Pregnant with twins actually can be known surely throughi ultrasound examination. Meven so, there are some signthat can be seen to estimate whether youis having a twin pregnancy. In addition, it is also important for you to be awarecomplications What can happen when you are pregnant with twins?.
Pregnancy complications are prone to occur in women who are pregnant with twins. To reduce this risk, mothers who are carrying twins need to consume more folic acid, which is about 1,000 micrograms per day.
Signs of Pregnant with Twins
Conceiving twins is more common in women aged 30–40 years. The reason is because at this age range, women have the opportunity to release more than 1 egg during ovulation.
Although not always accurate, there are some things that can be a sign that you are pregnant with twins. Compared to women who are singletons, women who are pregnant with twins will usually:
- Has a larger belly. The size of this belly can be seen since the beginning of pregnancy
- Experiencing nausea and vomitingmorning sickness) which is worse
- Experiencing more weight gain
- Feeling more tired
- Feel the back pain that appears earlier and feels more painful
- Feel the movement of the fetus earlier, namely in the second trimester.
On laboratory tests, the levels of the hCG hormone in women who are pregnant with twins will be higher than those of a single woman. The hormone hCG is a hormone produced during pregnancy. Even so, the increase in the hormone hCG is not an absolute sign of twin pregnancy.
The things above can indeed be a sign of being pregnant with twins. However, for a more definitive answer, you still need to do an ultrasound at 10-14 weeks of pregnancy.
Complications that Spying Pregnant Twins
Some pregnancies can be riskier than others. One of them is pregnant with twins. Some of the risks and complications that often occur in multiple pregnancies are:
1. Preeclampsia
Women who are pregnant with twins are at a higher risk of developing preeclampsia. Preeclampsia is a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure and high protein in the urine after 20 weeks of gestation.
Preeclampsia is characterized by several symptoms, one of which is swelling of several parts of the body, such as the face, hands, feet, and eyes. In addition, severe headaches, visual disturbances, upper abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and shortness of breath may also occur.
2. Gestational diabetes
Gestational diabetes is a form of diabetes during pregnancy when the body is unable to produce sufficient amounts of insulin to regulate the body's sugar levels. In multiple pregnancies, the risk for this condition is 4−10%.
Gestational diabetes is characterized by frequent thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, nausea, blurred vision, and frequent vaginal and bladder infections. On laboratory examination, sugar can be found in the urine.
3. Anemia
All mothers-to-be can experience anemia which is characterized by weakness and lethargy. This is because when pregnant, women will need more iron. When pregnant with twins, of course, the amount of iron needed will be more so that the risk of anemia is higher.
4. Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)
TTTS is a disorder that afflicts identical twins, because identical twins get their blood supply from the same placenta. TTTS causes one baby to get an excess supply of blood flow, while the other baby is deficient.
This condition makes babies who get excess blood flow at risk for suffering from heart problems. Meanwhile, babies who lack blood flow are at risk for anemia and low birth weight.
It is important for you to know immediately whether you are pregnant with twins or a singleton. All pregnancies must be taken care of properly, but mothers who are pregnant with twins will need extra attention.
Make sure you get enough nutrition and fluids when you are pregnant with twins. Regularly consult a gynecologist on schedule and perform prenatal checkups to ensure that you and your fetus are healthy.