Are you wondering if you’re pregnant with twins? Here are the twin pregnancy symptoms I had that were different from my singleton pregnancy.
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When we Became Pregnant with Twins
With my first child, a singleton pregnancy, we were lucky enough to get pregnant the first month of trying. I had a very well-researched and regimented process we followed but hey, it worked! I also knew how to properly handle my hypothyroidism while pregnant, even if it meant having to strongly advocate for myself and my baby.
With the twins, we didn’t get pregnant the first month we tried but we were lucky enough to get pregnant the second month of trying.
We realize we have been incredibly blessed to have gotten pregnant so quickly both times.
If you want to read exactly how we got pregnant with twins naturally, read that blog post here.
Pregnancy Test
The first twin pregnancy symptom occurred long before I knew I was carrying twins. When I took a home pregnancy test the positive pregnancy test line was much darker than I had expected based on how early I took the test. I used this home pregnancy test for both of my pregnancies and they were very inexpensive, accurate, and easy to use.
I continued to take a home pregnancy test each morning for the next few days as I wanted to be sure. They kept getting darker and darker, significantly darker than two years prior when I was testing for my singleton pregnancy.
I later learned, the reason for a darker test result is that the pregnancy tests measure the pregnancy hormones hCG levels, and with twins there are generally higher hCG levels due to twin babies.
Looking back, this was my first twin pregnancy symptom.
Early Twin Pregnancy Symptoms
I found out I was pregnant around 4-5 weeks of pregnancy. I already had to see my healthcare provider to have a blood test run to have my thyroid levels checked to see if I needed to increase my thyroid medication, which I did. I have hypothyroidism due to the autoimmune disease, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. This is something that I have to be extremely mindful of and get tested monthly when pregnant, including right after I find out I’m pregnant.
Early pregnancy symptoms included nausea, which was worse with my twin pregnancy, it came on sooner, and lasted longer.
Fatigue also started earlier and I never got the energy boost in the second trimester that I had with my singleton pregnancy. I just got bigger and bigger and more and more exhausted.
Early on though, before I knew I was having twins, I just figured I was more exhausted because I was pregnant for the second time and that I was chasing around a 1 year old this time around.
Getting Big…FAST!
I knew that being pregnant a second time I’d likely get larger faster than my first pregnancy, but this was intense. I was already having to switch over to maternity clothes by the time I was 7 weeks of pregnancy and found it hard to hide my baby bump by 8 weeks pregnant.
Whereas for my singleton pregnancy I didn’t need maternity clothes until I was into my second trimester.
I remember having a hard time hiding my twin pregnancy baby bump because I met my parents for an appointment for my mother during which she was diagnosed with Early-Onset Alzheimer’s Disease at 59 years old. We suspected the diagnosis was coming and I wanted to be there to support my parents, as well as ask questions regarding the psychological testing and such since that’s an area of expertise of mine.
I knew I was pregnant at that time but I didn’t know that I was carrying twin babies. We had wanted to tell my parents as a family with my husband and 1-year-old son included, so I was trying as hard as I could to not look pregnant at this appointment with them.
Finding Out
It wasn’t until I was 8 weeks and 5 days pregnant that I found out I was pregnant with identical twins!!
Luckily my husband had come with me to the early ultrasound and my mother-in-law was caring for our 1-year-old. I remember the ultrasound technician said “Oh, there’s two” but nothing further.
My husband and I thought, two what?! Two arms? Two legs? What? Though honestly I don’t know what we actually said.
We must have asked something like that, to which she replied, “There are two babies.”
My husband about fell out of his chair and thankfully I was laying down so I wasn’t going anywhere. Twins. A total shock.
First we wanted to know what type of twins we were having, identical twins or fraternal twins. Answer = MoDi identical twins who have a shared placenta but have their own amniotic sacs. We didn’t even know that was a thing!
Then we wanted to know if they’d be the same gender. Duh, of course they would, but we were in shock and to our credit, the OB nurse didn’t even know this answer.
We didn’t ever expect to be pregnant with twins, and since we have identical twins, they are completely random and don’t have anything to do with family history. A complete surprise!
