Sleep Aids For Babies

Part of helping your baby learn good sleep babits is teaching her to fall asleep on her own. But even the best sleepers sometimes need a little extra assistance — which is where sleep aids come in. These techniques and products run the gamut from a motorized bassinet to swaddling, but all share a common purpose: Helping your baby get to sleep. However, while sleep aids are often very useful, some come with a downside. You want your baby to learn to get to sleep by herself, not depend on the presence of a particular product or condition.

Look below to find a sleep aid that's right for you and your baby. For each item, we've included the age group it's best for — newborns (birth to 3 months) or older babies (3 to 12 months).

A word of caution: Never give your baby sleeping pills or other drugs that encourage sleep without consulting her doctor first — they may not be safe or effective. Most experts also frown upon giving herbs to babies, since no safe pediatric doses have been established and they could be toxic in high doses.

Tried and true
Choose one of these sleep aids and you can't go wrong — all will help your baby fall asleep without leading to any problems or bad sleep habits.

Swaddling
Works best for: Newborns
Infants under a month old (and some older babies) often appreciate being swaddled — snugly wrapped in a blanket for warmth and security. It can help calm a baby down and may keep her from being awakened by her own startle reflex at night.

Thumb sucking
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Thumb sucking is a perfectly acceptable way for your child to comfort herself, at bedtime or any other time — at least until the permanent teeth start coming in, around age 6. (After that it could lead to dental problems.) Babies are born with the need to suck, and most can't get enough just from the breast or bottle. And unlike a pacifier, your baby's thumb can't get lost in the middle of the night.

Bedtime ritual
Works best for: Babies
The experts all agree: One of the best ways to help your child make the transition to bedtime and sleep is to establish a calming, consistent bedtime ritual. You can start putting together a bedtime routine when your baby is as young as 6 or 8 weeks old, but it won't really kick into high gear until she's a little older. Your ritual can include any (or all) of the following: giving your baby a bath, cuddling, changing into pajamas, reading a bedtime story or two, singing a lullaby, and giving her a kiss goodnight. Whatever routine works for your family is fine, as long as you do it in the same order and at the same time every night. Setting and sticking to a consistent bedtime — on weekdays and weekends alike — is key to establishing good sleep habits.

Maybe, maybe not
While some parents swear by the following methods and products, the experts are divided on their usefulness. Pediatrician William Sears endorses doing anything that helps your baby fall asleep, but other sleep experts — such as Richard Ferber and Jodi Mindell — advise against any practice or gizmo that leads to your baby depending on its presence to nod off.

Dryer
Works best for: Newborns
Some parents swear by resting a newborn in a car seat on top of a running clothes dryer. The quiet thumping of tumbling clothing can be very comforting. Just be sure not to leave your baby unattended, for safety's sake.

Rocking
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Rocking your baby is a wonderful way to parent her to sleep, says Sears, author of Nighttime Parenting. Whether you do the rocking yourself or use a cradle, he advises you to stick to a rate of 60 beats per minute, the rhythm your baby got used to when you were pregnant and she could hear your heartbeat. Ferber and Mindell don't recommend rocking, arguing that you'll only be teaching your baby to depend on it to get to sleep. (Plus, shifting your baby from your arms to her crib without waking her is often a tricky matter.)

Breastfeeding
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Sears also encourages nursing your baby to sleep, especially when she's very young. Breastfeeding can comfort both you and your baby, he says, and a special protein in breast milk may actually help your baby fall asleep. Again, however, not everyone agrees with him. Many other experts believe this approach will prevent your baby from learning to fall asleep by herself. If you're nursing but are concerned about establishing a bad sleep habit, feed your baby earlier in your bedtime routine and end with a bedtime stor instead.

