Twin pregnancies put extra stress on a woman's body, so adequate nutrition is essential for both mom and babies. But a twin pregnancy doesn't mean a woman has to eat enough for three any more than a single pregnancy mean she has to eat enough for two. The key to good nutrition in a twin pregnancy is eating enough protein and taking mineral and vitamin supplements to supply the building blocks of energy required to create two new lives.
Calorie Requirements
A twin pregnancy requires an additional 600 calories a day in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy, about 300 extra calories for each fetus, Pregnancy Info reports.
Dietary Needs
Protein is the most important part of the diet during a twin pregnancy. Lean meat, poultry, cheese, nuts, peanut butter and fish all supply essential nutrients for fetal growth and maternal well-being. Three to four servings per day supply the body's needs, according to StorkNet.com. Because women normally experience a drop in bone density during pregnancy, four servings a day of calcium, or 1,200 mg, Pregnancy Info explains, is also a must. Five servings of fruits or vegetables and two to four serving of unsaturated fats finish off the daily must-have dietary requirements in a twin pregnancy. High-fiber foods help prevent constipation, common in pregnancy but even more so in a twin pregnancy, where the intestines are crowded by an additional fetus. Drinking eight to ten glasses of water a day also helps prevent constipation.
Supplementation
Prenatal vitamins also supply necessary nutrients in a twin pregnancy. A pregnant woman doesn't need to take more than one prenatal vitamin just because she's having twins, however; taking more than one a day could have harmful consequences. Folic acid helps prevent spina bifida and other neural tube defects and should be started when a woman starts trying to conceive or as soon as possible in the pregnancy, KidsHealth advises. A pregnant woman carrying twins needs the same amount of folic acid as a woman having one baby, about 800 mcg per day, according to Pregnancy Info. Iron supplements also help prevent anemia in the pregnant woman carrying twins.
Weight Gain
Pregnant women carrying twins normally gain more weight than those having just one baby. The Institute of Medicine of the National Academies recently published guidelines for weight gain during twin pregnancy, which suggest that a woman at a normal pre-pregnancy weight should gain between 37 and 54 lbs., while overweight women should gain between 31 and 50 lbs. Obese women carrying twins should gain between 25 and 42 pounds.
Concerns
Women pregnant with more than one baby often have trouble gaining the required amount of weight during pregnancy. Two fetuses crowd the intestines and stomach, which can decrease appetite. But mothers of twins need adequate nutrition more than moms carrying one baby. Twins often deliver prematurely, and low birth weight is an important indicator for complications in premature infants.
