Multiple births are the result of the culmination of multiple pregnancies, wherein the mother gives birth to two or more babies at the same time. When you carry two babies during pregnancy, they are described as twins. When you carry three babies during pregnancy, they are described as triplets. If you carry more than three babies at the same time, they are described as high-order multiples. In most cases, multiple pregnancies occur when more than one egg is fertilized. However, it is also possible for one fertilized egg to split into two or more embryos that can then develop into two or more babies if split into two. When one fertilized egg splits into two, the babies are usually considered identical twins. One-third of all multiple births result from twins, and there are two types of twins - identical (monozygotic) and fraternal (dizygotic). In order to create identical twins, one fertilized egg (ovum) splits into two identical babies, which both have identical genetic characteristics. It is not uncommon for thousands of babies to be born at the same time. The term multiple births may be used to describe twins (2), triplets (3), quadruplets (4), quintuplets (5), sextuplets (6), septuplets (7), octuplets (8), nonuplets (9) and decuplets for 10 babies born simultaneously. There have been reports that a South African woman has given birth to a record 10 babies at once. The Pretoria News reported that Gosiame Thamara Sithole, 37, did so under a Caesarean section, breaking a world record. How do multiple births occur? Many factors contribute to the chance of having twins, including eating a lot of dairy products, being over the age of 30, and trying to conceive while breastfeeding. In addition, many fertility drugs, such as Clomid, Gonal-F, and Follistim, also boost the chance of having twins. It is estimated that 99.9% of the time, male/female twins are not genetically similar. However, in some extremely rare cases, which result from a genetic mutation, identical twins of the same egg and sperm can develop into the opposite gender. Research indicates that it is possible for a woman to have as many as 15 to 30 children during her lifetime. The reproductive years of a woman are between the late teens and late twenties. By the age of 30, fertility (the ability to become pregnant) starts to decline. As you reach your mid-30s, this decline becomes more rapid. As a result of declining fertility by 45, most women are unlikely to be able to get pregnant naturally. Read related article here: The First 1,000 Days Of A Baby's Life 30 Fun Facts About Babies 20 Facts About Newborn: Questions And Answer Portion For Baby Shower

Many parents wonder if their little one is having a nightmare when he cries out at night or during sleep. Night terrors take place during the deep sleep phase. Your baby may begin crying or even screaming suddenly if for some reason this stage is disrupted. It's likely more disturbing for you. Your baby doesn't know they're making such a commotion, and it's not something they'll remember in the morning. Night terrors usually happen in kids between 4 and 12 years old, but have been reported in babies as young as 18 months. They seem to be a little more common among boys. A night terror is a common sleep disorder that happens while a child is in slow-wave sleep. This is the stage of deepest sleep during the first third of the night. During a night terror, a child may panic, scream, or make sudden movements. If this happens, stay calm, and do not wake them. All babies are born with a number of normal newborn reflexes. Moro reflex, also known as startle reflex, is one of these primitive reflex responses intended to keep baby safe. You may have noticed that your baby startles suddenly while sleeping before; this is the Moro reflex at work. You might think that the tiny twitches you see in your baby are a response to a dream. You might worry that they're some kind of seizure. But hold on, because researchers now believe that many of those twitches actually contribute to your baby's motor skills development. Since your baby doesn't dream at an early stage of brain development, it's safe to assume that babies do not have nightmares either. Nightmares stem from exposure to trauma, an overactive imagination, and the normal stresses of everyday life. Toddlers generally start having nightmares from about the age of three. According to the National Sleep Foundation, about 50% of children between the ages of three and six have nightmares, so know that you're not alone in this experience. Nightmares can also start when the child is about two years old, and reach a peak between the ages of three and six years. About one quarter of children have at least one nightmare every week. Nightmares usually occur later in the sleep cycle, between 4am and 6am. Try to be supportive and understanding. Sleep terrors differ from nightmares. The dreamer of a nightmare wakes up from the dream and may remember details, but a person who has a sleep terror episode remains asleep. Children usually don't remember anything about their sleep terrors in the morning. Many toddlers experience night terrors. They are different than nightmares and do not have a lasting effect.  During a nightmare or even a night terror, reassure your child in a soothing voice that they are safe, and if it seems to calm your child down, hold them until it's over. As they aren't aware of their surroundings, the best thing you can do is make sure they won't fall or bang into anything. Does your baby experienced night terror or nightmare? Let us know in the comment section below!

Teething only causes irritation around the time your baby's tooth is about to break through the gum. The teething period generally lasts for about around 8 days, so longer periods of discomfort (commonly associated with teething) may be caused by something else. Most babies get their first tooth around 6 months old, with teething symptoms preceding its appearance by as much as two or three months. On average, children begin teething around 4 to 7 months, and have a total of 20 “baby teeth” by age 3.  In some very rare cases newborns may be born with a tooth already erupted, or have a tooth come through in the first few weeks. Teething becomes more intense at night, pediatricians confirmed. Because children feel the symptoms of pain and discomfort most acutely when they have fewer distractions, and are exhausted. It's the same reason adults feel more chronic pain at night. Babies won't sleep more during teething. If they are sleeping more, the sleepiness might be more related to a symptom instead of the actual process of teething. Acute fevers, for example, tend to make babies a bit sleepier. They have become more fussy and clingy and are crying more at night. They are dribbling a lot. They have an urge to bite to try to ease the pain, so they've started chewing on their fingers and anything else they can get hold of. For some children ages 25-33 months, stage 5 is the most painful stage of teething. During this time, the large molars emerge. These are the biggest teeth, and parents may find their normal soothing techniques are no longer effective. Try different methods to soothe the toddler until something helps. The good news is that the pain flares as the tooth is breaking through the gums, but then typically subsides. Usually teething begins around 6 to 10 months of age and lasts until baby is about 25 to 33 months. Still, teething isn't officially over until young kids get their permanent molars.   Some common teething symptoms: their gum is sore and red where the tooth is coming through. they have a mild temperature of 38C. they have 1 flushed cheek. they have a rash on their face. they're rubbing their ear. they're dribbling more than usual. they're gnawing and chewing on things a lot. they're more fretful than usual.   During the teething period there are symptoms that include irritability, disrupted sleep, night waking swelling or inflammation of the gums, drooling, loss of appetite, rash around the mouth, mild temperature, diarrhea, increased biting, gum-rubbing, ear-rubbing, excessive crying and even fever. If your teething baby seems uncomfortable, try rubbing your baby's gums. Use a clean finger or wet gauze to rub your baby's gums. Keep it cool, a cold spoon or chilled not frozen, teething ring can be soothing on a baby's gums or try an over-the-counter remedy.  Offer a hard, unsweetened teething cracker. If your baby is older than 6-9 months, you can offer cool water from a sippy cup, too. New baby teeth usually erupt from the gums between 6 to 24 months of age. And with new teeth may come a lot more drool, which can irritate sensitive baby skin and cause a rash. This rash is known as teething rash or drool rash. Rosy-red cheeks are a common sign of teething. Your baby's cheeks go red because the tooth that is coming through the gum can cause irritation. You may notice that your baby's cheeks also feel warm. Teething rash usually causes flat or slightly raised, red patches with tiny bumps. The skin may also become chapped. Crying is normal when your baby is teething, even fussy that you can't comfort them. The phrase “cutting a tooth” makes it sound like your little one will have severe, stabbing pain, but teething pain is pretty mild. A bit of extra fussiness is normal. But if your baby cries so much that they can't sleep or be consoled, see your doctor. Comforting or playing with your baby can distract them from any pain in their gums.