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Signs of Having Twin Babies

Pregnancy is an exciting time for any mother-to-be, as your body changes and you prepare for the life-changing event that having a child will be. For some parents however, that change can be even more acute when you discover that you are carrying two babies instead of one. Most mothers-to-be will find out that they are pregnant with twins at the first-trimester ultrasound scan at about 12 weeks, but there are signs and symptoms to look out before this appointment even takes place.

  1. Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (HCG) Levels

    • HCG is commonly known as the "pregnancy hormone," whereby levels rise after conception and continue rising until the end of the first trimester. The hormone is responsible for regulating the levels of progesterone necessary for maintaining a healthy pregnancy. Doctors can check the progress of a pregnancy during the first three months by measuring the amount of HCG in the urine or blood and checking that it corresponds with the normal levels expected.

      According to Baby Hopes, elevated levels of HCG can be an indicator of twins, as the body is working harder to support the development of two babies instead of one. However higher HCG levels do not provide a conclusive diagnosis for twins because they can vary greatly from person to person and from one day to the next.

    More Pronounced Pregnancy Symptoms

    • Women carrying twins will often find that they experience the same symptoms of women with single pregnancies but at a much higher degree. For example, morning sickness -- which is linked to rising HCG levels -- is commonly more pronounced in twin pregnancies, whereby women will find that they feel nausea more frequently and heavily than in a single pregnancy. Similarly, the frequent urination common to the first trimester and third trimester of pregnancy is more acute in twin pregnancies because of the greater pressure that the uterus exerts on the bladder. Tiredness is also another common symptom of pregnancy, particularly in the early and later stages, and so for twin-carrying mothers, this sense of exhaustion can be greater because the body is working even harder to provide a safe and healthy environment for two growing babies.

    Faster, Greater Weight Gain and a Bigger Bump

    • As you would expect, when a women is carrying two babies she will most likely begin to show more quickly than in a single pregnancy and she will end up with a larger bump overall by the end of the pregnancy to accommodate two bodies instead of one. Carrying twins will also result in greater weight gain, not only because of the greater mass of the babies, but also in the fat reserves that the mother stores in order to support the baby both during pregnancy and after delivery when she is lactating.

    Two Heartbeats

    • The most positive confirmation of a twin pregnancy that you can get is by seeing and hearing the presence of two heartbeats instead of one. You can expect to hear the heartbeats at your first ultrasound scan at around 12 weeks, while it can actually can be seen by ultrasound from as early as six to seven weeks gestation if your doctor performs an early scan.

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