Want to increase your chances of having twins? Here's your guide

You always hear, “I can’t believe I’m having twins!” But what are the actual chances of having twins?

You’ve also probably heard that the odds of having twins are pretty slim, but it’s not true.

According to the American Pregnancy Association, the chance of having twins naturally is about one in 300. That’s right: If you have sex once and don’t use birth control, there’s a one-in-300 chance that you’ll have twins.

But don’t let those numbers scare you! If you want to get pregnant with twins, there are some things you can do to increase your odds.

What factors make twins more likely

Twins are rare, with only around one in every 80 births resulting in twins. But why do some people have twins and others don’t?

For starters, it’s all about your genes. You have a higher chance of having twins if your parents have twins. If your mum had fraternal twins, you also have a higher chance.

But other factors can make it more likely that you’ll have twins:

• If you’re older when you get pregnant
• Overweight or obesity (especially during the first trimester)
• If the partner is older than 40 or has a low sperm count
• Fertility drugs

Which parent carries the twin gene?

The trait of carrying twins can be dominant or recessive, and differs for each family. There can be situations where both parents carry the 'twin gene', or only one parent does. And then there are families where neither parent carries the gene, but they still have twins anyway! 

It gets even more complicated when you consider that not all twins are identical.

So how do we figure out which parents are carriers? There are three key indicators: family history (has anyone ever been a twin), maternal age (twins are more likely if your mum was pregnant with you at an older age), and race (black mothers have higher rates of having fraternal twins).

How can I calculate my chances of having twins?

If you’re trying to calculate your chances of having twins, there are two things you’ll need to know before you can get started: how old you are and what your family history is.

First, let’s talk about how old you are. If you’re between 15 and 29 years old, your chances of conceiving twins are one in every 80 pregnancies. However, if you’re 30 to 34, your chances increase to one in every 40 pregnancies.

Moreover, if you’re 35 to 39, your chances increase again to one in every 20 pregnancies. And finally, if you’re over 40, your chances increase again to one in every ten pregnancies.

Now that we’ve covered age demographics, let’s discuss family history. If none of the women in your immediate family has had twins before (that is, no sisters or mothers), then your chances are pretty low — one in 100 pregnancies — but if at least one woman has had twins before (or any other multiple births), then they go up significantly to one in 30 pregnancies.

Chances of having twins after 35

Twins are common in nature but not as common as you might think.

The chances of having twins are about 3 per cent for women under 35 and about 1 per cent for women aged 35 to 39. The chances increase to about 5 per cent after 40 years of age.

If you’re over the age of 40 and don’t have kids yet, it’s possible that your odds of having twins go up even higher. Because your eggs are older, they’re more likely to split into two embryos when fertilised by a single sperm cell.

Some people believe that if one twin dies in utero, the other will also be affected and fail to thrive after birth. But there is no evidence that this is true; most babies born with one twin who dies will be fine after birth.

IVF and having twins

For those who are having issues conceiving the natural way, you’ll be thrilled to know that in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) increases the possibility of having twins.

Multiple births can develop through IVF when more than one embryo is put back into the mother’s womb. It can also be just one embryo, which splits into two, thus resulting to identical twins. 

Twin pregnancies are very possible and feasible through artificial means, however, you have to note that this also comes with more risks than just conceiving a singleton.

If you are interested in IVF and feel like you want to try having twins, talk to a fertility specialist about your chances. 

Why does breastfeeding increase the chance of twins?

If you’ve ever wondered why breastfeeding increases your chance of having twins, the answer is pretty simple.

You see, when you’re pregnant and breastfeeding, your body releases more prolactin than usual, and prolactin is one of the hormones that can stimulate ovulation in one of your ovaries.

So if you’re breastfeeding and have multiple eggs released at once, one or more of those eggs may be fertilised by two different sperm (since they were released at the same time). This means that instead of just one baby being born, there could be two!

It’s worth noting that this only happens in rare cases. But it does happen! And if you’re interested in increasing your chances of having twins, then breastfeeding is something to try out.

Things that are not going to increase your chances of having twins

While there are things associated with a twin pregnancy, many myths exist. Here are the three things that will not cause multiple pregnancies.

1. Eating dairy/meat at the time of ovulation. There is no scientific basis for this assumption, nor is it supported by observational studies.
2. Alternative therapies. Naturopathy, acupuncture, or anything alike will not ensure that you have a twin pregnancy.
3. Pregnancy spells. Sorry to mention it here, but many desperate couples try out everything to get pregnant, and a few people exploit this situation. So if you come across a ‘saint’ on Facebook who claims he can cast a pregnancy spell on you for a few hundred dollars, don’t believe him. Please.

Before you go on and try the methods mentioned in this article, do remember that there are more risks connected to having twin or multiple pregnancies. 

But if you’re still considering having twins when you get pregnant in the near future, it’s also important to remember that there are a host of factors that can (and likely will) affect your chances of having twins. If you want to maximise your chances and get started on the path toward a twin pregnancy sooner rather than later, remember the things mentioned above. 

This article was first published in theAsianparent.