Good things come in twos — sperm and eggs, two (or more) babies, and week two of pregnancy! This is a big week because right around now, fertilization is in full swing. Read on to learn more about week two with multiples.
How are the babies?
Gestation is counted from the first day of your last period. So saying you’re in “week two of pregnancy” is a little misleading, as you’re not actually pregnant quite yet.
If you’re TTC (trying to conceive), this is right around when you’ll be timing conception with ovulation. The egg (or eggs) are patiently awaiting the sperm’s arrival in the hopes of fertilizing and finishing the journey to the uterus together as newly formed zygotes. There, they’ll become blastocysts, which implant into the uterine lining within a few days. At that point, you’ll officially be pregnant.
If you’re doing IUI, this is when the semen is transferred to your uterus. With IVF, eggs are retrieved around this time (or thawed if they were previously frozen) and fertilized with sperm in a lab. A few days later, multiple embryos (fertilized eggs) are transferred to the uterus. When implantation occurs, pregnancy begins.
What’s new with you?
Whether you’re trying to conceive without assistance or doing an IVF or IUI cycle, the two-week mark is too soon to take a pregnancy test. You’ll get the most accurate result a week or so after your missed period. But if you’re pregnant with multiples, you might have higher levels of the hormone hCG, which is what’s detected in an at-home pregnancy test.
You most likely won’t notice any pregnancy-related symptoms until implantation occurs or potentially later. That said, if you’re carrying twins or multiples, you may experience more intense symptoms than those with only one baby. Still, the earliest signs of pregnancy usually don’t pop up until the third week.
Week two is an exciting time, but you’ll have to play the waiting game a little longer. And even when you get a positive, it’ll be another few weeks until an ultrasound confirms you’re having multiples. While counting down the days until it’s official, you might try focusing on eating healthy foods, staying active, and getting plenty of sleep.
Reviewed by the Ovia Health Clinical Team
Sources
- Mayo Clinic Staff. Fetal development: The 1st trimester. Mayo Clinic. 2020. Web. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/in-depth/prenatal-care/art-20045302.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. Fertilization and implantation. Mayo Clinic. Web. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/pregnancy-week-by-week/multimedia/fertilization-and-implantation/img-20008656.
- Mayo Clinic Staff. In vitro fertilization (IVF). Mayo Clinic. Web. 2019. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/in-vitro-fertilization/about/pac-20384716.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Pregnancy. 2019. Web. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/home-use-tests/pregnancy.
- Singh, N. et al. Role of early serum beta human chorionic gonadotropin measurement in predicting multiple pregnancy and pregnancy wastage in an in vitro ET fertilization cycle. Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences. 2013. Web. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3853879/.
- Cleveland Clinic. Expecting Twins or Triplets. 2020. Web. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/9710-expecting-twins-or-triplets.
- Horsager-Boehrer, R. MD. Patience is key: Understanding the timing of early ultrasounds. The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center. 2018. Web. https://utswmed.org/medblog/patience-key-understanding-timing-early-ultrasounds/.
