Twins are desired by several couples. However, more than twins, a couple should desire for a healthy baby. There are several factors that contributes towards chances of multiple babies.
Your age, height, weight, family history, and fertility treatments you undergo, all has a role to play in conceiving multiple babies. It is advised to always consult with the doctor, and follow tips, and recommendations to ensure a healthy pregnancy, with single, or multiple babies.
How To Increase Chances Of Getting Twins?
There are multiple causes for having twins such as use of fertility medicines, and treatments, age, family history, race, etc. All these factors work closely to determine the possibility of twins. A woman who wishes to get pregnant with twins, should first understand how twins are conceived.
Twins are classified mainly in two different types
Identical: This type of twin happens when a single egg gets fertilized by a single sperm that later gets divided into separate embryos. In some cases, Identical twins share the same amniotic sac, and placenta, and in other cases they share the same placenta, but have their own amniotic sac.
Non-identical: These types of twins happen when two separate eggs, are fertilized by two separate sperms. Such twins have got their own placenta and distinctive genetic composition.
Causes for Twins
Factors that impacts your possibilities to get pregnant with twins are:
Family history: If you have a family history of twins, then you have high possibilities of carrying twins. If it is from the maternal side, then heredity augments the possibilities to have twins.
Ethnicity: This is another factor that contributes to having twins.
History of giving birth to twins: If you have given birth to a twin in your last pregnancies, then there are higher chances that you will do so again.
Egg quality: Age also plays a role in determining whether you will have a twin or a single child. It has been seen that women with healthier eggs have better chances to conceive twins as compared to a woman who is above 40, and whose quality of egg is poor.
Age: Women above 30 need more FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) to form eggs in the ovaries prior to getting released. In other words, the eggs they produce need more stimulation for growth than when compared to a younger woman. Due to higher levels of FSH, two or several eggs are released in the body that results in a twin pregnancy.
Height: Height also plays a role in conceiving with twins. It has been seen that taller woman have better possibilities to have twins.
Number of Children: Twins are also likely in women who have had various pregnancies before, and also have large-sized families.
Breastfeeding: Women who get conceived at the time of breastfeeding are likely to have twins than the ones who don’t.
Diet: In a study, it has also been found that women who consume more of dairy products are at higher chances to conceive twins.
Weight: A woman who has high BMI (body mass index) (BMI) have more chances to carry twins. Chances of non-identical twins was more in women who were obese with a BMI of 30. However, doctors do not advise them to gain weight to have twins as overweight can cause complications in pregnancy.
Ways To Improve Possibilities Of Having Twins
After looking at all the factors that are responsible for having twins, we will now look at what can be done to increase the possibilities of conceiving with twins:
Diet: A study shows that drinking milk affects hormone levels in women as cows are given growth hormones. So, a woman should consume more of dairy products, and proteins to increase their possibilities of having twins.
Medications: Fertility medicines are another popular way to conceive with twins. These medicines work by increasing fertility of a women by stimulating the production of eggs, or sperm. Increased production of eggs causes more egg to release and fertilize.
Gonadotropins, and Clomiphene are the common types of fertility medications that increase possibility of conceiving with twins. However, you should always consult with your doctor before taking any over-the-counter medicine.
Gap between pregnancies: Maintaining gap between two pregnancies also increases chances of getting pregnant with twins.
Fertility treatments: IVF, is a popular fertility treatment that increases the possibilities of identical twinning. The chances of having twins depends on how well the clinic track stimulation of ovulation during the use of fertility treatment, and how many embryos gets transferred during IVF. The twin rate with IVF was found to be highest in women below 35 years, and it was lower for women more than 35 years.
Also read: Why Are You Not Getting Pregnant? Possible Reasons
Conclusion
Couple love to have twins after infertility. There are various positive benefits of having twins. If you conceive twin babies, you should know that it requires good prenatal care to lower the possibilities of any complications.