Are you a twin or a twin lover, did you want to know how to conceive twins either naturally or with the help of fertility drugs? This is the right place for you.
The concept of getting pregnant with twins is usually a thing of debate among people. Some see it as a blessing and wish to have them. Others see it as a burden.
Although there is no trick to conceiving twins, there are some medications, diets and genetic factors that can boost your chances of having a twin pregnancy.
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How Twins are Formed
Twins are formed when a male sperm fertilizes an egg to form either identical or non-identical twins.
- Identical twins are twins formed when a fertile egg is split into two equal parts sharing the same placenta and genetic materials.
- Fraternal or non-identical twins are clones formed from two separate eggs, fertilized by two separate sperm and they share nothing in common (3).
How To Conceive Twins Or Triplet Naturally
To conceive twins or triplets naturally without fertility drugs, there are some laid down principles that researchers believe can increase your chances of conceiving twins. Below are the principles
1. Eat more dairy products
Some studies have shown that women who eat animal products especially dairy are 5 times more likely to conceive twins than those who don’t take it. This is because of the Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF) present in the cows’ milk.
The IGF raises the sensitivity of the ovaries to follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH). Thus increasing ovulation.
2. Delay childbearing until you’re above 30 years old.
Research has shown that older women have better chances of conceiving twins even without assisted reproductive technologies. (4)
This is because of changes that occur in their bodies as they near menopause. These changes induce the ovary to release over one egg, which, if fertilized, will lead to twins or triplets.
3. You should be tall.
According to the Journal of Reproductive Medicine, taller women have better chances of conceiving twins. This is caused by the insulin-like growth factor in them, which influences both height and twins. (5)
4. You should be an African American
Researchers have discovered from their vast population of studies that African American women have better chances of multiple births, while Asians have the lowest.
This is due to the blood IGF level which is highest among African Americans and lowest among Asians. (6)
5. Get pregnant while you are still breastfeeding your baby.
Researchers have confirmed that women who conceived while breastfeeding their babies are 9 times better to have twins pregnancy than non-breastfeeding ones. (7)
6. In family history.
If there are twins in the family of the woman, her chances of conceiving twins will be higher.
7. Quit birth control pills before trying to conceive
Research has shown that when birth control pills are stopped for a month or two before getting pregnant, the chances of an ovary releasing more than one egg is always higher.
How to conceive twins with fertility drugs
Fertility drugs are medications specially formulated to boost fertility by increasing the number of eggs the ovaries produce.
There are so many fertility drugs for twins over the counter but you should always follow your doctor’s prescription. Below are some fertility drugs.
Medical personnel use this fertility drug to treat people with ovulation problems. If this drug is taken by a woman without an ovulation problem, it stimulates the ovary into releasing over one egg a month. This increases your chances of having a twin baby pregnancy. (8)
- Humegon: Humegon is a fertility drug produced with menotropin compounds. It helps to stimulate ovulation.
- Parlodel: This is a fertility drug that lowers the level of prolactin hormone in the body, leading to an increase in the production of follicle-stimulating hormones (FSH). This drug increases the chances of releasing over one egg a month hence, encouraging multiple births. (9)
- Gonadotropin: Gonadotropins are hormones that act on the gonads to increase the production of sex hormones. It improves the health of eggs and eases their maturity. It also helps to stimulate the production of more than one egg which often leads to multiple births. (10)
How to conceive twins with in vitro fertilization (IVF)
In vintro fertilization is the process of fertilizing an egg with sperm cells, outside the body. The process involves stimulating and taking matured eggs from the ovary of a woman and fertilizing them with male sperm in a fluid medium inside a lab.
The fertilized egg (zygote) is often cultured for between 2-6 days in a growing medium before it is implanted inside the woman’s womb, where it will develop into a baby. (11)
The more eggs, the better the chance of conceiving twins or multiples.
How to Get Pregnant with a Baby Boy or girl
The human genes are made up of two pairs of chromosomes, XX and XY. The male carries X Y, while the females have an XX chromosome.
During sex, the males release sperm containing the X Y chromosome into the vagina to fertilize an egg containing an XX chromosome.
The result depends totally on the man. If it is the X chromosome from the males that fertilize the egg, the zygote or baby becomes a girl. But if it is a Y chromosome, the baby becomes a boy. (11)
The process of selecting a preferred gender while trying to conceive has been made very easy for us by Dr. Shettles in his book titled How to Choose the Sex of Your Baby.
Although the process has not been proven scientifically, it is effective. I tried it and it worked for me.
Not that it is 100% effective, but it gives you a greater chance of conceiving your dream baby.
Below are his principles on how to conceive a baby boy.
- He said that the Y or male chromosomes are weaker, smaller and also migrate faster than the female or X chromosome.
- He also noticed that the Y chromosomes die faster than the X chromosomes.
And for this method to be effective, you should
- Know how to calculate your cycle and also know your fertile days.
- Avoid having sex during your fertile window until it is less than 12 hours until your ovulation day.
- Have sex on your day of ovulation and allow deep penetration to enable the male or Y chromosome to migrate faster to the eggs for fertilization. That is it.
For those that may wish to conceive a baby girl, the principle is the same, except that you will have sex on the fourth or third day to your ovulation.
This will increase the quantity of the X chromosomes in the uterus and also increase the possibility of having a baby girl. I hope it helps?
What are the best positions to conceive twins?
When it comes to the best sex position to get pregnant with twins, all the positions seem to be effective because none of the positions were said to be more effective by science.
However, using positions that permit dip penetration of the penis into the vagina may be helpful.
Below are some of the styles that may increase deeper penetration.
- Missionary style: In this style, the woman lies on a bed while the man is on top. This style helps for deeper penetration. It is always advisable for the woman to lie with her hip slightly up for about 20 minutes after ejaculation.
- Lying side by side: This position allows the man to penetrate from behind and also ease deeper penetration.
- Doggy style: Doggy style is the easiest way to deposit the sperm dip inside the cervix.
Do folic acid supplements cause twins pregnancy?
Folic acid supplements are mostly recommended for pregnant mums and women of childbearing age to help protect their offspring from neural tube defects. It does not cause multiple or twins pregnancy. (12)
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