How to Conceive Twins
Do you want to conceive twins but you have no twins in your family? Or maybe you want to do a one and done pregnancy and get 2 for the price of 1? This podcast is the doctor’s edition of how to make twin babies with the best kept fertility secrets coming up in this blog post!
Listen to "How To Conceive Twins Doctor's Edition Pregnancy Podcast Pukeology Ep. 71" on Spreaker.
How to Conceive Twins?
The incidence of conceiving is currently on the rise. Current studies show the universal prevalence of twin births to be 3%. However, twin births tend to occur more in blacks than Caucasians and Asians.
Different Types of Twins
Twin gestation is the commonest form of multiple pregnancies. There are two broad types of twins – monozygotic and dizygotic.
Identical Twins/Monozygotic Twins
They occur when a single ovum is fertilized and split into two babies. Usually, the division occurs within 72 hours after fertilization.
Monozygotic twins have a similar genotype and phenotype thus are referred to as identical twins. Basically, these babies share the same DNA. Identical twins account for 1 in 250 pregnancie.
Fraternal Twins/Dizygotic Twins
They occur when a woman releases two eggs during ovulation that get fertilized by two different male sperm. Therefore, the twins tend to have different genotypes and variable phenotypes. They each have their own set of DNA, similar like other sets of siblings except that they are sharing a womb.
Dizygotic twins are usually non-identical.
How to Have Twins Naturally.
- Get pregnant while breastfeeding. During breastfeeding, you are producing prolactin hormone, and there are hormonal fluctuations that may increase your chances of getting pregnant with twins.
However, it is necessary that you exclusively breastfeed for the first six months to make sure your baby gets the nutrients it requires to grow and protection against diseases such as gastroenteritis and allergy.
Worried you might give your baby an allergy when you eat certain foods during pregnancy. Learn all about it in Pregnancy Podcast Pukeology Episode 67: Will I give my baby an allergy if I eat peanut butter during pregnancy
- Plan to conceive late in your reproductive years. Studies show that women who get pregnant when they are above 30 years old have higher getting twins. This because their ovaries are likely to release more than one mature egg during ovulation.
If you are advanced maternal age, 35 or older, inherent risks are also to be expected. Doctors will recommend genetic testing for these moms, but I bet you don’t know what they are testing. That’s why I made Pregnancy Podcast Episode 56: Genetic Testing when Pregnant.
- Gain more weight. Having a body mass index of above 25 has been shown to increase your likelihood of getting pregnant with twins. However, excess weight gain can harm your health.
Find out exactly how much weight you should gain with twins in Pregnancy Weight Gain Episode 12.
How Can You Tell You Are Pregnant with Twins?
The surest way to first detect that you are pregnant is to get a pregnancy test and an obstetric ultrasound done. However, there are tell-tale signs which could suggest you are heavily pregnant with twins. These include:
- Having early and noticeable pregnancy symptoms such as nausea and vomiting.
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- You may also suspect you are pregnant with twins, of you, gain weight rapidly.
- Having a large fundal height than gestational age. It is obvious that the twin will be stretching your uterus more, thus having a larger fundal height than gestational age.
- Listening to more than one fetal heart rate 10cm apart could also suggest you are carrying twins.
Bottom Line
Getting pregnant comes with challenges for both the mother and the unborn babies. It is recommended to attend antenatal visits as early as you conceive and throughout your pregnancy and during birth so that your doctor can detect and manage any complications as soon as possible.
How to Get Pregnant Fast with Twins
Some characteristics can increase your odds of giving birth. If you don’t want to wait to “just” wait to conceive twins, here are thing some things you can do to get pregnant fast with two bouncing babies.
#1. Conceive while on family planning pills.
Contraceptive pills cause hormonal fluctuation, which may act in your favor of getting twins. Your chances of getting twins are also high if you try to conceive straight after you have ceased taking oral contraceptives.
However, it is necessary that you exclusively breastfeed for the first six months to make sure your baby gets the nutrients it requires to grow and protection against diseases such as gastroenteritis and allergy.
#2. Take fertility treatment.
Fertility treatment such as in vitro fertilization can stimulate your ovaries, leading to the release of more than an egg that may be fertilized, leading to twin pregnancy.
#3. Take supplements such as folic acid.
If you plan to conceive twins, it is recommended to take a folic acid supplement at least a month before getting pregnant. Folic acid not only increases your odds of conceiving twins but also reduces the chances of your babies developing neural tube defects.
Here's some really cool facts about being pregnant with twins.
- You might have inherited the “twin gene.” Have you ever heard, twins run in the family but it skips a generation? There is no science to prove that, but hyper-ovulation (when a woman release more than one egg during ovulation resulting in a multiple pregnancy can be genetic. Males can inherit and pass this gene to their daughters and it’s probably the reason the gene “skips a generation” because men don’t ovulate.
- Twin can begin bonding in the womb! An Italian researcher showed ultrasounds of 14 week gestation twins seem to reach out to each other being very gentle as they got their fingers close to their other siblings eyes.
- Be prepared to deliver early with twins, and your healthcare provider will discuss a c-section but it is not necessary if you can have a vaginal birth. Close to 60% of twins are born before 37 weeks, but some moms can cook them to 40 weeks. Twins do have an increased risk of being born pre-mature but NICU is not always necessary.
- Identical twins share the same amniotic sac and placenta but they can grow differently and vary in weight when born. Fraternal twins have their own amniotic sac and placenta, they are just close to each other all day everyday until their birthdays.
