What are my chances for twins?

Question

My husbands father is a twin, but they do not run in my family. Doesn't it skip a generation?

Answer 1

The whole skipping a generation thing is really an old wives tale... there's no actual biological evidence of anything like that. And twinning, whether it be identical or fraternal, all has to do with the egg (hence the father doesn't really have anything to do with it). When fraternal twins develop, it's because the mother released more than one egg during a menstrual cycle and both of those eggs were fertilized by two different sperm. They are no more alike than any other set of siblings... they just happen to be developing at the same time :-p In identical twins, the egg splits sometime after conception (usually a few days). I can say, though, that while you don't have anymore chance of having twins than anybody else out there, it can still happen. I did not have twins running in my family, I wasn't taking fertility drugs, or any of the things that most people think causes twins (those are actually factors that can result in fraternal twins), but I had twins. They are identical twins and identical twinning is a completely random event that can happen to absolutely anybody :-)

Answer 2

Twins are either A) split from one egg, or B) produced from two eggs released at the same time...the twins that run in your husband's family will not affect what your egg does. You do, however, have a 50% chance of passing on the ability to have twins to any daughters you may have (through your husband's half of their genes).

Answer 3

The thing about twins skipping a generation is just a wife's tale.

Answer 4

Fraternal twins are gentic. But it runs on the mother's side of the family. So I don't think your chances are good.

Answer 5

My husband's father is also a twin, but our first child isn't according to the ultrasound we've had. I guess its luck of the draw and your fertility.

Answer 6

Could be