10 WAYS TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF CONCEIVING TWINS

I recently got married and as is typical of Nigerian family and friends I've been getting the not so casual ' hope you're making good use of your honeymoon' statements from almost everyone. (Apparently according to scientists the typical honeymoon period lasts exactly: two years, six months and 25 days into a marriage ,so hey give me a break already). As if that's not enough every other day one cutie or the other is welcomed into this world, reminding us that God sent us to go forth and multiply, haha!. In my very humble opinion conception always, always happens at the right time so please get off my back already, haha!

 I've always prayed, hoped, dreamed of having twins and my reason is based on simple logic "kill the birds with a single stone". Anyway i've been reading up natural ways to increase one's chances of having twins and i decided to share with you all.  Most of these ways are not scientifically proven but rooted more in tradition or personal experience, in fact a lot of them are a bit surprising. Before you continue i must warn you that there are a lot of health risks connected with having twins oh, be sure to read them up before you follow any of the tips below (assuming that they really work). You'll find them after the cut...

1. history with twins

Do twins run in your family? If you have a mother, brother, sister, uncle or long lost cousin with twins , you may wonder if you'll have them too. Sometimes it is hereditary, however only fraternal twins are influenced by heredity and even then, only in some cases. If your mother or maternal grandmother was or had fraternal twins, you might have inherited a gene for hyperovulation, increasing your chances of conceiving twins also.

2. get taller or fatter

An article published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology correlates the rise in multiple birth rates with rising rates of obesity. Research found that mothers with a BMI (Body Mass Index) of 30 or higher were significantly more likely to have twins. Again, this statistic is only true for fraternal twins. The research also showed that women of above-average height were also more likely to have multiples...The get fatter part? i'll pass

3. Grow Up: Wait Until You're Older

Older mothers are more likely to conceive twins than their younger counterparts simply because it is believed that the body accelerates ovulation as the biological clock starts ticking faster. Almost twenty percent of mothers who give birth over the age of 45 have twins. However, the risks also increase; older mothers have a higher rate of miscarriage and are more likely to experience problems such as gestational diabetes during their pregnancy; in addition, their babies are at higher risk for chromosomal abnormalities.

4. Have twins

Once you have had twins , you are significantly more likely to conceive -- and deliver -- twins again! Some estimates suggest that mothers of twins are four times more likely to have twins again than a woman who has never been pregnant, or who only had a single child.

5. Eat more Yam and Dairy products

No one is quite sure why, but the Yoruba people have the highest rate of twins in the world. A study concluded that the mother's diet was the cause, being high in cassava, a type of yam or sweet potato. The peelings of this vegetable are thought to contain a chemical that causes hyperovulation. In addition, a 2006 study found that women who consume dairy products are five times as likely to have twins.

6. Get Technological Fertility assistance

Reproductive technology has dramatically increased the multiple birth rate. Drugs that stimulate ovulation can lead to a multiple pregnancy, but multiples can also result from in vitro fertilization (IVF). It's not just that multiple embryos are implanted in the mother, but there is also an unexplained increase in the number of monozygotic twins among IVF patients. No ethical doctor would provide treatment if it wasn't warranted, so fertility assistance should only be sought out when necessary.

7. Have A Big Family

The more kids you have, the more likely you are to conceive twins in a subsequent pregnancy. No one knows the magic limit that triggers a twin pregnancy, so you'll just have to keep trying until it happens. Erm, next?

8. Conceive while breastfeeding

Most people think that you can't get pregnant while breastfeeding, that the process of lactating keeps a woman from ovulating. However, plenty of mothers of twins disagree with that idea. Some research has supported the theory that the chance of twins or multiples is increased if a woman conceives while breastfeeding. For example, Dr. Gary Steinman claims that women who become pregnant while breastfeeding are nine times more likely to conceive twins than women who are not breastfeeding at the time of conception.

9. get preggers while on the pill

Birth control pills are usually thought to be 99.9 percent effective at preventing pregnancy. However, that .01 percent might result in double belle. Sometimes pregnancy occurs when the pill isn't taken consistently; in other cases, the hormonal mix of a particular drug type simply doesn't provide enough coverage to completely prevent ovulation. In either case, playing around with hormones can lead to hyperovulation, increasing the chances of multiples.

10. Just Get Lucky!

Many parents of twins don't meet any of the classic criteria, yet find themselves doubly blessed. Monozygotic twins are particularly mysterious; no one is exactly certain what causes an egg to split after conception, producing identical twins. The bottom line is that there truly isn't a whole lot an individual can do to influence their chances of having twins; sometimes you just need to get lucky!

Heading out to buy me some yam and dairy products so just in case you drop by while i'm gone and you have some tips and tricks, drugs, herbs, juju  (no be me talk am oh). Don't be stingy, share!!!