Concerns Other Twin Moms Had
My concern is, of course, preterm labor. Hoping this will not happen. And babies growth I want them to keep growing!
How do I stay pregnant for as long as possible but still prepare my body for labor?
Birth complications
Getting to term
Weve reached the point of viability, which would be exciting if it werent so scary to think of the consequences of such an early arrival.
Labor and delivery
Will I be able to make enough milk to feed two babies? Im a first-time mom and really want to only feed breastmilk initially.
How long it will take for my husband and I to figure out how to best work as a team when it comes to dealing with TWO newborn babies?
I am sick of the heartburn. But I know its normal so there is no great concern.
How much bigger will my belly get?
How You Get Pregnant With Twins: 5 Factors That Increase The Odds Of Getting Pregnant With Twins
Twins have fascinated the world for ages. They are even present in various myths and religions around the globe. Identical twins are also important in science, especially because they can answer many questions scientists have about nature vs. nurture. Here are the overall odds of getting pregnant with twins, plus factors that could increase the likelihood.
Best Sex Positions To Conceive Twins Naturally
It is widely believed as certain sex positions can increase the chances of conceiving twins. Certain positions ensure that the sperm is placed close to the cervix. Along with these deep penetration positions, if you choose a method that makes you hyper-ovulate then you might have higher chances to get pregnant with twins.
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What Are My Chances Of Being Pregnant With Twins
If you just found out you are pregnant and youre not sure if you have just one little babe or two in there, you might be wondering what your odds are. It has been estimated that twins account for about 1 in 250 births.
Its important to keep in mind that this is merely an estimate and things like genetics, age, and fertility can increase or decrease these chances.
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Fertility Supplements And Drugs To Conceive Twins
Sometimes, its best to team two methods together for better results. As mentioned above, IUI is an excellent example of teaming treatment and drugs to enhance chances of conceiving twins. The basic idea behind these drugs or supplements is that it will regulate hormones while also promoting a healthy reproductive system. And, most importantly it will ensure that more eggs are released that can fertilise with sperms.
Listed below are supplements and drugs that can help boost the process.
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Bigger Belly Than Usual
Many women wonder, when do you start showing with a twin pregnancy? Well, it depends on so many factors but, in general, earlier than a singleton pregnancy!
Looking bigger than expected for gestational age is a possible sign of twin pregnancy, but keep in mind that many women show much earlier in subsequent pregnancies than their first.
Measuring the fundal height may be a more reliable identifier for possible twins.
Midwives and doctors measure the fundal height starting at about 12 weeks of pregnancy to see that baby is growing normally. When the fundal height is larger than expected, it could mean that youve got twins!
No : You Are More Likely To Become Pregnant With Twins Naturally When You Are In Your 30s And 40s
We all hear that the older we get, the harder it is to conceive, but advancing age may actually increase the likelihood of a twin pregnancy, says Abdulla Al-Khan, MD, the director and chief of maternal and fetal medicine and surgery at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey. “Once you are 25 or into your 30s and 40s, ovulatory cycles are not regular anymore. If you are not regular and do ovulate, you could be ovulating two follicles at the same time.” Voila! A twin pregnancy — without assisted reproductive technologies.
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How Do You Know If Youre Pregnant With Multiples
You may be pregnant with multiples if:
- Your breasts are very sore.
- Youre very hungry or you gain weight quickly in the first trimester.
- You feel movement in different parts of your belly at the same time.
- You have severe morning sickness. Morning sickness is nausea and vomiting that happens in the first few months of pregnancy.
- Your health care provider hears more than one heartbeat or finds that your uterus is larger than usual.
- You have high levels of a hormone called human chorionic gonadotrophin or a protein called alpha-fetoprotein in your blood. HCG is a hormone your body makes during pregnancy. Alpha-fetoprotein is a protein that a developing baby makes during pregnancy.
Your provider can use ultrasound to find out for sure if youre pregnant with multiples. Ultrasound uses sound waves and a computer screen to show a picture of a baby.
Ways To Get Pregnant With Twins Naturally
WARNING: You should never take any type of herbal or pharmaceutical supplement without talking to your doctor and/or doing your own research. Anecdotal evidence is not enough. Some of these products cause high/low blood pressure, interact badly with other drugs you may be taking or may contain additives that are not fully tested .
For a range of reasons, some couples wish to conceive twins. Although there are no guarantees, there are both natural and medical methods that can increase the chance of falling pregnant with multiples.
