Mid Pregnancy Testing: Ultrasounds and Kick Counting

34 Weeks
193 pounds, Measuring 46 cm(Weeks)

Everyone looks forward to the big Ultrasound day, getting to see your baby for the first time is exciting, though if you know you are having twins, this probably isn't your first ultrasound, and won't be your last!

Level II Ultrasound (also known as a fetal anatomy survey or scan)

This ultrasound is standard for all pregnancies (not just multiples). It is done when you are about 20 weeks along, but is usually repeated later in pregnancy if you are expecting multiples. My second level II ultrasounds were done around 30 weeks. This is done to assure that both babies are growing at a healthy rate and that intrauterine growth restriction, twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) or other complications are not affecting growth. With a singleton pregnancy, if mom’s belly is getting bigger, you can be quite assured that the baby is too. But with two inside, it is good to have more assurance that both babies are growing well and at a similar rate.
This ultrasound is essentially your babies’ first physical exam. The technician will take time to measure several different parts of baby’s body, including baby’s ‘crown to rump’ length (it’s hard to measure a baby’s total height when she’s all squished up in there!), head circumference, length of arms and legs and even of her little foot (which is a great measurement to keep track of and note or draw if you keep a pregnancy journal!) I actually asked the technician to simply print the screen on which she tracked all of my babies' measurements. Of course, you can learn the gender of your babies if you want, but be sure to let the technician know if you want to be surprised.

The technician (or sonographer) will also ‘examine’ some of babies’ major organs – kidneys, heart and brain. They do this to the extent that they examine each heart chamber, and identify the sections of her brain. They also view and measure the stomach. Suffice it to say that if they don’t find anything unusual, you probably have some very healthy babies in your big belly.

If you see something you like, be sure to ask the technician to print a photo for you. Most technicians will give you a whole bunch of shots from the ultrasound, just be sure you check them before posting on your facebook profile as I found mine had my birth date, full name AND social security number embedded on them! So much for privacy…I wonder if they shred those when they are done?

Before your ultrasound, you may want to consider the following so you can be prepared. First, it takes about 45 minutes to do this detailed examination on just ONE baby. Add a second baby in there, and you could be in the ultrasound room for an hour and a half. Now consider that baby B will sometimes get in the way of a measurement they are trying to get on Baby A and now you could be in there for up to 2 hours! I recommend taking a potty break right before the exam (presuming you don’t need a full bladder as you do with earlier ultrasound exams). Also, you might bring a snack if it will be getting close to meal time.
This site "What to Expect", has some great info on ultrasounds and all pregnancy testing.

Kick Counts

Your physician should recommend that you begin kick counts some later point in your pregnancy. If your physician does not tell you when to start, you may do it on your own anyway, there are no risks...other than that you might freak yourself out and have trouble sleeping if you tend to worry alot! I started kick counts around 30 weeks, but you can start as soon as you can reliably and daily feel your babies move, perhaps around 25 weeks. It is a very simple way to give you peace of mind that your babies are doing well!

Here’s how to do it. The guideline I was given was that I should feel 10 movements from each baby, within two hours. It is easiest to do this during your babies’ most active time of day. The ACOG recommends simply keeping track of each and every baby movement you feel from each baby, and when you get to 10, note how long it has been since you began for that baby. If it takes longer than 2 hours, try again later in the day. If you still cannot detect 10 movements in a 2 hour window all day, you should let your physician know because it may be a sign that one of your babies is in distress. This is a great article about how to do kick counting.

The challenging part for us mothers of multiples of course, is deciding which baby kicked! I know with my first twins, I could tell with some movements that it was baby A or Baby B, but with others, I had no clue. Baby A was vertex (head down) with her feet up kicking my lungs. Baby B was transverse  across the top, or sometimes she was laying transverse the other direction along the top, or sometimes was breech. But every time I had an ultrasound she was different. So I never fully knew if baby A was kicking her feet against my lungs or baby B was turned that way and had one of her little arms or legs there and was kicking her sister back. (Unfortunately, it was habit forming as they are still exhibiting this back and forth banter at six years of age!)