Motorized cradle / bassinet
Works best for: Newborns, babies
Some babies fall asleep faster if they're moving, whether it's in the car or your arms. If you want a little help from technology, invest in a self-rocking cradle or pick up a battery-powered clip-on attachment that simulates the feel of a moving car. Remember, though, that most experts discourage using this kind of contraption; they think they're a crutch and a poor substitute for teaching your baby to sleep on her own.

Pacifier
Works best for: Newborns, babies
While pacifiers help many babies comfort themselves back to sleep if they wake up during the night, some experts argue they're not the best sleep aid. Why not? If your baby learns to depend on one at bedtime and it falls out of her reach, she won't be able to go back to sleep until she finds it. You can try to avoid that problem by strategically placing several pacifiers in her crib.

Something else to consider: Studies have shown that babies who use pacifiers at bedtime and naptime have a reduced risk of SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

Ambient noise recording / machine
Works best for: Newborns, babies
You can buy or record regular household "music" (vacuuming, water running, or windshield wipers) or invest in a white noise machine. These products supply calming background sounds to help your baby fall asleep. If you'd rather not spend the money, try leaving the radio on quietly in the next room. All these remedies should be considered short-term solutions, though, if you want your baby to learn to fall asleep on her own rather than depend on special noises — or any of the other products discussed below.

Music
Works best for: Newborns, babies
In the same family as ambient noise CDs are recordings of lullabies, classical music, and other kids' favorites. Of course, singing a lullaby to your child yourself before she falls asleep is always a great option, since she responds best to your voice, but popping a tape in after you've belted out your favorite tune may help her drift into dreamland. A music box or musical lamp may also work.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Sleep Aids For Toddlers

Part of helping your toddler learn good sleep habits is teaching him to fall asleep on his own. But even the best sleepers sometimes need a little extra assistance — which is where sleep aids come in. These techniques and products run the gamut from a teddy bear to a glass of warm milk, but all share a common purpose: helping your toddler get to sleep. But although sleep aids are often useful, some come with a downside, too. You want your child to learn to get to sleep by himself, not depend on the presence of a particular product or condition.

Look below to find a sleep aid that's right for you and your toddler. (A word of caution: Never give your child sleeping pills or other drugs that encourage sleep without consulting his doctor first — it may not be safe or effective. Most experts also frown upon giving herbs to toddlers, since no safe pediatric doses have been established and they could be toxic in high doses.)

Tried and true
Choose one of these sleep aids and you can't go wrong — all will help your toddler fall asleep without leading to any problems or bad sleep habits.

Thumb sucking
Thumb sucking is a perfectly acceptable way for your child to comfort himself, at bedtime or any other time — although it can lead to dental problems in older children. Thumb sucking is a way for a toddler to soothe himself, not only when he's sleepy but also at other times of the day.

Nightlight
Many toddlers get disoriented and upset when they wake up at night in a dark room and can't see anything they recognize. Luckily, there's a simple solution: A night-light will reassure your child that he's in familiar surroundings and help him settle himself back to sleep. Get in the habit of flipping it on as you're getting him ready for bed. Any kind will do, though some fancy models include a tape or CD player you can attach to your toddler's crib.

Bedtime ritual
The experts all agree: One of the best ways to help your child make the transition to bedtime and sleep is to establish a calming, consistent bedtime ritual. Your ritual can include any (or all) of the following: giving your toddler a bath, playing a quiet game, helping your child into his pajamas, reading a bedtime story or two, singing a lullaby, and giving him a kiss goodnight. Whatever routine works for your family is fine, as long as you do it in the same order and at the same time every night. Setting and sticking to a consistent bedtime — on weekdays and weekends alike — is key to establishing good sleep habits.

Transitional object
Your toddler may fall asleep more easily if he has a soft, cuddly blanket or stuffed animal nearby to keep him company. According to T. Berry Brazelton, author of Touchpoints, toddlers who learn to comfort themselves with loveys (as he calls them) are demonstrating their inner strength.

