Twins begin interacting as early as the 14th week of gestation.
They learn how to “read” each other's gestures and facial expressions, and occasionally they even have their own verbal language that no one else can understand. (This is particularly true of identical twins.) Because they can entertain each other, they may not be very motivated to learn about the world beyond them.
You shouldn't share the same bed with your twins because it increases the risk of SIDS. But the AAP does recommend that you room-share — having your twins sleep in your room, each in their own bassinet or crib — ideally for the first six months.
A few said that the first two months with twins are easy (being in the rose-colored glasses phase), then reality hits from months 3-6 (when the sleep deprivation catches up), then it can get easier again.
Even before very young twins learn language, they can and will communicate non-verbally by looking at each other, staying close together, or hitting each other—and of course playing with each other. It is common to see twins walking hand in hand to school or when shopping with their parents.
This phenomenon occurs in multi-fetus pregnancies, commonly during the first trimester.
Maureen Healy, an expert on sensitive children and author of Growing Happy Kids, tells Romper that twins have a bond that is oftentimes unexplainable and are closer than typical siblings — whether they're fraternal or identical. Healy says a lot of experts believe it's because this closeness is rooted in genetics.
You're 35 or older
As you age, your chance of conceiving twins increases. Researchers have found that women over 35 produce more follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) than younger women, which may cause more than one egg to drop at ovulation.
The longest interval between the birth of twins is 90 days, in the case of Molly and Benjamin West, dizygotic (fraternal) twins born in Baltimore, Maryland, USA to parents Lesa and David West (all USA) on 1 January and 30 March 1996.
As a parent of twins, I'm pretty sure that you know the answer to the question “which twin is older?” It is, of course, the child that was born first.
Bed rest during a multiple pregnancy is sometimes used as a way to prevent complications,1 but it is not a requirement for all twin pregnancies. If everything progresses normally during your twin pregnancy, you may not require bed rest.
About one-third of identical twins split soon after fertilisation and form completely separate twins. Like fraternal twins, these twins have separate placentas.
Age: The older you are, the higher your chances of having fraternal twins or higher order multiples. One theory is women age 35 or older produce more follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) than younger women.
Identical twins may say that they are not attracted to the same people. However, researcher Nancy Segal surmises that twins actually feel the same attractions, but as soon as one twin makes her interest known, the second twin will not pursue the other's object of interest.
Twins and other multiple-birth individuals can suffer from much deeper and troubling loneliness than single-born individuals. Separation anxiety, which often begins at birth, is the underlying cause of loneliness for twins.
Fraternal twins live longer than singletons and identical twins longer still. Male identical twins on average, saw the most benefit. The rarity of twins has inspired many myths about them.
The quick answer to this question is that, in a twin pregnancy, it is the mother's genes that determine twins. First up, giving birth to identical twins is not genetic, but conceiving fraternal twins is. The mother may have the genetic trait of releasing two eggs in one menstrual cycle.
While there are risks associated with all twin pregnancies, dizygotic (fraternal) twin pregnancies usually bring about the least amount of complications, carrying the lowest risk of all types of twins.
No.
That's not all, Monga says. Women pregnant with twins complain of more back pain, sleeping difficulties, and heartburn than those who are carrying one child. Being pregnant with twins also carries a higher rate of maternal anemia and a higher rate of postpartum hemorrhage (bleeding) after delivery.
Bonding with twins or multiple babies can be even harder than with just one baby, which may be because: You may have had a difficult birth and are recovering from surgery. One or more of your babies may have gone straight into the neonatal intensive care unit.
The fighting between twins can be particularly intense, as many parents will attest. When twins don't have friends outside of each other, there fighting can become even more focused. Sometimes it is more difficult for twins to develop outside friendships. 1 That was certainly the case for my twin daughters.
Key points. Competition, jealousy, sharing, and expectations make twinship a hard relationship to navigate. Twins are sometimes confused as to who they are in relationship to each other. It's important not to make twins feel guilty or ashamed if they don't get along.
Vanishing twin syndrome was first recognized in 1945. This occurs when a twin or multiple disappears in the uterus during pregnancy as a result of a miscarriage of one twin or multiple. The fetal tissue is absorbed by the other twin, multiple, placenta or the mother.