Reduced fetal activity is an indication that baby might be in distress and potentially not getting enough nutrients or oxygen. So if you notice one of your baby’s activity dropped suddenly one day such that you cannot detect the 10 movements in 2 hours, try again later in the day and contact your physician if you still cannot detect 10 movements in a 2 hour window. 
Some women will say that they feel their babies move less as they get bigger. I agree that I felt less overall movement as the babies got bigger because there was probably less room to move in! But I personally think this is because the movements are just not as strong and pronounced and I just didn't notice them, even though they still happened about as often. I would say that you should pay really close attention to make sure you catch all the little flutters. But if you do notice a sudden change over a day or even a few days, you should probably call your physician - at least that is what I would have done. Bottom line is: if you don't count enough kicks in 2 hours, call your physician. She will be glad to put your mind at ease and you will feel better too.

Twin Terms Part II: Identical & Fraternal

This is one of the most pondered concepts of twinning and it lends to the unique insight of the answer to the 'nurture vs. nature' question. This is why there are many studies done on identical twins - they provide a control group for genetic factors into disease and personality difference so that it is possible to have insight into how much of a disease is caused by genetics versus how much of it is attributable to an environmental element.

Ingrid & Helen (Identical Twins) age 2

Twins who came from the same fertilized egg are considered ‘monozygotic’, or ‘identical’ twins. They are begotten of 1 egg and 1 sperm, which after joining and growing for a time, divided in half, creating two blastocysts. There are a few exceptions to the above traditional origins of monozygotic and dizygotic twins, but they are mostly related to genetic mutations that are not common, and I won’t go into explaining them. If you want more info though, check here (see 'Half-Twins' Heading).

Helen & Ingrid age4

Generally, identical twins look very similar, though they may not look exactly identical.  My first twins were monozygotic, but I didn’t know it. They had slightly different shapes to their faces, but they looked more and more alike the older they got which led us to get them DNA tested. As they got older, other apparent differences were in their unique voices and facial expressions. My youngest, were also monozygotic, and they always looked alike it too, but they did have a slightly different shape in their ear which helped us tell them apart!

Dizygotic twins are no more genetically alike than any brother and sister. They originate from 2 separate eggs, which are fertilized by 2 separate sperm. That is why you should never ask a twin mom who has boy/girl twins if her twins are identical! (yes, some people do ask this!) some interesting exceptions to this include the possibility that fraternal twins could actually be the children of two different fathers! (Though I don't recommend this!)


One interesting note is that even though monozygotic twins are referred to as 'identical' twins, thier DNA is not completely identical. This is because there is a small amount of genetic material that is stored in the plasma of cells (not the nucleus where the most DNA is). So when the newly fertilized egg divides, one twin will end up with some mitochondrial DNA from the cell plasma and the other side will have the rest of it.

Ingrid & Helen age 5

Twins =Terms. Part I: Who's first?

As soon as you walk though the double doors of the twinning community (pun intended), you start hearing lots of befuddling words that describe the various possibilities of number, condition, and location of multiples in uetero. “Baby B, Baby 3,  dizygotic, monochorionic, transverse, Vertex, and even ‘mo/mo” what do they all mean? This is your all-expense paid trip to find out ‘what’ your babies are.



 Baby A, meet baby B, and perhaps Baby C and D too!
The first medical terminology you come across is likely to be during your first ultrasound. To differentiate your babies throughout pregnancy, they are labeled with the letters of the alphabet. Creative, eh? The baby who appears closest to your cervix is given the letter ‘A’ anticipating that he will be the first born. B is the second place winner and C the runner up.

Because the letters are used to distinguish one baby from the other, they will NOT rename them even if the babies (knowingly) switch places and one wrestles the other away from the cervix. However, if you have an early ultrasound, say 6 weeks and do not have another for a few months, it is very difficult to know that the baby that is A at the later ultrasound was actually the baby labeled A at your initial ultrasound. This is because the babies positions can change a lot and it is difficult to identify placenta location on early ultrasounds. Location of the placenta for each baby gives those ultrasound techs the best clue at who was A last time and who was B, because even though the babies can move, the placentas can not! Thank goodness that unless there is a medical concern, it is also irrelevant who was labeled who. (Except for us sentimental types who are wondering which book to scrapbook the ultrasound photo in!)

