Are you one of those excited parents dreaming of two cribs instead of one? Then this piece is for you with all the information you need in one place. Having twins can be dream come true for many. How adorable would it be to have two babies of the same age with the same outfit running around the house?
Apparently, it is more common than ever to conceive twins. According to some data, the rate of conceiving twins has doubled in the last few decades. With that your chances of having double babies at once increase as well. However, the process of twins being born is a little different than normal pregnancies. Usually, one sperm fertilizes one egg which leads to one baby being born. In the case of twins, the ovary releases multiple or two mature eggs. If, by any chance, both of the eggs get fertilized twin angels are born!
With advanced technology and researchers, we have been able to naturally or artificially increase the chances of having twins. No, we don’t have any certain process that guarantees twins. But we do have methods that can influence your hormones and encourage your body to conceive the twins of your dreams.
Now comes the question, how to increase the chances of twins naturally? Or how to get pregnant fast with twins? The answers are not and should not be short. Below you will find all the factors, be they natural or artificial, that answers your question “How to conceive twins?”
Things that can increase your chances of having twins:
Age
The chances of having twins increase as you get older. Experts say that people who are over the age of 30 are more likely to conceive twins than others. The older you get the more follicle-stimulating hormone increases in your body.
It is responsible for maturing the egg before it gets released. Older people need more stimulation in their eggs and the follicles can react to the extra FSH and release more than one egg. This is why women in their 30s or 40s are more likely to get pregnant with twins. This hormonal change happens as you get closer and closer to menopause.
History of Having Twins
Genetic codes are more powerful than anything. If something runs in your family and something doesn’t, you just have to accept it. Having a history of twins in the family is another factor that increases the chance of conceiving twins naturally.
This genetic reason has more influence on the maternal side than the paternal. A study suggests that female nonidentical twins have twin babies 1 in 60 births as opposed to male nonidentical twins with chances of having twins 1 in every 125. The reason that mother can have more influence is that having a family history of releasing more eggs during the reproductive cycle can run on the mother’s side only. This specific trait helps two sperms fertilize the egg.
There is also a theory that sometimes the chances of having twins come from grandparents who had twins. But this claim has little scientific support. Hence it can’t be stated as a theory.
Weight
Naturally overweight women have higher chances of having twins. The reason that experts say this might happen is that the more body fat you have in your body the more estrogen your body produces. The extra level of estrogen stimulates the eggs leading to fertilizing more than one egg. Some also believe that women with more weight have better nutrition in their body which is ideal to grow twins. This study says that women who have a BMI of 30 or more have increased chances of conceiving twins.
However, it is always advisable not to increase weight only to conceive twins as it can be dangerous to your pregnancy journey. Being obese increases the chances of other health-related issues during pregnancy.
Height
Just like the weight factor, height also plays a role in your chances of having twins. Apparently taller women have higher chances of having twins compared to women of low height.
The study says that women who are 5’4” have higher chances of conceiving multiple babies than women of average height as 5’3”. The reason might be the same that is taller women have the ideal body to grow multiple babies or have more nutrition to supply. However, the reasons remain unknown to us.
Diet
If you were wondering what to eat to get pregnant with twins naturally, there is a piece of good news for you. The answer is yes, you can do that. A study shows that having dairy products in your diet can have a positive impact on getting pregnant with twins. The reasons behind this might be that there is a growth hormone that can be found in milk and having milk can affect the reproduction system to conceive multiple sperms. The growth hormone found comes directly from cows that affect yours too.
Another study has an interesting conclusion. It shows that having yams might also have a positive impact on having twins since the study was done in Nigeria where the twinning rates are the world’s highest. Yams have a natural hormone which is more like estrogen. That hormone stimulates the ovaries to be more active and releases multiple eggs.
Race
As genetic reasons always influence pregnancy, your race can also be an important factor. One statistical study shows that women of African American race are more likely to have twins or multiple babies than others, especially white women.
The data also shows that Hispanic or Asian have the least chance of twin pregnancies than other races. From this report, we can infer that people who have larger families and have a background of more pregnancies might be more likely to get pregnant with twins.