Before attempting to conceive multiples, keep in mind that there are higher risks involved, including health risks from premature cord clamping and babies being born too soon due to early induction. Its a good idea to have a doula or suitable support person and a doctor you trust if you are pregnant with twins.
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What Week Can Twins Be Detected
If you really are eating for three, you can confirm this during your ultrasound at 12 weeks. Despite what movies want us to believe, its pretty rare to go an entire pregnancy without doctors realizing youre carrying twins. The first trimester is usually when your doctor can determine the number of children youre having.
Will You Conceive Twins If Youre Breast
In 2006, a study was published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine that found that women who were breast-feeding and got pregnant were more likely to conceive twins. But there arent additional studies to support this information. For this reason, breast-feeding isnt considered to be a factor that increases your likelihood to conceive twins.
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Tests Checks And Appointments During Twin Pregnancy
If youre pregnant with twins, youll need a higher level of care, which means more appointments and tests during your pregnancy.
You probably wont need lots of extra blood tests, but you will need more ultrasounds.
If you have twins with , its generally recommended that you have ultrasounds at 12-13 weeks, 20 weeks, and then every four weeks until your babies are born. You might have more frequent ultrasounds than this.
A twin pregnancy with babies sharing one placenta might be more complicated, so its generally recommended that you have ultrasounds about every two weeks from 12 weeks.
If youre pregnant with twins, youll have more frequent antenatal appointments. Antenatal appointments are a good chance to get health and lifestyle support if you need it. You can also get information about pregnancy, labour, birth and early parenting.
Questions Twin Moms Had For Their Doctor
This week, I asked about logistics with the birth. I am hoping not to give birth for another 10 weeks at least, but with twins you never know. So, I asked about what week to go to what hospital and if I did go into preterm labor how to stop it.
What pelvic pressure and ligament pain is normal?
Can I get a massage? Can it induce early labor?
When will my c-section be booked?
How often should I feel the babies moving?
What restrictions should I begin implementing to decrease preterm labor risks?
Exercise limitations?
What signs of preterm labor should I be looking out for?
How long will I be allowed to continue working?
When will I need to begin limiting my travel? How far can I go safely?
Will my water be broken before the c-section? How?
What # of personnel can I expect in/out of my c-section?
How long does it take to close up the incision?
What are the hospitals guidelines on taking the placentas home?
What are the signs of preeclampsia?
Is a vaginal birth a possibility?
Is there anything I can do for my sciatic pain?
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How Do Twin Pregnancies Happen
Twin pregnancies develop when either two separate eggs become fertilized or when a single fertilized egg splits into two embryos, resulting in two types of twins.
A woman can expect identical twins when the fertilized egg splits into two separate embryos. Those embryos are referred to as monozygotic because they have identical genes. Monozygotic twins are always the same sex and are very similar in appearance. The chances of having identical twins are pretty rare, at just 3-4 per 1,000 births.
Non-identical twins or fraternal twins occur when there are two eggs in the womb and sperm fertilize them both. These are referred to as dizygotic. They don’t have the same genes and may not be of the same sex. Fraternal twins are seen more commonly in women who have a twin pregnancy.
Are There Any Sex Positions To Help Me Get Pregnant With Twins
While there are sex positions that some believe can help sway the gender of a baby , there aren’t really any positions to help with twins. Unless you can invent some sort of position that involves releasing two eggs, or splitting one egg, then you’ll have to resort to other methods. Also, that sex position would be pretty crazy, and not in a good way.
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What Is A Multiple Pregnancy
A multiple pregnancy is a pregnancy where youre carrying more than one baby at a time. If youre carrying two babies, they are called twins. Three babies that are carried during one pregnancy are called triplets. You can also carry more than three babies at one time . There are typically more risks linked to a multiple pregnancy than a singleton pregnancy.
How To Have Twins
Having a predisposition for a twin pregnancy is a scientifically valid phenomenon, but intentionally trying to improve your odds of conceiving twins? Not a good idea, experts says. Alice Domar, MD, director of integrative care at Boston IVF, tells me she has a conversation every day with someone who says they want twins, often because they already have fertility issues and because IVF is expensive or because they are older and want an insta-family. But she urges them to look at the risks. A twin pregnancy is a higher-risk pregnancy, she says. This includes increased chances of gestational diabetes and pregnancy-induced hypertension. In addition, more than half of twin births in the US are preterm, notes the March of Dimes. Stanford Childrens Health also notes that about 10 percent of twins have very low birth weight . So while you might get a 2-for-1 from an IVF standpoint, your copay for the NICU stay may more than make up for it.
