There are two types of twin pregnancies:

1. Monozygotic, where a single egg is fertilised. In such cases you will have identical twins.
2. Dizygotic, where two eggs are fertilised. Here, you will have fraternal twins.

Your gynaecologist will tell you the type of twin pregnancy you are having.

If your mother or grandmother has had twins, the chances of you conceiving twins are higher.

Also, in case you are undergoing an infertility treatment and are on ovulation-inducing drugs, then it is likely that you may have twins. The drugs produce more eggs in the ovary and lead to multiple pregnancies.

A twin pregnancy can be diagnosed as early as five to six weeks into the pregnancy through a sonogram.

Watch out for signs showing that you may be carrying twins. You may experience severe nausea accompanied by excessive vomiting. This happens as the pregnancy hormone is being secreted by two placentas.

Also, since the uterus is bigger, you may feel like you are 12 weeks pregnant when you are just 10 weeks along.

While You Are Carrying

Hypertension and high BP is common with twin pregnancies due to excessive production of the pregnancy hormone. Early signals of hypertension are weight gain, swelling of the feet and face and tests that confirm proteins in urine.

If you observe such changes, consult your doctor. Don’t worry; the hypertension is part of carrying twins. About six weeks after delivery, your pressure will be back to normal.

Due to the weight of and space occupied by two babies, the position of the placenta may be a little lower than usual. This increases the risk of bleeding during pregnancy. Your doctor may advise complete bed rest, which is common with twin pregnancies. In case the situation worsens, you may be advised to terminate the pregnancy.

Spotting is also likely in the early stages due to hormone deficiencies, over-distension (stretching) of the uterus or the placenta, which is low-lying. You may have to take hormone supplementation pills and antibiotics for this.