Twin Pregnancy: 10 Weird Signs You’re Carrying Two Babies

The endangerment that you’re having twins is greater than overly before—twin pregnancies have been on the rise since 1980, and they now worth for just over 3 percent of all babies born.

But are you delivering twins.

How can you tell?

What are the signs of a twin pregnancy?

Keep scrolling for all the answers.

10 Signs of a Twin Pregnancy

In wing to the increasingly common early pregnancy signs, women who are pregnant with multiples may have the pursuit twin pregnancy symptoms:

1. HCG levels

In general, a twin pregnancy causes mama’s soul to produce increasingly hCG, the hormone the soul secretes during pregnancy.

In studies, moms with twin pregnancies produce increasingly hCG and for longer periods of time than a singleton pregnancy.

Keep in mind, though, that hCG production varies widely from woman to woman so upper levels should not be used as a definitive measure of whether mama is delivering twins. Some women with singleton pregnancies produce an unusually upper value of hCG, and some women delivering multiples produce an unusually low level of hCG.

Since many mamas do report higher hCG levels with twin pregnancies, other early signs of pregnancy are exacerbated in a twin pregnancy. Here, some worldwide complaints in mamas delivering multiples:

2. Lattermost morning sickness

Because of the worthier increase in several pregnancy hormones, morning sickness can be expressly bad during a twin pregnancy. In studies, twin pregnancies are a risk factor for the most severe form of morning sickness, hyperemesis gravidarum. But, not all moms pregnant with twins will wits severe morning sickness! Some may not finger queasy at all. Every mom and pregnancy is different.

If the nausea does hit, here’s what to do:

• Eat a healthy balanced diet: Sometimes easier said than done, but a mix of protein, fat, and ramified carbs at each meal will not only nourish you and victual but help regulate thoroughbred sugar (one potential rationalization of morning sickness).
• Support the liver: The liver is responsible for processing hormones and other toxins and is often overburden in first trimester of pregnancy. Milk thistle or dandelion root teas are excellent, as are safe digestive bitters, fermented foods like raw apple cider vinegar, and lemon water.
• Boost digestion: Age old remedies of both ginger and peppermint are helpful for stomach upset and nausea. Try these ginger chews or tea and these real peppermints and/or tea.
• Beware of the empty stomach: As soon as you wake up, eat something with protein and ramified carbs. Some moms plane alimony whole grain crackers by their bedside. This can reduce nausea caused by sluggish bile or low thoroughbred sugar.

If you want to swoop deep with many increasingly strategies for combating morning sickness, trammels out our defended post on morning sickness remedies.

3. Food intolerance

Similarly to the lattermost morning sickness, some mamas with a twin pregnancy notice an expressly strong unpopularity to unrepealable foods. Blame this (again!) on the hormonal fluctuations you’re experiencing.

Common culprits include:

• Green leafy veggies
• Fish/seafood
• Coffee (When pregnant, be sure to stick to 200 mg of caffeine or less per day!)
• Meat

Some evidence suggests that changes in taste perception during pregnancy is to blame.

Another theory suggests that food aversions are protective for the developing victual but moreover mentions that aversions are likely increasingly complicated than that.

In any case, it may be weightier to listen to those aversions and stay yonder from those foods for now. Try to eat the healthy, summery tasting foods you can tolerate like broth, bananas, avocados, oats and smoothies and don’t stress well-nigh it. These aversions usually pass within a few weeks and you can get your fill of nutrient-dense foods later.

4. Lattermost exhaustion

Any pregnant woman is going to be tired, but many mamas with a twin pregnancy report feeling utterly exhausted. The sharp rise in progesterone to support the gestation of two babies, combined with a higher basal metabolic rate (the rate at which the soul uses energy), can rationalization the debilitating fatigue. Plus, the first trimester is the most hair-trigger for developing the baby’s foundational soul systems (and you’re doing this for two babies!)

When you’re feeling wiped out, here’s what to do:

• If you’re working, take naps during your lunch break.
• Go to bed early every night (before 9 p.m.!).
• Practice deep zoetic if you’re unable to sleep.
• A healthy nutrition and good prenatal can uplift energy levels.
• Some moms find foods upper in B vitamins like nutritional yeast flakes or bee pollen help.
• Drink plenty of water. Believe it or not, vaporization is a HUGE rationalization of fatigue.
• Finally, walk 20 minutes a day. While it may seem like torture, it can really uplift your energy! (And it’s good for your babies’ IQs.)

5. Serious breast tenderness

Pregnancy can make breasts incredibly sore and tender. This is flipside early pregnancy symptom that is often lattermost when it’s a twin pregnancy and hormone levels are elevated. Your breasts are working overtime since they’ll have to support two babies rather than just one.

Here are some tips to reduce the pain of sore breasts:

• Ditch the tight, underwire bras for softer ones.
• Wear a cotton sleep bra to stave the pain of moving in bed.
• Avoid running, wavy or jarring your breasts until the sensitivity subsides.
• Consider making your breasts temporarily off limits to your partner.

6. Frequent urination

Just like with a singleton pregnancy, delivering twins can rationalization increased urination due to rising levels of hCG. Since twin pregnancy hCG levels rise faster than those in singleton pregnancies, the increased need to go to the washroom may be expressly obvious.

Here are some ways to deal:

• Drink your fluids older in the day and stop 1-2 hours surpassing bed.
• Try to stave beverages that are diuretics. This could include tea, seltzer, and coffee. Stick with hydrating electrolyte drinks like coconut water, goop or plain filtered water.
• Empty your bladder fully by leaning forward with each pee. You can moreover wait a few seconds while on the toilet to be sure your bladder is completely empty.

