Meghan Markle baby: Why is Meghan more likely to have TWINS?
MEGHAN MARKLE and Prince Harry announced earlier this month they are expecting their first child, but why is Meghan more likely to have twins?
Meghan and Harry take part in welly-wanging contest
The announcement came as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex touched down in Australia to begin a 16-day tour of Oceania.
Kensington Palace tweeted: “Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Sussex are very pleased to announce that The Duchess of Sussex is expecting a baby in the Spring of 2019.”
The news came just five months after the pair married in a lavish ceremony at Windsor Castle in May watched by millions worldwide.
Kensington Palace added: “Their Royal Highnesses have appreciated all of the support they have received from people around the world since their wedding in May and are delighted to be able to share this happy news with the public.”
All eyes have been on Meghan’s growing baby bump as she visited Australia, New Zealand, Tongo and Fiji with her husband.
Bookmakers have also been paying close attention, with some slashing odds on the Duchess being pregnant with twins.
Coral reduced its odds from 8/1 to 4/1, while Paddy Power slashed theirs from 33/1 to 12/1.
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Why is Meghan more likely to have twins?
The reason for the speculation around Meghan’s pregnancy being twins is her age.
At 37-years-old the Duchess’ pregnancy is labelled a “geriatric pregnancy”.
Women who fall pregnant over the age of 35 are considered to be having a geriatric pregnancy.
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It is this category that makes Meghan more likely to be carrying twins as according to the NHS, the chances of having non-identical twins are a lot higher during geriatric pregnancies.
Women over 35 are more likely than their younger counterparts to release more than one egg during ovulation.
As women age, hormones alter causing more than one egg to be released.
Head of family and professional support at the Twins and Multiple Births Association, Helen Turner, told Express.co.uk: “Older women, so women in their late thirties, early forties, are more likely to hyper-ovulate.
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"As far as we understand, it's due to changing levels of hormones."
Despite the bookies slashing odds on Meghan having twins, according to NHS Choices women over 40-years-old are most likely to have multiple pregnancies.
The chance of a multiple pregnancy is also increased when babies are conceived through IVF.
Meghan may also be subject to more health checks throughout her pregnancy, as geriatric pregnancies are also associated with risks of high blood pressure and gestational diabetes.