Since my Gynaes, Dr A.H and Dr Z, informed me that I'm one of those lucky few to have hyperovulation (i.e when you release more than one egg during an ovulation cycle, which increases your ability to conceive fraternal twins), I know my chances of getting twins (or even more) in future are high.
I do have relatives on my father's side who have quadruplets, and my late grandfather and late grandaunt are fraternal twins, while their stepsiblings are quadruplets. (A dad may pass a 'twin gene' (the hyperovulation gene) from his side of the family to his daughter. Or the gene may be passed on to his son, who passes it on to HIS daughter - and so on.)
Let's find out from an experienced mother of twins, Kris Bigalk. Kris Bigalk is the mother of fraternal twin boys, born in December of 2005. She is also mother to a 5-year-old and stepmother to a 7 and a 13-year-old, for a whopping total of five children. Since finding out she was pregnant with twins, she has researched the topic extensively and networked with other mothers of multiples. Bearing and raising twins is an exciting adventure that she is ready to share with her readers. Kris has taught college-level English since 1990, and has experience as a professional writer and editor.
By Kris Bigalk
Top Five Toddler Twin Traits
1. They Can Clean One Plate
Yes, toddler twins can usually clean ONE plate. That means that they leave half of their own meal lying on the high chair tray most days. My twins each like different foods. One will eat the meat sticks, the other will eat the corn. One likes cheese, the other likes crackers. In the end, both get fed, and less goes to waste than when I had just one baby.
2. They Learn the Value of Cooperation
– Early!I will never forget the day I saw my twins cooperate for the first time. Together, they pushed over the diaper pail and decorated the nursery with diaper contents. What a proud day for me and their dad. Or, who could forget the day both of them pushed a heavy box over to the kitchen table, and then used it to climb up and help themselves to all sorts of forbidden goodies?Of course, the twins cooperate in positive ways, too. They often hand one another tidbits of food, or trade sippy cups if they like what the other is drinking. Once, I even caught them "reading" a book together. My firstborn didn't do those things, even in a daycare setting. It's been really fun to watch.
3. They Tag-team Their Parents
With my firstborn, I ascribed to the theory of attachment parenting, carrying him with me wherever I went, co-sleeping, and feeding on demand. With the twins, all of that went straight out the window. If one was asleep, the other one wanted to be awake; if one wanted a bottle, the other one didn't. Creating and maintaining a schedule was the only thing that kept me sane in those early days.Now, my twins still are put down to nap at the same time. They are served meals at the same time. If one's not tired, he hangs out in his crib and plays. If one's not hungry, he doesn't eat and makes up for it at a later meal or snack. I'm a much better mother if I've slept through the night and eaten three square meals a day—an impossibility when the twins were not on a schedule.
4. They Attract Attention in Public
Twins attract attention, usually positive, especially if they are looking and acting particularly angelic. I know these days are numbered. I have twin boys. Soon they will be running up and down the aisles at Target, terrorizing senior citizens with their super-hero impersonations (that is, if they're anything like my 6-year-old).
5. They Compete
I often joke that my firstborn twin stopped doing anything first the minute he was born. After that, his more feisty, competitive twin out-grew him, out-ate him, out-crawled him, and, until recently, out-walked him. Sometimes I wonder if Twin A would have done any of those things without the goading of Twin B. Eventually, it just bugged Twin A that Twin B was always getting everything first, because he was faster—so he learned to crawl, then walk. Now Twin B is starting to talk, and Twin A is still not all that interested—until recently, when he noticed that Twin B often gets what he asks for. Hmmmm. In this case, competition is a good thing.
Your Chances of Having Twins
What factors predispose couples to have twins? Here are some interesting findings.
Genetics
If you are a woman whose mother, sister, maternal aunt or maternal grandmother had fraternal twins, this trait may have been passed to you. Fraternal twins can only be conceived if a woman releases two eggs at ovulation, and this trait has been genetically predetermined in some people.
Age
If you are a woman between the ages of 35 - 39, you are more likely to conceive twins. This likelihood increases more after 40, but mostly because women are using fertility treatments at that age. Women over 35 may release more than one egg at ovulation because their cycles are being disrupted by perimenopause.
Previous Pregnancies
The more previous pregnancies and births a woman has experienced, the more likely twins will be in subsequent pregnancies. If a woman has conceived twins (especially fraternal twins) before, she is more likely to have them again.
Race/Ethnicity
In the United States, people of African descent have a higher incidence of twins than Caucasians, who have a higher rate of twinning than Asians. Native Americans have a slightly lower incidence than Asians, and Hispanics have the lowest rate of twinning.
Weight/Height
Obese women, especially those with a body mass index over 30, tend to conceive twins more often, but also have higher risk pregnancies because of the excess weight. Taller women are also more likely to conceive twins.
Diet/Nutrition
There is some scientific evidence that eating animal products, especially dairy, increases a woman's chances of conceiving twins. Vegan women who eat no dairy have a very low rate of twin conception. Women whose diets are high in folate seem to conceive twins more often, as do those who eat yams or other products high in natural estrogen-like compounds. Women in the Yoruba tribe in Africa have a phenomenal rate of twinning, and consume yams as a major part of their diet. Once twins have been conceived, consuming a healthy, adequate diet is essential for the proper development of the babies as well.
Environment
Strangely enough, some studies have found that living near a polluted area increases a woman's chances of having twins.
Breastfeeding
Women who are breastfeeding when they get pregnant again (often accidentally!) are more likely to conceive twins.
Infertility
As those who have been through the infertility process know, both infertility drugs and IVF increase a couple's chances of a multiple pregnancy.
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DID YOU KNOW?
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT TWINS AND MULTIPLES
Worldwide there are at least 125 million living multiples. Did you know that up to 22 percent of twins are left-handed?
In the non-twin population the number is just under 10 percent.The United States has one of the highest rates of multiples, while Japan has one of the lowest with multiple births occurring one in 120 births.Twins are either fraternal or identical. Fraternal twins share the same womb, but come from different ovum. They are as alike as any pair of siblings. On the other hand, identical twins come from the same fertilized ovum and consequently share the same genetic makeup.
Incredible fact: According to the Guinness Book of Records, Leontina Albina, from the country of Chile, gave birth to the last of her 55 children in 1981. Her offspring included five sets of triplets (all boys).
The scientific study of twins is known as "gemellology." The word twin is probably derived from an ancient German word twine, which means 'two together.'The average weight of a singleton newborn is 7 lbs. 6 oz., but the average weight of a triplet newborn is 3 lbs. 12 oz.Fraternal twins are much more common than identical twins. The chances of having identical twins is about one in 285.Identical twins exhibit almost identical brain wave patterns.Genetic factors do not have much, if any, affect on the incidence of identical twins. Identical twins do not run in families.
What a concept! There is a restaurant in New York City called "Twins." It was started by twin sisters and is staffed by 37 sets of identical twins who work the same shifts. Each evening they get 10 or more sets of twins or multiples who patron their unique restaurant.
Famous people who have parented twins:Jane Pauley and Garry Trudeau,Ricky Nelson,Jane Seymour,Cybill Sheperd,James Stewart,Margaret Thatcher,President George W. Bush,Robert DeNiro,Michael J. Fox and Tracy Pollan,Mel Gibson,Ron Howard,Muhammad Ali,Denzel WashingtonDid you know that Elvis Presley and Liberace were both twins? Their siblings died at birth.The famed advice columnist's Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren ("Dear Abby") are twins.William Shakespeare was the father of boy/girl twins.
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Time for me to retire and lay my eggs.
Any healthy sperms to spare me?
:p