This can also make the end of pregnancy interesting as if they DO switch spots, your doctors and nurses start to get very confused at who is A and who is B – especially at the hospital. It also causes very interesting conversation with coordinating physicians who are appalled that you are going to attempt vaginal deliver when 'baby A' is not vertex.



 So this brings up an important point in medicine that applies to everyone who ever seeks medical care or treatment: Always know everything about your condition and pay attention to what is happening to you during your care. If you are supposed to have your left kidney removed, take a permanent marker and write on your back “Keep in” on the good side and “Take this one” on the other side. Folks, it happens too often. I am not joking about this – use the markers on your body. Ok, enough of a side rant.

After the babies are born, they receive new names. No, I’m not referring to the ones YOU will give them. Rather, they are warmly welcomed into the tradition of our modern society with the caring designation of (you guessed it!) a number. The first born is called ‘Baby  1’, the second, ‘Baby 2’ and you can guess from there. This is regardless of what their letter designations were. The baby who was born second will always be ‘Baby 2’ even if she was ‘baby A’ in utero. [Can’t help but bring images of Star Trek Voyageur to my mind ‘My designation is 7 of 9’. That’s what happens when you’re married to Mr. Geek.]

Surviving Pregnancy: Choosing a care provider

18 Weeks of Pregnancy - 164 Pounds
Measuring 23 Weeks

This is the one task that brought more stress to me during my pregnancy than any other single topic. At one point, the birth educator in a hospital class questioned the fact that I had a family practitioner for a high risk pregnancy and urged me to transfer care immediately. After calling around and learning I was too far in my pregnancy for any of them to willingly take my case, I consulted with one of specialists my doctor was working who completely laughed off the concern and said my doctor was certainly more than capable!

Choosing a Clinic
Early on, I chose a clinic and doctor because they had family practice physicians that would attend your birth and deliver your child. This was at Allina Clinics. I simply went to the Allina clinic website and read doctor profiles and philosophy and picked the one I liked.
The advantage of this was that unlike a standard OB/GYN practice, you could be assured that you would see the same individual for your prenatal visits as you would in the delivery room, ensuring as few surprises as possible. In other words, if you know your physician only performs episiotomy in urgent situations where the only other choice is C-section, then you won’t have to wonder about that when you are dilated to 10 and someone you’ve never seen before walks into your room covered in light green sterile clothes and only her eyeglasses peaking out as she says ‘hi, I’m doctor Smith and I’ll be delivering your baby today!”

Choosing a hospital

Another consideration is which hospitals your physician works with. In this respect, you might start your physician hunt by hospital shopping. You can start by going online and looking up the birthing centers or maternity wards of hospitals in your area. Often, their websites include basic information on rooms and policies. Most often however, if you want any specific information you will have to call. When you call, ask if they have a free tour or information session that you can attend. This is often the best way to lean more, and will give you an idea of how hospitals are different.
The hardest part is deciding what is important to you. Any good literature on multiples will recommend that you choose a hospital with a level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, as many multiples end up spending some time in a NICU. One consideration, especially for those who have high risk pregnancies (besides the fact you are having multiples) or are having  triplets or more is how easily accessible the hospital is from your home in case there is an extended stay there. The choices in this respect may be limited. Also, consider that if you are leaning toward a hospital without a level II NICU, that if your babies must be transferred there, you will still be recovering at the hospital you birthed at – making visiting your new babies complicated.
Aside from those factors, other items may be important to you, such as
*What are is the practice regarding fetal monitoring during labor? (see my birth stories to understand why this may be significant)
*In what situations are IVs are mandatory for laboring moms?
*Do I labor, deliver and recover in the same room?
*Where will you be delivering? (it is common for mothers of multiples to deliver on the operating table in an Operating room.)
*Is there a bathroom with a bathtub in the labor room?
*During recovery, may the baby(ies) remain with me, or are they required to be monitored in the nursery for certain periods of time?
*In what circumstances will the babies need to stay in the NICU? (based  on birthweight? Feeding needs? *Body temperature maintenance? Breathing assistance? etc.)
*Are laboring mothers able to eat, drink and eliminate on their own? (You may need to ask your physician this question also)
Be sure to preface these questions with the fact you are expecting multiples as the answer is often different.

