When Do You Start Showing With Twins? Important Things To Know
Are you pregnant? Excited? That’s great! Is it a single or twin pregnancy? Don’t be surprised if someone would be asking you such question. You might ask, “How do I know if it is a single or twin pregnancy? I haven’t had my ultrasound yet.”
Well, there are telltale signs that would give hints here and there whether it is a single or twin pregnancy. Being pregnant with twins is hereditary. In fact, the older you get, the higher will be the chance of being pregnant with twins.
But the question that most mothers ask is: “When do you start showing with twins?” Read more to find out.
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What Are the Possibilities of You Having Twins?
For the most part, fraternal twins, otherwise known as the nonidentical twins, run in many families. However, identical twins do not. How does that happen? Nonidentical twins emerge when two separate eggs are fertilized by two sperm cells.
It is in the gene of a woman that increases the possibility of releasing two or multiple eggs during the ovulation stage. On the other hand, identical twins are developed as a result of a single egg splitting into two and then fertilized by the sperm cells.
For women with non-identical twins in the family, there is a greater tendency to have twins yourself. The possibility is about two and a half times greater than average if you have non-identical twin siblings, or you, yourself, have a non-identical twin. How about your partner? Well, if it is your man who has a history of twins in their family, he may have that gene in him as well. Nonetheless, it doesn’t imply that he can father non-identical twins.
What Makes a Twin Pregnancy Different?
It is not hard to tell if you are carrying two babies in your belly. There is always a huge difference between a singleton and a twin pregnancy. But some mothers say, the differences are too minor. Regardless, it is important to know the differences between the two.
A Twin Pregnancy Shows More Symptoms
When a friend of mine was pregnant with twins, she would regularly call me to ask if it was normal for her to have certain symptoms. She asked me the symptoms I experienced during my pregnancy, and she wondered why her symptoms seemed to be twice more apparent and increasing.
Symptoms such as weight gain, morning sickness, fatigue, as well as welling were all too common in her case. With two babies in her belly, there accompanied other symptoms too such as frequent vomiting and nausea that will require intravenous fluids. Moreover, the baby bump is a lot bigger.
Frequent Visit to the Doctor
Women who are carrying twins are likely to make frequent visits to their physicians. A woman who is pregnant with twins is mostly considered at high risk of pregnancy. This likewise implies more ultrasounds to make sure that your little ones are doing fine in the womb. Why do you need to have frequent visits? Well, that’s because when you are pregnant with twins, you are at high risk of developing gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, and preeclampsia.
Earlier Delivery
A woman who is pregnant with twins is rarely ever making it to their 40-week gestation like most singleton pregnant moms. Most pregnancies that involve twins end between the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh weeks. Another thing that comes with twin pregnancy delivery is the fact that there is a greater chance of giving birth to the babies in breech position. For this reason, moms pregnant with twins are advised to have C-sections.
When Do You Start Showing with Twins?
The appearance of a baby bump varies among pregnant moms. Some mothers tend to start showing signs of pregnancy through their bulging belly during the early months of pregnancy while others tend to have a bulging belly in their fifth month.
On average, pregnancy begins showing on the second trimester, which is usually around the twelfth to sixteenth week. At this time, the uterus has the size as big as a lemon. By the fourteenth to seventeenth week, the bulging belly is about the size of a melon and is positioned higher than the pelvic cavity, thus making it visible to be above the waistline.
This is among the most apparent signs that you are conceiving twins. When the belly is bulging far bigger than it should be, it will make you realize that you probably are carrying two human beings, regardless of whether you noticed the unusual size or someone from your friends and families mentioned it.
We have heard of various stories concerning women who began showing signs of pregnancy on the sixth week. But this is not the same for all. A singleton pregnancy starts to become apparent at 12th to 16th week. So, it is most likely that if you are pregnant with twins, the signs will be more visible at an earlier.
When you are pregnant with twins, your body begins to make some adjustments to be able to accommodate the two embryos. The uterus starts to stretch more compared to how it would be in a regular pregnancy. At times, this can result in severe uterine cramping. Therefore, when you start experiencing severe uterine cramping early on, then that can be an indication of a twin pregnancy.
There is no standard time to begin showing with twins. A lot of factors have also to be considered. Some singleton pregnant moms are obese or fat. Hence, even if there is only one fetus inside, it may appear big because of the fatty tissues or the extreme bulging of the belly.
I even have a friend who is a bit overweight. She didn’t recognize she was pregnant until her monthly periods had been delayed. When she had it checked, she was already five months pregnant. She also experienced extreme pain in her pelvis area. All along she thought it was just some sort of symptoms of dysmenorrhea. She felt her pelvis widening, and the uterus somewhat stretched. Several other symptoms appeared way too early than she’d expected.
When you are pregnant, there are hormonal differences as well. And these differences are not the same for all expecting mothers. Some will likely gain weight and others will lose weight. Moreover, some pregnant moms may experience water retention. Simply put, while pregnant with twins, say goodbye to your sexy and curvy figure for a while.
Final Words
Every pregnancy undergoes different physiological and physical changes. It is entirely up to the different factors to make your belly more apparent. When do you start showing with twins? It varies. Some have it earlier than 12th week; others have it later than a 12th week.
When did your baby bump start showing? Do you have any strategies to share with twin pregnant moms out there? We would be surely interested to know.
References:
http://www.bounty.com/pregnancy-and-birth/pregnancy/differences-between-single-and-twin-pregnancies
http://www.parents.com/pregnancy/my-baby/twins-multiples/signs-you-might-be-pregnant-with-twins/
http://www.conceiveeasy.com/get-pregnant/how-a-twin-pregnancy-is-different/
https://www.babycentre.co.uk/x1049078/is-it-true-that-having-twins-runs-in-families#ixzz4pywLndxU