Pregnancy is an extremely joyous occasion for the entire family. With the news of pregnancy, the couple embarks on a beautiful and exciting, yet uncertain journey. With the recent rise in twin birth rates, another factor has been added to the list of uncertainties – single or twins? 😊
There can be reasons leading to the anticipation of twins, for example – family history, reproductive treatments (such as IVF or other hormonal treatments), higher maternal age, etc. But even with all these factors, there is no sure shot way to find out whether its twins or single pregnancy until the first ultrasound. So be patient – and let the picture unfold!
But if you are wondering when and how you can find out whether you are expecting twins – here are a few indicators!
Medical indicators
- An early medical indicator of twin pregnancy is elevated HCG levels. HCG levels test is used to confirm pregnancy through home-based test kits or through lab-based blood or urine examination. While the home-based kits don’t tell the HCG levels, the lab-based tests can tell the HCG level as well as expected levels based on week of pregnancy. An elevated HCG level can be an early indicator of a twin pregnancy
- The good news is twin pregnancy can be confirmed as early as 6-8 weeks into pregnancy. In India, majority of the doctors advice the first ultra-sound examination around 8-10 weeks into pregnancy – this is when most of the parents first get to know of the twins pregnancy
- Around the same time, during your doctor visit, you should also be able to hear more than one heartbeat on a foetal doppler – which is another key indicator of twins pregnancy.
However, you might want to wait until the end of first trimester before announcing it to the world. This is because of a common phenomenon known as ‘vanishing twin’ which is seen in 20 to 30 percent of twin pregnancies in first trimester. In most cases of vanishing twin, the mother goes on to deliver one healthy baby without complication.
Physical symptoms
A twin pregnancy means twice the hormonal load and also double the load on your body for providing for two growing babies. So you can expect any typical pregnancy symptom to be more pronounced in case of twins pregnancy.
Symptoms due to extra demands on body
- Exhaustion: While exhaustion is a common symptom in pregnancy, in case of a twin pregnancy women are reported to have more acute exhaustion and an early onset. You might find yourself out of energy even during the shortest outings and during daily chores
- Elevated heart rate: Again, the body is working extra hard and needs more energy to provide for two babies – this can lead to a slightly elevated heart rate.
- Hunger pangs: Growing babies require more energy, and hence twin moms can experience frequent hunger pangs (including middle of night 😊)
- Bigger belly bump: Two babies take more space, and hence twin moms start showing a belly bump much earlier than single pregnancy. Infact, many of the twin moms might appear full term pregnant as early as the end of second trimester
- Frequent urination: Higher HCG levels and more space taken by growing babies means more pressure on the bladder. Twin moms sleep struggles start early on as they may need to use the washroom multiple times at night and even after smallest liquid intakes
- Breathlessness: Later in the pregnancy, as the babies grow in size, the space crunch within the body might also leave lesser space for the lungs to expand – leading to a feeling of breathlessness or shorter breaths.
Symptoms due to hormonal changes
- Morning sickness: Again, higher likelihood of experiencing morning sickness in case of twins pregnancy
- Food aversions: More share of women who are pregnant with twins report some kind of food aversions starting first trimester
- More moodiness: It is normal to experience mood swings during pregnancy and even after delivery due to the heavy hormonal changes that a mother’s body goes through. This can be even more pronounced for twin moms, due to hormonal load and also significant physical exhaustion. So be patient and know that it’s a phase you’ll sail through!
While there are many symptoms associated with a twins pregnancy, there is no sure shot way to affirm it unless a medical examination like ultrasound confirms the same. But once you know that you are pregnant with twins – be aware that the physical demands and hormonal changes your body will go through will be different than a single pregnancy. So take it easy, take time to prepare for the arrival of babies, eat healthy, get lots of rest, and most importantly create lots of happy memories of this unique phase of life!
