by Cyndi Li

Created on: September 01, 2008

Is there really a way of telling if a woman is carrying twins? Outside of certain testing a doctor may perform throughout the duration if the pregnancy, it's really a hit or miss guess. One indicator that some women claim was the tip off for them was excessive weight gain early on in their pregnancy. So do you really show early if you're having twins?

Excessive weight gain early on could very well be a sign of a twin pregnancy. Ever woman is different, and the amount of weight gained during pregnancy will differ due to varying factors like differences of body size and height. But, as a rule, a woman who is carrying two or more babies will gain more weight early on than one who is carrying a single baby.

So does excessive weight gain mean you are carrying twins? Well, not that alone. While it can be a good indication that you, in fact, are carrying twins, in and of itself it is not a definite.

I've carried twins, and I didn't necessarily gain any excessive amount of weight until I reached 5 months. Prior to that time, I only showed as much as I had with my other 3 pregnancies. The babies began growing rapidly at 5 months so it was no surprise that I began to gain excessive weight. I delivered at 36 weeks so there's no telling how much weight I would have gained in total if I had carried them to full term.

Every woman is different, and therefore some may show early and others may not. There's really no way of telling if you're carrying twins without testing. Be aware that another reason a woman may gain excessive weight is due to a medical condition called Toxemia.

Toxemia, which presents itself after the 20th week of pregnancy, is a serious medical condition. While the most detectable signs of toxemia are elevated blood pressure and excess protein in a woman's urine, weight gain of 2-4 lbs. or more a week is also an indicator.

If you are gaining an excessive amount of weight early on in your pregnancy, there's a good chance you're carrying twins. Discuss it with your doctor. He or she will probably order some testing, usually an ultrasound. Wait for the test results. If it turns out you are pregnant with twins you're excessive weight gain early on in your pregnancy was probably a result of carrying twins.

If not, you may want to discuss your diet with your doctor. Excessive weight gain early on in a pregnancy usually sets the trend for the entire pregnancy. Excessive weight gain over the course of your pregnancy could result in complications for both you and baby.

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