Multiple pregnancy, where two or more children grow in one pregnancy, is very rare. When can you tell if a woman is pregnant with twins, triplets or quadruplets? What must be considered in such a pregnancy? Here you will find answers to the most important questions.

What Is A Multiple Pregnancy?

Multiples are two or more children who develop at the same time and are born shortly after each other.
In a set of twins, only 30% are identical. Identical children have the same blood type, the same sex, and there is little difference in appearance. Identical twins are formed by chance during cell division, the occurrence of fraternal twins is often hereditary.
Multiple pregnancies with triplets, quadruplets or more babies may consist of different combinations of identical and fraternal babies.

What Is The Probability Of Getting Pregnant With Twins, Triplets Or Quadruplets?

According to the so-called Helling rule, the chance of a twin pregnancy is 1 in 85%. One in 7,000 pregnancies is a triplet pregnancy and one in 600,000 is a quadruplet pregnancy. However, the number of multiple pregnancies has increased by quite a bit in recent decades. This is due to increased hormone treatments and artificial insemination. According to the Federal Statistical Office, there were eleven quadruplet births in 2015. Women older than 35 who have already given birth to a child or multiples are more likely to have a (repeat) multiple pregnancy.

Signs Of A Multiple Pregnancy

Many women wonder if you will notice a multiple pregnancy. While there are no concrete signs of a multiple pregnancy, some clues can still point to it. For example, in a multiple pregnancy, there is significantly more HCG in the woman’s blood, which often also leads to very early nausea. Also, weight gain occurs earlier in a pregnancy with twins, triplets or even more babies.

What Is The Course Of A Multiple Pregnancy?

Multiple pregnancies are classified by doctors as high-risk pregnancies because the course of pregnancy for multiples involves certain dangers. Multiple pregnancy also puts a much greater strain on the expectant mother.

What Complications Can Occur With Multiple Pregnancies?

It is very common for premature birth to occur in a multiple pregnancy due to premature rupture of the membranes or cervical insufficiency.

There are also differences in how long a woman is pregnant with multiples. While a single pregnancy lasts an average of 267 days, it is shortened to about 262 days for twins and 247 days for triplets.

Furthermore, in a multiple pregnancy, there can be
– Growth disorders
– Miscarriages
– Malformations
– Intrauterine fetal death or
– A rare circulatory and nutritional disorder (fetofetal transfusion syndrome, FFTS).

In FFTS, one unborn child develops at the expense of the others. The weaker ones are left behind in their development.

What Are The Treatment Options For A Woman With A Multiple Pregnancy?

If a woman is pregnant with two or more children, she receives particularly intensive medical treatment and care. For example, preventive examinations are performed at a shorter interval. This allows a doctor to intervene more quickly if complications should arise.

Doctors generally try to keep a multiple pregnancy as long as possible so that the children are well developed when they are born. In many cases, however, birth at an earlier time cannot be avoided, for example, if a child does not receive adequate care or goes into labor early. Medication can help the babies’ lungs mature more quickly. This allows the babies to breathe better after birth.