Many women who are trying to conceive don't even consider the possibility of having multiple babies at once, especially when just one seemed like it required a miracle. But those who have used fertility treatments have a greater chance of carrying more than once fetus, as do women who have a history of twins or multiples in the family. Is there a way to know whether you're having more than one baby before the ultrasound confirmation?
The only way to truly find out if your pregnancy involves multiples is by ultrasound, which you'll have sometime around the 10 or 13 week. Doctors can also discover multiple heartbeats using the Doppler system, and elevated levels of the hCG hormone may also indicate the presence of more than one fetus.
However, there are a few signs to look for if you're wondering whether you're carrying twins, triplets or even quadruplets. While some of them may be misleading and don't necessarily point to multiples, you may experience them and get the feeling that you may have more than one baby in that growing bump.
First, you may have noticed that you've gained a lot of weight. This could be for a variety of reasons, but it is true that women who are pregnant with multiples generally gain about 10 pounds more than those who are carrying just one child.
You might also have been feeling a lot of morning sickness. Although half of all women experience it, some mothers of multiples report increased sickness – but not all.
Early fetal movement and extreme fatigue are also often reported by women who have multiples, so if you're feeling any or all of these things, you might start entertaining the possibility. But, when it comes down to it, there's really no way to be certain until that ultrasound.
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