Warm milk
Drinking a glass of warm milk before bed is a time-tested way to fall asleep. The amino acid l-Tryptophan (found in milk and other foods, such as turkey and eggs) is thought to play a role in making you sleepy by raising the level of serotonin — a sleep-inducing chemical — in the brain, though the benefits may be purely psychological. Be sure not to let your toddler take a bottle or sippy cup of milk or juice to bed with him, though, since that can lead to cavities.

Maybe, maybe not
Although some parents swear by the following methods and products, the experts are divided on their usefulness. Pediatrician William Sears endorses doing anything that helps your toddler fall asleep, but other sleep experts, such as Richard Ferber and Jodi Mindell, advise against any practice or gizmo that leads to your toddler depending on its presence to nod off. Read through the following list with this thought in mind: The ultimate goal isn't just a sleeping child, but one who knows how to get to sleep by himself every night.

Rocking or breastfeeding
Rocking or nursing your toddler is a wonderful way to parent him to sleep, says Sears, author of Nighttime Parenting. Ferber and Mindell don't recommend rocking or nursing to sleep, stating that you'll only be teaching your child to depend on it to get to sleep. (Also, shifting your growing toddler from your arms to his crib without waking him is often a tricky matter.)

Pacifier
Although pacifiers help many toddlers comfort themselves back to sleep if they wake up during the night, some experts agree they're not the best sleep aid. Why not? If your toddler learns to depend on one at bedtime and it falls out of his reach, he won't be able to go back to sleep until he finds it. Of course, suggests Jodi Mindell, you can try to avoid that problem by strategically placing several pacifiers in his crib.

Ambient noise recording / machine
You can buy or make simple compact discs and cassettes of regular household "music" (vacuuming, water running, or windshield wipers) or invest in a white noise machine. These products supply calming background sounds to help your child fall asleep. All these remedies should be considered short-term solutions, though, since your toddler needs to learn to fall asleep on his own rather than depend on special noises — or any of the other products discussed below.

Music
In the same family as ambient noise are tapes and discs of lullabies, classical music, and other kids' favorites. Of course, singing a lullaby yourself before he falls asleep is always a great option, since your toddler responds best to your voice, but popping a tape in after you've warbled your favorite tune may help him drift into dreamland. A music box or musical lamp may also work.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Sleep "Intervention" Helps Babies And Their Tired Mons

Tue, Nov 13, 2007 (Reuters Health) - Teaching new mothers strategies to help their babies overcome sleep problems yields significant benefits for both of them, according to a study conducted in Australia.

Among 328 moms who reported that their 7-month-old was having sleep problems, those who were randomly assigned to participate in a brief behavioral intervention noticed an improvement in their child's sleep problem, and in their own sleep, and felt less depressed compared with those randomly assigned not to participate in the program.

Dr. Harriet Hiscock, of the Royal Children's Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, and associates report their study in this month's Archives of Disease in Childhood.

The sleep intervention entailed having a trained nurse determine the nature of the sleep problem, identify solutions, and write an individualized sleep management plan with the mother. Moms were also educated on normal sleep patterns for 6- to 12-month-olds.

The mothers in the intervention group had to pick one of two strategies: the "controlled crying" strategy, whereby parents respond to their infant's cry at increasing time intervals to allow "independent settling;" or the "camping out" strategy, whereby a parent sits with the baby until the child falls asleep and gradually leaves the room over 3 weeks.

After adjusting the data to account for factors that might influence the results, the odds of reporting a sleep problem in the intervention group were 42 percent lower at 10 months and 50 percent lower at 12 months compared with the 154 moms who did not participate in the intervention, the investigators report.

The sleep intervention also had "important" beneficial effects on mothers' mental health. Moms in the intervention group were less depressed at 10 and 12 months than moms in the control group, and they had better overall scores on a validated measure of mental health.

Sleep quantity and quality also improved in mothers in the intervention group. Better overall sleep may reduce problems associated with maternal sleep deprivation such as "maternal overload and dysfunction and later child behavior problems," Hiscock and colleagues contend.

