I am about six weeks pregnant. My older children are now four and two. I lost all of the weight from my first two pregnancies. Now, in the last two weeks, my belly looks like I am least six months pregnant, not six weeks. Could I possibly be pregnant with twins? What are the signs?

H.

You could be pregnant with twins, but what is more likely is that you just don't have the muscle tone you had two kids ago, so you look bigger due to the normal bloating in early pregnancy. Progesterone, which is sky-high in pregnancy, causes bloating, and this is not as well hidden early on if the abdominal muscles and skin are not as taut as they once were. Weight is not the only factor -- I am 10 pounds lighter than I was when I got pregnant, but my jeans still don't fit right and my belly seems downright flabby!

Women who are carrying twins are bigger, but this actually does not become noticeable until the second trimester. Women with twins may also experience more nausea. Your doctor may be able to tell if you are having twins by physical exam (from the size of the uterus and the number of heartbeats) or certainly by ultrasound.