Signs

Signs Of A Twin Pregnancy

In some cases, mothers often suspect that they are carrying more than one baby because their pregnancy symptoms are more severe or obvious in the early stages than they might be during a singleton pregnancy.  However most mothers will have no idea they are carrying twins until they are told by the sonographer at their first ultrasound scan.  The only way to confirm a twin or multiple pregnancy is to see it by ultrasound.  An ultrasound image can indicate without doubt if there is more than one foetus.  Two or more heartbeats can be detected from around 8 weeks.

I myself did not suspect either of my twin pregnancies but I can confirm that the early tell tale pregnancy symptoms were definitely unpleasant.  The nausea was relentless and the exhaustion I felt seemed ridiculous for such an early stage of pregnancy.

Although it will differ from one woman to another and all pregnancies are different here are some of the more common signs of a twin pregnancy.

• Faster/Earlier Weight Gain

• Extreme Fatigue

• Nausea/Excessive Morning Sickness

Abdominal size or weight gain appears to be more in comparison to previous singleton pregnancies.  Increased uterus size can be a strong indicator of a twin pregnancy but please remember that the pregnancy may show faster because the uterus and ligaments have already been stretched by a previous pregnancy.  Increased water retention can also be a sign of a multiple pregnancy.

During my fraternal twin pregnancy I really didn’t show until I was 5 months pregnant but with my identical twin pregnancy I started to show far earlier.  This could have been due to the uterus and ligaments already stretched by the first pregnancy.  At 19 weeks my uterus was the size of a 24 week singleton pregnancy.

Extreme Fatigue or tiredness is probably the most common complaint from mothers carrying a twin pregnancy.  Sleepiness, lethargy and exhaustion during the first trimester can be enhanced because the body is working overtime to nurture not just one baby but two.

I don’t remember feeling too tired during the fraternal twin pregnancy but I definitely remember feeling exhausted during the identical twin pregnancy.  This was possibly due to other factors such as circumstances and age.  I already had two children to take care of so I couldn’t simply rest when my body needed too.  I was 5 years older; my body had already carried one twin pregnancy so the muscles were unlikely to be as “fresh”.   I remember the smallest of chores being tough.

Multiple mums may report that they have had excessive nausea

I was definitely one of those twin mums who suffered from nausea otherwise known as morning sickness.  Through both my twin pregnancies I suffered with nausea but I was lucky enough that it stopped there.  I was never actually sick.  The nausea however was relentless and lasted all day and was sometimes worse during the night.  Sometimes I couldn’t face the kitchen and I had complete loss of appetite.  This was difficult the second time around as I still had to prepare food for my children.

Disclaimer: The information on this website does not constitute medical advice, it is for your reference only from my personal experience of delivering twins twice. Always seek professional and current advice from a registered medical practitioner.