Mothers who participated in the intervention were also less apt to seek paid professional help for infant sleep problems, suggesting the intervention may also save money.

Given the apparent benefits of such a program, "the change now is to translate this intervention to the wider population in a sustainable and feasible way," the team concludes.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Our Favorite Picture Books (birth to 12 mo.)

There's nothing like a book full of bright, sharp pictures to captivate a newborn — or a toddler. To stock your baby's bookshelf with the best picture books, choose from our delightful dozen below.

Some of the best
Toby, Where Are You?, by William Steig, pictures by Teryl Euvremer
Toby, a kid who is probably a weasel, is hiding again. His good-natured parents, dressed in gay 1890s style, look for him everywhere, while your young reader — all-knowing and superior — can just barely make him out on each page.

A Friend for Minerva Louise, by Janet Morgan Stoeke
Minerva Louise is a wise fool chicken, whose misunderstandings make toddlers and elementary schoolers chortle. This time she's mistaken the baby for a bunny and the stroller for a wheelbarrow! You'll find much artistry in the simple charcoal and pastel illustrations — airy and sweet, like taking a good, deep breath.

Bunny Cakes, by Rosemary Wells
These chunky bunnies are heroes for the red-wagon-and-rompers set. Today, Max wants to make earthworm birthday cake for his grandmother, but his sister Ruby insists on angel surprise cake. Their expressive bunny eyes tell the whole saga of disappointment (broken eggs, can't write real English) and triumph (we're not giving away the happy ending). Wells's best yet.

Young Larry, by Daniel Pinkwater, illustrated by Jill Pinkwater
Larry is a typical polar bear (his father ate a whole whale one time). But then Larry learns from humans how to love blueberry muffins and eventually becomes a lifeguard at a hotel swimming pool... Lots of tomfoolery, the kind your favorite uncle would come up with, egged on by the sloppy, clever drawings. Once you're four or so, you can probably appreciate Larry.

To Market, To Market, by Anne Miranda, illustrated by Janet Stevens
So what would REALLY happen if a modern-day Aunt Mildred sort went to market, to market, to buy a fat pig, and so forth? "The pig's in the kitchen. The lamb's on the bed. The cow's on the couch. There's a duck on my head!" Think of a Lucy Ricardo routine, with very large, realistic renderings of animals in preposterous situations. Big bad belly laughs.

Little Oh, by Laura Krauss Melmed, illustrated by Jim Lamarche
Elegantly detailed paint-and-colored-pencil drawings sweep the reader into this first-time telling of the story of Little Oh, an origami girl who is separated from her mother. Along with the beauty (any page could be framed as art) and drama comes a message about strength in small places: "I may be a paper child ... but I sailed the raging river." Perfect for those who love dolls, good stories, and fine art.

Open Me...I'm a Dog!, by Art Spiegelman
This is the book with a leash that thinks it's a dog. It simply jumps off the shelf to explain about all the folks who got terribly temper-tantrum mad and eventually turned a lovable pup into a, well, don't say that word. The only book that can wag its tail, the only dog that won't mess a carpet...

Flashy Fantastic Rain Forest Frogs, by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent
The rain forest frogs live up to their name in these sprawling, bright paintings. Some are poison, some can fly, some have horns. The explicit, straightforward text will satisfy the most curious nature lover.

I Met a Dinosaur, by Jan Wahl, illustrated by Chris Sheban
After a farm girl goes to the natural history museum, she is seeing dinosaurs where before there were only clouds, cows, and lakes. "Fine. Girl. Fine. Have a drink," says her mother, and gives her water from the sink. We say we can see the splendid, crafty, lovable extinct creatures, too, right in these gorgeous paintings. Dedicated to dinos or poetic thoughts? This is for you.

