Multiple pregnancies are considered high risk by nature and you will likely be monitored more closely than someone carrying only one baby.  However, you should be familiar with the signs and symptoms of pre-term labor so that you can respond quickly and seek appropriate care.

According to the March of Dimes, pre-term labor is defined as any labor that occurs between 20 weeks and 37 weeks of pregnancy.

You should familiarize yourself with the the symptoms:

  • Contractions (your abdomen tightens like a fist) every 10 minutes or more often
  • Change in vaginal discharge (leaking fluid or bleeding from your vagina)
  • Pelvic pressure—the feeling that your baby is pushing down
  • Low, dull backache
  • Cramps that feel like your period
  • Abdominal cramps with or without diarrhea

Don’t let anyone tell you that these symptoms are “normal discomforts of pregnancy”! If any of them (you don’t need to have all of them) happen before your 37th week of pregnancy, you need to do something about it. More