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Author:
Khushboo Kirale
- >> Post Created: September 5, 2020
- >> Last Updated: April 27, 2024
Medically Reviewed by: Dr. Veena Shinde (M.D, D.G.O, PG – Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) from Warick, UK) Mumbai, India
11 Early signs - You are pregnant with Twins - Table of Contents
From the very day of conception, your body starts producing hormones and initiates physical changes to prep itself for sustaining a baby for 40 weeks to come. You would notice it all begins with small, not so evident changes and advances to visible transformation which you would not be able to ignore.
These are most commonly experienced early symptoms when you are pregnant with twins, right from the earliest weeks of gestation.
Its is always good to identify these early signs especially when you are pregnant with twins as you could be well prepared physically and also mentally with some most FAQ’s on multiple pregnancies.
11 Early signs - you are pregnant with twins or multiples
Extreme Fatigue
One of the very early symptoms of twin pregnancy is Fatigue. It could appear in first few weeks. In most of the cases, even by the time you realise you have missed your periods, fatigue sets-in.
As your body is prepping up with elevated levels of hormones signs like increased urination and restlessness is common. All of this will make you feel exhausted and fatigued.
While you are pregnant with twins or multiples these symptoms would be more intense. You may feel completely drained out. All you can do is take ample of rest, till you get confirmation on your pregnancy.
This period of early developments is very crucial for your body to sustain life getting formed in your womb. All you need to do is stay calm and take care of yourself.
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Severe Morning sickness
Doctors are still not entirely clear why you experience morning sickness but for most women this starts as early as 4th week of pregnancy.
One of the reasons causing morning sickness is the elevated levels of Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG).
Did you know – Morning sickness or feeling nauseous is not just a morning phenomenon in pregnancy. It can happen anytime during the day and multiple times.
From my own experience of triplets and a couple of friends who delivered twins I can generalize that if you are pregnant with twins or multiples, you could have severe morning experience and could last longer into your pregnancy.
However, note that morning sickness and symptoms of twins can vary from person to person, as well as from pregnancy to pregnancy.
Experiencing nausea and vomiting that lasts beyond the 14th week of pregnancy is an indicator that you’re pregnant with twins or multiple babies.
If you are experiencing severe or prolonged morning sickness it could be Hyperemesis Gravidarum. If you’re vomiting several times a day, are nauseous throughout the day, or losing weight, it’s better you speak with your doctor.
When pregnant with twins overall, 70% to 80% of women experience some amount of nausea and vomiting. While 2% reportedly experience hyperemesis gravidarum. The remaining approximately 18% moms of twins or more, do get morning sickness.
Elevated hCG levels
Tests that confirms early signs of pregnancy viz blood test done in a lab or urine test at home, are based on detecting hCG Hormone to give you a positive result. The hormone is detectable in a pregnant woman’s blood or urine within 10 days post conception.
However the urine test at home cannot give you the level of hCG produced in your body, so to understand if your levels of hCG hormones are high or normal, its good to have a blood test done.
In an independent study by the National Library of Medicine , data confirms the higher levels of β-hCG and estradiol has been observed in women pregnant with twins or multiples, pointing to the potential role of hCG Hormone in early support of a twin pregnancy. The β-hCG and estradiol were all significantly higher in twins (P<0.05) as compared to singleton. Hence this is one of the early signs you’re having twins.
Abnormal AFP Test Results
AFP (Alpha-fetoprotein) screening is a blood test performed on pregnant mothers in the 2nd trimester. AFP is also addressed as maternal serum screening or multiple marker screening and it’s usually used to identify increased risks of certain birth defects.
A twin pregnancy can produce an unusually high or a “positive” result. Generally, your doctor will tell you to schedule an ultrasound for further assessment.
Frequent urination
When you are pregnant with twins or multiples, this is one of the signs which sometimes starts showing by 5-8 weeks. This could be because of the rapidly increasing hCG levels during twin pregnancy as compared to a singleton pregnancy.
The kidneys process this additional fluid as a result of which more fluids end up in your bladder which ultimately ends in you running to your bathroom more frequently.
When you start showing these symptoms of twins ensure you drink loads of water and keep yourself hydrated.
Fuller breasts.
As your body is prepping up for twin pregnancy there are loads of physical as well as hormonal changes happening inside of you.
Between 9 & 13 weeks post conception, you will notice a considerable increase in your breasts, tenderness and tingling sensations passing through your breasts. These are the symptoms of twins.
This is because of the milk glands and fatty tissues within your breasts grow in anticipation to feed multiples. Before you know you might need to shop for a larger, more comfortable bra.
Increased vaginal discharge
When you are pregnant with twins, due to increased hormones running through your veins, somewhere between 9-13 weeks of your pregnancy, you may start to see more vaginal discharge. Don’t worry! Its perfectly normal so long as its white, clear and odourless.
In case you feel the discharge is smelling bad or burning or it becomes itchy, please speak to your doctor at the earliest. This could be due to infection.
Higher resting heart rate
During pregnancy the basal metabolic rate increases to provide for the baby and sustain the pregnancy.
