Gender of the child signs. The phenomenon of twins and twins: the main differences, upbringing and entertaining facts

24.05.2019

According to statistics, every 80th expectant mother is announced that she is pregnant with twins. This means that two babies develop in the womb at once, and such a pregnancy is called multiple.

Endure twin pregnancy - a difficult task for a woman, as the load on her body increases significantly. increases the risk of developing health problems for the expectant mother, increases the likelihood of complications such as,. That is why this condition requires increased attention from medical personnel.

Early diagnosis of pregnancy with two fetuses, or twins, is crucial for its further course. Usually a woman does not notice any special signs of twin pregnancy in the early stages. Most often, the situation clears up in time.

Only in a few cases did women report the following twin pregnancy signs:

pronounced exacerbation of the sense of smell, persistent dislike for any smells,;
a noticeable increase in the mammary glands;
pigmentation on the chest and face.

In the antenatal clinic, during the initial examination, the doctor can determine the pregnancy with twins by the volume of the uterus, which does not correspond to the expected gestational age, and during the next examination, by how fast it grows. An analysis can confirm his assumptions, which will show values \u200b\u200bthat do not correspond to the current week of pregnancy. These are the true signs of pregnancy with twins in the early stages.

An early ultrasound does not always confirm twin pregnancy, since during the examination one fetus may well hide behind the other and go unnoticed. This method will be informative from the 8th week of gestation, when two will be tapped.

Starting from the 20th week, it is possible to determine the symptoms of twin pregnancy not only with the help of ultrasound, they will be as follows:

on palpation of the abdomen, four large parts of the fetus can be identified - two heads and buttocks in different parts of the uterus;
the height of the uterus and its volume are much larger than those characteristic of a singleton pregnancy;
the woman feels the movements of two fetuses;
on auscultation of the abdomen, the doctor hears two heartbeats.

A pregnancy test done with twins can also indicate that two or more embryos are developing in the uterus. In this case, the second strip on the test, indicating pregnancy, will be brighter and clearer.

Main dangers

Multiple pregnancies are always associated with a high risk of complications for both the mother and the developing fetus.

The most common problems are::

wrong fruit;
increased fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath;
anomalies in the development of one or both fetuses.

Behavior of the expectant mother

A prerequisite for the normal course of multiple pregnancy is the regime of the day, in which most of the free time will be devoted to rest. Your doctor may recommend bed rest if twin pregnancy symptoms include increased fatigue and drowsiness.

This rarely happens. Most often, a second pregnancy with twins occurs as a result of a second successful IVF. In any case, the woman is placed under strict control in the antenatal clinic. From the second trimester, she is recommended hospitalization in a hospital in order to control how the twin pregnancy will proceed by weeks.

Pregnancy Calendar

What will be the development of twins by week of pregnancy? Let's consider in more detail.

1-10 weeks

Signs of twins in early pregnancy coincide with a singleton pregnancy, but toxicosis appears earlier. By 8 weeks, both fetuses grow up to 3 cm, so they can be seen using ultrasound. After 8 weeks, embryonic development ends, by 10 weeks hearts are formed. Each fruit weighs approximately 5 g.

10-20 week

Pregnancy with twins from 10 to 20 weeks is characterized by the rapid growth of both fetuses, while the uterus is rapidly increasing in size, and the woman already needs special clothes for expectant mothers. From the 16th week of pregnancy with twins, you can distinguish the sex of children by ultrasound and calculate the approximate body weight and weight.

The placenta still remains the organ of metabolism, but the fetuses already have the rudimentary organs of the digestive and excretory systems: they are able to swallow fetal water and remove decay products through the bladder. A woman can feel the movement of twins during pregnancy from the 16th week, the length of the bodies of the fetus by this period is at least 17 cm, and the weight is 200 g.

20-30 week

Features of twin pregnancy from the 20th week are also characterized by the rapid growth of the uterus, the acceleration of metabolism. Babies begin to move more intensively, causing a lot of inconvenience to the expectant mother. The twin pregnancy calendar suggests that by week 25, the growth of the fetus increases to 30 cm, and the weight - up to 700 g. Outwardly, the babies already resemble newborns.

