Fraternal Twins?

Question

I'm 24 weeks pregnant with my 1st child and I was just curious about this. Is it true that most pregnancies start out as twins, but only 10% of those pregnancies continue to full term as twins? Also, if you're going to have twins is it more likely they'll be fraternal?

Answer 1

Fraternal twins are more common: these are the types of twins: There are five variations of twinning that commonly occur. The three most common variations are all fraternal: (1) male-female twins are the most common result, at about 40% of all twins born; (2) female fraternal twins (sometimes called sororal twins); (3) male fraternal twins. The last two are identical: (4) female identical twins and (5) (least common) male identical twins. (From Wikipedia article.)

Fraternal twins will continue to be more common and more likely to happen that identical, as the use of fertility treatments raises the possibility of becoming pregnant with multiples.

I've never heard anything about all pregnancies starting out as twins, but it doesn't sound right. Fraternal twins are a result of a woman releasing two eggs in one cycle, and identical are when the egg splits (which happens pretty rarely). I am fairly positive that the majority of woman release only one egg during ovulation, so they would only be pregnant with one baby if the egg is fertilized, and doesn't split. This second article notes that as many as 3 percent of pregnancies may start as twins, but the actual rate of twins is less because some are lost during the pregnancy.

Answer 2

I'm not sure that it would be 'most' pregnancies, but I have heard that there are more twin pg than we realize. A lot of people never know they were pg w/twins at the beginning. I watched a program on multiples and there is actually a condition called 'vanishing twins syndrome (VTS).' It's where there was more than one baby, but one baby just suddenly dissappears without a trace. It's really strange! About the fraternals, identical twins occur when one egg splits into two.
They will have the same DNA. Not to imply that twins are weird, but the actual egg splitting is a freak of nature. It's not as common as fraternals, which is caused when two eggs are released and fertilized. It's like having two completely seperate children, but in one pregnancy. Identicals are always same sex, but frat. can be same or different. I have fraternal girls:they look very different.
***I just looked something up! It is estimated that 1 in 8 pg start out as twins, but 1 in 70 actually are born twins!
VTS - what actually happens is the body naturally aborts the twin early in pg and the fetal tissues are absorbed by the other baby. The placenta is usually left behind, making it appear the other baby has dissappeared!***

Answer 3

the thing about most pregnancies starting out as twins is just a theory, And yes if you do get pregnant it is way more likely they will be fraternal, Identicle twins are pretty rare, also if there are fraternal twins on your mothers side of the family that makes it more likely you will have twins, also being over age 35 increases your chance of concieving twins.

Answer 4

not true.. though there is something called a vanishing twin, but that is where you concieve twins and one is reabsorbed (technically miscarried very early on). as far as fraternal/identical, I believe identical are less likely but it just depends on genetics, fraternal twins are genetic, as in they run in families, whereas identicals are random. so it depends on if there are twins in your family as to how your chances of twins and the type of twins stack up.

Answer 5

i have heard that too! but identical twins is like a flook it is unique, fraternal twins are much more common. identical twins are interesting, my boys seem to be opposite like mirror image.

Answer 6

NOPES... that's was just a theory

Answer 7

That's not true at all.