How To Get Pregnant With Twins
By
Becca Stanek
Contributor
Medically Reviewed
Rachel Adams, M.D. Obstetrics / Gynecology
Updated: May 23, 2022, 12:44pm
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How To Get Pregnant With Twins
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Table of Contents
How Are Twins Conceived?
What Are the Chances of Having Twins?
5 Factors for Increased Likelihood of Twins Without Medical Treatment
Increased Likelihood of Twins With Medical Treatment
Show more
While there’s no guaranteed way to predict whether a person will give birth to twins, there are certain factors that increase the likelihood of conceiving multiples. This includes fertility treatments—like in vitro fertilization (IVF)— as well as factors such as a person’s family history, race, body composition and age.
Though twins may seem like double the fun, it’s critical to note that multiple pregnancies also come with unique risks—both for the babies and for the pregnant person.
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How Are Twins Conceived?
There are two types of twins—fraternal (dizygotic) twins and identical (monozygotic) twins—and the way in which they’re conceived differs.
Fraternal twins, which are the more common type of twins, occur when more than one egg is released, fertilized and implanted in the uterus. In other words, fraternal twins are formed from two separate eggs and two separate sperm.
Identical twins are the result of one egg and one sperm. In the case of monozygotic twins, the early embryo divides, resulting in two genetically identical embryos. Depending on when the embryo split occurred, the twins may have their own placentas and amniotic sacs, or they may share a placenta with two separate sacs. In rare cases, the twins may share a placenta and just one amniotic sac.
What Are the Chances of Having Twins?
The twin birth rate in the U.S. is 31.1 per 1,000 live births—about 3% overall—per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)[1]. While this is a relatively low percentage of births, that rate is higher than it’s been in prior decades. In fact, a study published in the journal Human Reproduction reports that twin birth rates have jumped by more than 30% from the 1980s[2].
This increase is largely attributed to IVF treatments. However, the rise is expected to level off as fertility experts have reduced the number of eggs transferred through IVF. This is due to the significant risks associated with multiple pregnancies, both for the babies and for the pregnant person.
It’s also important to note that this spike has occurred in dizygotic, or fraternal, twins, rather than monozygotic, or identical, twins. The rate of identical twin births has remained at around three to five out of every 1,000 live births, according to Michael Cackovic, M.D., who specializes in maternal fetal medicine at the Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University.
how to get pregnant with twins?
