1 At the same time, some moms of twins and triplets say they have no morning sickness. With second pregnancies and on, around 15% of women reported more morning sickness with multiples than with previous single pregnancies.
When tracking pregnancy symptoms week by week, whether with one baby or twins, 5 to 8 weeks pregnant is when nausea and vomiting—aka morning sickness—might kick in. Though the precise cause or causes of this condition are unknown, the pregnancy hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) may be a contributing factor.
Are there early signs of twins? You won't know for sure if you're carrying twins until you have an ultrasound, but there may be a few early signs. Some telltale early signs that you may be carrying twins include more severe morning sickness, extreme breast tenderness, or gaining weight more quickly.
If you test yourself even earlier than that, it's just as likely that what you measured is simply a normal variation in hormone production. Early positives may mean you have two more babies on the way (which research indicates is more common among women over the age of 35), or they may mean that you have just one.
The symptoms of twin pregnancies are similar to a singleton pregnancy, but there are some notable differences. You may experience more nausea or fatigue and notice some additional symptoms that singleton pregnancies don't typically present.
A majority of pregnant folks have morning sickness during the first trimester, and those carrying multiples might experience more intense nausea. Having said that, everybody's different, and not everyone expecting twins or triplets will be queasy in early pregnancy.
1 It might not come as a surprise that the presence of two babies exacerbates these symptoms. Some pregnant moms of multiples report intensified symptoms of nausea, fatigue, breast tenderness, food cravings, or the like.
A woman is more likely to conceive twins if she or her partner has a family history of fraternal twins, if she's over the age of 30, overweight, and taller than average. It is important to note that some factors such as age and weight can increase other risk factors as well.
Range of hCG levels and what they can mean
The range for singletons is 5 – 397 and for twins it is 48 – 683. As you can see, there is a big overlap between the first hCG level in singleton and twins. What this means is that even if you have a first hCG level of 397, it could be a singleton pregnancy.
However, you shouldn't feel any sort of severe pain or abnormal changes. If you're feeling strong stomach or back pain at 6 weeks pregnant (or other type of pain or heavy bleeding), contact your healthcare provider.
Some women will experience more uterine cramping which is not associated with any blood loss. This can be a symptom of round ligament pain and is due to the uterus expanding fairly quickly.
Don t be surprised if you develop a bit of a 6 weeks pregnant belly. Although your 6 week embryo is still well down in your pelvis, some women, especially those who've been pregnant before, seem to show much earlier. General abdominal distention is usually the cause.
If you notice any the early signs and symptoms of pregnancy, a home pregnancy test might confirm that you're pregnant. But, only your healthcare provider can reveal that you're pregnant with twins, often during an ultrasound scan at 12 weeks.
Bigger belly than usual
Looking bigger than expected for gestational age is a possible sign of twin pregnancy, but keep in mind that many women show much earlier in subsequent pregnancies than their first. Measuring the fundal height may be a more reliable identifier for possible twins.
Tests for hCG are extremely sensitive, and only the smallest concentration of hCG can lead to a pregnancy diagnosis. In a twin pregnancy, there are elevated levels of hCG, making it possible to have a very early positive result.
Home pregnancy test positive earlier than “normal”
Most commonly, people get a positive pregnancy test right around the time of their missed period. If you get a positive test, especially a really dark positive, days before your period is even due, that may be one of the early signs of twins!
Some symptoms, such as nausea and breast tenderness may be even more intense with a twin pregnancy than with a single pregnancy, if felt this early at all. Some women have reported "having a feeling," or "just knowing" they were pregnant with twins, although this certainly isn't the case for everyone.
"But if you don't have morning sickness, it doesn't mean that you have abnormal hormone levels; it just means that you tolerate [pregnancy] better." It's also possible that the nausea is just a bit delayed.
In the first trimester of pregnancy, a healthcare professional can determine if your pregnancy is viable or not with an ultrasound. An ultrasound uses painless sound waves to create a picture on a screen and gives your healthcare professional important information about your pregnancy.
In women who are having a multiple pregnancy, it is common for their hCG levels to be 30-50% higher than those with a singleton pregnancy. But this elevation is not evident until after the first period is missed.