The only sure way to know if you're pregnant with twins is to schedule an ultrasound. Some pregnancy symptoms might suggest that there's something extra going on inside.
As a pregnant mom, you’ll start to experience pregnancy symptoms. If the symptoms seem more intense, it’s normal to wonder if you might be carrying twins. Questions like, “Is it normal to feel this nauseous and exhausted?” may pop into your head, leaving you to wonder if there’s something else going on inside.
Are There Signs You’re Expecting Twins?
Once you become pregnant, your body will start producing hormones and undergoing physical changes. These small and subtle changes may be the first signs of pregnancy. However, some of these signs may be a little different if you’re expecting more than one baby.
Many women who are pregnant with twins say they had a sense or feeling that they might be expecting multiple babies before their ultrasound. However, the news comes as a complete surprise to many women.
Below, you’ll find symptoms that are commonly reported as signs that you might be pregnant with twins. Sometimes you’ll notice these signs and symptoms within the first few weeks of your pregnancy.
Morning Sickness
Morning sickness can occur whether you’re expecting one baby or multiples. Honestly, some women suffer terribly from morning sickness, while others are barely affected.
Morning sickness can begin as early as 4 weeks into the pregnancy. That’s around the same time women miss their period. Some women who are pregnant with multiples experience more severe morning sickness, or their morning sickness lasts longer into their pregnancy.
Since morning sickness varies so much from one woman to another, it can be difficult to establish a baseline. However, experiencing nausea and vomiting beyond the 14-week mark is a sign that you might be having twins.
Fatigue
Feeling tired is another early sign of pregnancy. During the first few weeks of pregnancy, you may start to feel exhausted for no apparent reason. Elevated hormone levels, as well as issues like sleep disruptions and frequent trips to the bathroom, can interfere with your ability to get a good night’s sleep.
However, it’s impossible to say for sure whether the fatigue you’re feeling is due to your twin pregnancy. The best way to find out is to have an ultrasound to see what’s going on in your belly.
High hCG Levels
Human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)is a hormone produced by the body during pregnancy. This hormone is what is detected in home pregnancy tests that yield a positive result. However, a pregnancy test cannot tell you the level of hCG in your body, but blood tests can. Once a blood test is performed, you can determine your hCG levels and whether you might be expecting more than one baby.
A Second Heartbeat
Some women can hear their baby’s heartbeat as early as 8 to 10 weeks. If your OB-GYN thinks they’ve heard a second heartbeat, an ultrasound will likely be scheduled to get a better look at what’s going on. Chances are, two heartbeats mean twins.
Early Movement
Most women don’t usually feel any movement until around the 18-week mark. Your baby moves around in the womb from the very beginning; however, it’s unlikely that you’ll actually feel anything until the second trimester.
Having more than one baby in the womb can cause you to feel movement slightly earlier than if you were carrying a single baby. However, this is unlikely to happen before the second trimester, but you’ll feel movement earlier in the second trimester if you’re expecting twins.
There may or may not be signs that you’re carrying multiples. However, since the symptoms are similar whether you’re carrying one baby or multiples, the only sure way to know is to have an ultrasound. Once your OB-GYN reviews the ultrasound images, you’ll have a clear answer.