Multiples: an automatic 'high risk pregnancy'
Most hospital and physician protocols go into ‘hyper-over-protective’ mode because you are having twins. And yes, they have some good reason to, as multiples are often born earlier, or smaller, and have complications such as Twin to Twin transfusion that singletons are not at risk for. However, there is a tendancy for protocol to be over-restrictive or overly-intervening even when there is no true benefit to the action in YOUR particular case.
I personally believe this is due both to lack of adequate research regarding risk in multiple pregnancy as well as a subconscious tendency to practice ‘defensive’ medicine. There is often not enough research to know for sure what things really are more risky for expectant M.O.M.s because there are just not enough multiple moms out there and not enough studies being done on them to provide reliable risk information. The tendency to practice medicine defensively stems from an emotional reaction (rather than a logical one) which inappropriately favors a known risk over an uncertain risk. This happens because we all have an innate desire to avoid liability and potentially poor outcomes, but as a result we may minimize or ignore the known and unknown side effects and risks of the intervention or restriction being proposed. (More on this in a future post).
This means it is critical for you to know and understand what conditions and risks are pertinent to YOUR pregnancy, and not just multiple pregnancy in statistics. Statistics often don't account for factors like previous poor pregnancy outcomes, socioeconomic status, access to health care and education. All of these are factors in general in pregnancy outcomes, and all should be considered when making decisions about YOUR pregnancy - not JUST a raw statistic. It is also very important to understand every procedure, test and intervention your provider recommends, why it is being done, what it's risks and side effects are, whether you and your physician has reason to think those same statistics would apply to you, and what the risks are of NOT doing it.

 So for instance, a doctor may recommend that you do not do any regular exercise because it is a risk that in their mind is not worth taking, but there is not data to show how risky it is - or even that it is correlated with complications at all. My question would be, what is at risk? They probably think the extra stress on your body could cause early labor. But are the chances of that really significant? Especially if you have had previous non-complicated pregnancies in which you DID exercize? Are there studies that show complications arising due to M.O.M.s exercising? Or is it just an 'extra' precaution? Is there is an intuitive reason that exercise will cause complications? If not, what are the potential side effects and risks of just remaining sedentary during multiple pregnancy?  You can see there is nothing clear cut, it all requires reliance on your doctor's knowledge and communicating your own risk tolerance and preference to her, and finally, using your intuition when logic is not available.

Natural Birth hopefuls: Critical Question for your physicians!
In the end, I worked with the same doctor both times – but the important part, which is critical here, is that she worked in coordination with a group of perinatologists who were on call during my birth, and actually attended them. In fact, because of a slight complication with thrombocytopenia, I was transferred totally into the care of the perinatology clinic for my second birth. Because of my experience, I highly recommend that all M.O.M.s (mothers of multiples) seek a highly trained perinatologist either for primary care, or that will coordinate with  your physician to attend the birth. The reason for this is that many physicians (even OB/GYNs) and midwives are not trained or experienced in breech birthing, especially the younger ones who were not practicing decades ago when it was more common.