Signs of pregnancy with two fetuses or twins according to the gestational calculator are expressed in the form of frequent urination, expressed, increased fatigue. By week 28, babies become viable, subject to premature delivery, they have a high chance of surviving. By week 30, the weight of one fetus is about 1000 g, height - 35 cm.

A woman's body is designed to bear one child, so twin pregnancy is considered pathological. Many women dream of twins, and when a singleton pregnancy is detected on an ultrasound scan, they get a little upset. But carrying multiple pregnancies, giving birth, and even more so caring for babies is not easy. Moreover, with twins, the body experiences a strong, double load, which can lead to complications.

Why do twins appear

According to statistics, it turns out that slightly more than 1% of women have signs of twins on ultrasound. The causes of multiple pregnancy are different. The hereditary factor plays an important role. If there are twins in the family, then the probability increases dramatically. And it should be twins from the mother. This is explained by the fact that in women not one, but two or three eggs mature at the same time.

Often, twin pregnancy is observed in women over 30 years old, because at this age they occur irregularly, but sometimes two eggs mature at the same time. Another reason for multiple pregnancy is the refusal of birth control pills. Against the background of their cancellation, the maturation of two eggs is also possible.

It is impossible to exclude a common method of ovarian stimulation, when instead of one dominant follicle, two are often observed. For example, the concepts of Klostilbegit and twins are often combined, although after its use, according to the observations of doctors, multiple pregnancy occurs only in 11-13% of cases. It turns out that Klostilbegit contributes to the occurrence of multiple pregnancy, but does not ensure it.

Multiple pregnancy during in vitro fertilization is also not uncommon, because in order to increase the likelihood of becoming pregnant, 2-3 eggs are often planted, it happens that they are all implanted and develop.

But how identical twins are obtained, or rather, what are the reasons for this phenomenon, have not yet been found out. There are theories that the division of a fertilized egg into two separate organisms occurs under the influence of trauma, infection, radiation, and after 30 years, when the likelihood of abnormal development of the zygote increases.

Important! Often identical twins are born less adapted to the environment. So, in twins, the respiratory system develops earlier than in a fetus with a singleton pregnancy, and even with prematurity, they are less likely to have problems opening their lungs during the first breath.

Twins or twins

Why twin children are sometimes called twins and sometimes twins is easy to understand. Twins develop from one egg, divided into 2 parts, and the later it divides, the more differences the twins can have. Differences are manifested in character, behavior, but not in the genotype.

Twins, on the other hand, develop from separate eggs, so their genotypes are similar, like those of close relatives, but not identical. Twins can be of different sexes, but twins are not.

Multiple pregnancy with twins is also complicated by the fact that twins can have one placenta for two, and during childbirth, hypoxia may occur in the second child.

Ultrasound image of a multiple pregnancy. Two embryos

Diagnosis of multiple pregnancy

How to identify twins is of interest to many women. Now, how many eggs have been fertilized and implanted in the uterine mucosa is easily determined by ultrasound from 7 weeks of pregnancy. But before, when there was no ultrasound, signs of multiple pregnancy could be established much later, usually during examination, when large parts of the fetus can be felt, or when listening to the baby's heartbeat.

Some say that there are other signs of twins, for example, the movement of babies is noticeable earlier, because they are cramped, this is not so. Fetal movements with twins can be felt at 18-20 weeks gestation in nulliparous or 14-16 if this is not the first pregnancy.

Women who show signs of multiple pregnancies sometimes notice severe toxicosis in the early stages, a change in skin pigmentation, the second strip in the test is more pronounced, but these are subjective signs, because there are many pregnant women who were not bothered by toxicosis, and the width of the strip is relative.

Ultrasound can show signs of twins from 5-7 weeks, and with the development of pregnancy, identical twins can be determined from the placenta or not.

