Pregnancy Bliss | Reproductive Health Answers
Twins in the early trimester with two separate sacs and separate placentas. It is impossible at this stage to tell if they are identical or not. If they are of different sexes - something that can be established in the mid-trimester - this will confirm that they are non-identical; otherwise the question remains unanswered throughout the pregnancy
Twins
I am carrying twins; how unique am I?
It depends on your ancestry. If you are Caucasian, 1 per cent of all of pregnancies will be twins; If you are of black African origin, the rate is slightly higher, at 1.5 per cent, and if you are of Japanese or other oriental origin, then the rate is lower at about 0.7 per cent. These rates apply to naturally conceived twins.
What if I am using clomiphene (Clomid®) to help with ovulation?
The chances of having twin pregnancy with use of this ovulation-inducing medication shoot up several-fold, to around 10 per cent. With clomid, when multiple pregnancy occurs, it is usually twins rather than triplets or other higher order multiples.
Are there any factors that make one prone to twins/multiple pregnancy?
Yes; family history is a strong factor. If you are a twin yourself (non-identical), then you have a higher than average chance of having twins yourself. The same applies if you have first degree relatives who are twins (non-identical).
The chances of having a twin pregnancy also increase with age and the number of pregnancies. This means, the older you get and the more pregnancies you have, the higher the chances of getting a twin pregnancy.
What about identical twins?
The rate of this kind of twins is constant throughout the world and is not influenced by age, race, family history or the number of pregnancies.
If you are an identical twin yourself, your chances of having a twin pregnancy is the same as the average.
What if the father is a twin?
If he is an identical twin, then there is no increase in the chance of twin pregnancy. If he is a non-identical twin, then there is some increase in the chance of a twin pregnancy, though not as high as when the family history of twins is maternal.
What causes twins/multiple pregnancy?
With identical twins (doctors call them "monozygotic"), it is the result of the division of an already fertilized egg.
With non-identical- twins (also called "dizygotic" or "fraternal"), it is because of fertilization of two separate eggs that happened to be released at the same time. Most twins are non-identical.
Virtually all higher order multiples (triplets and so on) are non-identical.