The ultrasounds, doctor appointments, signs, and symptoms; nothing showed up until it was time to deliver your precious baby. When, suddenly, your doctor tells you there is one more baby that has been hiding, giving you undetected twins until birth.

How can this happen? Do other expectant moms and dads encounter similar surprises? Shockingly enough, this is a rare instance that does happen to parents who are shocked to discover they are expecting twins when they have only been preparing for the arrival of one baby. TwinStuff is here to describe how and why a hidden twin can be undetected all the way until the day of delivery.  

The First Few Weeks of Pregnancy

After missing a period, you may be inclined to take an at home pregnancy test. Another option is to contact your ob gyn and ask for the soonest appointment to see if you are pregnant. A blood test can be performed to detect the amount of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) levels. With much excitement and anticipation, you may receive a confirmation of your pregnancy.

Depending on how far along you are, your medical provider may offer an ultrasound to properly detect the progress of the pregnancy. At a 5 week ultrasound, twins may be detected due to the heartbeats. Though faint, it is possible to hear the heart of your babies happily thumping. Typically, that early in the stage of pregnancy, it is difficult to detect if you are carrying more than one baby.

Your doctor will recommend prenatal care, including proper vitamins and supplements to help in the growth and development of your baby. Your health is top priority, too. In some instances, depending on previous pregnancy challenges or if you are pregnant with twins, your doctor may tell you to stay at home or in bed throughout moments in your pregnancy.

Twin Pregnancy Ultrasound

Should the ultrasound only show one baby, it is typical to have additional ultrasounds throughout your pregnancy. At a 6 week ultrasound, twins may be just as challenging to identify. However, beginning at an 8 week ultrasound, twins are a bit easier for doctors to detect. An ultrasound scan is helpful for doctors to identify the number of heartbeats within a twin pregnancy ultrasound.

Early within a twin pregnancy, vanishing twin syndrome can occur. This happens roughly around the 6 week or 7-week mark in the pregnancy. During the ultrasound, when expecting to see the two sacs and hearing two heartbeats, you may only see one sac or hear one heartbeat. If experiencing vanishing twin syndrome, this can mean that the one fetus absorbed the other twin. Or, a miscarriage happened and resulted in only one single pregnancy.

When doctors perform a twin ultrasound, you will be asked if you would like to receive copies of the twin sonogram. These are the images that can be printed up for you to have. These black and white pictures allow you to show off your exciting pregnancy to your friends and family. If your medical provider has only identified one baby during your pregnancy, do not worry. There will be plenty of opportunities to still see if you are carrying multiples.

The First Few Months

If you still have a nagging feeling that you are carrying twins, be sure to express your thoughts and concerns with your doctors. As your baby grows, a twin may appear through additional movements or having a heartbeat that no longer syncs with its sibling’s heartbeat. Should this be the case for you, as your doctors realized there are two babies within the twin ultrasound, you will be bumped up to a high-risk pregnancy.

This label may sound scary but is perfectly normal when it comes to carrying multiples within a pregnancy. To break the label down, it means that you will have more doctor appointments compared to when you were only aware of a singleton baby. You will want to have a reliable calendar system in place, when keeping up with your medical appointments. You may think some of the repeat appointments are annoying or uncalled for.

Remember that each appointment has its own reasoning. All are for the safety and well-being of your health and your babies.

During your medical appointments, measurements will be taken of your babies to see how they are growing. The amniotic sac and placenta will be closely monitored to ensure each twin is having the necessary nutrients they each need to continue proper development and growth.

Few Months Until the Delivery Date

Having to miscarry one twin, heavy bleeding indicates the traumatic loss. Immediately contact your doctors to inform them of the loss of blood you are experiencing. Typically, they will ask you to go straight to the hospital to be looked at. You will be hooked up to ultrasounds and have tests run on you and your babies. During a twin ultrasound, the hospital should be able to see the status of your health, along with the health and well being of each baby.

