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| Expecting Twins or More Babies at a Time | 1. Ultrasound Confirmation
As the proverb goes “seeing is believing”, the only 100% way to get to know about your expecting twins or more babies is to look at them with the help of ultrasound. An ultrasound image will show you if there is more than one fetus inside of you with no doubt.
2. Doppler Heartbeat Count
The Doppler system can amplify heart beats of your unborn baby with the help of harmless sound waves. As a rule, women go through this procedure by the end of their first pregnancy trimester. In case of a multiply pregnancy a well experienced doctor or midwife will distinguish more than one heartbeat. However, you should keep in mind, something, which seems to be the second heartbeat may only be any of the background noises or your own heartbeat.
3. Elevated HcG Levels
There are number of reasons, for which your doctor may need to monitor HcG (human chorionic gonadotropin) levels. HcG is a special hormone, present in any pregnant woman’s blood and urine beginning with about the 10th day after the conception. It increases rapidly, and reaches its peak by about 10th week of pregnancy. As a rule twins produce somewhat higher HcG level, however, the standard level of this hormone for twins also may fall within the normal range for singletons.
4. Abnormal AFP (Alphafetoprotein) Test Results
This is one of the blood tests, which every pregnant woman should perform during the second pregnancy trimester. This test is conducted in order to identify increased risks of some birth defects. Usually twin or triple pregnancy produces high – or “positive” – result.
5. Measuring Large for Gestational Age
During all the whole pregnancy period your doctor will measure the height of the uterine fundus (it is measured from the pubic bone to the top of the uterus) in order to indicate gestational age. In case if you are pregnant with twins, triplets, etc, your uterus may be expanded far beyond the usual range; although there are also a lot of factors, which may cause the increased measurements of the uterus, like too much of amniotic fluid, a big fetus, etc.
6. Weight Gain
How many pounds a woman gains during her pregnancy depends on her height, body type, her weight before pregnancy and her eating preferences. Just as well as increased measurements of the uterus, carrying more than one baby at a time may also cause somewhat increased weight gain, though the most evident reason of any increased or fast weight gain will rather be some diet violations, rather than twins. However, still, women, who deliver more than one baby at a time usually do gain several more pounds, than singleton mothers.
7. Excessive Morning Sickness
According to the conducted investigations only about half of pregnant women suffer from vomiting or nausea. Of course, women, who carry twins or more babies, are not exclusion, though it does not mean that they must have double dose of these “sufferings”. And it has been proved that only 15% of pregnant women experienced morning sickness as an indicator of their twin or triplet pregnancies.
8. Early/Frequent Fetal Movement
One of the most exciting experience of pregnancy for nearly every woman is the first feeling of her baby inside. It is true, that many mothers of twins or more babies do feel their kids more frequent or earlier, there are many doctors, who disagree with this statement. Some women simply begin to feel their babies’ movements earlier in subsequent pregnancies, no matter if they are expecting one baby or more.
9. Extreme Fatigue
Most women with multiple pregnancies experience sleepless, lethargy and exhaustion during the first three months of their pregnancy. It usually occurs, because the body is working overtime, and it is to nurture more than one baby. Though the overactivity of the pregnant woman’s organism is not the only reason of fatigue, there are many other factors, which may case it, like work, stress, having other kids and household, poor nutrition, etc.
10. History/Hunches
If there are twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc in the family of either a woman or her partner, there are more chances to be pregnant with twins, triplets, etc. Sometimes before any evident proof, like the ultrasound, abnormal test results, etc, a woman may simply have a strong feeling of carrying more than one baby inside. In addition, mother’s intuition rarely fails.
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