Pregnancy is the most blissful journey and beautiful stage in any woman’s life, turning her into a caring mother. But there are certain conditions that influence healthy pregnancy, and when there are risks associated, then it is highly essential to follow advice from Cloudnine Fertility specialists to prevent further complications. Artificial insemination procedures support the chances of in vitro fertilisation but pose a risk of multiple pregnancy. But this is the case in the olden days, as two to three eggs are incubated in the womb of the mother to enhance the chances of fertilisation. But with the advances in medical technology and equipment, only a single egg is administered into the womb, allowing only one egg to develop and a single pregnancy to happen at each time.
Signs and symptoms that confirm the existence of multiple pregnancy conditions are as follows:
Ultrasound scan gives a clear picture of the number of developing embryos inside the womb.
Doppler heartbeat count during early first trimester aids in detecting the presence of multiple heartbeats, but this can be misleading sometimes, as even a single fetus heartbeat can be heard multiple times at several places of the mother’s abdomen.
Elevated levels of HCG concentrations indicate the presence of multiple fetuses, but further clarification from other tests is essential.
Alpha-fetoprotein screening done during the final stages of trimester help in determining the content of fetal liver substances. A positive test confirms the presence of multiple embryos.
Excessive morning sickness or early and frequent fetal movement indicates the presence of multiple pregnancy scenarios.
But there are greater risks associated with these multiple pregnancies, such as high blood pressure and preeclampsia, that in turn might affect placental development and cause greater damage to crucial organs of the mother. The increased blood pressure levels can affect the cardiovascular and nervous system, resulting in heart arrest. Preeclampsia might lead to a migraine, vision problems, and swelling of lower limbs. Even gestational diabetes may occur due to elevated blood flow and inability to control sugar levels in the blood, as the pregnancy hormones interfere with the production and functioning of insulin hormone inside the body of the mother. Intrauterine growth restriction is one of the critical risks associated with multiple pregnancies. This slows down the growth of the babies inside the mother’s womb during the last trimester, as there will not be sufficient space for further growth of the placenta. There are many chances of miscarriage due to fetal growth abnormalities. Anaemia and twin-to-twin transfusion syndromes are generally observed in those twins. Acardiac twin or trap sequence is one other chronic disorder due to multiple pregnancies.
Due to the deprivation of a pounding heart, the heart does not allow transferring blood to any area of the placenta, and all of its blood supply goes back to twin through quirky vascular interconnections on the exterior of the placenta. When there is an “acardiac twinning”, blood in the artery will be flowing in the reversed direction, resulting in delivery complications. All these complications can be avoided under the guidance of expert doctors, and a safe delivery is still possible even with the risk of multiple pregnancies.