Delivery Day. Undetected Twins Until Birth, it Can Be Possible?

The time has come for you to welcome your newborn baby! At this moment, there are still instances where expectant parents are only planning on delivering one baby. In one instance, while an expectant mom in Wisconsin gave birth, she suddenly found out that she had a surprise twin! Though a bit overwhelmed to begin with, she ended up having two beautiful twin girls.

More Useful Resources When Undetected Twins Until Birth

Life is full of surprises and delivering twins can be one of life’s greatest gifts. If you are worried about having undetected twins until birth, please speak with your medical provider to express your concerns. Continue to follow along with our TwinStuff blog, should you be on the lookout for adorable twin onesies and bibs with clever twin-themed sayings.

Our online TwinStuff Facebook Group is packed with positive and supportive parents of multiples that are happy to share their experiences of birthing twins. Birthing twins is a lot, but TwinStuff is here to help you with every exciting twin milestone.

There are plenty of people who have tried numerous times to become pregnant with zero success. Time and time again, hopes come up then emotions crash downwards as they discover they are not pregnant with twins or single babies. Thankfully, there are many fertility treatments to help improve the chance of becoming pregnant.

Let alone utilizing in vitro fertilization (IVF) to increase the odds of having twins. Misconceptions arise that moms who utilize fertility treatments are unable to have a vaginal twin birth. TwinStuff is here to put some of those mistaken beliefs to rest with some good news for expectant moms of twins.

Twin Talk from IVF Pregnancy: Vaginal Birth of Twins

As you read this, you may or may not be pregnant with twins. Perhaps you are discovering additional information prior to utilizing IVF as a fertility treatment. You may be wondering         what are the odds of having twins, or how to get pregnant with twins, when using IVF treatments.

Utilizing these treatments provide you with a better chance of getting pregnant with twins. There are multiple success stories of women who receive the great news of expecting twins, as IVF utilizes more than one egg to fertilize due to the overall cost of the treatments.

It’s a good idea to speak openly with your medical doctors and confirm with them of the increased probability of having twins through IVF treatments. With or without fertility twins, you may ask about the chances of fraternal or identical twins through treatments. You may wonder, are twins genetic and possible without IVF treatments. Yes, genetics can play a part in having twins. Through the use of IVF, the chances of boy and girl fraternal twins is likely to happen. Identical twins are less likely to happen, when compared to being pregnant with fraternal twins.

Factors of Twin Pregnancies: Can You Give Birth To Twins Naturally

Carrying two babies at one time does increase the likelihood of having a higher chance of complications, compared to carrying a single baby. Discovering that you are pregnant with twins, you will hear the label of being “high risk” during conversations between you and your medical professionals. Do not be overwhelmed with the label as it is simply implying that you will be scheduled in for more doctor appointments, than other pregnant moms of singletons.

There may be times where you feel overpowered with the multiple doctor appointments. Attending each and every of your appointments is crucial for the health and well-being of you and your precious twins baby.

A helpful piece of advice from our online TwinStuff Facebook Group is to book your doctor appointments on the same day of the week. Regular check-up appointments with your OB/GYN, primary care physician or midwife can be booked on Wednesdays. Your high-risk appointments can be scheduled for Thursdays. Staying consistent allows you to have a better grasp on things, along with utilizing an online planner or calendar app.

When carrying twins, you will discover that there are twins 2 majors that can happen. Dizygotic (fraternal) twins and monozygotic (identical) twins lead to five subcategories of twins. Expectant parents of twins are surprised to learn of the kinds of twins that are possible when preparing for the arrival of their newborn twins.

Self-Care is Key for a Smooth Pregnancy

Pre-natal vitamins provide the much-needed nutrition for your growing twin babies. Adequate supplements of folic acid and iron help the developments of your twins. Absorbing the nutrients aid in the progress of your twins’ nervous system, brain, eyes and bones.

