It has been widely assumed that there has been an increase in twins over the years, largely attributed to fertility treatments. It seems like there are twins everywhere you turn; perhaps you notice more and more families with double strollers out and about in the mall or more frequent announcements in the media from celebrity parentscelebrating the birth of twins. Television shows like "Kate Plus Eight" (formerly "Jon and Kate Plus Eight") or "Texas Multi Mamas" shine a spotlight on multiple birth. Schools report record registration of twins and multiples and educators wrestle with the issue of classroom placement. The increasing incidence of twins has even generated legislation to ensure that twins' rights are protected in school.

A new study analyzes the data related to twin births from 1980-2009 and identifies specific trends outlining the increase. Learn more about the increasing twin birth rate.

• 2009 Multiple Birth Data

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Baylee and Kaylee are the Twins of the Week! The identical girls were nine months old in this pictures. They were born by emergency c-section at 35 weeks because Mom's kidneys where starting to shut down. But to see them now, you would never know that they started life off so small and frail. Click to learn more about them.

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• ...a stranger sees you for the first time with the twins and starts by asking "Are you always tired?" and ends with, "Good luck!"

• ...when someone says, "How far apart?" you say "Five minutes."

• ... you can pack for vacation while playing pat-a-cake, paying bills, breastfeeding, and cleaning up a mess, all on 6 hours of sleep.

• ... going shopping with one baby feels like a vacation.

You know you're a mom of multiples!

How about you? How would you complete the sentence "You know you're a mom of multiples when..." What are the sure-fire signs that you're doing double duty as a parent? Share your thoughts by clicking here to share your response.

• Share your response: You know you're a mom of multiples when...

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Do women who are pregnant with twins, triplets or more exhibit special "symptoms"? Yes ... and no. Just as individual women experience a wide range of symptoms with a singleton pregnancy, so the conditions vary with multiples.

It's true that the morning sickness, exhaustion and weight gain can be intensified in proportion to the number of babies -- twice as sick, three times as tired, or four times as many pounds! But, some lucky moms experience only mild discomfort, so mild that they never even suspect they are carrying multiples. Here's a list of the Top Ten Signs of Twins.

What about you?

Poll: Did you experience any enhanced symptoms during your pregnancy with multiples?

• No. I experienced nothing out of the ordinary.
• Yes! I gained an increased amount of weight very rapidly.
• Yes! I started to show very early and measured big for gestational age.
• Yes! I was twice/three times as exhausted.
• Yes! I felt fetal movement very early in the pregnancy.
• Yes! I suffered with extreme morning sickness.
• View Results