What are the odds of twins?

Question

Stay with me here! My mom's cousin had twins...

And the father IS a twin?
Anyone know?? thanks!

No, I'm in my mid twenties...I plan on having two children, I guess it's wishful thinking that maybe they could both "pop" out at the same time! lol...oh well

Answer 1

General Statistics About Multiples

Among general populations, the chances of having twins in the 21st century are about 3 in 100, or about 3%. Your chances are better than ever; researchers have recorded an increase of nearly 60% since the early 1980s. The most recent statistics, part of a 2001 study by the National Center for Health Statistics show that twins represented 30.1 of every 1,000 births.

You'll increase your odds of having twins/multiples if....


You (the mother) are over age 45. The chances of having twins increases with age; 17% of mothers over the age of 45 give birth to twins. Becoming a mother after age 50 boosts your odds considerably, to nearly 1 in 9!

You live in Massachusetts or Connecticut. A 1999 study found that rates in these states were at least 25% higher than the national rate in the United States.

You take fertility drugs or undergo other fertility treatments. No one can deny that the availability of fertility enhancements has increased the multiple birth rate, but no study seems to conclusively pinpoint the impact. Some estimate that the chances of having twins after fertility enhancing treatment is as high as 1 in 38. Others estimate that using the drug Clomid increases your chances to 1 in 5.

You, your mother, or her mother's mother is a fraternal twin.
These women may carry a gene for hyperovulation, which means they release more than one egg during an ovulation cycle, increasing their ability to conceive fraternal twins. The chances may be high as 1 in 17 if the mother is a fraternal twin herself.

You've already had one set of fraternal twins. For mothers who have already had one set of fraternal twins, their chances of conceiving another set are four times greater than the average woman, or about 1 in 12!

You're Nigerian. This African country purportedly has the highest twinning rate in the world, estimated at 1 in 22. Some sources attribute it to their consumption of large quantities of yams. (It's worth a try if you really want to have multiples!)

You're overweight or tall. A 2005 study published by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology reported a significant increase in fraternal twin births to mothers who had a BMI of 30 or higher, or who were in the top 25th percentile for height.
You'll decrease your odds of having twins/multiples if...


You (the mother) are Hispanic or Asian. The 2001 study by the National Center for Health Statistics found that women of Hispanic origin were substantially less likely to have twins than white or black mothers. Among worldwide populations, the Asian countries of Japan and China have the lowest twinning rates, estimated at 1 in 150 and 1 in 300, respectively.

You (the mother) are under age 25. The chance that a woman would bear twins before her 25th birthday are is less than half of what it would be after age 35.

You live in Hawaii. In a study that examined multiple birth in the United States, this tropical paradise scored lowest, about 30% below the national average.

You're looking for identical multiples. The rate for identical, or monozygotic, multiples is random and universal; it's the same in all populations regardless of race, heredity or other factors, and it has remained constant over time. The chances of having identical twins is about 1 in 285.
http://multiples.about.com/cs/funfacts/a/oddsoftwins_2.htm

Answer 2

I am pregnant with twins as we speak with no twins on either side of the family. I was told by my Dr. that twins would come from the mother's side only, the father doesn't have anything to do with it since in identicals, its the egg splitting and in fraternals (which is what i'm having) that its 2 eggs; i was told (only about fraternals) that it depends on the mother's age, number of pregnancies, and her heredity, along with whether or not she was on fertility drugs. I guess what I'm saying is, I don't really know what your odds would be, but so far, the only thing that would give you more of chance would be your mom's cousin, if you fit into any of the other factors above, then your likelihood would increase. the only factor i had out of all of the above, would be number of pregnancies and i'm having twins, so it's really anyone's guess.

Answer 3

Whether the father was a twin has nothing to do with whether you are a twin or not. It is Your genetics that counts. Whether you ovulate two eggs or your body allows an egg to seperate in early pregnancy.

The tendancy to have twins for your cousin could have come from the side of her family your mom Isn't related to just as easily as from your mom's family line.

My daughter is a twin and has had three singleton births. The closest I had twins in my family was my great grandmother. And a great great aunt.

Answer 4

According to the Brittanica Concise Encyclopedia, about 1 in 80 births results in twins, either fraternal or identical. If your mom's cousin had twins and her husband is a twin, then the tendency probably is through him, but of course it's possible for anyone.

Answer 5

Twins run on the mother's side of the family- so you and your mother.

Likewise, the risk of twins and triplets increase with age.

My grandmother had twins and they skip a generation- so we are waiting to see who has them in our family.

Answer 6

Well, it is very hard to get twins. But if you have twin in you family, twins are more usual. Like my mom was a Quad. and so am I....

Answer 7

if twins run in both of your families its very likely! its still likely with none of ur families but a dr should be able 2 tell u exactly how lkely it is