Signs of Having Twins

Becoming a mother is probably one of the best phases in a woman's life. During pregnancy, all of your senses are heightened. Also your intuition. So if something is telling you that it's twins that you might be expecting, you should go ahead and look for signs of having twins. There are quite a few indications and confirmatory tests you could go for to know for sure whether you are having twins. This article will help you learn more about the pregnancy symptoms and your odds of having twins.

Signs of Having Twins in Early Pregnancy

Statistics show that women carrying twins show exaggerated symptoms of pregnancy than women carrying one child. The morning sickness is almost doubled, weight gain is faster than normal, and your sense of smell may become too sensitive. Well you could know this only if you have had a previous experience. First time moms should seek some advice from women with twins and they will help you identify the earliest signs of having twins. Another sign would be elevated hCG levels in pregnancy. The levels of hCG may be more than in a pregnancy when having one child. All these symptoms are not confirmatory signs of having twins. A few of the mentioned tests below would be confirmed signs of twin pregnancy.

10 Signs of Having Twins

These are the 10 signs or rather tests that will help you confirm whether it's twins you are having.

hCG levels
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels in blood or urine are used to confirm pregnancy. While having twins these levels of hCG fall in the higher range marked for pregnant women. However this is a preliminary test.

Doppler Heartbeat Count
Doppler heartbeat count makes use of sound waves to identify and amplify the heartbeats of a fetus. This test can confirm two heartbeats in the case of more than one fetus.

Increase in Weight
Your weight may be a sign of having twins. An expectant mother is supposed to gain weight. In women pregnant with twins, the weight gain may be rapid and much more than other expectant moms. A woman can expect to gain as much as 10lbs when pregnant with twins. The weight gain also depends on the woman's height and weight before conceiving twins.

Morning Sickness
The morning sickness may be more than usually observed in pregnant women, as mentioned earlier. This however does not always happen. Certain women with twins did not have an increased intensity of morning sickness.

Measuring Large
The length of the uterine fundus increases more than a single birth pregnancy while having twins. This is a method used to identify the gestational age. Also your stomach may look larger than when carrying a single fetus. At 6 months you may look like you have completed the full term.

Fatigue
A woman carrying more than one baby may experience more fatigue right from the earlier stages of pregnancy, as the body is nourishing more than one fetus and is overworked. Therefore, a woman may feel sleepy and tired from the very beginning of pregnancy.

Fetal Movement
A woman may experience a fetal movement earlier than expected and the frequency of which may be more as well. This however, is not a medically approved fact and may vary in women.

Ultrasound
An ultrasound image will definitely confirm twins. If you are having twins the ultrasound will show you two fetuses. Once you confirm that you are having twins, you can opt for a level 2 ultrasound which will let you know whether your babies are developing well.

Alphaprotein Screening
Alphaprotein (AFP) screening test is a blood test which is done in the second trimester of pregnancy. It is also called a triple marker screening. This is a basic test to identify birth defects. However, in a twin pregnancy the AFP test may be positive. Therefore, this test is done in conjunction with ultrasound to know the reason for the high or abnormal levels of AFP.

Family History
If there is a history of twins in your family, it's quite likely that you may be expecting twins. A hunch is sometimes more accurate than you actually think. So confirm this fact with your medical consultant.

In case you have been asking yourself, "Am I having twins? ", then there are 10 ways to know. These signs of having twins is just a guide, your doctor is the best person to refer to when in doubt.