Anonymous wrote:

Highly unlikely they are identical. Highly.

Yup. 1/9 is pretty unlikely. Its my guess. Maybe because my great-grandmother was an identical twin? Intriguingly, I was told they both have really good umbilical cord insertions in the centers of their respective placentas. So if we assume they get equal nutrition, they should grow about the same size. If they track different sizes...different enough...maybe that will be a leading indicator. I'm just happy that, with gender revealed already, I get to have something else to remain unknowable for now.

Again, if someone told me my child had a 1/9 chance of some disease, I would think that staggeringly high! And yet that same 1/9 of being monozygotic twins...seems very low!

jindc wrote:...if you are before 18-20 weeks, how did you find out your baby's sex? I couldn't schedule an anatomy scan until 18-20 weeks (so, 19 weeks it is).

Is anyone concerned about it being too early so the scan possibly being wrong?

Is anyone holding our for a surprise? We aren't, but I'm one of the later due dates here, so I'm behind

They are doing regular size scans, since she has twins and is 38 she gets watched by the MFM folks like a hawk. Hence this scan at 16w2d, and the sonar tech was able to give us a determination. And yes, you're right, I suppose I'm just taking her word for it, but from what she was showing us, it would have looked very differently had one of them been male. "Real" anatomy scan is at 20w. Plus a fetal cardio since DD has a congenital heart defect (repaired via surgery).


Does anyone know if there is a twins section of this board?

yes, they are dichorionic - 2 sacs. Something like 88-90% are fraternal twins.
Which is what makes it pretty high likelihood that they are fraternal.
HOWEVER if a zygote divides on the early side of the timing, you get dichoionic identical twins.

(It struck me -- if the probability is 1/9 of them being identical, we would all call that pretty low. However, some people would call 1/9 a very "high" probability if the discussion were about some sort of problem.)

Just had DW's growth checkup today. I thought it was the lengthy anatomy scan but that is in 4 weeks, at the 20w mark.

All is proceeding according to plan. A and B are both within 7 grams of each other, around 150g each. And both are.....girls!

I had written my prediction down a few weeks ago "identical twin girls" and sealed it in an envelope. Of them being identical, now at this point...probability is around 1/9 or so. I think So my guess is still a long-shot!

Wife is 16w1d today (x2), some sort of scan at the MFM tomorrow (anatomy I think??). Maybe we will get an idea of at least one of the genders?

Belly is a lot farther along than a 16w singleton belly. She has experienced some movement feelings. On the last sonar, they were moving then. Its just a matter of size getting big enough to feel.

Due date is 22 October. Late September is probably more realistic, though.

Here's some more info based on my own experience, as partner to an expectant mom.
Our MFM did the screening with blood and NT and the weighted T21 probability was like 1:2400. And we have twins aboard, so its really significantly lower than that, even. Analysts continue to simply "double" risk when twins are present, but it is more complicated than that. Its more like only 18% higher when properly weighted (Cuckle, J Med Screen 1998;5:3–4).

I asked about Maternit21, and was told that such cell-free DNA tests are good, and work even with twins, but have a higher rate of false positive than the 1:2400 we are dealing with now. So it is more likely that the test itself would yield a false positive than either child actually have the situation which is being screened for.

I was told they don't recommend it, and it would be a waste of money (by my insurance complany) but would be covered. But the statistical argument had me sold already on avoiding it.

Anonymous wrote:Afield your wife will probably be looking at more than 30 lbs! I am 5'1 and 92 pounds and my doctor told me she would like to see a 35 lb gain and I'm only carrying one!

Wow. It's really going to be a big undertaking. I'm keenly aware that getting them as far to the goal line, so to speak, is a big deal toward their well being. Carrying them to full term as long as possible. Unless IUGR is an issue.

Do people just plan for a CS in this situation? Otherwise, even if both head down, the second twin to be born can really get stressed.

I think twins means she is supposed to gain about 30 lbs. which will be quite something since she is starting at like 112 and 5'1. A lot of rest and support.

My great great grandmother had twins and was only 4'10 and small of frame. And that was in the middle of 5 other kids. In 1895. Thats hard core. People were tough back then.

Hi, New to this site. I'm one of the dads actually. So, wife is pregnant with twins. Due date is Oct 22, but who knows...with twins. Just had a good 12-week checkup yesterday. Amazing to see TWO of them in there, they were moving around. We have a almost-6 year-old daughter as well.

So, with twins, you go to the "high risk" OB. We're getting checkups monthly or more frequently, plus a fetal heart echo coming up too.