What is considered full term for TWINS?

I mean, not strictly a full term of 40 weeks, but when they are mature enough, esp. their lungs are mature enough, etc for safe birth. For singletons, it is 38 months, or so I've heard. But what about twins?

 

36 weeks is what my OB/GYN told me. That's also when I gave birth to my twins. Actually, I was 36 weeks and 3 days I believe.

 

It's 37 weeks for single babies.
I don't know why it'd be any different for twins, then again, I'm only pregnant with one baby, so I don't know.

 

I had my twins at 35 weeks 0 days and their lungs were fine. Obviously it would have been good if they stayed in a bit longer though. I think generally most have them around 37-38 weeks.

 

I'd always heard that 35 weeks is considered full-term for twins, but that they try to hang on for the same 37 when at all possible.
love,
mom

 

Thanks! !

Have your babies required intensive care unit? If so, for how long?

 

37 weeks is considered "full term" for twins and 40 weeks for singletons. BUT every pregnancy is different and every baby is different. If you go into preterm labor or by any other means need to determine fetal ling maturity their is a test called the L/S ratio that will determine the maturity of lungs. In general pulmonary surfactant is produced starting at about 20 weeks and increases until the lungs mature about 34 weeks.
Even though 737 weeks the "point ov viability" is way before then. This is the eraliest a baby can be born and be expected to survive. Belieive it or not a lot plays into this. Baby age, maternal age, race, level of care the NICU can provide. My sister in law is a nurse in a NICU at a large well known university hosp. in a big city . They do not base a babies chances of survival on gestational age but on weight. Which when I asked her is 450 grams. About a pound. That is the least a baby can weigh and they will do whatever they can to help it live. I have heard her tell several stories of twins weighing around 2 pounds each surviving. Each hospital has it's different protocols.

 

Yes, my boys were in the NICU (but not in those humidicrib things, just bassinets) for a day and a half. They were monitoring their blood sugar levels, there was a small problem with that for a couple of days.

They both had jaundice and had to spend time on a Billy bed but that was just in the room with me, not in the NICU.

Owen had a problem with regulating his temperature and we had to stay in hospital for a little while longer than usual (we were in for a week and a half) but it all turned out fine.

 

i'm not a twin ... but my mom had me at 26 weeks... I would say btwn 34-36 weeks

Take care curious hope your wife has a good delivery

 

My one twin was in the NICU for about 2.5 weeks, the other twin came home with me, but I was in the hospital for 8 days myself afterwards because I had severe (also extremely rare) complications and was in the ICU.

My twin that was born first was born vaginally and was able to be in the regular nursery while I was in the ICU. My twin that was born second was taken by cesarean and had to be immediately placed in the NICU due to breathing difficulties.

 

My twin and I were born at 39 weeks (just a few days before 40) and were able to go home right away, we spent no time in NICU. We were both born vaginally. My sister was born first, and I was breech for some time, but did turn around and was born 17 minutes later.

With a ceserean birth there's more of a chance of a stay in NICU, regardless of term.