Twin Pregnancy Symptoms Throughout Pregnancy
Common twin pregnancy symptoms include increased nausea, more frequent urination, increased breast tenderness, hormonal changes, increased physical changes and discomfort due to two babies growing inside of you. Try to make sure you get enough rest, in terms of sleep and also just letting yourself sit and relax! Though I had a 1 year old when I was pregnant with twins, I still sat A LOT because I just couldn’t stand that much I was so big and uncomfortable with my twin pregnancy belly. I also got light headed a lot.
Make sure that you drink enough water, like, a LOT of water. I can’t believe how much water I needed to drink and how much I had to pee but if I didn’t drink enough water I’d get hot flashes and light headed.
You may find that you have extra weight gain with your twin pregnancy. I barely gained 25lbs with my singleton pregnancy but gained a whopping 65 pounds during my twin pregnancy!! Most of that was ALL twin babies, not a whole lot of extra fat.
As you get into your third trimester, keep in mind that you’re likely measuring 10+ weeks ahead of a single pregnancy. Late in my second trimester I was already as big as a full term single pregnancy! And of course, I kept growing for another 10 weeks!
Potential Complications of Twin Pregnancies
Soon after we found out we were pregnant with twins I started my diligent research. Luckily I came across someone within a twin group online who told me about MoDi twins, which is the type of twins I was pregnant with, and the high risks to look out for.
Potential complications of twin pregnancies include low birth weight, high blood pressure, gestational diabetes, premature birth, twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome if your twin babies have a shared placenta.
If your twin babies have their own placentas, your pregnancy will be less high risk. This is the case for fraternal twins who come from different eggs and different sperm, as well as DiDi identical twins who come from the same sperm and same egg but split earlier than MoDi twins and MoMo twins.
If your twin babies have a shared placenta and shared amniotic sac, MoMo Twins, you’ll likely end up on bedrest within the second trimester of pregnancy. Of course, your healthcare provider will tell you all about the potential risks and complications, including the potential for umbilical cords to get entangled.
Twin pregnancies also often mean more visits to your healthcare provider, seeing a specialist in higher risk pregnancies in addition to your OBGYN, more frequent ultrasounds, and a higher rate of cesarean section.
Despite all of the potential complications of twin pregnancies, don’t let your anxiety get you! I was extremely anxious throughout my twin pregnancy and certain that something horrible was going to happen to my twin babies.
Luckily, they never developed any major issues while in the womb and even though their birth was more complicated than I would have liked, they both are very healthy 6 year olds now! It’s easy to get caught up in what could happen but the best thing is to do your research, know what to be on the lookout for, and listen to your body. If you feel something is off, call your healthcare provider and/or go into labor and delivery to get checked out. Had I not done that with my twins at 36 weeks of pregnancy, the three of us wouldn’t be here today.
To learn more about the higher risks of twin pregnancies and how a twin pregnancy is different than a singleton pregnancy, check out my blog posts linked below.
Pregnant with Twins? You’ll want the Twin Pregnancy Journal!
When I was pregnant with twins I was using a regular pregnancy journal but there was no place to keep track of all the extra appointments, all the measurements, ultrasounds, etc. Years later, I decided to make the twin pregnancy journal I wish I would have had when I was pregnant!!
The twin pregnancy journal has over 100 pages you can use digitally on a tablet or iPad or print it out and put it in a binder to hold even more info. It includes a page for every week, ultrasound pages you can duplicate if you need more, places to keep track of Baby A and Baby B’s measurements, weights, etc. each week, birth plan pages, and even the hospital bag checklist I created from when I had my twins!
Here it is below, click the button or image below to learn more and purchase. It’s much less expensive than the pre-printed ones, that’s for sure! I know you’ve got enough expenses right now, though this took me a lot of time to put together, I’m ultimately here to help.
The Rest of Pregnancy
I detail in future posts, starting with the one below when I was 4 weeks pregnant, before I even knew I was carrying twins.
As a mom of identical twins and a son two years older, I have gained invaluable experience in the realm, and chaos, of parenting. With a Master's Degree and Education Specialist Degree in School Psychology, I spent years as a school psychologist, helping children navigate through their educational and emotional challenges. Now as a stay at home mom and professional blogger, I combine my areas of expertise to help you in your parenting journey.
Congrats on the twins. It’s kinda a bit difficult but you got this! What a surprise you have and anticipation is high now it’s going to be random.
Thanks! The twins are 3-1/2 now, I’m writing this way after the fact. Lol Thank you though! The first year was rough but they’re pretty darn cute and it’s sweet to see them play with each other now, and their big brother.