I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

I was wondering how many women on here had twins "naturally" - not thru IVF?

The reason I'm asking is because technically, I'm genetically a ticking time bomb for twins. Heres why - my mom's a fraternal twin, and her 2 younger sisters are fraternal twins. Fraternal twins are genetic and they skip a generation. My mom's twin sister's daughter had twins - at least one set. I heard she had a second set as well, but I don't really talk to my mom or her family... I don't think any of the other girls (my cousins) had twins though

Also, ironically, my dad's an identical twin, but thats a fluke - not genetic, it just happens...

To tell you the truth, I was shocked there was only one in there when I 1st saw the baby when I was newly pregnant. I was relieved though, because I'm not sure I can handle twins...

I am just wondering if I get pregnant again, which is what I want, will I be tempting fate and possibly end up with twins this time around?

I was curious how many of you happened to have twins naturally because it was in your family....

I don't want to offend anyone - I once read on some shirt someone posted that one of the questions twin moms hate hearing is "Are they from iVF" or somehting like that...

Message edited 2/1/2008 8:36:50 PM.

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

My doc told me (his practice delivers the most multiples in the tri-state area) that almost 60% of all twins born today are a result of fertility treatments due to the increase use of such treatments.

That being said, your chances of twins does increase with family history AND your age. It's believed as ovaries age (and the aging of one's ovaries can happen earlier than the typical chronological age for the onset of menopause) they begin to release multiple eggs and the chance of twins can increase in your late 30's/early 40's. Of course, if a woman is peri-menopausal and releasing multiple eggs that does not mean said eggs are viable, again due to age. There are so many variables.

Of course, a much younger woman can also release two eggs one month or the egg can just split.

There are some twins on this board as a result of fertility treatments but there are many spontaneous sets as well. Some fraternal, some identical.

BTW: There is a recent thread where someone asked us how we had our twins

Message edited 2/1/2008 8:45:59 PM.

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

I did. My daughters are identical & there were no twins in our families before then. (That we know of)

Message edited 2/1/2008 9:01:41 PM.

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

mine are natural... i dont know about all this herditry stuff. my boys are identical... my older sis had 2 sets boys and identical.. my father was an identical twin and my grandfather the same.. going back i dont knoe how far.. all boys... and they say the girl carries the trait.....

i dont even know..

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

Mine are natural as well and as far as we knew there were no sets of twins on either side of our family. However, last year at a wake I found out that on my Dad's side there is a history of twins (not sure which type though). My Grandfather (Dad's dad) was one of 5. Of those 5 kids three of them would one day each have a set of twin grandchildren. There mother also had a set of still born twins.

It's weird. They really don't know anything about identical twins so for all we know it could be something that is heriditary.

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

i had them naturally. i was not even planing on getting pregnant and then we were really surprised when we found
out i was pregnant and then with twins.

Not sure where they came from. My grandmothers sister had fraternal twins & my husbands grandmother had identical twin boys.

My girls were in separate sacs and doctors thought they were fraternal (but as you might have seen when you saw them)look identical. and identical twins are a fluke and not genetic.

i hope you have twins so that you can see what an amazing experience it is.

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

well you know my answer!
I am a true firm believer that you don't get more then you can handle.

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

they're not here yet - but we got PG via IUI

don't know the stats on heredity and all that stuff

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

ours were due to fertility treatments, but my dad is a twin (fraternal) so I could have had them

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

I got pg with IUI. Alone that does not increase twins at all. after a MC i wanted to increase my chances of getting pg and my dr gave me low does clomid. that increased my chances slightly and i was very suprised that i got twins! but thrillled its always be a dream of mine.

as far as fraternal twins---twins dont skip a generation.....A woman can inherit the twin gene directly from her mother, or from her paternal grandmother through her father. This is why many people believe that twins sometimes "skip a generation." its b.c the man can not pass along tiwns directly.

my husband has twins in his famaily. so when i people ask if we have them in the family i say yes on my husbands side.
but really that doestn matter and most peolpe dont know that. no need to share with every stranger in my opinion.

GL to you!!

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

First all twins are natural, I am not sure what an unnatural twin is.

Second, twins do not skip a generation, that is a misnomer. If the twins occured on the mother's side (meaning the person who will be conceiving twins, not the grandmother of the baby) then there is an increased chance of twins since the propencity to relaease more then one egg is hereditary. If your father was a franternal twin he too could pass this gene on to you passed from his mother.

So it can happen, but then again, I have no twins in my family and did not have nay medical intervention and I have identical twin boys, so it really all is a craps shoot!

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

My twins are natural...

Ive actually had 2 sets of identical twins...

Jaedyn and Alexis are 9

Jonathen and Andrew were sadly born too early they would of been 15 this year...

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

we were not trying and somehow were blessed with fraternal twins. It isn't on either side of the family. My dr. said it was probably just a fluke that i dropped two eggs that month. I love my and wouldn't want things any different. We'll see what happens when we try for #3 way down the road!

Re: I know this isn't a "popular" question - but I'm just curious - hope I don't offend anyone...

I have no twins in my family, or his. I didn't take no meds either and i have two girls. I've always wanted twins, now god gave me them.