Having Twins in Your 30s: What You Need to Know
If you’re having twins in your 30s (or are thinking about getting pregnant with twins in your 30s) you’re probably wondering how having twins in your 30s is different.
Fear not, we have answers galore!
I’ve personally gone through a twin pregnancy in my 30s and have been teaching all things twins for over 5 years.
Before we dive in, I wanted to share some of the resources we have at Twin Winning.
We aim to eliminate some of the fear and provide you the roadmaps to thrive with twins. Here are just a handful of resources to help you along your way:
- Week by Week Twin Pregnancy Journey
- 200 Twin Boy Name Ideas
- 200 Twin Girl Name Ideas
- Minimalist Twin Registry Checklist
- Twin pregnancy to-do List
- Twin Baby Tracker
So for now, take a deep breath (it’s going to be okay!) and let’s dive in together.
How Common Are Twins?
Twin pregnancies are still relatively rare. Per the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, about 1 in 250 pregnancies are twin pregnancies and that’s despite twin pregnancies increasing over 75% since the 80s!
Another article covering the CDC birth statistics that catalogued over 120,000 infants born in the USA in 2019 noted 3.21% of live births were twins (that’s 32.1 twins per 1,000 live births).
So it’s natural to wonder: could I get pregnant with twins in your 30s?
Are Twins More Likely in Your 30s?
Yes – the rate of twin pregnancies increases with age. Therefore, a pregnancy is more likely to be a twin pregnancy in your 30s as opposed your 20s. The older you are, the more likely you are to conceive of twins.
There are a few theories behind this. First, is that infertility can increase with age, and many fertility treatments (such as IVF) have higher-than-average rates of twins.
Secondly, even unassisted pregnancies naturally have a higher rate of twins in older pregnancies. Perhaps it’s mother nature’s way of giving one last push for procreation!
In fact, this graph from Statista shows (2019 stats) while the overall rate of twins is 32 in 1,000 live births, the rate increase with age:
- From 16/1000 in ages 15-19
- To 36/1000 in ages 30-34
- Up to 107/1000 in ages 45-54
Just as a side note, can we just agree to boycott the term “geriatric pregnancy” (the term for a pregnancy over age 35)?
I can almost guarantee you it was created by a man!
How Can I Increase My Chances of Having Twins in my 30s?
If you’ve always wanted twins, or even if you just want a big family, you might be curious how to increase your chances for having twins in your 30s.
Now, much of what determines whether you have twins or not depends on genetics and Mother Nature.
That said, a few things do influence whether you conceive twins or not.
- Fertility treatments have greater instances of twins than natural pregnancies (which makes sense – consider with IVR, for example, they often implant multiple embryos).
- Age – you’ll naturally have a greater chance of getting pregnant with twins in your 30s than you would in your 20s. As you get older, your body is more likely to release more than one egg per monthly cycle.
- Height can play a role as well, with twins more common in taller women.
- Family history and genetics play a part as well. Women with a family history of fraternal twins are more likely to have fraternal twins themselves.
Unfortunately, a lot of the things they recommend to try to get pregnant with twins (things to eat, sexual positions, etc.) are simply old wives’ tales.
How Can I Decrease the Twin Pregnancy Risks in my 30s?
Unfortunately, it’s a fact that twin pregnancies are higher risk than an average singleton pregnancy.
One reason is simply the risk of prematurity. Prematurity for twins is a very real concern, with about half of twins delivered before 37 weeks. For singleton pregnancies on the other hand, 40 weeks is full gestation.
Additionally, there are also space complications that can arise with two babies growing in a tight space, and sometimes sharing a placenta.
Because of the higher risks, you’ll likely have more frequent medical appointments throughout a twin pregnancy, including doctor appointments, ultrasounds, and potentially specialist appointments as well.
That said, many women (myself included!) carry twins to a very healthy delivery dates and weights.
You and your medical team will create a plan together that’s right for you, maximizing your chances of a healthy, full term twin pregnancy.
There are also lots of things you can do yourself to ensure a healthy twin pregnancy, like gaining the right amount of weight, keeping appropriate activity levels, and making the right modifications throughout your pregnancy.
Having Twins in Your 30s
If you become pregnant with twins in your 30s, then welcome – you are in the right place!
Twin Winning is a community filled with twin resources for you.
Whether it’s figuring out which twin baby gear you need, getting a twin pregnancy to-do list broken out by trimester, or seeing a list of resources for after your twins arrive, we have so much here for you.
We even have a week-by-week twin pregnancy experience documented from start to finish.
If you want to take it a step further, check out our class on How to Thrive with Twins. It opens up twice a year in the Fall and Spring, so check out the waitlist.
And remember – while twins can be hard work, there are so many ways to make it easier.
Welcome to your twin journey, mama! You’ve got this.
Read Next:
Week by Week Twin Pregnancy Journey
Minimalist Twin Registry Checklist
Links:
