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Twin & Multiple Pregnancy
Twin & Multiple Pregnancy Care in Los Angeles
The first question is not how many babies. It is how they are arranged. Whether twins share a placenta changes almost everything that follows — how often you are scanned, what is being watched for, and how delivery is planned. It is established early, and it is worth understanding.
Medically reviewed by Dr. David Kim, MD, PhD, FACOG — board-certified OB-GYN, 15 years OB/GYN residency faculty at Cedars-Sinai, over 7,000 deliveries · Last reviewed
Explained
What a twin pregnancy is actually watched for.
More visits, more scans, and a small number of specific things being looked for each time.
Chorionicity comes first
Whether the twins share a placenta, and whether they share a sac, is the single most important early finding.
It determines how closely the pregnancy is monitored and which complications are being watched for. It is established most reliably in the first trimester, which is one of the reasons an early scan matters in a twin pregnancy more than in a single one.
Twins that share a placenta are followed more intensively than twins that do not. That is not a prediction that something will go wrong; it is what allows something to be caught early if it does.
What is monitored, and how often
Growth is the recurring question.
Twins are scanned more often than a single pregnancy, principally to follow how each is growing and to compare them against each other. A difference between them is looked for deliberately rather than noticed incidentally.
Blood pressure and signs of preterm labour are also followed more closely. Scans are performed by Dr. Kim in the office, which keeps a frequent schedule practical rather than a logistical problem.
When a maternal-fetal medicine specialist is involved
Frequently, and that is a normal part of a twin pregnancy rather than an escalation.
Co-management means the obstetrician you know continues to look after you while a specialist contributes to specific decisions. Where that is needed it is arranged early rather than at the point of a problem.
Planning the delivery
Twins are not automatically a cesarean.
How they are positioned, how the pregnancy has progressed, and your own history all bear on it. What is not reasonable is finding out the plan at the end.
The conversation happens well before delivery, so that if a recommendation changes late you already understand the reasoning. Dr. Kim delivers at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and CHA Hollywood Presbyterian.
What people are not told
A twin pregnancy is more tiring, sooner, and that is not a complication.
Work, travel and activity questions come up earlier than in a single pregnancy and deserve straight answers rather than generic advice. Ask them at a visit rather than looking them up at midnight.
Questions
What patients ask first.
Are twins automatically a high-risk pregnancy?
Twin pregnancies are followed more closely than single ones as a matter of course. Whether additional risk factors apply depends on your history. See high-risk pregnancy.
What is chorionicity and why does it matter?
It describes whether the twins share a placenta and whether they share a sac. It determines how intensively the pregnancy is monitored and which complications are watched for, and it is established most reliably early.
How often will I have ultrasounds?
More often than in a single pregnancy, mainly to follow growth and compare the twins with each other. The interval depends on chorionicity and on what is being seen.
Can twins be delivered vaginally?
Sometimes. It depends on how they are positioned, how the pregnancy has gone and your own history. It is discussed well in advance rather than decided on the day.
Will I need a maternal-fetal medicine specialist?
Often, and that is routine rather than a bad sign. Co-management means your obstetrician continues to look after you while a specialist contributes to particular decisions.
Where can I find twin pregnancy care in Los Angeles?
Yunella Women's Health is on San Vicente Boulevard in central Los Angeles, with delivery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center.
General information about care at Yunella, not medical advice. What applies to you depends on your own history and examination.
Start here
Come in early, and find out how they are arranged.
The first scan answers the question that shapes the rest of the pregnancy.
Or call (424) 404-8832 · 6330 San Vicente Blvd, Suite 418, Los Angeles, CA 90048 · delivery at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center