Having aches and pains throughout your twin pregnancy is normal. Some ways to help ease the pregnancy discomfort is by taking an Epsom salt bath. Soaking in the bathtub allows you to relax, while alleviating the pressure on your joints and growing belly.

Back pain is another common complaint from many expectant moms of twins. A belly band wrap, or a quality pregnancy belt, can help to reduce the pressure of carrying your twin babies. Trying your best to maintain proper posture helps in stopping over curvature of your spine, causing issues years after delivering your twin babies. Taking care of yourself increases your chances of reaching the covenant 37 weeks.

Vaginal Twin Birth or Cesarean Birth of Twins

You may be thinking if you can have a Vaginal Twin Birth. Surprisingly, it is possible. When planning to have your twin babies born vaginally, it is best to plan on giving birth in a hospital. The hospital should be adequately equipped with all of the necessities for the arrival of your twins. Twin A will have their own medical team, anticipating the arrival, whilst Twin B will have their own team on standby.

During your doctor visits, your medical professional will be closely monitoring the progress of your growing babies, along with your health and wellness. For a Vaginal Twin Birth, Twin A will need to be in the head down position.

When your doctor says it is time to deliver, you will be moved to the operating room. This is a precautionary step in case plans change at the last minute and your doctor will need to perform a life-saving cesarean section (C-section). It may not be the ideal situation, but it is best for your safety and the wellness of your twin babies. Listen to your medical team, as they will instruct you on when to push, as your babies will be monitored via the ultrasound machine.

More Resources To Guide You About Your Concerns About Twins Pregnancy

Soon, you will be holding your sweet newborn twins in your arms and basking in the accomplishment of having a vaginal twin birth. Stock up on adorable 100% organic cotton onesies and bibs to dress your babies. Until that time, follow along with informative blog posts on our TwinStuff website. We cover everything from great twin baby shower ideas to what to have in your overnight bag.

Join our TwinStuff Facebook Group to chat and meet other parents of twins who are experiencing similar moments you may be experiencing. You will enjoy the positive environment along with relatable twin content.

If you are trying to get pregnant, looking to adopt twins, or are expecting twins, you may have a lot of questions, as do identical twins run in families?. Thankfully, TwinStuff is here to help answer commonly asked twin related questions. Having gained knowledge by asking experienced parents of twins, along with researching the topic, we have put together key findings to help put your mind at ease and focus on your growing family. Not only do we have a successful online presence within out TwinStuff Facebook Group, but we also provide you additional blogs and insights to prepare you for your newest arrivals.

Do Identical Twins Run In Families?

The straightforward answer is that studies are still out as to whether or not identical twins can run in families. In certain studies, identical twins scientifically known as monozygotic twins (MZ twins), do not occur. Though MZ twins may happen throughout the generations, it does not confirm that identical twins run in the family. It is classified as familial MZ twinning.

Identical twins happen when a single zygote splits into two fertilized eggs. When studying genetics and familial MZ twinning, it is believed that a mutation of the splitting cells may be passed through generations. Thus, allowing the cells to not bond as strong and causing the cells to split in half creating MZ twins. In fact, identical twins are less likely to occur than fraternal twins.

Do Fraternal Twins Run In Families?

Yes, fraternal twins can run in families. Fraternal twins, scientifically referred to as dizygotic twins (DZ twins), happen when two separate egg cells are released from the fertile woman at the same time. The eggs are then inseminated by two individual sperms. This results in two separate embryos forming creating DZ twins.

DZ twins are about twice as likely to happen, especially among woman who have sisters or mothers who were pregnant with fraternal twins. When releasing more than one egg within the same menstrual cycle, this is known as hyper-ovulation.

What Are The Odds Of Having Twins?

Besides genetics, there are other factors to consider in having a twin pregnancy. Age, race, weight and height can increase the chance of having twins. When it comes to age, the older a woman is, the more likely she is to hyperovulate. Women over the age of 30 have a higher chance of conceiving twins than her younger counterpart.

