The most accurate way to tell if twins are identical is
through a DNA test
. This can only be done after your babies are born. The placenta could also provide clues. If your first ultrasound scan is done before 14 weeks, it should be possible to tell accurately what kind of placenta your twins have.
How do doctors know if twins are identical or fraternal?
Sometimes health care professionals identify same-sex twins as fraternal or identical based on ultrasound findings or by examining the membranes at the time of delivery. The best way to determine if twins are identical or fraternal is by
examining each child's DNA
.
How early can identical twins be detected?
Many women say they could sense early on that they were carrying multiples. The only sure way to find out if you're pregnant with twins is at your first ultrasound appointment at
around 10 weeks
.
Is twin pregnancy more painful?
With a twin pregnancy,
your body makes high levels of pregnancy hormones
. So morning sickness may come on earlier and stronger than if you were carrying a single baby. You may also have earlier and more intense symptoms from pregnancy, like swelling, heartburn, leg cramps, bladder discomfort, and sleep problems.
Which parent carries the gene for twins?
This is why fraternal twins run in families. However, only women ovulate. So,
the mother's genes control this
and the fathers don't. This is why having a background of twins in the family matters only if it is on the mother's side.
When should I stop working with twins?
It's a good idea to leave a period for rest and relaxation at the end of your pregnancy, and most people who've experienced this recommend stopping work at some time
between 28 and 30 weeks
.
How fast does your belly grow with twins?
If you're expecting twins or higher-order multiples, you could also possibly start to show before the end of your first trimester. Your uterus must grow larger to accommodate more than one baby. So whereas someone expecting a singleton may not show until after 3 or 4 months, you might show
as early as 6 weeks
.
Do twins move a lot in the womb?
Although there's not much science to support it,
some moms of twins report feeling movement earlier and more frequently in pregnancy
, sometimes as early as the first trimester. It might even be their first clue that there are more than just two tiny hands and two tiny feet waving around in the womb.
Can you have twins if it doesn't run in your family?
Since
embryo splitting
is a random spontaneous event that happens by chance, it doesn't run in families. Genes are not involved and there's no scientific evidence that being from a family with identical multiples has any impact on your odds of having twins. The same is not true for fraternal twins.
What are the odds of siblings having twins?
If a woman's sister has fraternal twins,
she is about 2.5 times more likely to have twins herself
. If a woman's mother has fraternal twins, she is about 2 times more likely to have twins. This is why we often say the “risk” for having twins comes from the mother.
Can I have twins without family history?
Any woman can have identical twins and family history does not play a role with these
. The majority of twins who are born are non-identical and a result of two eggs being fertilised. Some fraternal twins look very similar; others share some resemblance whilst the remainder may not even look the slightest bit related.
Is twin pregnancy considered high risk?
While the great majority of multiple pregnancies result in healthy babies, any pregnancy with
twins or more is considered high risk
. The more babies you're carrying, the higher your risk of complications.
When do twin moms go on bed rest?
It's really important to get specific guideline from your perinatologist when you have a multiple pregnancy regarding bed rest. 75% of the parents that have multiples will go on bed rest, the moms that have multiples will go on bed rest. And this usually happens at
about 24 weeks gestation on average
.
How long do you stay in hospital with twins?
“Only about 20 percent of twin babies go to intensive care,” Dr. Brost says. “That goes up to 80 percent with triplets, and even higher for quads.” How long they stay in the hospital varies. For twins, the average stay is
nine to 25 days
.
What month are the most twins born?
August
had the most births each year from 1990 to 2006 except for six years (1992, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2003 and 2004) when it was edged out by July, according to National Center for Health Statistics.
Can twins be conceived on different days?
Although two fetuses develop simultaneously
in superfetation
, they differ in maturity, having been conceived days or even weeks apart. Superfetation is observed in animal reproduction, but it is exceedingly rare in humans. Only a few cases are documented in medical literature.
