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Twins are so adorable that most women want to have them. Having twins-though double the work of taking care of multiple children at a time- reduces the number of times you get pregnant.
Let's look at some of the factors affecting having multiple births.
Genetics play a major role. If people on your mother's side have had twins before, there's a high chance you will too.
It helps if the woman has already been pregnant before. The chances of having twins go up after a woman has given birth to at least one child.
The older a woman is, the less likely she is to give birth to twins. Women over 40 are especially less likely to give birth to twins.
The healthier you are, the more likely you are to give birth to twins. So take lots of multivitamins.
Studies show that eating lots of dairy increases your chances of having twins. The general rule is the better your diet is, the more likely you are to give birth to twins.
Additional information from Huggies.com.au
Being older rather than younger helps. It seems to be a twist of nature that just before a woman enters peri-menopause, her ovaries start releasing more than one egg each month. This “fertility spike” is also influenced by a surge of oestrogen.
Fertility research has proven that twin pregnancies are much more common in women who are over 35 years. But this only applies to non-identical twins.
Have fertility assistance such as in vitro fertilisation or take fertility drugs. These stimulate the ovaries to support more than one ovarian follicle each month towards maturity. The result is that more than one egg is released.
Pick your own genetics carefully! Though we all know this is impossible. But if you come from a family where non-identical twins are common then your family history and genetic endowment means that you’ve got a greater chance of having them yourself. But identical twins can occur in any family.
Be of African heritage. Women from this ethnic background have a distinctly higher rate of twin pregnancies.
Having been pregnant before. Women who have previously had a baby or two have a higher chance of conceiving with twins.
Have a big family. This theory is based on pure maths; the more times you conceive the greater the likelihood of conceiving more than one baby.
Get pregnant while you are on the pill. Difficult as this can be overall, there is a higher incidence of women conceiving with twins when they are on oral contraceptives.
Try to conceive straight after you have stopped taking the pill. The theory is that for the first couple of cycles the woman’s body is going through a hormonal readjustment phase.
Already have a set of twins. Because the likelihood of conceiving with twins again is higher in women who’ve already had them.
Be heavier rather than lighter so that you’ve got a higher body mass index (BMI). Some researchers claim that a woman with a BMI of greater than 30 boosts her chances. But considering a healthy range during the fertile years is 20-25 and 30 would put you into the overweight/obese category then this is not a healthy recommendation.
Taller women tend to conceive more twins.
Take a folic acid supplement before you conceive. The general recommendation for women who are planning to conceive is to start taking folic acid supplements one month before conception.
Encourage your partner to eat some oysters. The urban myth about oysters being an aphrodisiac is not entirely without basis. Oysters are high in zinc and this helps with sperm production. The more healthy and mobile his sperm are, the greater the likelihood of being able to fertilise an egg or two. If he’s keen to take supplements, the recommendation for men in their fertile years is 14mg/day. Green leafy vegetables, cereals, bread, seeds and wheat germ are all excellent sources of zinc.
Be a twin yourself. Mothers who are twins are more likely to have twin babies. There is no influence on the male partner’s side, only the mother’s. But it does seem that fathers may pass the twin gene onto their daughters for their future conception possibilities.
Eat more yams/sweet potatoes. It is a fact that more women conceive with twins who live in areas where yams are a major component of their diet. It seems that a naturally occurring chemical component of the yams helps to support ovarian function.
Keep breastfeeding your older baby or toddler. Women who are producing prolactin and breastfeeding are more likely to conceive with twins. Though some women do not resume regular ovulation and menstrual cycles for the entire time they are breastfeeding; this is very individual.
Genetics play a major role. If people on your mother's side have had twins before, there's a high chance you will too.
It helps if the woman has already been pregnant before. The chances of having twins go up after a woman has given birth to at least one child.
The older a woman is, the less likely she is to give birth to twins. Women over 40 are especially less likely to give birth to twins.
The healthier you are, the more likely you are to give birth to twins. So take lots of multivitamins.
Studies show that eating lots of dairy increases your chances of having twins. The general rule is the better your diet is, the more likely you are to give birth to twins.
Additional information from Huggies.com.au
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