Early Pregnancy Symptoms with Twins

A lot of moms who have twins say that they knew that they were going to have twins early on, even before the doctor said so. Now, I’m not saying that we have some unexplained connection with our bodies that allow us to know what’s going on before anyone else does (although that would explain a lot…). Still, the early pregnancy symptoms with twins can be really obvious, especially if you know what you’re looking for.

Early Pregnancy Symptoms with Twins Explained

What are The Symptoms of Carrying Twins?

Like we said in our article on the symptoms that you’re having twins when you’re having twins, you should look for the sorts of things that happen in normal pregnancy, only bigger and stronger.

• The ‘biggest’ early pregnancy symptom with twins (pun intended) that many women notice is how much bigger they are early on compared to other women. The reason for this is obvious. You’re carrying two babies instead of one, and they both need space!
• Powerful feelings of nausea, especially early on. We all know about morning sickness, but because more hormones cause it in your body when you’re having twins, you’re more likely to experience it.

• Incontinence, or just needing to pee more often. The increased pressure on your body from carrying two babies right over your bladder causes you to pee more often and can, unfortunately, cause incontinence.
• Painful breasts. Again, this is caused by hormonal changes, and two babies equal more hormones, which equals more changes.
• Strong uterine cramps. A twin pregnancy can cause the uterus to expand quicker than usual, which is why this is particularly likely for women carrying twins.
• Exhaustion and a pounding heart. Your body is working extra hard to provide for your twins, so the stress placed on it is much heavier than for a singleton baby.
• Higher levels of hCG. Human chorionic gonadotropin causes many changes in pregnancy, and your body is bright, so when you have two babies, the hCG levels also rise accordingly.

What are The Most Likely Early Pregnancy Symptoms with Twins?

There are certain things that most mothers will experience when they’re pregnant with twins, which we’ll go into below. But bear in mind that pregnancy is different for every woman, and there’s absolutely nothing you can rely on as a sure sign that you’re having twins. Where one woman might suffer from one particular symptom especially heavily, another woman might not even experience it.

Saying that, here are the most likely symptoms that you’re having twins in the first trimester and why.

Heavy Uterine Cramping

Many women experience uterine cramping during their pregnancy; if you’re pregnant with twins, you’re more likely to experience uterine cramps, and they’re more likely to last longer and be stronger and more painful.

The reason for this is pure mechanics. Your uterus is designed to accommodate one growing baby comfortably, and even though our bodies are marvelous machines and can stretch to deal with twins, it’s not a thing that most women have to deal with, and it puts a lot of strain on your body.

Nausea and Morning Sickness

Some women are lucky enough to avoid morning sickness altogether, but for the rest of us, it’s just something we must learn to live with.

No one knows what causes morning sickness, but the most likely explanation is the increased levels of hCG in the body. So when you’re carrying twins and have even higher levels of hCG in your body than usual, if you suffer from morning sickness, it’s fair to say that your morning sickness symptoms will be worse and even more debilitating.

Showing Early and Growing Fast

Another early pregnancy symptom with twins is to show early and always seem to be further along in their pregnancy than women who only carry single babies.

It’s pretty simple. Even though both twins are generally smaller and lighter than a singleton baby at the same time, you’re holding two of them inside of you, which will take up an awful lot of room.

There’s also the fact that the weight gain, fat gain, and fluid retention that comes with pregnancy are usually more significant when you’re pregnant with twins because there are more hormones that cause these changes in your body.

Stronger Emotional Changes

This is another hormonal issue, and the reason for it is the same as the rest. The hormone changes affect your body and brain chemistry, which causes significant changes in your body.

Again, suppose you’ve got a higher concentration of pregnancy hormones. If you’re unlucky enough to suffer from emotional changes, it will likely affect you more and hit you far harder.

Remember, every pregnancy is different, and every twin pregnancy is doubly so. There’s no guarantee that you will have all or even any of these symptoms. The only reliable way to know that you’re going to have twins is to have a scan that shows twins!

Saying that there’s nothing that says the signs don’t make it more likely, so if you’ve got any of these signs of twins, you might be lucky enough to be blessed with twin treasures!

When did you find out you were having twins and did you know before your scan? Did you experience these early pregnancy symptoms with twins, and how did it make you feel? Let us know in the comments below!