A woman carrying twins may display the same signs as woman who is carrying one baby, but there are some signs that hint that a woman is carrying twins. WomensHealth.gov states that rapidly increasing pregnancy hormones can cause a pregnant woman with twins to experience exaggerated pregnancy symptoms. It is important to recognize that extra morning sickness, extreme fatigue and/or moodiness do not always indicate a twin pregnancy; some pregnant women with one baby may also exhibit those same signs.
Severe Morning Sickness
A woman carrying twins may display the same signs as woman who is carrying one baby, but there are some signs that hint that a woman is carrying twins. WomensHealth.gov states that rapidly increasing pregnancy hormones can cause a pregnant woman with twins to experience exaggerated pregnancy symptoms. It is important to recognize that extra morning sickness, extreme fatigue and moodiness do not always indicate a twin pregnancy; some pregnant women with one baby may also exhibit those same signs.
Extreme Fatigue
Fatigue is one of the earliest signs of carrying twins. While all pregnant women can expect to feel in an increase in fatigue during the first trimester, mothers expecting twins may become so tired that all they feel like doing is sleeping or resting, according to LovetoKnow, a website that offers information on conception, pregnancy, childbirth, conception and new babies. A woman's body works overtime in an effort to help her two healthy babies grow so it makes sense that she will become more tired at a faster rate than women carrying only one baby. In addition, mothers carrying one child may notice that their fatigue eases later in pregnancy, while twin mothers experience fatigue throughout their pregnancy.
Rapid Weight Gain
Rapid weight gain proves another common sign of a multiple pregnancy due to the rapidly changing hormones, according to Twin Pregnancy and Beyond, a website that provides information on twin pregnancy. While most women gain weight at a slower pace during the first trimester, women who are carrying twins may gain weight quickly. Twin mothers usually gain extra weight earlier than women carrying one baby due to the increased blood volume and an expanding uterus. Mothers of twins can expect to gain approximately five to ten pounds during the first twelve weeks and 35 to 45 pounds over the term of the pregnancy, says LovetoKnow.
Two Heart Beats
If a medical professional hears two heartbeats during an early prenatal visit then a good possibility exists that the woman has become pregnant with twins, according to TheLaborofLove.com, a website that provides pregnancy information to women. Around 12 weeks, a woman will become able to hear double heartbeats on a fetal heart Doppler monitor--a hand-held ultrasound device used to detect the heart beat of a fetus--if she has become pregnant with twins. In addition, an early ultrasound can also determine whether or not a woman is carrying twins. By the sixth week of a twin pregnancy, a skilled technician will locate two embryos, two heartbeats and two embryo sacs.
Measuring Large
Increased uterus size can be a strong indicator of multiple pregnancies. During every prenatal visit, a health care provider will measure the height of a woman's uterine fundus--the top of the pubic bone to the top of the uterus--to determine the gestational age and development of the baby. Women who have become pregnant with twins may begin to measure abnormally large as early as 10 to 12 weeks, according to Pregnancy Info. Measuring large means the woman's uterus has become more than 2 cm larger than average for her stage of pregnancy, based on her due date.
