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YesthisisKim posted:
My husband and I have been TTC for the past week (lol YAY!) and I have an interesting question. Twins run in his side of the family and hits his generations (aka both him and his sister carry the gene and will have the twins). I was told by a sorce that only the female carries the twin trait (which I think is false!).
Also, if I was to be pregnant with twins, would pregnancy symptoms be more severe and possibly show up earlier than having a singleton?

Thanks

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teeny79 responded:
I was pregnant with twins and had no clue until my first ultrasound at 18 weeks. I wasn't any more moody or tired than i was for my first two singleton pregnancies. I actually had no appetite and had to force myself to eat, no sickness just really hot out at that time. No weight gain either, after i found out i was having twins i started to gain weight and finally at 21 weeks i started showing.

While you husband can carry the twin gene you won't be any more likely to have twins than i was. The gene your husband may carry causes a female to hyperovulate two eggs which both get fertilized. He would pass this gene down to the baby. If this baby were a girl, she could get pregnant with twins. If he were to pass this gene down to a baby boy the boy would then in turn be able to pass it down to his children but couldn't actually have twins himself unless his wife had this gene.

For you to be able to have twins you would either have to ovulate two eggs( which would mean the gene was passed down to you by your mother or father) or your fertilized egg would have to split resulting in identical twins which is what i have. Twins don't run in my family in fact my set is the first set ever for both my family and my husbands.
 
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gigi7147 responded:
My pregnancy symptoms definitely showed up earlier with my twins than with my singleton. I never thought for a second that it could be because they were twins because we don't have any in our families and we didn't use any fertility assistance. Although I know those aren't the only situations where twins can manifest, but it still wasn't something I considered for myself. I "felt" pregnant a few days before I started testing (about 3 weeks gestation) and once the morning sickness set in it was way worse than it was the first time. It also lasted much longer.
 
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VegetarianMama responded:
I discovered I was carrying twins at our first appointment at 8 weeks when our doctor did a routine ultrasound. When we told our parents there were two babies, suddenly we learned that not only did twins run in both my parents families (fraternal and identical) but my MIL informed us that there was a set of fraternal twins in her family too.

I became very curious and started researching twins. Here's what I've learned and what I think.

Fraternal twins that run in families do have to come from the mother when a couple has them because the cause of fraternal twins is the ovaries releasing more than one egg which the father has no influence on.

Science cannot explain what causes identical twins to occur, but I think that it's entirely possible for it to be a genetic trait of the father as well of the mother. It could just as easily be something in his genes that causes the egg to split.

I was sick from about 8 or 9 weeks to around 18 weeks with my first pregnancy, a baby girl. This time within a week of missing my period my morning sickness arrived. By the time I went in for my first appointment at 8 weeks I had been tossing my cookies for three weeks already. My morning sickness had me continuing to toss my cookies, even with anti-nausea medicine until I was at least 20 weeks along.

Although every pregnancy is different, I assumed if I got pregnant with a boy the second time I would not be as sick as my daughter, I have to say that being pregnant with twins has been a much more difficult pregnancy. I lost ten pounds my first trimester and, unlike with my daughter, this time I am ALL baby. I literally look like somebody strapped this belly to the front of me.

Good luck Mama!
 
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adalexnaya responded:
Twins did not run in my family I have the first and only set of twins in my family or my ex husbands. I got a positive pregnancy test when I was just 3 weeks 2 days (Yes 3 weeks) pregnant, didnt have morning sickness, showed much earlier and found out (not to my surprise, I had the feeling it was different) I was carrying twin boys when I was 2 and half months pregnant. downside... most people think twins are cute and would be nice but it was hell on wheels to be pregnant with them, I was at the doctor 3 days a weeks by the time I hit 16 weeks for NST's, U/S, and general check ups. I was hospitalized at just before 28 weeks to stay until I delivered, which i happened to deliver at 7 and half months (30 weeks) 2 very little bouncing baby boys. It isnt all the cuteness and fun everybody makes it seem like. It hurt all over and at just 30 weeks my uterus was measured at 68 cm from pubic bone to top( the equivalent size of being 68 weeks pregnant) needless to say not fun. the boys(now 2) though special needs are the best ever ... If I could have gotten them any other way besides carrying them inside of me believe you me I would have done it.
 
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BabyOnBoard89 replied to adalexnaya's response:
My Uncle had twins... and he's a twin...
 
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pamelaegannp replied to BabyOnBoard89's response:
It's a trick question. There is no "twin gene". Twins occur when either a zygote splits into two (identical twins); or when two or more eggs are released during menstruation.

There is no credible science that I am aware of linking either of these to genetic predisposition.


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