Ending a Pregnancy – Twins and Multiples

Finding out that you are pregnant with twins, triplets or more can be a time of conflicting emotions. The joy can be mixed with concerns about the practicalities of a multiple pregnancy and worries about the increased risks for the mother and the babies. Expecting multiples affects the genetic test options in a pregnancy, and there is also the possibility that scans, or other tests, may show that one or more of your babies is not developing as expected. You can find more about prenatal genetic testing in multiple pregnancies here.  

After scan findings or genetic test results, you may be presented with the option to have a Termination For Medical Reasons (TFMR) of one or more of your babies. We know this can be a very distressing and confusing time as you consider your next steps, as the parents that contact our helpline have told us:

“I was pregnant with non-identical twins, a much-wanted pregnancy, and at the 20-week scan severe anomalies were found in one twin, the other looked healthy. With one sentence from the sonographer, your life changes forever. It’s hard to describe the shock.” 

Only you know what is right for you, your family and your babies. To support you, ARC has partnered with Twins Trust to produce Termination for Medical Reasons specific to Twins and Multiples: 

We hope this booklet will help you to understand more about what might be involved when TFMR is offered in a multiple pregnancy. It is not designed to replace detailed conversations with your healthcare team, as each case will be unique.  

At ARC we understand that the process of making this decision can be very difficult and painful. Please call, email or message us if it would help to talk. We also recommend that you visit Twins Trust website for more resources and support services.