Important! Often, ultrasound shows 2 embryos, but at the next examination, only one remains, scientists even called this phenomenon “vanishing twin”. This is explained quite simply: the non-viable fetus dies, and its tissues are actively absorbed by phagocytes, like a foreign body. There would be a clinical picture of a miscarriage, if not for the second fetus.

The course of multiple pregnancy

If two fetal eggs are found in the uterus, then the management plan for the pregnant woman changes, for example, an ultrasound scan is done every month, since the presence of two fetuses in the uterus causes:

increased stress on the mother's body. Significantly increases the volume of circulating blood, which affects the cardiovascular system. It is possible to develop severe toxicosis from the first days and preeclampsia in the second half of pregnancy, anemia;
the possibility of impaired fetal development. It is necessary to examine and identify violations in each fetus. After all, there is a possibility that one develops normally, and the second does not, and this can become a threat to both;
difficult childbirth. Multiple pregnancy causes greater uterine distension, and although many women give birth to twins on their own, with insufficient labor activity, improper diligence (pelvic, transverse), surgery is required.

To reduce the risk of complications, especially women after 30 years of age, you need to pay special attention to yourself, monitor all changes, and follow the recommendations of an obstetrician-gynecologist. Features of the course of pregnancy with twins are as follows:

you need to register in a antenatal clinic on time, you will have to visit it more often;
increase the amount of folic acid in the body, which reduces the risk of developing fetal pathologies;
arrange nutrition. When they say that pregnant women need to eat for two, then here they already have to eat for three. This is often difficult to implement, since toxicosis in the early stages with twins is more pronounced, and in the later stages, a strong increase in the uterus causes pressure on the stomach and a feeling of rapid satiety. How much do you need to eat for babies to develop normally? You need to eat more often, little by little, monitor the composition of food, the presence of vitamins in it and timely bowel movements, since after 30-32 weeks there are often constipation;
weight gain. Women are worried: how many kilograms can you gain with twins? Of course, with more than one fetus, normal weight increases by 18-20 kg;
with twins, the likelihood of preeclampsia is increased, and this can lead to diseases of the expectant mother (diabetes mellitus). In older women in labor, over 30 years old, eclampsia, increased blood pressure are often observed;
symptoms of anemia occur more frequently, iron-fortified diets are not always sufficient. You need to take iron supplements. The same applies to problems with calcium, which is needed for the formation of the skeleton of babies;
childbirth can begin prematurely, with multiple pregnancies, women often give birth at 35-37 weeks, therefore, with twins, the pregnancy is monitored in a hospital. In the presence of any deviations, pathologies 2-3 weeks before childbirth, expectant mothers are sent for preservation;
there is a possibility of the need for a cesarean section, with the wrong position of the babies, although many women give birth to twins themselves, and the percentage of independent births remains high.

The most difficult period is the third trimester of pregnancy or 30 weeks. The body of children is already fully formed, and reacts not only to the mood, well-being of the mother, but also to any external stimuli. To help a woman in this period can be the attention of loved ones. After all, an increase in the abdomen, weight, signs of preeclampsia and poor health, are reflected not only in the pregnant woman, but also in babies.

Childbirth with multiple pregnancy

Childbirth is often complicated, the cause may be the incorrect position of the fetus, loss of body parts in the process, prematurity, so they try to put pregnant women in advance in centralized maternity hospitals that have all the necessary equipment to help premature babies.

Despite the fact that after 30 weeks of pregnancy all organs and systems of the fetus have already been formed, and modern equipment allows babies born prematurely to go out, if possible, they try to maintain multiple pregnancy up to 35-37 weeks, if the mother's condition allows it.

- this is not only a serious test for a woman's body, but a double joy. If you register in time, get examined, follow the doctor's recommendations, then even premature twins and twins will not only catch up with their peers in development, but also overtake them.

So the long-awaited event happened: in your hands you hold a pregnancy test with the cherished stripes. Happiness just overflows from the inside, and you carefully try to hug your still flat tummy. You have such interesting and exciting 8 months ahead of you, each of which will be remembered for something different: the first toxicosis, the first ultrasound, the first movement. Moms and dads have a lot of questions that you can definitely get a 100% answer only after the baby is born. But how to determine the sex of a child without and what methods are available, we will try to figure it out in this article.