While considering race as a factor, Hispanic woman have shown a greater probability in having twins than other woman of different ethnic backgrounds. Yet, woman who are taller or weight more show an increased possibility of being carrying twins. Studies show that taller and heavier woman may have more nutrients within their systems to provide ample amount of nutrition for their twin babies.

What are The Types Of Twin Pregnancy?

When it comes down to the basics, there are two types of twins. One type is identical (MZ) twins and the other is fraternal (DZ) twins.  From these two types, twin classifications branch off into five subcategories of twins.

How can I Get Twins?

If you are having a challenging time getting pregnant with twins, many women will look further into using in vitro fertilization (IVF). If IVF is a choice you are interested in, fraternal twin boy and girl babies are quite the common outcome. Other possibilities are fraternal twin boys or fraternal twin girls. Due to being in a controlled environment, identical twins resulting from IVF is extremely rare.

If you have been trying to conceive, are unable to conceive, and/or IVF is not a possibility; consider adopting twin babies. There are plenty of twins that are in need of homes. Women who become unexpectedly pregnant with twins may be scared and worried about their twin’s futures. Should you receive the call to adopt twins, stay informed with the twin pregnancy. This can help alleviate any pressures the pregnant mom may be facing, let alone any questions you may have along the way.

Are Twin Pregnancies High Risk?

Yes, twin pregnancies are considered to be at high risk. There are plenty of things to consider, during a regular pregnancy, let alone when carrying two or more babies. Besides the common fraternal or identical twins within a twin pregnancy, there are rare sets of twins that are monitored more extensively than common twin pregnancies.

One rare set of twins are called mirror image twins. This happens when the egg splits many days after fertilization of the egg. The cells are already forming, later splitting the babies to mirror one another. Doctors will monitor to ensure that the twins will have their own placentas and individual amniotic sacs. This allows each growing twin to have their own set of nutrients they need for proper development and growth.

As your mirror image twin babies grow you may see the hair parting to the left side of one child. Whereas the other twin sibling will have a natural part on their hairline on the right side. Thus, being mirrored identically of their twin siblings.

Other unique twins are conjoined, parasitic, and monochorionic-monoamniotic twins (MoMo). Conjoined twins result from the egg not splitting all the way. Parasitic twins happen when the embryos are attached to one another. MoMo can be discovered through a blood test, after 12 weeks of gestation. The twins will be identical, as they share a placenta and amniotic sac.

Answering Do Identical Twins Run in Families and More

Answering commonly asked questions such as, “do identical twins run in families,” provides you with a healthy outlook on your growing family. Join in our online TwinStuff Facebook Group for additional perspectives from other families with twins and multiples. If planning your up and coming twin baby shower, check out our other reliable blogs and sources on our TwinStuff site. You can find additional information on cotton onesies and other must-haves for your twin babies. Whether you are planning your pregnancy, adopting twins, or are pregnant with twins; we are here to help guide you every step of the way.

Attempting to have a successful conception of one baby, let alone twin babies, is exhausting. When it finally happens, you may have been feeling beyond elated and overwhelmed. Plenty of women experience common highs and lows during this crucial time. There are a lot of things that you will learn along the way of your pregnancy with your twins. Educating yourself on your twin pregnancy, along with possible complications can educate parents like you on how to care for any obstacles that may come your way. TwinStuff is here to provide you with reliable information on your twin pregnancy and delivery.

Ready and Hoping to Conceive Twins

After using contraceptives, such as an intrauterine device (IUD) or birth control pills, you may be curious about what happens when you put an end to using them. Typically, it can take quite a few months to become pregnant. At the same time, other pregnant women have said that as soon as they stopped using forms of birth control, they reported becoming pregnant shortly after. Keep in mind that this is out of the ordinary. If you are having a challenging time getting pregnant, rest in ease by knowing that you are not alone.

