Signs of Having Twins at 5 Weeks

How do you know if you are 5 weeks pregnant with twins? Read this article to find out the early pregnancy symptoms that may come with having twins, and more!

In this article:

• How Soon Can You Tell If You Are Pregnant with Twins?
• Are there Early Signs that you are Expecting Twins?
• Signs that you are having Twins at 5 Weeks Pregnant
• Who is More Likely to Have A Twin Pregnancy?
• 5 Weeks Pregnant Twins FAQs | Frequently Asking Questions

 

How Soon Can You Tell If You Are Pregnant with Twins?

Do you suspect you might be having twins?

Unfortunately, the only sure way to tell whether or not you are having twins is with (that’s right, you guessed it!) an Ultrasound Scan.

You can confirm whether you are having a multiple pregnancy as early as 5-6 weeks into your pregnancy on an ultrasound scan.

However, in the UK, your first ultrasound scan (called the dating scan, as it is used to determine your due date) usually happens between the 10th and 14th week of pregnancy.

So it is likely that the soonest you will know whether you are carrying twins is between 10 and 14 weeks pregnant!

Are there Early Signs that you are Expecting Twins?

You will not be able to tell for sure if you are having twins until you have an ultrasound scan, but there may be a few early signs that point towards a twin pregnancy.

However, you should not rely on these signs alone- to identify whether you are carrying more than one baby- to avoid disappointment!

 

Signs that you are having Twins at 5 Weeks Pregnant

If you are having twins, you may experience some twin pregnancy symptoms. To find out the potential early symptoms of twin pregnancies, read the below!

Higher hCG Levels

Generally, a twin pregnancy causes your body to produce more human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) hormone- known as the pregnancy hormone- than a singleton pregnancy. Not only this, but your body will also likely produce hCG for a longer period of time too!

However, this is not a sure sign that you are carrying twins, as some women with a singleton pregnancy can produce unusually high levels of hCG too.

Stronger Pregnancy Symptoms

As discussed in the section above, when you are pregnant with twins, your hCG levels are much higher in comparison to someone with a singleton pregnancy.

Rather than the usual pregnancy symptoms with a single pregnancy, these heightened hormone levels can cause your pregnancy symptoms to become a double order with a side of extra intensity.

This means that you may experience:

• Early and severe morning sickness
• Extra extreme fatigue
• Serious breast tenderness
• Extra mood swings
• Even more frequent urination (that starts sooner in your pregnancy too!)

Yikes, those symptoms are no fun! But giving birth to double the bundles of joy must come with a price, right?

The particular symptom is really only easy to identify if you have been pregnant before, otherwise, you have nothing to compare your current symptoms to!

Bigger Baby Bump

Have you noticed that your baby bump is growing rather fast? Perhaps it’s bigger than the bumps of other people you know?

Whilst many factors can contribute to the size of your baby bump, including how many babies you have had, one of the factors that can cause a bigger baby bump is, of course, twins!

Increased Weight Gain

We already know that our hCG hormone levels increase more with twins VS with just one baby.

This can cause a particular symptom, that can cause you to gain weight, to become even stronger: increased appetite.

In the first trimester, contrary to popular beliefs, you do not need to “eat for two”, even if you are having multiple babies.

If you increase your food intake too much in the first trimester (especially whilst eating unhealthy foods or an unbalanced diet) this can cause you to an unhealthy amount of weight.

You can manage your extremely increased appetite by eating the right kind of foods, packed with the nutrients you need.

Higher Resting Heart Rate

During pregnancy, your resting heart rate can increase.

Normally, your resting heart rate is around 70 beats per minute (BPM). Dring pregnancy, your BPM can increase from anywhere to 80 – 100 BPM.

With a twin pregnancy, your heart rate can increase even more than that!

However, if you have a resting heart rate above 100 BPM, you should consult your doctor, as it may be a sign of tachycardia.

Gut Feeling

Many women who experience twin pregnancy report that they had a “gut feeling” or “intuition” that they were expecting two babies or more, before even having an ultrasound.

For many women though, twins come as a complete surprise!

Other additional potential signs are diarrhea at 5 weeks pregnant, headaches and mild cramping.

A sure way to confirm twins is with a 5 week pregnant ultrasound scan. If you are having a five week scan, why not read our article Can You Hear a Heartbeat at 5 Weeks to see what to expect.

Who is More Likely to Have A Twin Pregnancy?

We all know that twins are a fairly rare occurrence, but are there some factors that can increase your chances of conceiving twins?

The answer is yes! You can read about these factors below.

You Are Above the Age of 30

Age can certainly impact the likelihood of conceiving twins.

If you are above the age of 30, conceiving twins is more likely.

This is because the older you get, the higher your levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) are.

The follicle-stimulating hormone does exactly as it says, it stimulates your follicles, which are responsible for releasing a mature egg each cycle- a process we know as ovulation.

With the higher levels of FSH, hyperovulation- or the release of more than egg in a cycle- becomes more likely.

Hyperovultion is the most common cause of fraternal twins (where fertility treatments are not involved).

You are Using Fertility Treatments

The likelihood of twins increases when you use fertility treatments (up to 20 times more likely!).

Fertility treatments are used to stimulate your ovaries and produce multiple eggs every cycle.

If more than one of these egg cells are released (hyperovulation) and fertilized, it can lead to twins.

It Runs in Your Family History

Some people are more inclined to have twins, depending on their genetics.

Some people naturally have a higher level of FSH or release FSH more often than others, due to their genes.

This means that in any menstrual cycle, more than egg may be released.

 

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5 Weeks Pregnant Twins FAQs | Frequently Asking Questions

Can You See Twins at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

It is possible for a sonographer to see twins on a 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound scan– by identifying two gestinational sacs in the uterus.

But just remember, at this stage, the embryo is really really small (measuring at about 2mm), so the sonographer may not see anything yet, and that is okay!

What do Fraternal Twins Look Like at 5 Weeks Pregnant?

At 5 weeks pregnant, you may be able to see two gestational sacs and yolk sacs. On some occasions, the sonographer may also be able to identify the embryos!

You can see some examples of 5 weeks pregnant ultrasound images with twins here:

https://www.twiniversity.com/twin-pregnancy-week-by-week-timeline/5-weeks-pregnant-with-twins/

What is the Difference Between Identical and Fraternal Twins?

I am sure we have all heard of identical twins- twins that look well, identical- and fraternal twins- twins that grew together and were born at around the same time, but look different- but what are the differences between the two on an ultrasound scan?

On an ultrasound scan, fraternal twins can be identified by there being two amniotic sacs present on the ultrasound scan. Fraternal twins come from two separate fertilised eggs.

Identical twins, on the other hand, are monozygotic- which means they share an amniotic sac and came from a single fertilised egg that divided into two.