7. Worthier vitals than usual

Many women wonder, “when do you start showing with a twin pregnancy?” Well, it depends on so many factors but, in general, older than a singleton pregnancy!

Looking worthier than expected for gestational age is a possible sign of twin pregnancy, but alimony in mind that many women show much earlier in subsequent pregnancies than their first.

Measuring the fundal height may be a increasingly reliable identifier for possible twins.

Midwives and doctors measure the fundal height (the height of the uterus) starting at well-nigh 12 weeks of pregnancy to see that victual is growing normally. When the fundal height is larger than expected, it could midpoint that you’ve got twins! (Or, you have your conception or last period dates off.)

8. Higher resting heart rate

As we mentioned earlier, in pregnancy, the undermost metabolic rate increases to provide nourishment for the baby. Similarly, the resting heart rate can increase too. A normal resting heart rate is virtually 70 beats per minute (bpm). During pregnancy that increases to 80 to 100 bpm. With a twin pregnancy, the heart rate can be plane higher. Without 100 bpm, tachycardia may be diagnosed. Tachycardia is often considered normal in pregnancy (so there’s no need to worry), but should be monitored by your midwife or doctor.

While you can’t necessarily stop your heart from racing, it may be salubrious to include stress reduction in your life.

Some ways to alimony your system wifely include:

• Not letting your soul go into low thoroughbred sugar. Eat well-balanced meals and snacks at regular intervals.
• Practice deep breathing, visualization, and/or meditation. You can plane just sit in a comfy chair and listen to some Enya!
• Avoid upper stress environments like waddle concerts, bumper-to-bumper traffic, walking withal rented streets, etc.
• Use therapeutic herbs like chamomile or violaceous in tea
• Diffuse their essential oils in a diffuser.

As always, talk with your doctor well-nigh what’s weightier for you.

9. Moodiness

When those hormone fluctuations kick in, mood swings might not be far behind. And like with other early signs of twin pregnancy, increased moodiness due to massive biological changes may be a sign that you’re expecting two bundles of joy!

When pregnancy moodiness hits, do this:

• Journal your feelings. You can write things that you sometimes wouldn’t say. Be self-ruling with your pen and “vent” all of your feelings without judgment.
• Get support from a trusted person (your partner, family members, or friends).
• Practice spirituality to alimony a higher perspective and connect to peace. Whether that ways go to church, join a Bible study, do meditation or practice yoga, find ways to connect to your spirit.

Also, alimony in mind that intense feelings will go just as hands as they came (so don’t worry!).

10. Intuition

Some mamas just know it’s a twin pregnancy! Whether it’s a nagging thought or a dream well-nigh having two babies, intuition is a real thing, expressly in pregnancy. As the saying goes, trust your gut!

How Soon Can You Tell If You Are Pregnant With Twins?

Though all signs may point to yes, you’ll have to wait until you can personize with an ultrasound without six weeks of pregnancy. (One study found that transvaginal sonograms older than six weeks gestation were unreliable in picking up two gestational sacs.)

Do know that finding out you have a twin pregnancy this early ways you may end up with a twin loss. Researchers estimate that 21 to 30 percent of twins pregnancies result in vanishing twin syndrome. This happens when a twin pregnancy is confirmed at virtually 6 weeks (with an ultrasound), but the twin has “vanished” or been reabsorbed by the next scheduled visit (around 12 weeks). Some women would rather not know until both twins are relatively safe, while others want to know plane if the chances of losing one twin are high.

How Is a Twin Pregnancy Confirmed?

Ultrasound

While there are many signs and symptoms of a twin pregnancy, there’s only one way to know for sure—an ultrasound.

Some women segregate to have one washed-up early, while other women will segregate to stave ultrasounds until the 20-week scan. Still, other women, albeit rare, have no symptoms of twins and only find out at the birth!

Besides an ultrasound, there are very few things that definitively signal a twin pregnancy. They are:

Multiple heartbeats

At your prenatal appointment, the midwife or doctor will want to trammels for a heartbeat, starting at virtually 10 to 12 weeks. Sometimes a second heartbeat can be heard. However, sometimes you can be delivering twins and still not be worldly-wise to hear two heartbeats with the doppler (even when you’re looking for two!).

Abnormal AFP

Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) is a protein that’s produced by the liver and yolk sac of a developing victual during pregnancy. This protein then travels into mama’s blood. During the second trimester, a test measures the value of AFP that the fetus releases from its liver (into mom’s blood). This test is used to screen for chromosomal abnormalities or lineage defects such as Down syndrome.

However, a upper level of AFP may midpoint there are simply two babies excreting it! One study found that women delivering twins had AFP tests that were twice as upper as women delivering singletons.

Can There Be a Subconscious Twin?

With an early ultrasound, it’s possible for there to be a subconscious twin (one twin is hiding overdue the other during the scanning), but it’s rare. By the 20-week ultrasound, no doubt well-nigh it, you would know for sure whether you were having twins or not!

Could you be pregnant with twins?

Take our twin pregnancy quiz to find out!

And don’t forget to sign up for our natural pregnancy week by week series. It’s a unconfined self-ruling resource whether you’re pregnant with multiples or a singleton. ??

The post Twin Pregnancy: 10 Weird Signs You’re Delivering Two Babies appeared first on Mama Natural.