Breastfeeding
“Why does breastfeeding increase the chances of twins?” As surprising as it might seem, the answer is yes. Breastfeeding can also be an important reason for getting pregnant with twins or multiples. There is one study that shows that women who breastfeed have higher chances of getting pregnant with twins than those who don’t. Breastfeeding women have shown an 11% chance of getting pregnant with multiples while those who don’t have only 1%.
However, it needs to be mentioned that there is also a belief that breastfeeding can also be an obstacle to pregnancy and fertility. Especially in the first quarter of raising the baby, breastfeeding can prevent your hormones and your eggs from getting fertilized.
Location
Where you live or were born can play a role in your pregnancy too! In some countries, the rate of pregnancies and especially twins are higher than the others.
As we mentioned earlier, Nigeria has the highest rate of twins in the world. Their twinning rates are 43 in every 1000 births in some parts which is extremely high compared to other countries. The African continent, in general, has a higher rate of twins than any other.
To learn more about the differences between fraternal and identical twins, consider watching this short youtube video
Artificial ways to increase your chances
Before we talk about the details, it should be mentioned that anything artificial should be consulted with doctors first. Every procedure comes with certain pros and cons and risks. Couples and parents are advised to consider each option thoroughly and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision.
Supplement consumption
Some people consume supplements to increase the chances of twins. In some cases, having folic acid can help get pregnant with twins. It also helps with the proper development of the fetus during pregnancy.
IVF
In the In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) process, the way that they increase your chances of having twins is by transferring a number of embryos using technology. And only the mother can participate in this as it involves transferring the embryo.
The choices are up to you to decide. Some couples decide to go with just one embryo and wait to see if it becomes two later on. That isn’t unlikely to happen. And some decided to take the matter into hand and transfer multiple ones to have twins.
With this procedure, the chances of getting pregnant with twins for women under 35 are higher at 12% as opposed to women over 35 with 9% chances. Although this process has always caused a higher rate of twins, more and more people decide to just have healthy babies instead of pushing for twins.
IUI
In the Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) process, women are given certain medicines to increase fertility. Femara and Clomid are two medications that are given to stimulate the ovary and make it release eggs. This artificial stimulation might make the ovaries release more than one egg because of which more than one sperm can fertilize the eggs.
Sperms are also injected into the uterus to increase fertility chances. However, there is no guarantee that multiple eggs will be fertilized. In this case, the chance of having twins can be anywhere from 5-12% and that of triplets can be less than 1% which is the lowest rate for twins.
Gonadotropins
There is another medication called Gonadotropins. You can take it with or without IUI. It has the highest rate of twins with up to 30% being twin pregnancies according to studies. This process creates a follicle-stimulating hormone that stimulates the ovaries which leads to releasing multiple eggs.
Risks with Conceiving Twins
The headline sounds upsetting but it is better to be safe than sorry. Even though some people dream of having twins and get excited about buying the same clothes, it is essential to know the risks that come with having multiple twins. Women with twin pregnancies have a high risk of diseases like diabetes, high blood pressure, premature birth, and preeclampsia.
You will be on the list of highly monitored and risky patients on your doctor’s list. During delivery, complications can occur and in that case, c-section delivery will be the only option. There are also other complications that might lead to one or two babies having heart issues, not fully formed organs, etc. Usually, these sorts of things happen mostly with identical twins.
This is not to scare you or discourage you to dream of having twins. This is rather to remind you that with greater happiness comes greater risks. There are a lot of people birthing healthy twins around the world. You are more likely to be one of them. But it doesn’t hurt to know more and always be conscious of your choices and health.
Conclusion
Whether or not you decide to go with natural or artificial ways you need to remember one thing: it is never guaranteed that you will have twins, or that these factors will increase the chances of having identical twins even after you conceive multiple.
With that, you need to also be mindful of the fact that having multiple fertilized eggs is not normal but rather an anomaly. And with every anomaly comes risks and concerns. If you get pregnant with twins or more, make sure to consult with your doctor regularly have follow-up check-ups, and intake way more nutrition to grow and deliver healthy double troubles!
