- my iParenting
- quick clicks
- twins today articles
- twins today q&a
- community & groups
- research baby names
- prepare a birth plan
- content channels
- ip channel rss feeds
- read birth stories
- read parenting stories
- recommended books
- e-newsletters
- safety recalls
- ip diaries
- ip store
- mom of the month
- dad of the month
- editor's letter
- letters to the editor
From Our Sponsors
- e-newsletters
- Sign up to receive our free weekly e-newsletters
- award-winning products
The iParenting Media Awards program helps parents find the best products for their families.
Am I Expecting Multiples?
Early Signs That Two or More Are on the Way
By April E. Clark
As a mother of 13-year-old boy-girl twins and one 16-year-old son, Nancy Bowers, RN, BSN, knows firsthand that more babies on the way can mean increased symptoms. Bowers is also creator of the Marvelous Multiples® prenatal multiple birth classes in Atlanta, Ga., and author of The Multiple Pregnancy Sourcebook. She says she has heard more than 1,000 similar testimonials from expectant families since starting the Marvelous Multiples® program in 1992.
"With all the discomfort of a singleton pregnancy, you're probably going to see that much earlier with multiples," says Bowers. "The No. 1 symptom I've seen is elevated morning sickness or nausea. Women tend to get bigger faster, and the pressure on the bladder is always there and you never seem to find relief because the uterus doesn't rise like with a singleton pregnancy after the first trimester. Also, there is more muscle strain, and the mothers are more tired because [the] babies are pulling on more of their nutritional resources."
Although it would be ideal if all mothers-to-be had that special intuition or definite sign indicating they are carrying multiples, such presentiments usually take the backseat to good, old-fashioned science.
When a multiple birth is suspected, doctors closely monitor hCG and progesterone levels, which can be higher due to increased hormone levels. ""An hCG beta blood test can detect pregnancy as early as 10 days after fertilization, and hCG beta numbers should increase by an average of 60 percent every two days," says Dr. Scott Roseff, moderator for the INCIID General Infertility Forum and advisory board member.
"Interestingly, some published studies showed that the hCG levels for a multiple pregnancy aren't much different from and don' rise more rapidly than in a singleton pregnancy, while some other studies showed the hCG levels were higher (but didn't rise more rapidly)," says Dr. Roseff. "In general, though, it appears that the hCG levels are similar in the early part of the first trimester while the hCG levels are higher in the second and third trimester for multiples compared to singletons."
Want to see more?
Comments
There are no comments for this article yet.Be the first to 
|
Post As:
|
||
| Enter your comment below: | ||
| Title | ||
| Comment Text | ||
| CAPTCHA | ||
| Please note that any comments submitted become the property of Disney Family / iParenting and can be edited and posted at our discrection. | ||