Still, I can attest that, with twins, the joy at every stage of parenting is doubled, and, if youre hoping to beat the odds, I get it. However, the smartest tips for how to have twins are those that simply enhance your fertility. So take a look, below, at what might improve your chances of becoming pregnantand who knows, maybe youll have twins.
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What Could Happen To The Babies
The babies could be born too early, which is called premature birth. Half of all twins and 90% of all triplets are born prematurely. Babies born prematurely may have many health problems. Their lungs might not be strong enough, so they might have trouble breathing. The blood vessels in their brains might bleed easily. Many other birth defects are associated with multiple births as well. The babies will probably be underweight and may get sick or even die.
Before birth, the babies might not get all the nutrition that is carried by the blood from their mother. This is particularly true if they share a placenta, the tissue that carries nutrients from the mother to the baby. The babies may not grow as fast as normal. If the multiple babies share important blood vessels through a common placenta, they may develop heart problems or die.
Twins, triplets, and other multiples are more likely to have problems with their brain development and nerves if they are born early. One of the more common problems is cerebral palsy, an abnormality of the brain. Other problems associated with multiple births may not become known for many years after delivery.
Are Older Women More Likely To Have Twins
According to Huggies, being an older mother tends to make twin babies more likely.
They explain: “It seems to be a twist of nature that just before a woman enters peri-menopause, her ovaries start releasing more than one egg each month. This ‘fertility spike’ is also influenced by a surge of oestrogen.
“Fertility research has proven that twin pregnancies are much more common in women who are over 35 years. But this only applies to non-identical twins.”
READ MORE | **Adorable pics show 13 sets of Scottish twins all starting school this year**Adorable pics show 13 sets of Scottish twins all starting school this year
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Is Labor And Delivery Significantly Different With Twins
Laboris generally the same whether youre having one baby or two. Duringdelivery is when things differ significantly.
When its time to deliver your twins, you will go to an operating room evenif you are delivering vaginally. This is a safety precaution known as adouble setup. Following the vaginal delivery of the first baby, there is asmall risk of an emergency cesarean section for the second baby. There is also thepossibility of the second twin being delivered breech, which is a safe formof vaginal delivery if the obstetrician is experienced in this type ofdelivery.
Of women giving birth to twins over 32 weeks, only about 4 percent who tryfor a vaginal delivery will have a combined vaginal and cesarean section delivery.While it doesnt happen very often, by delivering both babies in theoperating room, physicians are better prepared to protect the health of themother and the babies.
Although being pregnant with twins can seem very different, your doctorwill treat your pregnancy like any other unless a complication occurs.
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Ways To Increase Your Chance Of Conceiving Twins
1. Folate Studies have shown women who have folate have a 40% increase in twin pregnancies, although this appears to be more particularly aimed at women whove had IVF..
2. Cassava This African tuber is believed to cause hyperovulation and increase the chance of multiples. Cassanovum is the one I chose to purchase after researching the many brands available. Its made using the most potent part of the plant, contains folate and has a variety of other herbs to help with pregnancy..
3. Dairy Studies have shown women who consume a lot of dairy are more likely to conceive twins. This is believed to be due to Insulin-like Growth Factor in cows and possibly some of the hormones they have administered to them. .
4. Age Older women produce higher amounts of FSH which increases the chance of dropping multiple eggs. However fertility rates also go down as women age, so waiting too long can also lower the chances of falling pregnant at all..
5. Hyperovulation When two or more eggs drop during ovulation. This can happen due to genetics, menopause, age, taking cassava and a range of other hormonal reasons..
6. In The Family If the womans side of the family has twins in it , her chance of conceiving twins is higher..
7. Weight Women who are tall and of medium or high weight ranges have a higher chance of conceiving twins..
8. Breastfeeding If youre breastfeeding when you fall pregnant, the likelihood of twins is higher. .
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No : Morning Sickness May Be Worse With Twin Pregnancies
“One of the things that is postulated as causing morning sickness is high levels of human chorionic gonadotropin, and we know that levels of this hormone are higher in twin pregnancies, so women carrying twins have a higher incidence of nausea and vomiting in the first trimester,” says Al-Khan. The good news? Most morning sickness abates within 12 to 14 weeks of pregnancy — even in twin pregnancies.
That’s not all, Monga says. Moms pregnant with twins complain of more back pain, sleeping difficulties, and heartburn than moms who are carrying one child. Moms pregnant with twins also have a higher rate of maternal anemia and a higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage after delivery.
