Conceiving twins?

[MissSparkle]

Hi all. Im not actually TTC atm (a 14months old is enough for me for the time being).

I was actually just wondering when twins are conceived is it determined by the male or female.

And is the sex of the baby determined by the male or female.

Im DYING to have twin girls (We'll TTC after we get married in June 07). If anyone could fill me in on how it works that'd be great!!

[CJJHRA]

for fraternal twins, its from the female, cause she is the one that releases two eggs.

for identical twins, who knows... twinning is supposed to run along the female line, skipping a generation.

Theres actually believed to be 3 twin types.. identical, fraternal and a mix of both.

The mix of both is where the egg splits and is fertilised by two different sperm. so the twins both have the same genes as there mums, and not of the dads. (its said that the famous Olsen twins are actully this type of twins, only 50% id, not 100)


Sex is determined by the male, the sperm carries the XY gene females only have the XX

if any of that helps

[xkwzit]

Hi Steph
Identical twins are caused when the egg splits post fertilisation, so both children are genetically identical. I didn't think it was possible for an egg to be fertilised twice, as normally once the sperm accesses the egg, it becomes impossible for another sperm to (why I don't know).

Sex is always determined by the father, sperm are "male" or "female" (X or Y), eggs are all the same. But some ppl hypothesise that conditions in the vagina may favour one type of sperm over the other, hence those sex determining diets. Also there is timing sex around your ovulation date. The theory being that "male" sperm swim faster, but "female" sperm live longer.

Cheers (good luck)

[Oscar's mum]

Check out this thread from a while ago, it mentions ways that may increase your chances!;)

HOT TO CONCEIVE TWINS LINK (http://www.bubhub.com.au/community/forums/showthread.php?t=13300&highlight=twins)

[CJJHRA]

How Common are Twins?
Twin pregnancies are actually more common then most people think. About 3% of babies born in the United States are twins or higher-order multiple births (such as triplets). This means that every woman has about a 3% chance of naturally conceiving and giving birth to a set of twins. Fraternal twins are much more common than identical twins, with identical twins accounting for only 0.4% of all births. Higher-order multiple births are much less common, with triplets occurring naturally in only 1 out of 8,000 births.

Multiplying Multiples!
In the past two decades, there has actually been a dramatic rise in the number of twin and multiple births. Since 1980, the number of twin births has increased by 74%. The number of higher-order multiple births has also skyrocketed, with triplets being born 400 times more often! This dramatic increase in twin births seems to be attributable to the more frequent and successful use of fertility drugs.

Factors that Influence Twins
Twins can occur naturally in any woman at any time. However, there are certain factors that increase your chances of having twins. These factors include:

* Family History: Having a maternal history of twins or other multiple births increases your chance of becoming pregnant with twins considerably.

* Cultural Background: People of African American descent are more likely to have twins or multiple births. People of Asian or Hispanic descent are less likely to have twins.

* Age: Your chances of having twins increases as you grow older. Women produce more ovulation-stimulating hormone as they age, increasing your chance of releasing more than one egg during ovulation. The chance of having twins rises to 4% between the ages of 30 and 34, and to 5% between the ages of 35 and 39.

* Previous Twins: If you’ve already had twins, it is more likely that you will have another twin pregnancy.

* Previous Pregnancies: Women who have had four or more previous pregnancies are the most likely to have twins.

* Fertility Drugs: Taking fertility drugs or undergoing fertility treatments can significantly increase your chances of having twins or another type of multiple birth. In some cases, women can increase their chances of having twins up to 20%.

* Weight Gain: A study by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology linked the recent rise in multiple births with the steady rise of obesity in North America. Women with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 are more likely to have twins than those in the suggested BMI range of 19 to 25.

Increasing Your Chances of Having Twins
So, are there any proven methods to increase your chances of having twins? Well, there are a number of ways that you can go about trying to have twins, but, as with anything, there are no guarantees. Having twins is mostly down to luck, although there are a few things you can do to help Lady Luck along.

Focus on Nutrition
Women who are well nourished are more likely to have twins or multiple births. So focus on eating well and eating enough to maintain a healthy weight.

Eat Yams
Yams, a type of sweet potato, have also been linked with multiple births. A tribe in Africa whose diet consists mostly of yams was recently found to have exceptionally high rates of twins and multiple births. Yams are thought to contain chemicals that stimulate hyperovulation, increasing your chances of conceiving twins.

Try Fertility Drugs
Though not recommended unless you are suffering from fertility issues, fertility drugs do seem to greatly increase your chances of having twins. The fertility drug clomiphene (Clomid) increases your likelihood to 8%, while menotropins (Pergonal) increases your likelihood to 18%. Fertility drugs do cause side effects though and should never be taken without the supervision of a medical doctor.

Try Fertility Treatments
Fertility treatments are also associated with higher rates of multiple births. In-vitro fertilization involves implanting more than one embryo into your uterus, which means your are more likely to conceive twins or higher-order multiples. Like fertility drugs, fertility treatments should not be undergone without approval from a medical doctor and are usually reserved for couples who are having difficulties conceiving.



and this..



explaining the biology behind twinning, it is important to point out the different types of twins that exist. Fraternal or dizygotic twins occur when a woman releases two eggs, instead of one, during ovulation, making both eggs available for fertilization. Fraternal twins, of course, share a common prenatal environment and normally the same birth date. Since fraternal twins come from both two different eggs and two different spermatozoa, the pair can be either female/female, male/male, or female/male. Identical or monozygotic twins on the other hand, must either be male/male or female/female. Identical twins occur when the fertilized egg, or morula, splits. Because identical twins come from both the same egg and sperm, they are exactly alike in their genetic makeup (3). There is speculation that a third type of twin exists, an "identical/fraternal." These twins are said to be a result of a split in the mother's egg after ovulation but prior to fertilization. In these cases, the twins share identical genes from their mother, but differ in genetical makeup because they came from different sperm and thus have differing genes from their father

[MissSparkle]

The odds aren't on my side :(

Reading that infro I realised

-Ihave no twins in my family (DF does tho)
-Asian decent less likely to have multiples :( Im of asian decent
-More chance of having twins once ur older- I'll be TTC when Im 20-21.
-I havent had twins and I haven't had 4 or more pregnancies!

Oh well I'll try my hardest but thanks for all the infro ladies! It really helped

[rachelduke]

Hi all. Im not actually TTC atm (a 14months old is enough for me for the time being).

I was actually just wondering when twins are conceived is it determined by the male or female.

And is the sex of the baby determined by the male or female.

Im DYING to have twin girls (We'll TTC after we get married in June 07). If anyone could fill me in on how it works that'd be great!! Hi i have 7 week old twins and were not trying for twins hehe but very happy to have them , Well it works both ways my twins are fraternal twins so when i ovulated i dropped 2 eggs and both were fertilized ,But with identical twins the male determines them as the sperm splits the egg in 2 . I dont think there is any way of helping your chances of getting twins unless twins run in your family and being there are fraternal as identical are something freak that happens . PPl that do conceive twins naturally that dont have twins run in the family just drop the 2 eggs and are lucky hehehe .Twins are a blessing hard work but you wouldn't have it any other way i wish you luck when your ready to try again .




Mummy of bailey and Joseph and 7 week old twins Bella and logan :goodvibes:

[MothersMilk]

I don't have twins on my side but DH's side is riddled with twins - i did end up conceiving twins (much to my suprise) but unfortunately it ended in miscarriage. I don't fit any of the criteria for women most likely to have twins.
Perhaps the male side has more to do with than we realise???
It might be unlikely but stranger things have happened....