What do our grandmothers say?

Since ancient times, ancestors have tried to unravel the secret of nature about what gender a child will be born. For a long time, when women were preparing for childbirth without ultrasound, our grandmothers knew how to determine the sex of the unborn child and what color dowry should be prepared for future parents.

There are many quotes on this topic:

the woman blossomed - there will be a boy. It looks bad, and acne appeared on the face, the skin became dry or, on the contrary, oily - there will be a girl;
the expectant mother began to eat more meat, poultry and fish, and sweets make her sick - she will have a boy. But if she eats sweets, there will be a girl. Especially if addictions in one direction or another were not noticed behind her before;
if a woman has a sharp tummy, there will be a boy; if it is round, then a girl;
mom's stomach is located below - we are waiting for a boy, and at the top - a girl;
if a woman's hair began to grow on the pigment strip, then there will be a boy, and if the strip is without them, then a girl;
the expectant mother has become more calm and flexible - there will be a boy. She became more touchy and whiny, it will be a girl.
Also a very funny method of determining gender is when a wedding ring is held on a thread over the stomach. If it begins to swing from side to side, like a pendulum, then there will be a boy, if it describes a circle, then there will be a girl.

What does ancient Chinese teaching say?

This method of determining the sex of a child is over 700 years old. It was he who was preferred by the couples of ancient China, planning or, if the conception had already happened, determining the sex of the child. Below is a table in which you can also find data about your future baby. There is nothing complicated in it: vertically - the age of the mother at conception, horizontally - the month in which the baby is conceived.

What can the Rh factor say?

I would like to dwell on one more method, and also to figure out whether it is possible to determine the sex of a child without ultrasound, only by which of the Rh factors his parents have. There is nothing complicated in this method either. Below is a table in which the Rh factor of the mother is shown vertically, and the father is shown horizontally.

When did you ovulate?

But, perhaps, the only method of how to most accurately determine the sex of a child without an ultrasound is if you know when you ovulated and had intimacy. Doctors have proven that if sexual intercourse was a few days before ovulation, then boys are born, and if during or immediately after it, then boys. This is due to the fact that spermatozoa containing the XX chromosome (female) are slow, but more tenacious, and those containing the XY chromosome (male) are very fast, but less adapted to life in a woman's body. This method gives an accuracy of up to 80%.

You can determine the sex of twins without ultrasound in the same way as described above. There are no specially developed methods for twins. The only thing I want to note is that if you have identical twins, then the sex of the babies will be the same, and if they are fraternal, then 50 to 50.

So, how to determine the sex of a baby without an ultrasound is a very controversial question. Someone studies ancient Chinese tables, someone remembers the date of ovulation, and someone simply rejoices at the imminent birth of their child and recalls the proverb: "Whoever God gives, he will be." Remember, regardless of whether you have a boy or a girl, the baby expects care and love from you.

On the project, you can find other quite useful information, which would not be superfluous for women to get acquainted with.

At what time can you determine the sex of the child, twins

At 14-16 weeks, you can determine the sex of the child, both one and twins.

How to determine the sex of the child by the date of conception

The Y-chromosomes that are responsible for the birth of a boy are quite active in order to plan the birth of a son, it is best to make love the day before conception. If you want a girl in 3-4 days. This is provided that the woman knows the day of ovulation.

Determine the sex of the child, if the mother is Rh negative, who has twin signs, by the blood type of the parents, year or date of birth

If mom is Rh negative and dad is Rh positive. A boy will be born.

If both parents have the same Rh, wait for the girl.

If the father is negative, and the mother is positive. There will be a boy.

Do not forget that there is no 100% probability.

How to determine the sex of the unborn child folk signs at home

Before, when there was no ultrasound. Women determined the sex of the child with the help of folk signs.

Girls live in a round tummy, boys live in sharp ones.

