If you’re pregnant with twins you may be worried about nutrition and weight gain, as your body copes with carrying two babies.

However, the dietary advice for twins is essentially the same as with a single baby, so follow your instincts but try to let common sense prevail.

Healthy eating in pregnancy is vital for both mum and babies. So make sure you’re eating foods from all the food groups and not just filling up on sweet snacks. Opt for foods that are rich in vitamins and minerals to help support your growing babies. As twin babies are more likely to be born early they need all the sustenance they can get in the uterus to avoid having a low birth weight.

What vitamins do I need?

In terms of extra supplements, you can take folic acid prior to conception and for the first trimester. Mothers carrying twins often find they are low on iron and if your midwife finds you are anaemic she will give you iron tablets. However these can lead to constipation, so ensuring your diet consists of lots of iron-rich foods such as red meat, fortified breakfast cereal, green vegetables, dried fruit and fish such as sardines is a good idea.

How much should I eat?

There aren’t specific guidelines on weight gain in the UK but in the US the rule of thumb is that mothers expecting twins will need about 600 extra calories a day — this compares with 300 extra for single baby pregnancies. But it’s a balance between energy in and energy out; so if you’re very active you may need more calories while those confined to bed rest will need fewer.

However if you are underweight before your pregnancy you may need to gain extra weight to support the twins and if you are overweight this is not the time to start dieting but rather be vigilant of your weight gain.

It’s easy to be led astray by the old adage of ‘eating for two’ — or rather in this case ‘for three’ — but 600 calories is not a huge amount and should consist of healthy items rather than junk foods.

As the pregnancy continues your internal organs are squeezed by the growing babies, so eating large meals can be very uncomfortable and you may not feel as hungry. Eating smaller, more frequent meals may suit you better. And don’t forget to drink plenty of water, even if you feel like you’re rushing to the toilet all the time, it’s very important to keep well hydrated.

The expert view

Jeanne Tarrant, team manager for the Royal College of Midwives, says: “Mothers of twins will probably have more regular visits to the hospital; they are more likely to have consultant-led care than someone carrying a single baby, so they’ll see obstetricians more frequently. They’ll still see the midwife but the obstetrician will be lead carer. In terms of dietary advice women should do just the same as for one baby: eat well, rest well and avoid unpasteurised food. But women should consider leaving work sooner because the weight of pregnancy means they are more tired.”

A mum’s view

Lara Barrett, mother to Sam and Ewan, says: “I just ate constantly. I went to a twins club when I found out I was pregnant and I spoke to people with identical boys and it was the best thing I did. I was advised to eat as much protein as I could in the first trimesters because you get to a point where you can’t get enough in your body and luckily I did because they were premature.”