Can you tell if you're having twins early on?

[lactatinggirl]

I'm only 5 weeks along and this is my second. I've been having BAD symptoms right from the get go. Seriously I think it's hit me 5 times as hard and fast as with my first. I've heard some moms say that this is normal for second-time moms. Then one of our friends causally mentioned that we could be having twins. For some reason, now my husband and I are freaking out. There's no history of twins in our families and we weren't doing any sort of IVF or things like that to get pregnant. No meds at all. It was my third cycle off of my IUD that I got pregnant. 

[APToddlerMama]

I thought I was having twins this time.  Symptoms were terrible even before BFP and my hcg levels were totally off the charts, like 10 times higher than normal. I was sure it was twins or a molar.  We also have lots of twins in the family.  Alas, there is just one baby in there.  I don't think symptoms are a very good indicator of twins.  Your hcg levels are probably just high and making you sick. 

[Jaimee]

I'm another one that always has horrible symptoms and off the charts hCG levels with singleton pregnancies.  Since twins don't run in your family and you didn't use ART to get pg the likelihood is pretty low for twins.  My neighbor had practically no m/s with her first and was puking until 16 weeks with her second.  Some people say gender makes a difference with how you experience your symptoms, too.  And then there's the whole stomach popping out earlier the second time around, too.  I certainly wouldn't freak out...  Do you plan on getting an early u/s?

[lactatinggirl]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I'm another one that always has horrible symptoms and off the charts hCG levels with singleton pregnancies.  Since twins don't run in your family and you didn't use ART to get pg the likelihood is pretty low for twins.  My neighbor had practically no m/s with her first and was puking until 16 weeks with her second.  Some people say gender makes a difference with how you experience your symptoms, too.  And then there's the whole stomach popping out earlier the second time around, too.  I certainly wouldn't freak out...  Do you plan on getting an early u/s?

I'm actually not planning on getting an u/s at all.

[Jaimee]

Well, without an u/s you'll just have to wait until your care provider can palpitate both babies if they're in there!    But honestly, if your care provider also suspects twins, s/he will want you to get an u/s as a multiple pregnancy requires a different kind of monitoring than a singleton.  Just something to think about.

[cameragirl]

I was so scared about this the first go round.  I got morning sickness before a pregnancy test, and it was bad.  I had just one growing, though.  It is usually pretty easy to spot on early ultrasounds, but sometimes they can hide.

[lookingforaname]

My girl pregnancies were worse than my boy pregnancies - could it be that?  Was your first a boy?

[lactatinggirl]

First is a girl. :-/

[lookingforaname]

Hmm. . . maybe it's a boy then! 

[Imprint]

Originally Posted by Jaimee 

I'm another one that always has horrible symptoms and off the charts hCG levels with singleton pregnancies.  Since twins don't run in your family and you didn't use ART to get pg the likelihood is pretty low for twins.  My neighbor had practically no m/s with her first and was puking until 16 weeks with her second.  Some people say gender makes a difference with how you experience your symptoms, too.  And then there's the whole stomach popping out earlier the second time around, too.  I certainly wouldn't freak out...  Do you plan on getting an early u/s?

Just to balance that, I'm someone who has spontaneous twins coming, despite having no twins anywhere in my family, nor any markers for twins at all except being 32 at conception (the age risk increases is said to be 35), eating dairy (as so many people do without twinning), and POSSIBLY sexual frequency (but not an unusual degree of it).  Literally - no other markers, except not being from an ethnic group with very few twins (i.e., not Asian).  No meds, nothing.  I had pretty severe pregnancy symptoms from the beginning. 

I wouldn't worry too much, but I would want to keep an eye on things, mention it to your midwife or o.b., and be open to checking via ultrasound if it seems like twins.  There are things you'd need to know that really help assess the risks (or lack of risks) to the babies' health, if there are two.