How do I know if I'm having twins?

[cyndalnronny]

I'm 21 wks and have gained 21 pounds. I have 2 girls now and I only gained 25 pounds with both of them. This one is a boy so I know it could be different because of that but Im alot tired than the last two. Im twice as moody. I have had an ultrasound but they didn't look to see if there was another baby in there and when they check the heartbeat they just look for one then stop. I had the ultrasound at 18 weeks. The baby is moving alot and sometimes it would feel like the baby was in my ribs but then I would feel him kicking below my belly button? Could someone please help me. I have history in my family of having twins my cousin is having twins now and the father has a history of twins in his family.

[GoBecGo]

The do usually spot these things at the u/s - by 18 weeks they don't usually have to look for another baby, it's really obviously there to see. If you're worried you can go back for another u/s...? My midwife says she can generally only disgnose twins very late on - she did say she once had a very large girl in frank breech and OP (so her 2 legs were up against the mama's belly) which 4 different mw's dx as twins - those 2 big chunky legs were mistaken for 2 backs!

If it's any comfort i know many women find boys and girls pregnancies REALLY different. I'm pretty convinced i'm having a boy this time, simply because of how different everything is.

[cyndalnronny]

Yeah but I didn't think that I would gain twice as much weight with this pregnancy than I did my last two. I look like I was when I was 8 months and getting ready to have my girls but I am only 21 wks. With my girls I delievered at 34 and a half weeks. For both of them. I was able to wear my pants the whole pregnancy with my girls but I can even fit to my pants anymore already.

[GoBecGo]

How high is your fundus though? How big was baby measuring on the 18week scan? I have gained masses more weight than i did with DD (i am the same weight at the same stage but i began 6kg lighter this time so i've already gained 6kg more than i did last time), but my fundus isn't any higher than it should be and my baby was bang on 15+1 when i had my scan (at 15+1). If you're really concerned about it can you request another scan to make sure? It's rare to miss a twin at 18 weeks but not impossible.

[AmyKT]

I'm also gaining more weight with this pregnancy than I did with my first, and my belly looks huge. I've had two ultrasounds and each only showed one baby, but my last was at 9 weeks. A few people have asked me if I'm sure I'm not having twins ( gee, thanks), but I feel pretty certain that a second baby would have been spotted in one of my u/s, and I feel totally certain that an 18 week twin couldn't be missed.

I'd say it's the boy factor. In my family, we always gain more with boys. I was absolutely certain I was having another girl until I started getting so big, and now I don't know.

[COgirl19]

I really doubt that they would miss a twin on an 18 week scan. Not impossible but extremely unlikely. It could be the boy factor, moms tend to gain more weight with boys (though not always).

For what it's worth, my MIL gained only 20 lbs with her first (my DH) was sick all the time and then gained 50 lbs with her second (a boy also) and never got sick. DH's brother was only a couple pounds bigger than DH, and was also 2 weeks late, where DH was born right at 40 weeks. Her pregnancies were sooo different with them and they were both singletons, both boys.

[Peony]

I gained 19 lbs with DD1 and close to 50 with DS, I wasn't sick, nothing was *that* different, my diet the same. The only difference was what my body thought it needed to gain with him. And yes I was huge compared to my other pgs!

[MaerynPearl]

the fathers twin history doesnt matter...

do you know if your cousin is having fraternal or identical? and if fraternal did she have fertility treatment? because fraternal from fertility treatments and identical twins do not raise your family risk of them.

And... the cousin is your blood relative and not the spouse of a male blood relative right? Cuz that matters...

anyway, I agree with everyone else... really not likely to miss it at 18 weeks. If they looked hard enough to know its a boy... they def. looked hard enough that missing a twin would be pretty unlikely.

[RedOakMomma]

I had twins, and at 18 weeks they could see both babies very easily....in fact, it was hard to get JUST one on the screen for the measurements they did. I'm not saying it would be impossible to miss a twin at that stage, but I would guess that it is very, very, VERY unlikely.

I think it's safe to assume you just have one very active baby!

[klocke]

I am having twins this time around and I think by 18 weeks it would be obvious on an ultrasound. We didn't find out until our 20 week ultrasound but all the tech did was put the wand on my belly and she immediately saw two. And I really haven't gained that much more weight, maybe 5-7 lbs more than the same point in my singleton pregnancies. My big indicator is that my fundus is measuring about 10cm ahead. I look like I should be giving birth any day now and I'm only 27 weeks.

As far as the twins running in families. Identical twins don't run in families they are isolated incidences. As far as fraternal twins it would be the women on your side of the family like your mom, sisters, grandmother, ect. that would influence your chances.

[cyndalnronny]

The whole time with the ultrasound i did have it felt like the baby was in my ribs but she never went above the belly button. Yeah my cousin in blood relative and it runs in the fathers side of the family and they are all idenical on both side of family. and my cousin is just turning 20 this year his gf is 18 they werent have treatments. i do know that a friend of mine didnt know she was having twins because it didnt show in the ultrasound because one was hiding behind the other the whole time.

