15 Weeks Pregnant With Twins

Being15 weeks pregnant with twins may be exciting and terrifying all at once. Advances in reproductive technologies as well as the advancing age of women who become pregnant mean that twins are becoming more and more common. The Mayo Clinic reports that women who are pregnant with twins often manage well, though they often need a little extra medical attention.

Identification of a Twin Pregnancy

At 15 weeks, most women already know if they are pregnant with twins. This is a big change from years ago, according to the experts at What to Expect When You're Expecting, who say that in the past, many women found out in the delivery room. Today, however, the advances of medical science and prenatal testing mean that a woman usually finds out how many babies she is expecting by the end of the first trimester, or the beginning of the second.

What Mom Can Expect

At 15 weeks pregnant with twins, women are undergoing the same physical changes as their single gestation counterparts; however, they may find their pregnancy symptoms to be more severe. According to the American Pregnancy Association, some women who are pregnant with twins experience more intense morning sickness symptoms, and may be gaining weight more rapidly. In addition, the uterus will begin to grow faster and larger than a woman who is carrying only one child. At 15 weeks, most pregnant women are just starting to show. A woman pregnant with twins, however, may look more pregnant than she really is by the 15-week mark.

What the Babies Are Doing

At 15 weeks of gestation, twins are going through the same changes that babies who grow alone in the womb experience. By week 15, both babies are looking more recognizably human. They have organs as well as a formed skeleton, muscles and nerves. The babies' sex organs have also formed, though it is usually too early to tell whether they are male or female. According to the Mayo Clinic, the babies should be a few inches long and weigh an ounce or two by the 15th week.

Vanishing Twin Syndrome

Sometimes, a pregnancy is diagnosed as twins early on, but one of the twins later disappears. This is known as vanishing twin syndrome, according to the Mayo Clinic. The American Pregnancy Association reports that vanishing twin syndrome occurs in around one fifth of multiple pregnancies. While it can occur at any time during the pregnancy, they report that red flags for this syndrome usually become apparent somewhere in the first trimester. By week 15, the twin may have already vanished, though it may not be discovered until a later ultrasound. In most cases, the pregnancy can continue unless there are other complications.

Considerations for Twin Pregnancy

What can a woman 15 weeks pregnant with twins expect during the rest of her pregnancy? Lots of check-ups, according to The Mayo Clinic, which reports that prenatal monitoring is more frequent in women who are expecting multiples. While most women see their obstetrician about once a month during their second trimester, a woman who is 15 weeks pregnant with twins may have already started twice-monthly visits. This is so she can be monitored a little more closely for potential pregnancy complications, which are more common in women carrying multiples.