Twin pregnancies seem to happen with more frequency. If you think you might be pregnant with two babies, learn about the signs and symptoms of twins.

How to Tell If Twins are a Possibility

An early ultrasound (around 12 weeks) is becoming more common, which means that many women find out early in their pregnancy that they're having twins. Pregnancies with two babies can be a shock, so if twins are suspected -- because of fertility treatments for instance -- an early ultrasound can let parents know if they're having one or two babies.

These early ultrasounds can even look at the placenta and determine whether the twins are identical or fraternal. Fraternal twins will always have their own placenta, but identical twins can share or have their own, depending on when the egg split.

Early ultrasounds have also revealed a number of twin pregnancies that end up with only one baby. These twin pregnancies are actually a part of vanishing twin syndrome. In these cases, there are originally two babies, however one of them dies early on. The vanishing twin is absorbed by the remaining baby or the mother and, without an early ultrasound, the mother would never know about it otherwise. A vanishing twin isn't thought to have any negative effects on the remaining baby and it isn't anything to worry about, though you may have mixed feelings about it.

Are There Early Signs and Symptoms of Twins?

Many people suspect that being especially sick early in the pregnancy might indicate twins, but this isn't necessarily true. There aren't any early signs and symptoms of twins. If you're wondering how to tell if twins are a possibility, the only way to uncover twin pregnancies early on is with an ultrasound.

A Mom Says…

I never thought I'd have twins, though my grandpa has a twin. My twins were discovered during an ultrasound at 10 weeks and I was shocked when my doctor told me there were two babies! I was really nervous at first, but now I can't imagine having just one baby at a time!