What Are the Odds of Having Twins

Seeking assistance from a medical provider, when trying to get pregnant after using contraceptives, can provide additional insight on ways that may help in financially conceiving your twin babies. There is a heightened chance of becoming pregnant with fertility treatments. Odds of having twins or triplets is much greater when using fertility drugs or in vetro fertilization (IVF).

When you are having difficult times becoming pregnant, your doctor may advise you to try fertility treatments. By using fertility treatments, it can produce a higher chance of becoming pregnant with twins. Many women have a healthy and successful pregnancy after using these treatments. Doctors are more inclined to inform you that there is a high chance of conceiving boy and girl fraternal twins. Identical twins are less likely to happen, when using fertility pills and treatments.

Types of Twin Pregnancy

New moms of twins may wonder how they can discover the types of twins that they are carrying. Twins of parents are excited to learn if they are expecting identical or fraternal twins. Your medical professional may be able to see two separate sacs during the twin ultrasound. This can happen around 12 weeks of gestation. During the check-up ultrasound, your physician may be able to see two separate sacks. Many times, this can indicate that you are carrying fraternal twins. While pregnant with either fraternal or identical, here are some examples of various situations that may occur when pregnant with twin babies.

Monochorionic diamniotic twins (MCDA) share a womb and share a blood supply. These siblings come about from one fertilized egg that splits into two. Though MCDA twins share a lot, including the fact that they twins share a placenta, they do have their own amniotic sacs. Each of their blood vessels plug into the solo placenta.

Proper nutrition is distributed to each twin baby so that they may continue to grow. Your medical caregiver will closely monitor MCDA twins, just like caring for other types of twins. Continue to attend your check-ups, including having ultrasounds performed to monitor your growing twins.

Similar to MCDA twins, monochorionic monoamniotic (MoMo) twins are identical twins and share one placenta. MoMo twins come from the splitting of one fertilized egg, which means that they are more than likely to be same-sex twins. The difference between MCDA and MoMo twins is that MoMo twins share an amniotic sac. Unfortunately, MoMo twins have a higher chance of getting tangled up among their umbilical cords.

Labeled as either identical or fraternal sets of twins, dichorionic twins are a different set of twins. Dichorionic twins have separate amniotic sacs that are not joined together with their twin siblings. They, also, have their own placentas to receive nutrients from. Many identical twins are considered to be dichorionic twins.

Nearing the Date of Delivery

Your doctor will closely track the progress of your twin babies, along with your well-being. When it comes to identical twins, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS). This happens when the twin siblings share one placenta. The blood vessels that are connected to the placenta can disproportionately be distributed more to one twin than to the other. A lower blood supply can affect both twins.

One receives more than its twin, while the other is not receiving enough to successfully grow and may affect how long the babies can be carried. If needed, your medical professional may need to schedule for an earlier delivery date to keep you and your twin babies safe.

The good news is that the birth rate of twins has increased since the 1980s. Successful pregnancies involving multiples are on the rise due to medical advancements. Medical advancements, including IVF and other fertility treatments, have been moving forward in progression with successful treatments and conceiving twins. Attending medical appointments and listening to your doctor aids in the arrival of your twins.

It is important to stay informed and to keep your labor and delivery caregivers informed of what you envision for a successful delivery. Use your twin mom intuition to tap into that you feel will be best for you and your growing family. Trust your medical physician and all that you have studied.

Multiple Pregnancy: We Have More Resources For You

After having a successful conception of twin babies, whether naturally or through fertility treatments, you may wonder what you can expect when pregnant with your twins. Take time to educate yourself to give you a better piece of mind. Learning the different types of twins, along with communicating with your doctor, will help you to feel confident as you prepare for the arrival of your twins.

TwinStuff is here to give you trustworthy information for your pregnancy and delivery. Join our online TwinStuff Facebook Group for additional, insight and adorable ideas on twin baby onesies to keep your babies cozy.