What Are the Chances of Having Twins With Clomid?

Wondering if you'll get your own pair of "clomid twins"? From the way the media paints fertility drugs and multiples, it can seem that everyone taking clomid is bound to have twins, but that's not really true. What are the odds for twins when taking this popular fertility drug?

Generally speaking, clomid causes twin pregnancies about 10% of the time, with less than 1% of clomid pregnancies leading to triplets or higher order pregnancies. During clinical trials for clomid, about 7% of pregnancies led to twins, about 0.5% of pregnancies led to triplets and 0.3% to quadruplets.

During the clinical trials of the twin pregnancies, 1 in 5 were identical twins, while 80% of the twin pregnancies were fraternal twins (not identical). (Identical twins come from one egg, not two.)

Some women ask their doctors to give them clomid, not because they are having trouble getting pregnant, but just because they want to get pregnant with twins. There are risks that come with multiple pregnancies, though. You should think twice before purposely trying to get pregnant with twins.

• Twin Pregnancy Risks
• Should You Get Pregnant with Twins On Purpose?

While it's impossible to know who will get pregnant with twins while taking clomid, and who won't, there are some factors that may hint to an increased chance of getting pregnant with twins. Using a higher dosage than necessary may increase the risk of having twins. (Ironically, though, using a higher dosage of clomid than necessary may also decrease the chances of pregnancy occurring at all, because higher doses of clomid can create thick cervical mucus.)

Also, women taking clomid who do not have trouble ovulating or getting pregnant, as well as women younger than 25, may have an increased risk of getting pregnant with twins while taking clomid.

More on twins:

• What Increases My Chances of Having Twins
• Quiz: Are My Odds for Twins Higher Than Most?
• Quiz: Could I Be Pregnant With Twins?
• Twin Pregnancy Signs and Symptoms

More about clomid:

• Clomid Day by Day: What to Expect, What's Happening in Your Body
• Clomid Treatment Basics
• Clomid Side Effects
• When Should You Have Sex When Taking Clomid?
• Where to Buy Clomid for the Best Price
• What Is the Clomid Success Rate?
• What If Clomid Doesn't Work?
• Understanding Treatment of Infertility
• Fertility Treatment Stress: How to Cope
• Take a Fertility Quiz

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_Sources:

_{Clomid Drug Information Sheet. Sanofi-Aventis. Accessed October 6, 2008. http://products.sanofi-aventis.us/clomid/clomid.pdf}

_{Complications and Problems Associated With Multiple Births: Fact Sheet. American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Accessed October 6, 2008. http://asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/Resources/Patient_Resources/Fact_Sheets_and_Info_Booklets/complications_multiplebirths.pdf}

_{Medications for Inducing Ovulation: A Guide for Patients. American Society of Reproductive Medicine. Accessed October 6, 2008. http://asrm.org/uploadedFiles/ASRM_Content/Resources/Patient_Resources/Fact_Sheets_and_Info_Booklets/ovulation_drugs.pdf}