Chances of Having Twins with IVF
Medications are also part of IVF. But one of the main factors that increases your chances of having twins is the number of embryos you decide to transfer. Some couples transfer only one. While single embryos may split and become identical twins, this is not very likely. A more likely scenario is with fraternal twins. If you transfer two (or more) embryos and both successfully implant and grow, twins (or more!) are on the way.
The rate of twin pregnancy with IVF with fresh embryos is 12.1% for women under 35 years old and 9.1% for women between 35-37 years old. This chance decreases with age (unlike a natural twin pregnancy), women aged 38 to 40 have only a 5.3% chance of having twins. And for women who are 43 and older, it’s only 0.5%.
Some couples may transfer two embryos during IVF. One of those embryos is split and then all three are implanted in the uterus. The result will be triplets — two identical twins and one fraternal sibling.
What Factors Affect the Chances of Having Twins with IVF?
The chances of having twins through IVF depend largely on several factors, including the number of embryos transferred, the age of the woman, the quality of the embryos, and specific clinical practices. Here is an overview:
. Number of Embryos Transferred: The most important factor affecting the chance of twins in IVF is the number of transferred embryos. Historically, clinics would transfer multiple embryos to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy. Therefore, the probability of multiple births (twins, triplets, etc.) was higher. However, with advances in IVF techniques, the trend has shifted toward transferring fewer embryos, especially high-quality embryos, to reduce the risk of multiple pregnancies while maintaining success rates.
. Age of the Woman: Younger women, especially those under 35, produce higher-quality eggs, which can lead to higher-quality embryos. If multiple high-quality embryos are transferred, the chances of twins are higher. However, as women age, the quality and quantity of retrievable eggs decrease, leading to a lower chance of twins, especially if fewer embryos are transferred.
. Clinic Practices and Protocols: Different clinics may have different policies or recommendations regarding the number of embryos to transfer based on the success rate, the patient’s medical history, and the quality of the embryos.
Read more about: Pros And Cons of Transferring Two Embryos
How to Increase the Chance of Having Twins with IVF?
Despite its potential harmful effects on the body, many couples choose to have twins through IVF.
IVF is a type of assisted reproductive technology (ART). It involves using medical interventions to get pregnant. For women using IVF, fertility drugs may also be prescribed before the procedure to increase their chances of conceiving.
For IVF, a woman’s eggs and a man’s sperm are removed before fertilization. Then they are incubated together in a laboratory dish where an embryo is formed.
Through a medical procedure, doctors place the embryo into the woman’s uterus, where it will hopefully implant and grow. More than one embryo may be placed during IVF to increase the chances of keeping the embryo in the uterus. This increases the chances of having twins.
How Can I Minimize the Risk of Having Twins?
There are ways to minimize the chances of twins:
. Elective Single Embryo Transfer (eSET): Transfer just one embryo. Simple yet effective!
. Preimplantation Genetic Testing (PGT): This helps select the most viable embryo.
What Are the Risks of Twin Pregnancy with IVF?
Twin pregnancy with IVF is usually not recommended by doctors because it may pose many risks to the mother and the baby. Some of the risks of twin or multiple pregnancy for the mother are as follows:
. Premature Birth
About 60% of twins are born prematurely, and 12% are born before 32 weeks. This can increase medical complications for the baby and may even be fatal in the worst cases.
. Gestational Diabetes
Gestational diabetes can cause your fetus to be larger than normal. The risk of injury during vaginal birth is higher, along with problems such as breathing difficulty in babies, jaundice, seizures, and can even lead to feeding problems.
. Pre-eclampsia
Twin pregnancy 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 this can cause serious concerns for the mother and the baby.
. Low Birth Weight
More than half of twins are born weighing less than 2.5 kg, and twins born before 32 weeks weigh less than 1.6 kg at birth. Hearing, vision, breathing, heart problems, as well as cerebral palsy, are all problems that may be encountered.
. Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS)
Identical twins who share a placenta may have TTTS, which causes one twin to have extra blood flow and the other to lack it. This happens in about 10% of twin pregnancies.
. Cesarean Section
Twin pregnancy can also increase the need for cesarean section during delivery. This, in turn, can increase the chance of hemorrhaging during and after delivery. C-sections also have a longer recovery time compared to natural births. Apart from these cases, IVF twin pregnancy can also pose certain risks to the babies.
. Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)
This condition can occur in twin pregnancies and occurs when one or both babies is not growing as fast as they should. This slow or delayed growth can lead to a variety of health complications for one or both babies.
FAQ:
1. How Do Fertility Treatments Increase the Chance of Twins?
Fertility treatments can lead to a twin pregnancy:
. When you take medications that cause more than one egg to be released per cycle.
. If you have IVF and more than one embryo is implanted.
. After IVF, if the implanted embryo splits in the early stages of pregnancy.
2. What Are the Signs and Symptoms of Multiple Pregnancy?
The only way to find out if you are carrying more than one baby during pregnancy is through an ultrasound exam with your healthcare provider. During the test, your healthcare provider can look at images of your uterus and confirm how many babies are in there. You may experience more severe symptoms during a multiple pregnancy than with a single pregnancy. These can include:
. Vomiting and severe nausea (morning sickness).
. Painful or very sensitive breasts
. Rapid weight gain in the first trimester of pregnancy.
. High levels of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) – this hormone is made during pregnancy and is what a pregnancy test shows.
. High levels of alpha-fetoprotein in your blood.
Apart from ultrasound, your healthcare provider may suspect multiples if more than one heartbeat is detected during a fetal Doppler scan.
3. What Are the Benefits of Having Twins?
Giving birth to two babies without going through two pregnancies is the most common advantage of twin pregnancy. Infertility due to aging is common. Therefore, older couples choose to have multiple babies during IVF treatment. In addition, IVF is an expensive procedure and many couples doubt its success. A single embryo transfer may or may not result in pregnancy, but multiple transfers at the same time may increase the chances of twins with IVF.
4. Can I Have Twins with One Embryo Transfer?
Although there is a small chance of having identical twins with IVF, it is still possible that a single embryo splits and forms two babies.
5. How Common Are Multiple Births?
Multiple births have become more common in recent years as more people use fertility drugs and procedures like IVF to help them get pregnant.
6. How Are Twins Delivered?
A cesarean section is likely with a twin pregnancy. If you are pregnant with twins and do not have any complications, you can have a natural birth.
7. What Are the Different Types of Twins?
Twins are either fraternal or identical.
. Fraternal twins happen when two sperm fertilize two eggs in one cycle. This creates a separate placenta for each baby. The DNA of fraternal twins is the same as that of siblings of different ages. They may be the same or of different sexes.
. Identical twins occur when an embryo splits into two from one egg and one sperm. The twins may share a common or have separate placentas. Identical twins are always of the same sex.
Conjoined twins are rare and occur when an identical twin embryo does not completely divide. The babies’ bodies are fused and may share vital organs. Common points of fusion are the abdomen or chest. This can lead to a shared liver or heart.
Read more about: Do IVF babies look like Mom or Dad?
Sources:
. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/chances-of-having-twins
. https://www.healthline.com/health/pregnancy/how-to-conceive-twins#ivf
. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23158-twin-pregnancy