First Signs Of A Twin Pregnancy – What To Look Out For?

A confirmation of a pregnancy involving multiples, most commonly twins, can bring with it mixed feelings of anticipation and elation along with feelings of trepidation and apprehension.

The first signs of a twin pregnancy are often the same as a singleton pregnancy, however many of the signs and symptoms may be more exaggerated and more strongly experienced:

Higher HCG levels: The presence of the HCG hormone in a woman’s urine is first indicator of a pregnancy and the first sign of a twin pregnancy is also the level of HCG in the woman’s urine.

With multiples, this level is much higher than it usually is with singleton pregnancies. When a woman is tested by a doctor for confirmation of her pregnancy, if unusually high levels of HCG are detected by the doctor, it may be deduced that the woman is carrying more than one baby.

Excessive Morning Sickness: As morning sickness is one of the earliest indicators of pregnancy, so it is among the first signs of pregnancy as well. When a woman has conceived multiples, it is likely that she will suffer rather more morning sickness than she would with a single pregnancy.

It may be that with a twin pregnancy a woman may experience more severe morning sickness which is of a longer duration as well, however experiences do vary greatly.

Feeling of extreme tiredness: The feeling of being tired, exhausted and drained, with a woman requiring more sleep than usual is a commonly noted among the first signs of a twin pregnancy.

As the body works harder to nurture and grow more than one baby, additional pressure is put on a mother’s own physical resources which are taxed even in a single pregnancy. So, if a woman feels extreme fatigue it could be a sign that she is carrying multiples.

Twin Heart beats: Sometimes the first indication that a woman has of carrying twins is when, at her first ultra sound exam, the technician tells her that there are two heartbeats detected and that she is carrying twins.

Early fetal movement: Many women report that they feel the fetal movement earlier when carrying twins than they do with single pregnancies.

Later signs of a twin pregnancy could include excessive weight gain and the woman growing very large with carrying more than one baby. Abnormal Alpha fetoprotein screening results may be noted in the second trimester when a test is administered to detect certain birth defects.