How It Was With Dooms: A True Story From Africa, by Xan Hopcroft and Carol Cawthra Hopcroft
Imagine having a pet cheetah. Xan Hopcroft did. When Dooms, the cheetah his family raised from a kitten, died, Xan was seven. This book, told in his own words and decorated with his and his mother's art, celebrates the cheetah's life — avoiding baths, getting on the roof, learning to hunt — and shares the sadness of his death. Sharp photos, with a story well done, not overly cutesie, no matter what the author's age.

My Life With the Wave, by Catherine Cowan, illustrated by Mark Buehner, based on the story by Octavio Paz
A boy brings a wave home. His father tries to send her back, "but the wave cried and begged and threatened until he agreed that she could come along." The story is sometimes funny, always understated, even philosophical, and the wave comes alive in each of her moods — the illustrations so serious you almost believe.

Rikki-Tikki-Tavi, by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
Kipling's taut, touching classic brought to life: A mongoose wages war on a couple of cobras, defending his family's honor, "his" garden in India, and the English family who adopted him. Rikki-Tikki-Tavi nickers, pounces, and slinks right into your heart in Pinkney's beautifully realistic watercolors; while battle scenes that include cobras Nag and Nagina will make your heart thud. Perfect for reading aloud, even to teenagers.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Our Favorite Bedtime Stories For Toddlers

Reading any book is a soothing way to send your toddler off to dreamland — but stories about going to bed, sleeping, or dreaming are particularly suitable for bedtime, and can even help your child understand and accept bedtime rituals. The right book will also help your toddler view going to bed as a natural part of her day, and the recitation of daily activities will help her link words with objects and activities, as well as build her vocabulary. No matter which book you pull out at bedtime, read it in a soothing voice to help calm and reassure your toddler.

Once your child is 2, even a sleepytime book may need a bit of plot to hold her interest. But don't choose something too action-packed or one that introduces new concepts. After all, you want your child to be putting aside thoughts and worries before sleep, not grappling with new ones.

Here are some of our favorite books for toddlers, guaranteed to make at least one of you sleepy:

• The Big Red Barn, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Felicia Bond
Follow the charming story of a day in the life of a group of farm animals told with appealing color illustrations and simple rhymes that even the youngest toddler can enjoy. A pink pig learns to squeal, a mouse is born in a field, and by the last page the baby animals are snuggling up with their parents for the night. If you're looking for bedtime books, this gentle tale is one of the best.

• Good Night, Gorilla, by Peggy Rathmann
When the zookeeper makes his nighttime rounds, one mischievous gorilla steals his keys and follows him, releasing the other animals from their cages one by one. Under a moonlit sky, they parade silently behind the sleepy zookeeper and follow him into his house, where the keeper's wife discovers them and escorts them back to their beds. Practically wordless, the book tells a delightful going-to-bed story with magical illustrations that will enchant your child.

• Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
For decades children have taken the story of the little rabbit in Goodnight Moon to heart as he performs his evening ritual of saying goodnight to every object in his room, including "a comb, and a brush, and a bowl full of mush." Clement Hurd's illustrations start out intensely colored and gradually fade to shades of gray as the bunny grows drowsy. Many parents tell us they depend on this quintessential bedtime book to help their children nod off at night.

• Mama, Do You Love Me?, by Barbara M. Joose, illustrated by Barbara Lavallee
When you want your child to know your love is forever, this book offers a warm way to get that message across. A little girl poses a series of questions such as, What if I broke something? Played a trick on you? Ran away and lived with wolves? Her mother replies that no matter what, "I will love you, forever and for always, because you are my dear one." What better message to send your child off to dreamland with? Dashes of humor ("What if I put salmon in your parka ... and lemmings in your mukluks?") add a light touch, as do the joyful illustrations depicting a snowy landscape of sleds and sled dogs, wolves, walruses, and other animals.

