of baby clothes, looking for the perfect little boy or little girl outfits.
The 5-month mark is right smack in what is often called the honeymoon period of pregnancy. At this point, your morning sickness is all but gone (if you’re lucky) and you’ve regained the desire for intimacy. Time to start planning that baby-moon!
Read on to find out more about this exciting period.
What are your twins up to at 5 months?
By this month, your babies are about 11.4 inches long (from head to foot) and about 1.1 pounds. Yup, they’re already the size of grapefruits! They’re putting on weight a bit slower than singletons at this stage, but rest assured they’re developing steadily and getting heavier every day.
Already, your twins are starting to look like the babies you’ll meet in a few more months. Your babies’ faces are already fully formed and looking like the faces they’ll have at birth. But they’re still much thinner than newborn babies. Over the next few months, they’ll put on more body fat and really fill out.
Your twins’ skin is all wrinkled. The lanugo, the soft hair that covers their bodies, has become darker. At about 24 weeks, your babies have distinct eyes and lips. Their milk teeth are already developed and, believe it or not, they’ll even have the tooth buds for their permanent teeth in there as well.
Major organs have matured significantly, including the lungs. Your babies aren’t using their lungs yet, but by the fifth month, they’re already practicing breathing motions.
At this stage of pregnancy, your babies are entertaining themselves by listening to your heartbeat and the various sounds that they can now discern. They can hear your voice and the sounds your body makes, like the gurgling of your tummy.
They can even make out loud sounds in the world around you, like the barking of dogs and the blaring of car horns. Soon, they’ll be able to hear when you play music.
This month, the babies are moving more and you can really feel them wiggling around (if you haven’t already). Those precious flutters tell you that your twins are healthy and active. You may have also noticed that there are times when the twins are less active and times when they feel like they’re doing somersaults in your belly.
Twin pregnancy symptoms at 5 months
Enjoy this stage while you can! At 5 months pregnant, your energy is high, your libido is up, and you aren’t so large that going about your day is a challenge. Unfortunately, there are still some annoying pregnancy symptoms to deal with. These include:
- Stretch marks — Your twin babies are the size of grapefruits this month, which means you now have a sizeable bump. The skin on your belly is starting to stretch, and with that, you may start seeing those dreaded stretch marks. Not to worry, though. You can minimize their appearance by slathering your belly with creams or oils with cocoa butter, rosehip oil, or sunflower oil.
- Linea nigra — This is the dark line running down the middle of your abdomen. It usually becomes really pronounced in the second trimester and will fade within weeks after you give birth.
- Shortness of breath — Now that your babies have grown to the size of large mangoes, your uterus has expanded so much that it’s pushing against your diaphragm and lungs. According to WebMD, this is what sometimes gives you that feeling of being short of breath. This happens to those with singleton pregnancies, so you can just imagine that it’ll be especially true for those expecting twins or multiples. Take a break whenever you start feeling breathless.
- Leg cramps — Because of the additional weight gain and the changes in blood circulation, expecting moms are prone to cramps. If you’ve been feeling a tightness in your legs, some stretching should make you feel better. Make sure you’re well hydrated, as dehydration can also cause cramping.
- Vaginal discharge — As long as the discharge isn’t foul smelling, yellow, green, or tinged with blood, this is perfectly normal. Expect to see some discharge all the way until you deliver.
Ultrasound of twins at 5 months
Now that you’re 5 months along, your twins have grown significantly. If you have a scan this month, you’ll see them moving around a lot. They’re really starting to look like newborns now. They just need to bulk up a bit before you finally get to meet them.
5 months pregnant with twins: this month’s checklist
This month, it’s time to:
- Make sure you’re getting enough iron, as moms expecting twins are more prone to becoming anemic.
- Make a final decision on whether or not you will be going back to work.
- Read up on your parental leave rights and obligations.
- Decide when you’re going to stop working. Moms with twin pregnancies are usually advised to take a leave around the 28th or 30th week of pregnancy. If your pregnancy is high risk, you may have to stay home even earlier.
- Think about where your babies are sleeping during the first few months. Even if you already have the nursery all set up, you should also consider a Plan B in case you decide that having them in your room is easier for you and your partner.
You’re 5 months pregnant with twins, which means you’re more than halfway there! This is probably the last month before your belly starts getting really big and getting around becomes tedious. So go out and get moving while you still can! Have fun!
