IDENTICAL OR FRATERNAL TWINS
7 Replies
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Are there any good ways of knowing for sure which you are having? Between my 6 and 7th week my babies measured 6w5d and the other 6w3d. Then two days before my 12th week u/s they measured one at 12w and the other at 11w5d. So they are still two days apart. They think they saw two placentas, but weren't sure. So my question is that these are probably fraternal correct? My twins are all natural so it makes sense that there were two eggs each fertilized on two different days, or can identicals split like that? Do I have to wait to find out the gender first, knowing if it's b/g then they are for sure fraternal. I'm confused (and my mom is really worried thinking she won't be able to tell them apart)
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They sound fraternal to me, I would think if they wee identical they would share a sac and measure the same...but I could be wrong. Tell your Mom to chill out! Even if they are identical...she'll find some way...a birth mark or mole to tell them apart. And you could always put wristbands on them or paint one of their toenails! Good luck!
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There is no way of telling for sure if they are fraternal unless they are b/g twins until they are born and then it might come down to a DNA test. The sooner the egg splits with identicals, the less they share. About 1/3 of identicals have a separate sac and placenta. Of course, if they were in the same sac or shared a placenta, then you could be sure they are identical, unless they are fraternal with two placentas that have been fused together to make it look like one. Basically, it is a waiting game.
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Sometimes it is difficult to tell and you would have to wait until they were born to tell and maybe have some genetic testing done. Even with identicals there is always something that you can pick out that would be slightly different so tell your mom not to worry. All else fails, paint one of their toenails or something :).... oh and it doesn't matter that your kids are "natural" (aren't all babies natural.. nothing unnatural about them). Identical twins are mostly a product of nature splitting the egg. Women on fertility meds who have multiples as a result of the meds would usually have fraternals. So it is possible that although you conceived your twins "spontaneously" they could still be identical.
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My girls measured about 5 days apart, had their own sac and own placenta and they are id though we were told thru the whole pg that they were frat. As one said there is NO way to know unless they are b/g or sharing the same amnion/chorion(momo)
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There is no way to be absolutely sure until you deliver. They should take your placenta(s) and do pathology on them to find out. On my U/S, they thought they saw separate sacs and placentas and so thought fraternal. After delivery, they did pathology and sure enough, my girls are fraternal. Although you can tell that by looking at them! Fraternal twins can look alike too. Mary Kate and Ashley Olson are actually fraternal twins!! So, your poor mom still may get confused.
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actually they think that Ashley and Mary Kate are polar body twins. Having frat twins that look THAt much alike is very rare.
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I bet their mom was told they were fraternal because they were in their own sacs. When I asked my OB about them being fraternal, she said that she bet they are identical and were just misinformed. I mean, they were born so long ago and look at all the research done on multiples since then.
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