Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Pregnancy

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.

What are some of the signals of a multiple pregnancy?

Although it differs from woman to woman, some of the more common indications are:

* Weight Gain

Early weight gain of up to ten pounds in the first trimester can result due to increased blood volume and uterine size. By the end of the second trimester, most mothers of twins have gained fifteen to twenty-five pounds, whereas singleton pregnancies usually produce gains of ten to twenty pounds.

* Measuring large for gestational age

Increased uterus size can be a strong indicator of multiple pregnancy. However, most women measure larger and show earlier with subsequent pregnancies, so don't be alarmed if you can't fit into your jeans after six weeks of pregnancy with your second child even if you didn't wear maternity clothes until twenty weeks with your first baby.

* Severe morning sickness symptoms, including nausea and vomiting

Some moms of multiples do report that their symptoms were increased with twins, as opposed to their singleton pregnancies. Melissa, mom of fraternal twins born in 2001, remembers "I did have morning sickness with the twins, and did not have any at all with my two older sons. I lost 5 pounds during the first trimester." Nevertheless, she didn't learn she was carrying twins until three hours before delivery!

On the other hand, a mom of triplets reports, "I can't say that I noticed any big difference between my daughter and the triplets. I was actually sicker with my daughter than now with the 3."

Read on for more signs of twins or more: Next Page