Do you think the tech gave away the genders??

xMissLissx · May 2014

For a little background, we aren't finding out the sexes of the babies. When I went for my first scan at less than 5 weeks there were two seperate, visible sacs. I asked my peri if they can tell if they're identical or fraternal and he said that twins with seperate placentas and sacs can still be identical. I read that 30% of ID twins do indeed have their own placentas and sacs.

So I was at my partial anatomy scan on Monday (18w3d) and I said something about wondering if my twins are identical. The tech said adamantly "you're twins are fraternal and if they give you identical twins in the hospital, they gave you the wrong babies." This was said after I told her we didn't want to know the sexes, she even had me look away at points during the sono. My mom was there with me and she thinks the tech was basically saying they are b/g twins. I said maybe she doesn't know that a percentage of identicals have their own placentas/sacs.

What do you think?

Aurora1181 · May 2014

I've heard of this happening to other ladies on this board- I think she is saying that they are boy/girl. Could be that she didn't know.. but.... how else would it be that definitive?

24karat · May 2014

Maybe, maybe not. In some ways it kind of sounds like she accidentally slipped up saying b/g but fraternals can be so completely different (they have as much in common as a set of singleton siblings) that even if you have b/b or g/g they can look nothing alike. I wouldn't worry about it too much or start thinking b/g based on that one comment though.

tiersa_smith · May 2014

I don't think it's a slip. Identical babies share the same sac and she can see that they have separate so that's probably why she said that.

TheDairyQueenx3 · May 2014

I would take it as the tech doesnt know what makes twins identical or fraternal and was just assuming because they are in two sacs that you are having frats.

4legsRbest · May 2014

tiersa_smith said:

I don't think it's a slip. Identical babies share the same sac and she can see that they have separate so that's probably why she said that.

I would think this exaclty.

ceechie · May 2014

4legsRbest said:

tiersa_smith said:

I don't think it's a slip. Identical babies share the same sac and she can see that they have separate so that's probably why she said that.

I would think this exaclty.

I'm in this boat. You're still team green. But now you're gonna be super analyzing everything that's said at all your upcoming u/s appts....

KatieGummow · May 2014

AshB62 said:
A lot of people (even some medical professionals) think that di/di=fraternal. I had no idea IDs could have separate sacs until I was pregnant with twins myself.

This.

caden · May 2014

I had an u/s tech say something similar and I also wondered if she was basically telling me they were b/g. But I have 2 boys so she was one of the uninformed types. Well except my kids are frats so she was right lol

Rynleigh · May 2014

Yes - around 30% of identical twins can be di/di (though that number is hugely variable - ranging from 18% up to 36% depending on the population you are referencing) - BUT - that is not the same as saying that a third of all di/di pregnancies are made up of identicals... The percent of di/di pregnancies that happen to be identical is only 15% - and that's the most generous estimate. More conservative estimates are closer to 7% to 10%

I do kind of think that it's possible that she was letting a hint at "team purple" slip... but it would have been something I'd have to have heard her tone of voice over... did she sound coy, or opinionated? If she sounded like she was trying to be sly, I think gender hinting was probable. If she just sounded opinionated or blunt, she might just be miseducated about the fact that separate placentas does not rule out the possibility of being identical (techs aren't OBs or pediatricians... they don't *necessarily* know the statistics - you'd hope they do, but it isn't a for-sure thing)

Rynleigh · May 2014

tiersa_smith said:

Identical babies share the same sac

This is a false statement. MOST identical twins share a placenta - but it is not a requirement. It depends on how long it takes the egg to split after fertilization. If it splits within the first three days of development, the babies will each have their own placenta and they will be di/di - there will be zero way of knowing if they are identical until they are born. The structures that eventually become placental cells begin to develop on that 4th day - so if they split *on or after day 4*, they will share a placenta. The structures programming for amniotic cells begin to develop around day 9 - if the egg splits *on or after day 9*, it will typically result in mo/mo twins - and the later that split occurs, the greater these twins have of a higher probability of being "mirror image twins" - twins who have unique features in "mirror image" - one might have a dimple on the left, while the other has the same dimple on the right. One might be right handed and the other may be left handed. If they split on or after day 12, the chances of being conjoined are very high.

All of that said, it is common practice to *assume* that di/di twins are fraternal, and genetic testing is usually required in order to confirm zygosity for di/di twins who look identical.

ceechie · May 2014

@Rynleigh‌ - you go! I need to copy and paste this to a tee shirt for when I'm walking around with my girls!

Rynleigh · May 2014

OH there is one exception to the rule of not knowing - IF you have an early ultrasound in that first trimester with di/di and they scan your ovaries and you only have ONE corpus luteum cyst, your di/di twins are almost definitely ID. If you have multiple CLCs, they are *probably* fraternal

Rynleigh · May 2014

Every pregnancy has a minimum of one corpus luteum cyst. It is a cyst that develops during the egg release (so you will typically get one every time you ovulate) When you become pregnant, the cyst sticks around to produce progesterone to support the pregnancy until the placenta develops and becomes functional

So, usually, they have no reason to even bother telling you about the cyst. Smart techs who are familiar with scanning twins will sometimes check your ovaries to count the number of cysts *if* they discover that you've got spontaneous di/di twins - but not all techs do (and I have the feeling that not all techs even know to check). Multiple CLCs typically means that you released more than one egg, while a single CLC means that you only released one egg.

Rynleigh · May 2014

But I did include the "probably" when it comes to finding multiple cysts, because multiple cysts doesn't always rule out identicals - you could have multiple cysts because your last ovulation cyst didn't shrink back down very quickly, or you might have still only had one egg fertilize and then split even if you released multiple eggs.. but if all you have is just the one, single CLC, it is very unlikely that you released more than one egg

Jules_Shamblin · May 2014

KatieGummow said:

A lot of people (even some medical professionals) think that di/di=fraternal. I had no idea IDs could have separate sacs until I was pregnant with twins myself.
This.

Yep, this. Our ultrasound tech told us we were having fraternal twins because they are di/di and then my OB told us that we wouldn't know for sure until they arrive. I think I might have gotten the tech into a little bit of trouble because the doctor was pretty annoyed that the tech had told me differently. We still have two more months before the girls get here and we can find out for sure.

katiebenes · May 2014

No, a lot of techs I saw think all di/di twins are frats. So there's a good chance she basically just told you they are di/di

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