identical twins and heredity

wednesday51 · December 2009

So I've read/heard that identical twins don't run in families and it's all coincidence if it seems that they do. However, I've also read a couple of articles about studies that say the guy's sperm could have something to do with it---specifically that certain men's sperm is more likely to split an egg. Are you having identical twins (if you know) and/or does it seem to run in your or DH's family? I am only curious because identical twins seem to run in my FI's family and, coincidentally, it does seem to be the males (like his uncles' wives have twins, but his aunts do not have twins).

kimarino13 · December 2009

I am having ID twins, but they do not run in my family. Fraternal twins do, though.

RunnerGirl17 · December 2009

I'm having identical twins and there's no family history of identical twins. On my husband's side, his great aunts were twins, but otherwise, no other family history of twins on either side.

jacobandcrystal · December 2009

We're having identicals and my husband's side doesn't have a twin history.

I have heard, however, that identicals could be the result of your body's composition when you get pregnant. I got pregnant with our identicals while breastfeeding, so sometimes I wonder if the hormones present or some other factor contributed to it.

rasuhu · December 2009

I have identical twins and we've always been told (by docs and whatnot) that there isn't a hereditary link for identical twins, and that's why the chances of having them in the first place are so much smaller than fraternal twins. Always made sense to me I guess....like that dropping more than one egg could be a hereditary trait, but simply splitting an egg would be coincidence.

I've never heard that about some men's sperm being more likely to split an egg....though it certainly would make my husband feel awesome to know he might have "super sperm". Big Smile

CrazeyJaneyR · December 2009

I have 3 sets of identical twins on my side of the family. Great aunts, cousins and 2nd cousins.

RoseWhite · December 2009

I don't know yet if my boys are fraternal or identical (we have to have them tested). Twins run in my family, but not in DH's..

If they turn out to be identical, I think DH would love to think it was because of his "super sperm"...lol

wednesday51 · December 2009

RoseWhite:

I don't know yet if my boys are fraternal or identical (we have to have them tested). Twins run in my family, but not in DH's..

If they turn out to be identical, I think DH would love to think it was because of his "super sperm"...lol

After I told my FI about it he was convinced the men in his family have "super sperm." Aiyaiyai.

wednesday51 · December 2009

MrsLee04:
I'm convinced there is something to identical twins and heredity. Everyone I've known with identical twins has always had at least one other set in the family somewhere. I just think the link hasn't been found yet, although I have read things that say they are getting closer to proving it.

This is what I think too. It's still being brushed off as coincidence but I don't think 3 pairs of identical twins in my FI's family (all from related MALES) is just coincidence!

pea-kay · December 2009

there are no identical twins (or triplets) in my husband's family. i suspect our boys are just freaks of nature. in a good way. :P

wednesday51 · December 2009

pea-kay:
there are no identical twins (or triplets) in my husband's family. i suspect our boys are just freaks of nature. in a good way. :P

Definitely in a good way----they're so cute!

Rinnie · December 2009

I have identical twins and there are no twins in either side of our family.

My peri (i love this doc) told me that my boys were a freak of nature:)

Now my DH has his own reason for it (he thinks he is cute).

He says that the reason I had identical twins is because my eggs were or are getting old and they knew it was there last chance to produce something - so they split and we had twins. He of course is joking!

I would love to see this article about a man's sperm perhaps causing the identical twins - I can then blame it on him for once:)

Mrs. Destructo · December 2009

There's a rumor in my H's family that his grandfather was an ID twin but his twin died at birth. If this happened it was all very hush hush, because it wasn't proper to talk about such things back then.

I have also heard this theory, I think from a fellow nestie.

2shihtzus · December 2009

I'm new here and have never posted before but I saw this post and had to read it because I have been curious about this myself. I am a fraternal twin and I am having twin boys that the doctors think are probably identical. We won't know for sure until they are born and they are tested but all signs so far seem to point to identical. I have heard that identical twins are not genetic but it just seems pretty odd to me that I am having twins and I am a twin and that is a coincidence. For what it's worth, twins due run in my husbands family although there haven't been any recently (mostly great uncles etc.) until us.

PianoPlayingSarah · December 2009

My girls are identical triplets. There are no other sets of identical multiples in my family or MH's.

laceymb · December 2009

My girls are identical and there are no other twins on my or my DH's side.

sfshawna · December 2009

I'm an identical twin with identical twin girls. If it's a "fluke," then it's crazy that it happened for me and my girls. I tend to think there's something hereditary there, too. In the meantime,.I love that I have my experience as a twin to help me in raising them

FWIW, I also have identical twin first cousins on my mother's side, and fraternal twins on my dad's side.

mmbench · December 2009

My father is a geneology freak, and there's no history of twins (ID or fraternal) anywhere in my family for the last 100 years.

DH's maternal grandmother was an ID. And her ID sister had twins as well. I don't know if they were ID or not.

Even though the docs say it doesn't matter, I'm still blaming him.

clallread@gmail.com · December 2009

My husbands paternal grandmother was an identical twin so maybe there is a link.

kyraiyne · December 2009

I'm pregnant with #3 and 4. Identical twin boys. My paternal grandmother had identical twin boys (also number 3 and 4--One being my dad) And her dad's mom also had identical twin boys...

Maybe not hereditary but very fun story to share!

jackieb3858 · February 2010

sfshawna:
I'm an identical twin with identical twin girls. If it's a "fluke," then it's crazy that it happened for me and my girls. I tend to think there's something hereditary there, too. In the meantime,.I love that I have my experience as a twin to help me in raising them FWIW, I also have identical twin first cousins on my mother's side, and fraternal twins on my dad's side.

I am an identical twin who is having identical twins also. I know they say it is not hereditary but it seems kind of strange. My husband's cousins are identical twins too.

Want a personalized experience?

identical twins and heredity

Re: identical twins and heredity

Choose Another Board

Search Boards