[cyndalnronny]

also when they found out this one was a boy he wasnt being shy it was the first thing the lady saw he had hes legs spread wide open. lol. This is my 3rd kid i had 2 girls already thats y i dont understand the doctor told me i have gained too much weight for how far along i am. because i am 21wks and gained 21 pounds already and my blood test even said i was that far along so i dont know y i have gained twice as much weight than the first two times. I gained only 25 pounds and my kids are going to be 2 years apart. the doctor just said it is because it is my 3rd child and i am older. i;m 22 i had my first when i was 18 and then my youngest at 20 so how is it that i am older and third kid i dont understand that one. i dont gain weight on my own. when i am not pregnant i can eat whatever i want and not gain a pound even after my pregnancies i lost weight. i weight 115 b4 the 1st 1 and 106 afterwards (when i left the hospital) 106 b4 the 2nd 1 and 103 afterwards when leaving the hospital. Does anyone understand why i think its more than one this time.

[MaerynPearl]

it does NOT run on the fathers side. fraternal twins are a maternal thing. Only the mother can have the risk of it because they hyperovulate (release more than one egg at a time) All men release millions of sperm per shot so their side means nothing.

The identical twins do not run in families at all, so you don't actually have an increased chance. Everyone in the world has the same risk of identical twins, they happen randomly when a fertilized zygote splits in two.

And at 18 weeks even with twins one would not be up in your ribs.

[cyndalnronny]

is it possible that one is hiding behind the other tho because i have read that one baby was hiding up in the ribs thats y the ultrasound didnt show it plus i have been watching pregnant shows to. i do alot of reading about pregnancies but this one im having now is just so different and i am gaining twice as much weight and i dont gain weight that is what i worry about.

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by cyndalnronny

is it possible that one is hiding behind the other tho because i have read that one baby was hiding up in the ribs thats y the ultrasound didnt show it plus i have been watching pregnant shows to. i do alot of reading about pregnancies but this one im having now is just so different and i am gaining twice as much weight and i dont gain weight that is what i worry about.

at 18 weeks, even with twins, as I said, one would not be up in the ribs. Even with twins, you do not go up that high that early. Heck, even with triplets I don't think you are that high that early.

And really its SO very rare to miss twins on an ultrasound.

It is totally normal to have a pregnancy completely different from your others. Especially as you get older (and yes, 22 is older than 18 or 20, so you ARE older even if not by much) and as you have more babies.

Really I doubt you have more than one in there.

[cyndalnronny]

actually its not as rare as you think to miss twins. I have read a few things online and seen on tv and my good friend is an example she had twins and didnt even know it untill the last tri. because one baby was hiding behind the other.

[osker]

Just wanted to chime in for a moment... they're actually finding that identical twinning may have something to do with the father's side! Something to do with possible different proteins in the sperm, I think!

[Tizzy]

I think it's twins.

[JTA Mom]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

it does NOT run on the fathers side. fraternal twins are a maternal thing. Only the mother can have the risk of it because they hyperovulate (release more than one egg at a time) All men release millions of sperm per shot so their side means nothing.

The identical twins do not run in families at all, so you don't actually have an increased chance. Everyone in the world has the same risk of identical twins, they happen randomly when a fertilized zygote splits in two.

And at 18 weeks even with twins one would not be up in your ribs.

Well, that depends. If in my father's line there were fraternal twins, I would technically have a higher risk for them, since my father could pass on that gene to me.

However, unless the twining ran to the last common ancestor between you and your cousin, original poster, there's no way you could inherit it.

Identical twins, as has been mentioned, are a case of random mutation. It is not inheritable.

Fraternal twins are inheritable, but ONLY from a previous to you blood line. Meaning, if your great-grandma had twins, you have a higher 'risk'. If your cousin has twins, doesn't matter, because she could have gotten it from her side of the family that is unrelated to you.


As for u/s, it's difficult to miss a twin, unless it's an old crappy u/s machine. U/S pics up bones really clearly, and it's hard to miss 4 arms, kwim? However, if it's a fuzzy old machine, maybe, because it's harder to 'see' clearly.

As for your weight gain, relax! There's nothing you can do about it right now. In addition, you also have 2 young kids to run after! Not getting enough sleep increase weight gain in non-pregnant people, why not pregnant women too? Just focus on eating healthy, getting lots of fluid and regular movement. Pregnancy is a big hormonal deal, and your body has already gone through it twice. Maybe this time due to older age (4 years since first baby) and more responsibilities you gained a bit more.

Ami

[kitkatkaddoodle]

Not finding a twin at the 18 week scan is possible, but it's very, very, very unlikely. If you're worried, just tell your provider at your next appointment, but this is a pretty common question that almost never turns out to be multiples.

I have a friend who had identical twins that weren't discovered at the 8 week scan, but it was pretty obvious when she had her nucal scan at 13 weeks. The only other person that I know who had twins unexpectedly didn't have any care during most of her pregnancy, so pretty much everyone was surprised when she showed up in labor and there were two babies!