An ultrasound scan is the only sure way to know whether you're having twins. But there may be a few early signs.
Are there any indirect signs before the ultrasound that can suggest that I am having twins?
Doctors say that occasionally, if a woman is carrying twins, she will suffer from more severe toxemia, more noticeable weight gain, or greater breast pain in the first weeks, than if she is having one baby [1]. But this is a very unreliable indicator. After all, to judge if you are actually feeling more nauseous because of twins, you should have to have had a previous single pregnancy.
Statistics show that women who, for whatever reason, did not have a screening ultrasound and were unaware of a twin pregnancy before the onset of any complications, have a similar experience to those carrying a single baby. 38% of twin pregnancies are not identified in the absence of an ultrasound until week 26. And 13% are undetectable until just before labor [2].
At what gestational age should an ultrasound be done?
The first ultrasound is usually performed between weeks 6 and 8, this screening helps doctors determine (among other things) if there is more than one baby [3]. If it turns out to be a multiple pregnancy, doctors will also want to determine [4] whether the babies share a single placenta or if each has their own. This information will help determine the course of prenatal care.
These early ultrasounds may, in the beginning, diagnose a twin pregnancy. Yet up to 36% of these turn into single pregnancies due to what is known as vanishing twin syndrome, a type of miscarriage that occurs when one of the twins ceases to develop. Vanishing twin syndrome during the first trimester is usually harmless and poses no risks. But if it presents after the first trimester, doctors will want to monitor the mother more closely [5].
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