Contents:
- Medical Video: Why Is Everyone Having Twins?
- The number of twin pregnancies is increasing
- Can I get pregnant with twins if I take fertility drugs?
- Another thing that increases the chances of having twins
Medical Video: Why Is Everyone Having Twins?
Of every 100 pregnancies, three are twin pregnancies, both twins and more. In babies born from fertilization In Vitro (IVF) aka IVF, the chance of having twins is even higher, reaching 22% (almost 1 in 4).
Identical twins account for about one third of twins. However, your chances of giving birth to identical twins are about 1 in 250 (less than 0.5%).
The number of twin pregnancies is increasing
The number of twins and three has increased dramatically in the last 300 years, mainly due to fertility treatment.
However, in 2009, twin births from IVF treatment declined for the first time because the Human Fertility and Embryology Authority (HFEA) encouraged fertility clinics to only transfer one embryo at a time.
In the first half of 2010, nearly 15% of IVF treatments involved the transfer of a single embryo rather than a two or three embryo, which is called elective single embryo transfer (eSET).
Can I get pregnant with twins if I take fertility drugs?
May be. Most mothers who give birth to twins or three have undergone fertility treatment. With fertility treatments like IVF or ICSI, you are 20 times more likely to give birth to more than one baby than if you do conception naturally. This is because even though there are various regulations, IVF often gives two embryos into a woman's womb.
Fertility drugs such as clomiphene stimulate the ovaries, which increases the chance to release several eggs at the same time.
Between 8% and 13% of women who take clomiphene fertility drugs to help fertilize, give birth to more than one baby, usually twins.
Another thing that increases the chances of having twins
About a third of twins are identical, which means that one fertilized egg is divided into two. There is no cause for definite identical twins, so you might need to reconsider.
However, the chance of having non-identical twins (fraternal or dizygotic) increases if you are 35 years or older. Because when you get older, you naturally produce more hormones that stimulate fertilization, which can trigger the ovaries to release some eggs in one month.
Twins are not identical tend to decrease in the family, often on the female side. So, if twins drop on the women's side, you have a greater chance of giving birth to twins not identical.
Body size may also play a role. You are more likely to give birth to twins not identical if your height is above 168 cm and if your body mass index (BMI) is 30 or more.