Most OBs and physicians will advise you that as long as baby A (the first baby to be born) is head-down, you will be able to attempt vaginal birth. If vaginal birth is important to you to avoid C-section, you should pay careful attention to this subject. Some physicians will have a low personal risk tolerance, and may advise you that unless both babies are both vertex (head down) you should really consider having C-section. This is code speak for “I certainly wouldn’t try vaginal birth, but I guess I would put up with it if you did”. Do you really want to work with a doctor with that attitude? If you are like me, this won’t be the only issue you struggle about with him or her. And in reality, the advice is extremely short-sighted, as even if baby B is in a vertex  position, she is likely to present differently after baby A is born and will either need to be turned or birthed breech. (in both my pregnancies, after A was birthed, B had changed positions from where she was even during pushing of A) It is important to know if your doctor (and the other doctors in the practice) are able and willing to do a breech extraction on Baby B if the conditions are right (they may not do it if baby B is significantly larger) or to do an internal inversion of baby B after the birth of A. If they are not able or willing to perform either of those procedures, you will very likely be one of those mothers who had the ill fortune of delivering one child vaginally and the other via C-section.
In my personal experience, and from listening and knowing the experiences of those in the mothers-of-multiples group I am in, it seems that perinatologists are much more well-trained and experienced in these procedures than your average OB or midwife. Not to say that an OB practice would not be appropriate for you, but be sure to ask the important questions, and that you are comfortable with the answers.

Questions to ask when choosing your physician:

*Are you (and those in your practice) able and willing to do a breech extraction on Baby B if the conditions are right (they may not do it if baby B is significantly larger) or to do an internal inversion of baby B after the birth of A?
*In what situations would I be required to have a C section?
*For what reasons do you recommend bed rest?
*If all is healthy, is there a reason I would need to be induced?
*Can I have a doula present at my birth?

These are not all-inclusive by any means, but they are the most likely to bring up topics that can vary widely between providers and their experiences.
In reality, and in today’s medical care economy, it is extremely rare that you would actually be able to meet with doctors from various clinics, though sometimes they will make such appointments or have office hours. More often than not, they expect you to just schedule a regular exam or checkup and become a patient first, and ask questions later. For that reason, I would choose to start by taking hospital tours very early in pregnancy to choose a hospital first. Then I would find clinics and physicians that can practice at that hospital and call their offices to find out what resources are available to answer your questions. Don’t rule out a doctor or clinic because they are too busy to take your questions – it is probably a good sign. Join a local Mothers of Twins club or Mothers club and ask what hospitals/clinics/physicians other M.O.M.s had for their pregnancies. Pick a clinic or physician and ask lots of questions your first few visits. If you are not happy with the answers, make your next appointment with someone else. Choosing the right care provider is definitely an art and not a science!

Just an ultrasound...

Baby A 11 Weeks

Baby B 11 Weeks

We had out ultrasound on August 12 when I was 11 weeks along. I’m not a superstitious person. But 11 has been a lucky number for me. I was born in the 11th month. I wore 11 on my softball jersey. I met my future husband on the 11th. And of course, if you add 1 + 1, you get 2, which is also a pretty important number in my life! I remember being in the waiting room for the ultrasound. I had to pee to the point my bladder hurt, but that was not what was making me nervous. I was going to meet my baby. See her little heart fluttering, See her springing around in nice warm gooshy balloon of goo. At least I said a prayer that we would see those sorts of  pictures of a very healthy, normal baby. But there were a few surprises. The first surprise was the goo she squirted on my belly…it was warm! Then she put the sensor on my belly and started swooping all over, way up high, down low, side to side. She would pause for a moment with a puzzled look on her face, and then move to a different area. I couldn't make out anything on the screen except black splotches of static. After about 2-3 minutes of this, I was getting very nervous. The room was dark and she hadn't said one word, there was absolute silence. I swear I could hear the beating of my own heart. Visions of 2-headed babies danced in my head. Or perhaps no baby at all. I prayed and told myself that no matter what it was, God would not give me that which I could not bear. Just then, she took the sensor off my belly and said “Well, (note that the comma you just saw represents about a decade of purgatory in my memory) “how do you guys feel about twins?” WHEW! What a relief! I was totally flabbergasted! And thrilled! Now Mike: he looked a little stunned, but he assured me that he felt, happy, excited, and blessed, just not in the same flamboyant manner in which I was. What a realization that you need 2 cribs, 2 car seats, a double graduation party and two 529 college savings accounts. At least I already have 2 boobs, eh?

