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Matilda
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This thread's twin tangent has me wondering...
Both my mom and one of her sisters conceived twins. My mom lost both babies (one boy and one girl) due to an incompetent cervix and my aunt lost one of her twins (one boy and one girl) shortly after birth (Rita was born with a hole in her heart). Does the fact that they conceived twins have any bearing on the possibility that I could conceive twins?
I am only curious because as I mentioned in the other thread, my kids were very adamant in the car the other day that they are all praying for me to conceive twins (one boy and one girl). They are really determined to keep the number of boys and girls even!!! Anyway, just thought I would ask what the odds are. Does family history have any bearing on the possibility of fraternal twins?
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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Jen L.
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I have always heard that fraternal twins are hereditary. I did a quick google, and it looks like that is a factor - and through the mother's side of the family!  .
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Carole N.
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If I am not mistaken, I think that it is maternal twins. I also know that certain factors also contribute to twins ... older first time mothers is one of the examples that I remember (probably because I was an older first time mom). 
My best friend in college had maternal twins in her family. On her mother's side she had cousins, her mother, and her first pregnancy ended up being twin boys. Later she had a girl.
And having twins also increases your chances of having twins in later pregnancies.
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MarilynW
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I have heard that fraternal twins are on alternate generations.(they skip a generation)
Older mothers have more chance of twins.
Funny story - when I had my twins, before we knew it was twins, I was lying on the couch one evening and my 2 year old came to me, put her head on my tummy and said "mama, you have 2 babies in your tummy!" I never thought much about it until a few weeks later when we found out it was twins!!
( The same dd now 11 came to me a few days ago and greeted my tummy with her favorite girls name - hmm as far as I know there is no little bean in there 
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Lisbet
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Being adopted and not knowing any family or medical history, I often wonder if there are twins. MB was a twin and one passed. I still sometimes mourn the loss of that baby and the twin experience, and because I am a great grand multip, conceived twins before, and I'm older each pregnancy, I always suspect twins!
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hopalenik
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My family had no history of twins and I was 30 when I had twins. I think that there is obviously a hereditary part to it but not always. I personally believe that I double ovulate consistently. My pregnancies have always occurred on the last day when I thought I was infertile but then all the sudden I feel fertile again. My twins were probably conceived seperately due both to a big size difference between the two of htem but also because I had the clearest evidence of double ovulation on a chart that the NFP instructor had ever seen.
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JodieLyn
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the possiblity of releasing 2 eggs at ovulation is the heredity factor in fraternal twins. they claim that there is no heredity factor in indentical twinning.. but that doesn't explain the families that do have identical twins down the generations.. and through the paternal line.
I just chalk it up to something that they want to think they know but don't really.
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mimmyof5
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I have fraternal twins, and there are none on my mother's side at all. I always chalked it up to age since I was 40 when they were born. You're more apt to release two eggs when you're older.
However, my oldest dd claims all credit for the twins. Unbeknownst to her dad and I, she was praying for twins. So I'd say, "Be prepared". 
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Angel
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Fraternal twins are supposed to be hereditary. As others have noted, conceiving twins is more likely in older women. And I've also read a study that found a link between increased consumption of dairy products and the conception of twins.
On the other hand... my twins started out as naturally conceived triplets, the odds of which are apparently practically nonexistent. I was 32 and as far as I can remember, not eating vast amounts of dairy. There aren't any multiples in our family either. We're fairly sure our twins are identical and not fraternal, though... especially since triplets are often "a pair and a spare." (We do wonder if the triplet we lost was a girl.)
As far as kids having "inside information"... this last pregnancy, my then 3.5 yo said to me one day out of the blue (while attempting to stand on his head), "You're pregnant, Mommy! You're pregnant!" -- and indeed I was. At the time I had no clue.
This same child -- and his younger brother -- recently wanted to know where the moving trucks were, and when they were going to be at our house. This makes me a little nervous...
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Matilda
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mimmyof5 wrote:
| However, my oldest dd claims all credit for the twins. Unbeknownst to her dad and I, she was praying for twins. So I'd say, "Be prepared". |
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Yikes! I've got three praying for twins!!! 
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Charlotte (Matilda)
Mom to four (11, 10, 9 & 5) an even split for now
with bookend boys and a double girl sandwich
Waltzing Matilda
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juststartn
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My oldest dd had been asking for months for a new baby..I had told her daddy had to be home, and that God had to agree (he was at that time deployed to Afghanistan). Once he came home, she continued asking for a new wee one...I told her that it was up to God, and to keep praying...
t
Apparently, she prayed really really well.
REALLY well. I was 21 wks along when we found out that the boys were, in fact, the boyS. Not a singular...
My mom has a set of identical twin cousins. But those are the only ones we know of in the family.
Rachel
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KC in TX
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Matilda wrote:
mimmyof5 wrote:
| However, my oldest dd claims all credit for the twins. Unbeknownst to her dad and I, she was praying for twins. So I'd say, "Be prepared". |
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Yikes! I've got three praying for twins!!! |
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I've had two of my girls praying for twins for what seems like forever. It's not working yet.
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Rachel May
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KC in TX wrote:
| I've had two of my girls praying for twins for what seems like forever. It's not working yet. |
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Same here! All the kids want identical girls.
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Angi
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My family has twins every other generation for as far back as we have recorded. There are currently 6 sets living I think.
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Michaela
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Lisbet wrote:
| Being adopted and not knowing any family or medical history, I often wonder if there are twins. |
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Same here. I always have to answer "unknown" when asked by doctors about family history.
My oldest prayed for twins...one boy and one girl. That's exactly what we got.
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Becky Le
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JodieLyn wrote:
the possiblity of releasing 2 eggs at ovulation is the heredity factor in fraternal twins. they claim that there is no heredity factor in indentical twinning.. but that doesn't explain the families that do have identical twins down the generations.. and through the paternal line.
I just chalk it up to something that they want to think they know but don't really. |
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This is my feeling too. I have identical twin girls. We have 4 sets of twins in my close extended family, 3 sets are identical girls, 1 set are b/g fraternal and that was on the paternal line.
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nissag
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Yes, fraternal twins are hereditary. Identical twins are less understood. You might have inherited the predisposition to produce more than one ovum at a time. Cool!
My great grandmother was a fraternal twin, she had a set of fraternal twins. No one else has had twins in that line since, though. Too bad that gene didn't get handed down.
The chance of twinning tends to increase with age, number of previous pregnancies, and proximity of pregnancies.
Blessings,
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Matilda
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I remember reading an interview with some actor (I don't remember who now) and his wife a long time ago. She was telling the story about when they discovered they were having twins. The doctor noticed that the father was being very quiet and kind of hiding in a corner. The wife laughed saying that he thought identical twins were like "freaks of nature" or something. The doctor looked at him very seriously and said, "Oh but they are!" He was teasing the dad, but then went on the explain that medical science had no way to explain or know what causes the split and formation of two separate human beings. Hmmmmm? Maybe...GOD?
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Charlotte (Matilda)
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Waltzing Matilda
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MarilynW
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Matilda wrote:
He was teasing the dad, but then went on the explain that medical science had no way to explain or know what causes the split and formation of two separate human beings. Hmmmmm? Maybe...GOD? |
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Amen!!
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MarilynW
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When my twins were first born I belonged to a Mothers of Multiples group. One interesting fact was that many mothers there who had identical twins had had a miscarriage just prior to conceiving twins. This was true for me too.
I am interested to know if this is true for any of you who have twins.
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Marilyn
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4Real Forums : Mothering and Family Life
Topic: Twins question