Girls take beauty away from their mother, boys, on the contrary, make it even more beautiful.

On the legs, the hair began to grow stronger towards the boy.

It pulls on salty - the son will be, sweet - the daughter will wait.

Determine twins or not at home

It is believed that twins are rare in young girls. A pregnant woman eats an egg with two yolks for twins.

Determine the sex of the child using a wedding ring, milk and urine, a needle and thread, soda

Thread the thread into the wedding ring, hold it over your hand. If it spins clockwise it's a boy, counterclockwise it's a girl.

The ancient Armenian method on milk with urine often gives correct predictions. Take milk with urine in equal proportions, put on fire. After boiling, it will curl up to the girl in the tummy, and the guy will remain normal.

The method using soda is easy and simple. There will be urine in one glass, soda in the other, pouring a little urine into a glass of soda, see the reaction. Foams to the kid, there is no reaction - the princess will be.

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The definition of twins and twins is carried out by such a productive research method as ultrasound. This type of examination provides information about the location of the child, whether there is a multiple pregnancy, etc.

As a rule, two embryos are clearly identified on ultrasound from the earliest weeks - 5-7. Later, the doctor is able to determine this without the use of ultrasound diagnostics. Twins can be identified on such a basis as an increased size of the uterus, already from an early date, and medical diagnostics using ultrasound will show two children only at 1 screening - at 10-14 weeks.

A multiple pregnancy is the development of two or more fetuses in a woman's uterus, which can be recognized by ultrasound.

At what gestational age can twins be identified?

Twins will appear on ultrasound as early as 5 weeks

If during the examination in the initial weeks the obstetrician-gynecologist notes a larger size of the uterus than expected, the doctor prescribes an ultrasound examination. In this case, the ultrasound of the embryos will show the presence of twins as early as 5 weeks, especially with the use of highly sensitive 3D scanning sensors. Examination makes it possible to identify twins only for a period of 9-11 weeks.

Can an ultrasound doctor make a mistake and not see twins? Yes, it happens. Common causes of error are: the use of an ultrasound machine that is too old, a late examination (in the last weeks), or when the first ultrasound scan was missed. The old equipment is not capable of high-quality visualization, since the length of the emitted ultrasonic signal is not sufficient for scanning in recent months.

Therefore, the presence of twins in the womb is detected by ultrasound as early as a month after conception, in the picture they look like 2 dark-colored formations inside the uterine cavity (see photo of ultrasound examination of twins below).

Ultrasound diagnosis of twins after 11 weeks shows a slightly reduced size of the first and second fetus for its developmental period - approximately 4.2-4.8 cm.
When examined at week 12, the embryos are 6 cm long and weigh approximately 8 grams.
At week 20, babies weigh 350 grams. You can see that one child is larger than the second. This is due to the blood shunt, which constantly shunts blood to one of the two fetuses.
After 32-34 weeks, babies gain weight up to 2 kg.

You can see twins on ultrasound during pregnancy as early as a month after conception. In this case, the specialist will mark two black spots on the monitor screen, which are clearly visible by ultrasound.

Characteristics of multiple pregnancy

Reasons that indirectly affect the probable multiple pregnancy:

a pregnant woman over 35 years old;
heredity in the female line;
deviations in the structure of the uterus;
pregnancy as a result of IVF;
pregnancy after giving up oral contraceptives;
unnatural (artificial) stimulation of ovulation.

Types of multiple pregnancy:

by the number of embryos: twins, triplets, quadruplets, etc.;
by the number of fertilized eggs;
by the number of formed placentas and amniotic membranes.

Types according to the number of fertilized eggs:

Bizygotic: born when two eggs are fertilized. Characterized by the appearance of two children of the same or opposite sexes.
Identical (presence of twins). The conception of identical twins occurs when one egg is fertilized. Babies are born only of the same sex.