Very similarly, the resting heart rate can increase too. The normal resting heart rate is about 70 beats per minute (bpm). However the same increases to 80-100 bpm during pregnancy. When pregnant with twins or multiples, it could get even higher. As the bpm crosses 100, you may be diagnosed with tachycardia. Its considered normal during pregnancy and you got nothing to worry about, but ensure that you monitor yourself frequently.
You may not be able to stop your heart from racing, but you can surely create an environment to calm you down. Have a balanced diet and eat at regular intervals. You could look are meditation or breathing exercises to keep your bpm in check.
As always, talk with your doctor about what’s best for you.
Early Baby Bump
As a general practice, your doctor or your midwife, will measure the height of your uterine fundus (from top of the pubic bone to top of the uterus), so as to understand and estimate gestational age and your baby’s growth.
If you have symptoms of twins or multiples, your uterus will expands much more as compared to the range of a singleton. Some mothers have reported showing their baby bump much earlier when they were pregnant with twins or multiples as compared to mothers of singletons.
There are other reasons too for why one measures large or shows that baby bump earlier than expected.
Alternatively, you may measure large if your date of conception was not calculated right or also if your baby is just bigger.
Early fetal movement – (Early Quickening)
In early signs of twins, one of the feelings that women look forward to is to feel her baby inside of her. Feel the movements, feel the kicks, basically feel the life taking form and growing inside of the womb.
For most women, ‘Quickening’ (Time you first feel your baby), may occur anytime between 18-25 weeks. It is usually detected as early as 16 weeks in subsequent pregnancies and in case of multiples.
Initially these movements are often inconsistent & deceiving and could be just gas or stomach upset. But these could be signs you’re having twins.
Medical opinions of professionals are still divided on this subject.
Increased weight gain
Generally in singletons, this particular sign does not come into picture till the second trimester, as in the first trimester the weight is relatively low. In the first 12 weeks the weight gain recommended is anywhere between 1-4 pounds. Weight gain becomes more rapid in the second trimester.
If you see you are gaining weight faster in your first trimester, do speak with your doctor and find possible causes or concerns as this could also possibly be a sign of twins.
In twin pregnancy, mother generally gains about 10 pounds more than singleton mothers. And the amount of weight a woman gains depends on her height, body type and her pre-pregnancy weight.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) states the following weight gain guidelines for women pregnant with twins, based on your pre-pregnancy BMI (body mass index):
Weight gain table/guidelines for women with twins
BMI | Normal Weight Gain Range |
<18.5 | 50-62 lbs |
18.5-24.9 | 37-54 lbs |
25-29.9 | 31-50 lbs |
>=30 | 25-42 lbs |
However, morning sickness or other issues, may hamper your weight gain in your first trimester. Do speak with your doctor and your pre-natal nutritionist under such scenarios.
Detecting Multiple Pregnancy
While we have the mothers intuition and huches, the only 2 ways to be sure if you are pregnant with twins or multiples.
- Ultrasound examination
- Fetal Doppler
Ultrasound examination
This is by far the indisputable and the only sure shot way to confirm twin or multiple pregnancy. That’s not all, an ultrasound is the only way by which you come to know the types of twins you are carrying.
And as the saying goes – seeing is believing – the ultrasound image can indicate without a doubt if there is another fetus.
It’s very improbable that an ultrasound view would miss an additional baby, especially in the second or third trimester.
There have been exceptional cases of hidden twins where, a “hidden” twin is more likely not visible on an early ultrasound when the babies are identical (monochorionic) twins.
Further, in extreme cases of multiple pregnancies, such as quintuplets or sextuplets, it is too difficult to count accurately on the number of multiples on an early ultrasound.
Fetal Doppler – Distinctly hear the second heartbeat
Around 8-10 weeks you would be able to hear your baby’s heartbeat through fetal doppler. If your doctor has a slightest of doubt of another heartbeat, they would immediately ask you to schedule an ultrasound to understand what’s happening more clearly.
In case you are pregnant with twins, there are two distinct heartbeats you can hear. There are several tools that can be used to listen to the fetal heartbeat during pregnancy, which includes a stethoscope, fetoscope, or Doppler monitor.
With careful listening, a doctor or midwife can sometimes detect multiple distinct heartbeats and might suspect that there are twins. If so, an ultrasound scan can provide confirmation.
However, listening for heartbeats can be tricky and certainly not fool proof. It can be difficult to distinguish individual heartbeats, especially if they beat at about the same pace. And, the sound of mom’s heart can muddle the results.
Key Takeaway
Hope that this post has been useful to you in determining whether or not you are pregnant with twins or multiples. These are simple signs you could keep a watch our for.
While it is very exciting to be pregnant with twins, it comes with certain risks. But the good news is that these risks could be smoothly dealt with professional guidance and proper care. With advancements in medical field solutions to most of the complications are avoidable. The First Trimester Screening tests and sequential screening helps you identify probable birth/fetal defects at an early stage.
Focusing on your health and seeking prenatal care is particularly important during a multiple pregnancy. Its always good to be on top of some FAQs which help you prepare for your multiples in advance. Keeps you calm.
When pregnant with twins or multiples always discuss your concerns with your doctor, and take good care of yourself.
Happy Multiples!
Khushboo Kirale
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