We couldn’t keep this a secret long. It was a morning appointment, and my mom knew by the time we were at lunch to look at ultrasound photos. I got out one photo and said “alright, well here’s one.” Then took out the picture of Baby B and said “And here’s the other”.  That is how we told pretty much everyone, and some of them it took a while to catch on and would accuse us of playing a prank. But we had ultrasound photos labeled “Baby A” and “Baby B” by the technician to prove it!

Your questions-answered!

Ok, I know what you're thinking. If these don't cover the first few questions that come to mind, you aren't like the other 90% of inquisitive people who stop my (double) stroller.

Are they identical or fraternal?
Our first girls are identical, which we know because we had them DNA tested (which just involves running a cotton swab along their cheek). We assumed they were probably fraternal when they were born, because the vast majority of twins are fraternal (dizygotic). They looked a little different at birth, which quickly changed. By the time they were four months old, my mom and I were arguing over which was which in photographs! When they were a year, we did a DNA zygosity test to see for sure, and indeed they were identical. With our second set, we don’t really know.But judging by their appearance, teething patterns and personality, we would put our life savings on a bet that they are in fact identical. I'll let you know when we cough up the cash to do a DNA Zygosity test to verify, for now it just seems useless to throw $150 at something we already reasonably know.

Do Twins run in your family?
No. I didn’t know of any twins in my family until I got pregnant with twins. Then I found out that my Great-Grandmother, had a sister, who had a granddaughter, who had 2 sets of twins. I guess is the above theory is true, then it is not so far off that perhaps many women in my family produce eggs that have a tendency to divide easily. And that she fell in love with and married a man who had that special enzyme. Viola. And maybe the same thing happened to me. Or maybe, this very rare occurrence just so happened to happen to 2 people who are merely 2nd cousins once removed.

Did you just die when they told you? (a.k.a.-How did you find out?)
Well, the first time we couldn't believe it for about 5 seconds until she showed us the little beating hearts. The second time, actually, they didn’t have to tell me. Being that we had twins once, we were technically more likely to have twins again. (Though in a former life, I believed this only to be true of fraternal twin moms.) So our doctor sent us in for an ultrasound already at 6 weeks. It was the last thing I expected to see. But, as the ultrasound tech squirted the warm liquid on my belly and moved the monitor around, she settled on a spot and the screen came into focus. I immediately saw 2 big black jelly beans. For a moment, I thought, “No, she’s just looking around – that must be my gall bladder or something.” But she stayed focused there for a moment, in total silence.
It was then, that the potential realization hit me. I said to my husband, “Honey, does that look familiar to you?”. He lowered the issue of ‘US Weekly’ below his nose, wide-eyed. The ultrasound technician broke her silence, “Two sacs, two heartbeats.”
O.M.G. I wanted to say she was kidding but I knew she wasn’t. “And I promised you this wouldn’t happen!” I apologized to Mike. “ “That was a silly promise to make,” replied the technician. My reply “Well, realistically, what were my chances of being wrong?”. I guess that’s the Million dollar question.


What are the chances?
I still haven’t found reliable statistics on that. But according a website I once read, having two sets of fraternal twins is 1/10,000. Having 2 sets of identical twins is about 1/70,000, which is a lot better odds than I thought! Sorry, I can’t find the reference for those stats, but I’ll post if I find it!

Were you on fertility treatments?
No. Fertility treatments increase your chances of having identical twins as much as going outside barefoot increases your chances of getting a paper cut.

How did this happen?

Showing my hubby the faint pink line...trying to convince him that it really was positive! (He thought the line was TOO faint to really be a positive test. If you can see the second pink line at all, rest assured, bun in the oven!

I get asked this question alot..by acquaintances, friends, strangers at the store, and yes, doctors. Of course, when a mommy and a daddy REALLY love each other... ok, ok, truth be it - I only wish I knew! Though the best guess I have is related to a Chinese fertility blanket bestowed upon my husband and I as a wedding gift. Yes, I wish I could sell it to you for mucho bucks, but I've already returned it to the gracious friends that gave it to us in the first place. I don't think we need it anymore.

