Pregnancy Signs of Twins

We all know that twin pregnancies are so uncommon. While some people yearn to have twins, others are worried about how to take care of twins. First of all, chances of having a twin pregnancy is so rare, unless you have such a family history or you have undergone treatment for infertility. It has also been observed that twin pregnancies occur mostly in older women. However, in some cases, twin pregnancies just happen, without any reason. Whatever may be the reason, as in a normal pregnancy, a twin pregnancy also displays a few characteristic symptoms.

As in case of some diseases, which are diagnosed on the basis of symptoms, you cannot rely on the early pregnancy symptoms to prove that it is a twin pregnancy. A twin pregnancy can be confirmed with an ultrasound. But, there are some common pregnancy signs of twins, which are experienced by women with twin pregnancies. Knowledge about such symptoms can help those, who have not yet done the ultrasound and those who are worried about the symptoms of twin pregnancy.

Twin Pregnancy Signs

The signs of pregnancy may vary from one woman to another, while some women may not experience any symptom. This applies to twin pregnancies too. However, there are some common early pregnancy signs of twins, which are as follows.

• Early signs include severe morning sickness with nausea and vomiting. Though, observed in a small percentage of twin pregnancy cases, the severity of morning sickness is higher than that of normal pregnancy.
• Extreme fatigue is another hallmark of a twin pregnancy. Though, experienced by women with a normal pregnancy, this is more prominently seen in twin pregnancies.
• In case of twin pregnancies, the expecting mother may feel much more hungry and develop cravings at a very early stage.
• Mood swings are more common in twin pregnancies, as such women produce more hormones, when compared to women with normal pregnancies.
• As far as pregnancy tests are concerned, the HcG levels of a woman with a twin pregnancy will be higher. HcG is a hormone found in the blood and urine of women after 10 days of conception. Pregnancy tests often detect the levels of this hormone to determine pregnancy.
• In case of an ultrasound, some experienced doctors can detect double heartbeats during the early stages of pregnancy itself. Double heartbeat is one of the pregnancy signs of twins.
• Apart from all these, some women develop an intuition that they are carrying twins as they feel more heaviness in the lower abdomen.
• As compared to normal pregnancies, women with twin pregnancies gain weight in a faster manner. They have a much bigger uterus and are overweight by at least 5 to 10 pounds, as compared to women with normal pregnancies.
• Another pregnancy sign of twins include frequent fetal movement. In some twin pregnancies, fetal movement may develop very early.

In short, most of the pregnancy signs of having twins is not different from the signs of a normal pregnancy, but, an exaggerated version of the latter only. Some women with twin pregnancies may also develop varicose veins and water retention (causing swelling of feet and hands). As stated above, some women with twin pregnancies may not develop most of the above said symptoms. However, the above mentioned symptoms is a generalized view, which may vary from one person to another. It is always better to confirm a twin pregnancy with an ultrasound and not on the basis of the symptoms.

Pregnancy is always associated with joy and happiness, but, it is a period, wherein you have to exercise more caution and take extra care of yourselves. So, don't worry if you are having a twin pregnancy.