Is multiple pregnancy possible with IVF treatment?
A multiple pregnancy can occur when more than one egg is fertilized at the same time, or when cells that divide into two or more from a single egg form separate embryos. In other words, having two or more babies is called a multiple pregnancy.
The primary goal of IVF treatment is to ensure that couples have healthy babies. Multiple pregnancies are common in the early days of in vitro fertilization, and over time, some restrictions have been applied to minimize the possibility of multiple pregnancy. For this purpose, a limitation has been imposed on the number of embryo transfers in IVF treatment. By determining the number of embryo transfers as 2 in many countries, the possibility of having triplets or more babies has been minimized.
Thanks to Selected Single Embryo Transfer, which is applied to people younger than 36 years of age, subject to at most two attempts and who do not want twin births, both the risk of multiple pregnancy is reduced and the rate of pregnancy does not decrease.
Why Multiple Pregnancy Is Not Preferred?
In multiple pregnancies, the expectant mother is likely to gain more weight. In multiple pregnancies nausea and vomiting are more common, the uterus and belly of the expecting mother are larger than in a single pregnancy. Pregnant women with multiple pregnancies may experience iron deficiency and B-HCG ratios may be higher. In multiple pregnancies, the number of babies can be determined by ultrasound imaging performed after the 6th week of pregnancy.
In multiple pregnancies, the mode of delivery is determined by some factors such as the number of babies, their posture, and the mother’s pelvis structure. Although there is a possibility of normal delivery in twin births, doctors usually prefer cesarean section in multiple pregnancies involving triplets and quadruplets.
Multiple pregnancies are at greater risk of stillbirth. Hypertension, postpartum hemorrhage and cesarean delivery rates are also higher in multiple pregnancies compared to singleton pregnancies. In multiple pregnancies, doctor check-ups should be done more frequently in order to prevent possible risks for both the expectant mother and the babies. Since the risk of preterm birth is higher in multiple pregnancies than in singleton pregnancies, the mother should take care to rest, drink plenty of water and follow the doctor’s recommendations completely.