Types by number of placentas and amniotic membranes:

Bichorionic biamniotic twins - both fetuses are wrapped in a separate placenta and amniotic membrane. There may be the development of fraternal and identical twins if the crushing of one egg is three days after conception.
Monochorionic biamniotic - embryos are separated by two amniotic membranes, but are in the same placenta, the septum between the fetuses has two layers. This kind of twins will be exactly identical when the egg is crushed in the interval of 3 and 8 days after conception.
Monochorionic monoamniotic - one placenta and one amniotic membrane for two fetuses, the interfetal membrane is not present. This twin is only identical, it develops when one egg is crushed from 8 to 13 days after conception.

If a doctor sees twins (regardless of the type to which they belong), it is always a big surprise for expectant parents.

Definition of twins without the use of ultrasound

It is possible to determine the presence of two (or more) children in the womb without the use of ultrasound examination at a later date or at the time of childbirth with such signs:

increased size of the uterus in comparison with the expected period of pregnancy;
probing gave a double number of small and large parts of the torso during an external gynecological examination;
listening to heart sounds in different parts of the abdomen.

There are several ways to identify two babies without ultrasound:

Blood test for hCG. The result of the analysis will determine the indicators are somewhat overestimated. This means that the level of the hormone is a couple of times higher than when carrying one baby. Since the boundaries of this hormone are very large, only a doctor can conclude that two babies are pregnant.
Probing the abdomen by a doctor and listening to heart sounds. The heart beats already at 6 weeks, but you can only hear it on an ultrasound examination. You can listen to it through the stomach from 22 weeks. If experts said that in different parts of the uterus there are heart tones that have a different frequency, and in the interval there is an area where the heartbeat is inaudible, this is a direct sign of multiple pregnancy in the early stages, even without the use of ultrasound. On palpation of the abdomen, you can feel 2 large parts - this is the head and pelvis. If the doctors said that two heads and two pelvises are clearly palpable, then the conclusion is obvious.
Among women there is a sign by which twins are supposedly determined. It is believed that severe toxicosis is a clear confirmation of this. In some cases, this may coincide, as the level of toxins rises when a woman is expecting the birth of two children.

How to identify twins yourself? If it is visually visible that the belly is growing rapidly and no longer corresponds to the size indicators of its term, then this may be evidence of two babies.

It is possible to detect multiple pregnancy without resorting to ultrasound. One of the proven ways is to listen to the heart rate.

Features of bearing twins

The specifics of observation include the following points, which are discussed by many experts:

Frequent visits to the gynecologist: 2 times a month up to 30 weeks, 1 time in 7-10 days after 31 weeks.
Tracking weight gain. With multiple pregnancy, the body's need for vitamins, minerals, calories is much higher. Weight gain should not exceed 20-22 kg.
It is necessary to take medicines containing iron to prevent anemia. Multivitamins are also prescribed for use throughout all 9 months. Limiting excessive physical activity, sleepiness, an hour break from activity in the middle of the day
Control observations at the gynecologist for changes in the cervix.
Regular ultrasound examination for early detection of intrauterine growth retardation.
Periodic monitoring of the structure and condition of the placenta, the volume of amniotic fluid.
Preventive use of medicines against placental insufficiency (chimes, methionine), preeclampsia (magne B6), miscarriage (ginipral, magne B6).

Possible Complications

Multiple pregnancy is a big burden for the female body. At the same time, pressure on the circulatory system, digestion and respiration increases excessively, the risk of extragenital diseases increases (6 times). Main types of complications:

increase in chronic diseases;
preeclampsia and a general deterioration in the health of a woman (occurs at the initial stage and passes with severe complications);
a sharp decrease in hemoglobin, possibly the appearance of anemia;
intrauterine retardation in the development of one or both fetuses.

Ultrasound diagnosis in multiple pregnancies is carried out more often than in single-fetal gestation. This is associated with an increased risk of complications. An additional ultrasound examination before childbirth is mandatory, it makes it possible to determine the prenatal preparation (since you can often see the wrong position of twins in the womb). If a woman was told on an ultrasound that she had twins, an ultrasound diagnosis should be performed at least once in a well-equipped medical institution.