What Are the Symptoms of Being Pregnant With Twins?

While only an ultrasound can correctly tell you whether or not you are pregnant with twins, you may notice some exaggerated symptoms that indicate you may be carrying more than one baby. Although symptoms are different for each woman, most report similar early symptoms that are hard to ignore. Check for these symptoms, and speak to your doctor if you are concerned and want an ultrasound to confirm your suspicions.

High Weight Gain

If you are carrying twins, you may notice rapid weight gain, especially in the first few weeks of pregnancy. Obviously this is because you are carrying more than one baby, but it also could be caused by excessive amniotic fluid from the babies, or your body could be strengthening its stores to nourish the extra baby that you are carrying. While most pregnant women gain a little under a pound per week, you might see weight gain faster than that.

Excessive Morning Sickness

Morning sickness is caused by the excess hormones that your body is producing in conjunction with the development of your baby. An extra baby means extra hormones, which sooner or later translates into extra morning sickness. Some twin mothers feel nauseated all day long, while others have severe symptoms at one time in the day.

Early Fetal Movement

Many mothers of twins report feeling fetal movement much earlier than those mothers of single babies. While a woman carrying a single baby will probably begin to feel movement around 16 to 19 weeks of gestation, one carrying twins can feel movement much earlier than that, even as early as 12 weeks gestation. This is because the babies in the womb together have less space in which to move around in.

Fatigue

When you are pregnant, your body produces more progesterone to help develop the baby. One of progesterone's side effects is fatigue or sleepiness. The more progesterone that your body produces, or in the case of twins, double the amount that a single baby would need, the more likely you are to feel tired. Besides the progesterone, your body is working overtime to nourish and develop two babies, making you sleepier than ever.

Hunches

While not a scientific predictor of whether or not you are carrying twins, there is something to be said for hunches. Some women report that although their doctors heard only one heartbeat, they were sure that they were carrying two babies. Listen to your gut feeling and request an ultrasound if you want a true confirmation of how many babies you are carrying.

References

• University of Virginia Health System: Multiple Pregnancies