• The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
When a young bunny threatens to run away and become a rock ... a fish ... a flower ... his mother joins him in his imaginary flight and assures him that she'll follow wherever he goes. It's a sweet story of the unconditional love of a mother for her child, told in soothing rhythms — an ideal book for helping your toddler go to sleep feeling safe and cared for.

• Snoozers: Seven Short Short Bedtime Stories for Lively Little Kids, by Sandra Boynton
Sandra Boynton's charming Snoozers serves up seven bite-size tales sweetened with humor to help reluctant sleepers get to bed with a giggle. Each little story takes a minute or less to read — so you can tailor bedtime reading to your child's attention span. Colorful tabs help kids turn the pages themselves. And the wonderfully absurd "Silly Lullaby" at the end just might become a family favorite: "Go to sleep, my zoodle / my fibblety-fitsy foo / Go to sleep, sweet noodle / The owl is whisp'ring, 'Moo.' "

• Sylvia Long's Mother Goose
Lavish illustrations filled with gentle animals create a magical backdrop for all the familiar Mother Goose rhymes, plus some you've never heard before. Scary images have been carefully softened: When Humpty Dumpty falls off the wall, a duckling emerges from his broken egg. And instead of whipping her children, the old woman who lives in a shoe "kissed them all sweetly and sent them to bed."

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Our Favorite Bedtime Stories For Babies

Reading any book is a soothing way to send your baby off to dreamland — but stories about going to bed, sleeping, or dreaming are particularly suitable for bedtime, and can even help your child understand and accept bedtime rituals as he gets older. No matter which book you pull out at bedtime, read it in a soothing voice to help calm and reassure your baby.

Here are some of our favorite bedtime books, guaranteed to make at least one of you sleepy:

* Good Night, Gorilla, by Peggy Rathmann
When the zookeeper makes his nighttime rounds, one mischievous gorilla steals his keys and follows him, releasing the other animals from their cages one by one. Under a moonlit sky, they parade silently behind the sleepy zookeeper and follow him into his house, where the keeper's wife discovers them and escorts them back to their beds. Practically wordless, the book tells a delightful going-to-bed story with magical illustrations that will enchant your child.

* Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
For decades children have taken the story of the little rabbit in Goodnight Moon to heart as he performs his evening ritual of saying goodnight to every object in his room, including "a comb, and a brush, and a bowl full of mush." Clement Hurd's illustrations start out intensely colored and gradually fade to shades of gray as the bunny grows drowsy. Many parents tell us they depend on this quintessential bedtime book to help their children nod off at night.

* The Runaway Bunny, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd
When a young bunny threatens to run away and become a rock ... a fish ... a flower ... his mother joins him in his imaginary flight and assures him that she'll follow wherever he goes. It's a sweet story of the unconditional love of a mother for her child, told in soothing rhythms — an ideal book for helping your baby go to sleep feeling safe and cared for.

* Hush Little Baby, by Sylvia Long
If you don't think the classics can be improved on, reading Sylvia Long's new edition of "Hush Little Baby" may change your mind. Unlike the original song's language, which spoke of a mother buying her child all sorts of things to comfort him, this new version emphasizes the beauty and comfort found in the natural world. The familiar bedtime melody will calm and soothe your child, and you'll appreciate the book's tender, gentle spirit.

* Counting Kisses: A Kiss-and-Read Book, by Karen Katz
"My tired little baby, do you need a kiss?" From "ten little kisses on teeny tiny toes" to "one last kiss on your sleepy, dreamy head," sparse text and winsome illustrations lead you and your baby through a kissing countdown that'll soon be a favorite bedtime ritual for you both.

* Snoozers: Seven Short Short Bedtime Stories for Lively Little Kids, by Sandra Boynton
The charming Snoozers serves up seven bite-size tales sweetened with humor. Each little story takes a minute or less to read. Colorful tabs help older babies turn the pages themselves. And the wonderfully absurd "Silly Lullaby" at the end just might become a family favorite: "Go to sleep, my zoodle / my fibblety-fitsy foo / Go to sleep, sweet noodle / The owl is whisp'ring, 'Moo.'"

