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How to Get Pregnant with Twins

Babies are wonderful – and two babies brings double the joy… and double the fun! Wondering how to get pregnant with twins? There are natural ways to boost your chances! Though these techniques aren't 100% guaranteed to give you twins, they do boost your chances, and also increase the likelihood of a healthy baby or two!

What to Eat for Twins

cute picture of twinsMoms who are well-nourished are more likely to conceive twins. Make sure you're eating an excellent pregnancy diet while TTC. Have some “padding” on your body – you don't want to be at the absolute lowest weight for your height. Try to shoot for being a little higher in your healthy weight range.

You should also include fertility boosting foods in your diet (even if you've never had trouble conceiving). Consider a cod liver oil supplement, a prenatal vitamin, and a fertility tea or smoothie every day. Maca is another good fertility supplement to consider. Liver, full-fat dairy products, and plenty of vegetables are also known fertility boosters. Make sure you put butter on your steamed vegetables or olive oil on your salads — these high-quality, healthy fats cause you to absorb the nutrients you need from your veggies.

Cassava, a type of wild yam (some call them sweet potatoes), is thought to have potent hormones that can increase your chances of twins. Make sure to eat these with the skin on and plenty of butter so you absorb all you need (cassava should always be eaten cooked). Check ethnic markets or the ethnic section of your grocery store for cassava yams.

Tapioca is traditionally made from cassava; check ingredients on tapioca pudding at your grocery store as it may not actually be made with tapioca. You can use tapioca as a thickening agent in your soups and sauces (find it in the spice section of your grocery store). Tapioca is also sometimes used to make chips / snacks (such as Skips in the UK). Check labels.

Cassava is also called yuca.

A summary of what to eat:

  • Eat a nutrient-dense pregnancy diet while TTC
  • Set your weight goals at the upper healthy range for your height
  • Take Cod Liver Oil and a Prenatal Vitamin every day
  • Add a daily fertility tea or fertility smoothie into your diet
  • Consider supplementing with Maca, a great fertility booster
  • Include high-nutrient foods:
    • Liver (choose organic) once a week
    • Full-fat dairy daily (this is a big factor to get pregnant with twins!)
    • Vegetables with butter or olive oil daily
  • Add Cassava yams into your diet daily or several times a week
  • Use tapioca as a soup and sauce thickener instead of flour

A warning: soy is often recommended to boost your chances of a double ovulation (or to induce ovulation if your body doesn't ovulate regularly). I do NOT recommend you supplement with soy for this purpose. Soy has very potent estrogens in it that can wreck your menstrual cycle. More importantly than that, however, soy's estrogens can have a big impact on the hormonal balance your newly conceived babies need. Baby boys get flooded with estrogen when their bodies need to begin producing male hormones. Baby girls get flooded with estrogen when they need just the right balance to set themselves up for adolescence and reproduction. The risks of soy are too great.

Other Factors That Increase Your Chances of Twins

There are other factors that can make it more likely you'll get pregnant with twins:

  • Your age: the older you are when you conceive, the more likely you'll have twins
  • Number of children: the more children you've given birth to, the more likely you'll get a set of twins
  • Clomid: Clomid is a prescription medication that induces ovulation. It greatly increases the chances of a double (or more) ovulation. Discuss Clomid with your doctor if you're interested.
  • Breastfeeding: if you're breastfeeding, you're more likely to conceive twins
  • Family history: there are some family history factors (such as if women in your family tend to have double ovulations) that may increase your chances of two babies.

Nutrition and supplements are probably the best natural way to get pregnant with twins. Eat a nourishing diet with plenty of protein, fat, and vegetables. Full-fat dairy and cassava yams are great foods to include frequently in your diet. Also add in a prenatal vitamin, cod liver oil, and consider fertility boosters like Maca and fertility smoothies. These will help you conceive two happy, healthy bundles of joy!

(NOTE: Want the Top Easy Steps to Boosting Your Fertility? Use these 5 simple, evidence-based steps to get pregnant and carry your healthy baby to term. Get them here.)

Top Fertility Tips

Image courtesy of Spigoo