Twin Pregnancy Symptoms

Wondering if you’re pregnant with twins? Here are the twin pregnancy symptoms I had that were different from when I was pregnant with a single child.

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When we Became Pregnant with Twins

With my first child, 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.

Pregnancy Test

The first twin pregnancy symptom that occurred long before I knew I was carrying twins was that when I took a pregnancy test the line was much darker than I had expected based on how early I took the test. I used these pregnancy tests for both of my pregnancies and they were very inexpensive, accurate, and easy to use.

I continued to take pregnancy tests 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 first pregnancy.

I later learned, the reason for a darker test result is that the pregnancy tests measure hCG levels, and with twins there are generally higher hCG levels due to two babies.

Looking back, this was my first twin pregnancy symptom.

Nausea & Fatigue Started Early

I had found out I was pregnant around 4-5 weeks along and already had to see my doctor to have my thyroid levels checked to see if I needed to increase my medication, which I did. I have hypothyroidism due to an 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.

I noticed that nausea was worse with my twin pregnancy, it came on sooner, and lasted longer.

Fatigue also started earlier and I never got the boost in the second trimester that I had with my first child. 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 all day 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 pregnant and found it hard to hide my baby bump by 8 weeks pregnant. Whereas for my first pregnancy I didn’t need maternity clothes until I was into my 2nd trimester.

I remember having a hard time hiding my second pregnancy bump well 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 twins. 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 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 or fraternal. Answer = MoDi identical twins who share a placenta but have their own gestational sac.

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!

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.

Nicole Prom, M.S.Ed., Ed.S.

Founder, Professional Blogger at The Way it Really Is, LLC | [email protected] | Website

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.