Q&A: At my first prenatal visit will there be more exams and testing than with my last (singleton) pregnancy?

I can't tell from your question if you already know you are having twins, or if you are assuming it because two embryos were transferred. As you know, while twins are more likely with in-vitro fertilization, most IVF pregnancies are singletons. If you already had an ultrasound that showed two embryos in the early first trimester, then twins are more likely but are not guaranteed, since (not to be a downer but in the interest of accuracy) early loss of one twin is not rare.

To answer your question…

Twin pregnancies always require more monitoring than singletons, but the first visit isn't usually that different than prenatal care for a singleton. They will ask all the usual questions about your health and family history and do a general physical examination. You will be given prenatal vitamins, and probably advised to take additional iron supplementation.

Routine blood tests will be obtained. In addition, twin pregnancies are followed with serial ultrasound exams, to see how the babies are growing. You might have an ultrasound at that visit, or they might schedule you for ultrasound at a later date. Testing the pregnancy for genetic conditions and birth defects is more complicated with twins so your doctor will talk to you about the pros and cons of screening using blood tests and ultrasound. Mostly, though, early prenatal visits are not that different with twin pregnancies, while your experiences later in pregnancy may differ from last time, depending on how things are going. Good luck!