8.7.2 Diagnosis of twin pregnancy
On abdominal examination you may notice that:
- The size of the uterus is larger than the expected for the period for gestation.
- The uterus looks round and broad, and fetal movement may be seen over a large area. (The shape of the uterus at term in a singleton pregnancy in the vertex presentation appears heart-shaped rounder at the top and narrower at the bottom.)
- Two heads can be felt.
- Two fetal heart beats may be heard if two people listen at the same time, and they can detect at least 10 beats different (Figure 8.6).
- Ultrasound examination can make an absolute diagnosis of twin pregnancy.
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8.7.1 Types of twin pregnancy