* Good Night, Little Bear, by Patsy Scarry; illustrated by Richard Scarry
Here's a classic Little Golden Book that many moms and dads will remember from childhood. After finishing a bedtime story, Father Bear hoists Little Bear on his shoulders and takes him to bed. In this playful tale of "Where could Little Bear be?" Father Bear searches (wink, wink) high and low — above the china cabinet, under the stove, even in the woodbox outside — to find him. Little Bear finally reveals himself when they pass a mirror. In a gesture every parent can relate to, Little Bear goes to bed believing he's fooled his dad.

source from http://www.babycenter.com

Your Likelihood Of Having Twins Or More

How common are twins and other multiple pregnancies?
Increasingly common, largely because more and more women are taking fertility drugs or turning to assisted reproductive technology (ART) to help them conceive. These treatments greatly increase a woman's chance of having twins or higher-order multiples. The famous McCaughey septuplets are one extreme example of the potential consequences of fertility treatments.

These days, about one in 32 births are twin births. This rate has gone up 65 percent since 1980, and it's more than double the rate among women who conceive without medical assistance — one in 89.

The rise in triplets and quadruplets is even more dramatic. Between 1980 and 1998, the rate of triplets and higher-order multiple births shot up by more than 400 percent, but it's crept back down over the past few years as fertility treatments have become more refined. In 2003, one in 535 births resulted in triplets, quadruplets, or more.

Meanwhile, the likelihood of having identical twins (when one fertilized egg divides in half) is about one in 250. This rate hasn't changed over the decades and is remarkably constant all over the world.

How likely am I to have more than one baby if I'm undergoing fertility treatment?
Fertility drugs stimulate your ovaries, increasing the odds that you'll release several eggs at the same time. On average, 20 percent of women taking gonadotropins will become pregnant with more than one baby. Women who get pregnant while taking the drug Clomid have a 5 to 12 percent chance of twins.

If you undergo in vitro fertilization (IVF), your chances of having more than one child are 20 to 40 percent, depending on how many embryos are placed in your womb. Other fertility techniques such as GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer) and ZIFT (zygote intrafallopian transfer) are also more likely to result in multiple pregnancies.

On its own, IUI (intrauterine insemination), in which sperm are injected into the uterus with a syringe, is the only fertility treatment that doesn't increase the chances of conceiving multiples. But most women who undergo IUI also take a fertility drug.

Fertility drugs and other treatments primarily increase your chance of having fraternal twins, where two eggs are fertilized by two different sperm. But there is now some evidence that women who undergo certain treatments also have somewhat higher rates of identical twins.

What other factors affect the chances that I'll have more than one baby?
While identical twins generally happen by sheer chance, there are several factors that influence your chances of having fraternal twins:

• Heredity: If you're a twin or if twins run in your family, you're slightly more likely to have a set yourself. Women who are fraternal twins have a one in 60 chance of bearing twins.

• Race: Twins are more common than average in African Americans and less common in Hispanics and Asians.

• Age: The older you are, the higher your chances of having fraternal twins or higher-order multiples. A 2006 study found that women over 35 produce more follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) than younger women. Ironically, increasing levels of this hormone are a sign of failing ovaries and declining fertility. But FSH is also the hormone that causes an egg to ripen in preparation for ovulation each month, and women with extra FSH may release more than one egg in a single cycle. So while older women are statistically less likely to get pregnant, if they do get pregnant, they're more likely to have twins.

• Number of pregnancies: The more pregnancies you've had, the greater your chances of having twins.

• History of twins: Once you have a set of fraternal twins, you're twice as likely to have another set in future pregnancies.

• Body type: Twins are more common in large and tall women than in small women.

source from http://www.babycenter.com