If that isn’t scientific enough for you, or if you are one of those who YEARNS to have twins and is looking for a ‘how to’ guide, here’s another potential explanation. Traditionally it is thought that identical twinning is random. However, some research is showing that there may be much more to it than that. And, that all of those who claim identical twins run in their families are not crazy after all. I am still researching the origins of this. Supposedly there was an article in ‘Twins Magazine’ about it, but I’m still waiting for my back-issues to arrive. The theory says that some men have an enzyme in there sperm that could encourage division of the zygote…and that some women lack some other property that helps prevent zygote division.
When I tell people that I have 2 sets of identical twins, let’s just say I have been greatly surprised at the frequency of responses from strangers who tell me that they know someone who also has 2, 3, (and yes once) even 4 sets of identical twins. It makes one start to think that perhaps not all monozygotic twinning is so random.

I also found this interesting post regarding some research being done on monozygotic twinning:


http://www.twinslist.org/idfaq.htm

<< Now, does the research seem to indicate that this enzyme plays a role frequently in id twinning, far more frequently than geneticists have believed up until now, or is this still for only a small percentage of id twins? Also, you said the chance of repeat ids is as great as the chance of repeat fraternal, yet both you and I know women with 2 spontaneous sets of frats. (Of course, that's hardly a statistically sig sample) But, I've never met anyone with 2 sets of ids, nor have I heard of it. >>
Thus far, the research shows that the enzyme is directly responsible for causing the splitting of the chromosomes, which results in the division of the cytoplasm which results in two eggs! There are a few (about 1%) that have alluded us so far and have shows no sign of the enzyme despite the fact that twins resulted. Thus, we have concluded that identical twinning can also be a random event. But in about 99% of the people tested, the enzyme is apparently the culprit. So, 99% is a darm good yield! So, according to our research, it is not a small percentage but almost the entire percentage.
And yes, this study has been repeated already, but very, very little money is put into this research, so most of it is done on our own time. The reason for this is there is little to no medical advances that can come out of the research, just info and most of the money on medical and genetic research is for improving the outcome of diseases, etc. So, that is why it may be a while before this research is completed. We have to get about 5% of the public who have twins to complete our research (not all will go through tests, some will just answer questionnaires) before we can say that this represents the entire population, so you can see that this will take a while!
I have been working on this theory for some time. Ask people on this post nd I guarantee that you will meet peolpe who at least know of someone who as two sets of identicals. I know 2 people out of hundreds that have more han one set of fraternals and about that many in our research that have two ets of indenticals. There is a woman in Australia that has three sets of identicals (yes, with the same hubby!)! I think that hyperovulation is more frequent than identical twinning because it depends entirely on the woman and not on the husband, but identical twinning can sometimes be related to both, about 90-10 to 80-. It may also depend on many different things. The divorce rate for parents of multiples is very high. Identical twins tend to have more birth complications that fraternal twins, so that also can incease the divorce rate, as parents of sick children/babies seem to divorce more readily. If that being the case, the husband that caused the identical twinning is no longer in the picture and twins thus may not recur.
Also, many, many parents who have twins do not have more children, for obvious reasons. This also, that this enzyme may or may not manifest itself at every conception. There could be numerous reasons that the gene that turns the function or production of this enzyme on or off, as in diet, drugs, health, etc. There are so many factors and we have only scratched the surface.
It will be years before we can tell you what drugs, etc. influence the expression of the gene or the action of the enzyme.
Also, we see this enzyme in different races more frequently than in others.
We very, very seldom see this in the black race, but see it almost entirely in the oriental race. We see it about 50-50 in the caucasion race. It is almost non-exsistent in the Jewish race. So you see, many factors can increase or decrease the frequency of twinning for identicals, just as it can in fraternals. There is so much more research to be done, that we have only scratched the surface of this, as you can see. Our research is in the preliminary stages.
Hope this helps.
Jamie
JGorger@aol.com