Twin babies in IVF

Chances of Twins With IVF

Having twins now is more common than it was in the past. According to a research twin birth have be doubled over the last 40 years. The number of twin pregnancy is on rise and one of the reasons behind it may be the IVF treatment. Women have higher chances of twins pregnancy with IVF treatment. Chances of twins in a normal pregnancy is around 6% while the chances of twins with IVF reaches up to 25%.

IVF treatment is not more than a blessing for many infertile couples across the globe. This medical process that increases the possibilities of a woman to conceive after she has tried for long naturally. In chances of twins with ivf, the doctor places the embryo (developed by the egg and sperm of the couple in an advanced laboratory) in the woman’s uterus where it will implant and grow.

What are the chances of twin with IVF?

Dr. Bharathi Gynecologist & IVF Specialist Explained that: “According to the Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority (HEFA), one out of five pregnancies may result in multiple births with IVF.” This is usually because during IVF multiple embryos may be inserted into your uterus to increase the chances of twin with IVF. This sometimes leads to the implantation of more than one embryo on the uterine lining, causing a twin pregnancy.

How Twin pregnancy can happen in IVF?

However, it is possible to increase chances of twins with IVF even with one embryo, where one egg can split to form two zygotes. These are called monozygotic twins. Dizygotic twins, on the other hand, are a result of two separate eggs. This can happen when two or more embryos are transferred into your uterus.

What if I want to have a twin pregnancy with IVF?

Now the relation between IVF and twins is easily understood. It also needs to know that couples opting IVF treatment consider having multiple babies due to a variety of reasons including:

• Older maternity age
• IVF is an expensive affair, many couples are skeptic regarding the success of single embryo transfer and future funds. Hence they prefer to transfer multiple embryos at a time.
• Some look for IVF to conceive twins twin babies in IVF

It is always important for you to discuss multiple pregnancies with your fertility expert. She’ll be able to counsel you with the pros-cons and risk and benefits of IVF twins. Below are some common factors that play into the possibility of conceiving twins:

• Your family health history: Do you already have twins in the family? If yes, then your chances of becoming pregnant with twins are higher.
• Your body type: Researches have shown that taller and overweight women are more likely to conceive with twins. Surprising but true.
• Your Age: Studies show that women over 30, especially near 40 are more likely to have IVF twins.
• Previous Pregnancies: Many cases of secondary infertility treated with IVF results in IVF twins or multiple pregnancies.

What are the benefits of having twins?

The very obvious benefit of having twins is getting to children without having to go through two separate pregnancies. But this, not the only advantage of having twins, there are others too. They’ll keep each others company, will never fell alone and will not demand your attention all the time. Mothers will single child need to spend a lot of time ensuring that their kids feel comfortable that she is always there.

And the greatest benefit of having IVF twins is that you do not need to pay for another IVF cycle to have another baby.

What are the risks related to twin pregnancy with IVF?

Twin pregnancy with IVF is usually not recommended by a doctor as it could pose a lot of risks to both the mother and the baby. Some of the risks of a twin or multiple pregnancies to a mother are mentioned below:

1. Pre-eclampsia

Twin pregnancies can increase the risk of pre-eclampsia. This is a combination of high blood pressure, general swelling in the body and increased protein in the urine. All of these can create serious concerns for both the mother and the baby.

2. Gestational Diabetes

Diabetes that develops during pregnancy can cause your baby to be larger than normal in size. The risk of injury is greater to you and the baby during vaginal birth, along with issues like breathing difficulty in infants, seizures, jaundice and even lead to feeding problems.

3. Cesarean Section

Twin pregnancies can also increase the need for a C-section during delivery. This, in turn, could cause a higher possibility of hemorrhaging during delivery and after delivery as well. C-sections also have a longer recovery time compared to vaginal birth.

Apart from these, IVF twin pregnancy can cause certain risks to the babies as well, like,

4. Premature Birth

About 60 percent of the twins are born prematurely, and 12 percent are born before 32 weeks. This can increase medical complications for the baby and may even be fatal in the worst cases.

5. Low Birth Weight

Over half of the twins are born with a weight less than 2.5 kg and twins born before 32 weeks weigh less than 1.6 kg at birth. Vision, hearing, breathing, heart problems, as well as cerebral palsy, are all problems that may be encountered.

6. Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)

Identical twins that share a placenta may have TTTS, which causes one twin to have excess blood flow and the other the lack of it. This case occurs in about 10 percent of the twin pregnancies.

7.Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)

This condition can occur in twin pregnancies and occurs when one or both babies is not growing at the rate they should. This slow or delayed growth can lead to a variety of health complications for one or both babies.

Twin babies in IVF has become a common talk of today. Every IVF cycle is unique. You and your fertility expert will be able to asses the risk and benefits of single or multiple pregnancies through IVF treatment. In the end, the main goal is to get a healthy mother and a (or maybe two or more) healthy baby.

At Indira IVF and fertility center, our fertility experts are knee to help and resolve all your queries regarding male and female infertility. You can book your appointment for a free consultation now.