When Will I Find Out if I'm Pregnant with Twins?

• Before coming up with their long list of pregnancy questions about twins, expectant parents have to first determine if they are indeed pregnant with twins. Oftentimes an expectant mother may suspect she is pregnant with twins before an ultrasound confirmation to that effect by experiencing heightened early pregnancy symptoms. Women pregnant with multiple babies typically report an increase in symptoms such as fatigue and nausea and may notice changes in the size of their abdomen faster than women pregnant with one baby. An ultrasound performed at six weeks can usually identify a twin pregnancy, though it is common for one of the embryos to be missed this early. Also, early ultrasound confirmation of a twin pregnancy does not guarantee that both embryos will survive. It is somewhat common to see twins this early on, only to go back a couple of weeks later and see only one surviving embryo.
  
  

How Will I Know if the Twins are Identical or Fraternal?

• A top pregnancy question about twins that most expectant parents of two want to know is if their babies will be identical or fraternal twins. Fortunately, with the use of modern ultrasound technology this is fairly easy to determine. Fraternal twins occur in about two-thirds of all twin pregnancies and are typically identified on ultrasound by the presence of two separate sacs and two placentas. Identical twins share an inner sac and usually also share just one placenta.
  
  

How Much Weight Will I Gain?

• Most expectant moms are a little concerned about how much weight they will gain during their pregnancy, and how long it will take them to lose the weight after delivery. A major pregnancy question about twins for expectant moms of two is how much weight will she have to gain to carry two healthy babies for nine months. Current guidelines indicate that women pregnant with twins should gain at least 35 to 45 pounds steadily over the course of their pregnancy. Women who were underweight prior to pregnancy may be advised to gain more.
  
  

What Type of Pregnancy Complications are Common with Twins?

• Unfortunately, carrying two babies increases the risk for a variety of complications, leading to this pregnancy question. The risk for these pregnancy complications is greater for women pregnant with twins that for single pregnancies: miscarriage, fetal malformation, premature delivery, pre-eclampsia, placental abruption, placenta previa and fetal growth restriction. Despite the increased risks, with good prenatal health care most women pregnant with twins are able to deliver two healthy babies.
  
  

Are All Twins Born Early?

• Another pregnancy question about twins on the minds of expectant parents is how soon to expect the arrival of their babies. While not all twins are born early, the average length of gestation for twins is 37 weeks, three weeks less than the normal gestational period of 40 weeks for single pregnancies.
  
  

Will I Have to Have a C-Section?

• When considering impending labor and delivery, the top pregnancy question about twins for expectant parents is if the mother will have to undergo a c-section or if she'll be able to deliver vaginally. Currently, about six out of 10 sets of twins are delivered via c-section, but it is possible to deliver twins vaginally if they are both positioned head first and no other complications are present.