Early Signs of Twins Pregnancy
Summary: You may wonder if there are early signs of twins pregnancy, especially during the first trimester.  Well the answer is yes and no.  Just as a mom carrying just one baby has a smoother time of it, and others experience a variety of symptoms.

Some women go through more intense morning sickness, larger weight gain and extreme fatigue when they are carrying more than one baby and others have symptoms so mild they have no idea that they are having twins.

The signs of multiple pregnancy can be different for each woman.  That being said, here are some of the signs:

Weight: A weight gain of 15-25 pounds by the end of the second trimester can be an indication of twins.  However a single pregnancy would show a weight gain of 10-20 pounds.

Measuring large for gestational age:  Increased size of the uterus can be a strong indicator of a multiple pregnancy.  However many women show earlier and measure larger with each pregnancy.

Severe morning sickness: Here again some moms of twins have a hard time with nausea and vomiting while others have no symptoms at all.

Fetal movement: Many mothers have reported early fluttering only to find out there was more than one baby.  There is a dispute among doctors as to whether or not mothers can feel multiple babies move earlier than moms of singletons.

Higher than normal AFP test:  This is very often the first indication of multiple babies.  AFP is a protein secreted by the fetal liver.  Abnormally high AFP results may indicate two or more babies.  However a high AFP can suggest abnormalities in a single baby.  Your doctor should order an ultrasound to clarify the situation.

Severely extreme fatigue:  Fatigue is the most frequent complaint that mothers of multiples have.  Often, especially moms who have other children and or work outside the home think the fatigue is normal, but if the tiredness interferes with your life ask your doctor for an ultrasound.

A health care provider may report that he or she can hear more than one heartbeat.  But sometimes a baby’s heartbeat can be heard in more than one place.  So here again an ultrasound is in order.

An ultrasound can usually detect the number of babies a woman has in her womb.  If there is a history of multiple births in the mother’s direct line, it increases the chance of her having multiples.

Mother’s of multiples have a higher rate of premature births, so it is important for her to be closely monitored by her doctor and health care providers.

Also fertility treatments and in vitro fertilization can greatly increase the chance of a multiple pregnancy and in this case the risk of three or more babies is also increased as is the risk of premature birth.  Good prenatal care is absolutely vital for all pregnant women, but especially so for mothers of multiples.

As you can see, the early signs of twins pregnancy are not really reliable and can be subjective.  Weight gain, measuring large for gestational age, severe morning sickness, high AFP, and extreme fatigue can all have other causes than a multiple pregnancy.