It has never been easy to find out detailed or specific information with respect to pregnancy. Even in the early weeks when diagnostics happen, you get to know about the baby’s growth, health, and development. In some countries, doctors also disclose the gender of the baby, but the confirmation of twins is something you cannot expect early.
In families where twins are already included, women can have an understanding of the chances of having twins. And this chance of having multiple pregnancies is common for all as it is a hereditary factor. Many women start wondering in their early stage of pregnancy whether they’re having a single child, or twins, or triplets. Therefore below we have curated a list of symptoms to check if you’re having more than one baby. However, these symptoms might vary from woman to woman.
Gain weight faster
While carrying twins, there are chances that a woman might gain up to 5 kgs in her first trimester as the volume of blood and the size of the uterus increases. And by the end of the second trimester, a woman having one baby gains 5 to 10 kg, whereas a woman having twins usually gain between 7 to 12 kg.
A very high result from Alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) test
High results in the AFP test are the first symptoms that show you are going to have twins. In this test, from the fetal liver, a protein is measured. And if the amount of protein comes out to be higher than expected in the mother’s blood then no doubt that you’re going to have multiple pregnancies. But in the case of a singleton pregnancy, if the level of AFP is high then this might be a sign of some abnormality.
A large-for-date uterus
When your uterus appears to grow more rapidly than expected before the due date, then you can suspect more than one pregnancy. In some cases due to an excessive amount of amniotic fluid or an excessive amount of uterine fibroids also the size of the uterus grows rapidly.
Extreme fatigue
Carrying two babies inside is a very tiring task. Having twins means extreme exhaustion and fatigue throughout the day.
Severe morning sickness
Women expecting single pregnancies do experience morning sickness, but in the case of multiple pregnancies, the sickness becomes more severe. There might come mornings when you won’t be able to get up from bed without any help or support. In such cases it is recommended to eat healthy food that has protein and carbs in it, it helps to avoid severe morning sickness. You can also have peppermint tea or ginger tea to get relief from stomach aches.
Excessive retention of water
In the case of multiple pregnancies, there occurs more water retention than a singleton pregnancy.
Early movement of fetal is felt
It has been claimed by many women that while carrying twins they experienced kicks and flips of the baby very early and strong as compared to the woman who had a singleton pregnancy. This is the first clue of the majority of women who have twins.
Predisposition to have more than one baby
Today in several families due to advanced age, women use fertility drugs and in-vitro fertilization. These often lead to multiple pregnancies.
When in 10 to 12 weeks doctor hears more than one heartbeat
In the case of multiple pregnancies, the doctor might hear more than one pulse. When diagnosed, heartbeats of different rates could be found.
Extreme tenderness of breast
During pregnancy, breasts become tender and sore. And in the case of multiple pregnancies the rate of tenderness of the breast increases. In such cases to reduce the soreness of breasts, you can try wearing a bra that is loose and made with a cotton cloth. Also, try to avoid running as it might lead to pain.
Many women who have multiple pregnancies say that they are able to recognize the fact that they’re carrying twins from the start. But ultrasound is the best way to figure out if it’s true or not. Although these symptoms of pregnancy mentioned are the same for singleton pregnancy too, these are more pronounced during the early stage of pregnancy in case you’re about to have multiple pregnancies. This happens due to pregnancy-specific hormone, human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG), the levels of it gets increased if you have a twin pregnancy.
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