Yes, you can absolutely have twins even if they don't run in your family, especially fraternal (non-identical) twins, as many factors besides genetics influence twinning, and identical twins are usually a random event, but sometimes even they can have a rare genetic link, so it's always a possibility. While a family history of twins, particularly on the mother's side, increases your chances, factors like maternal age, ethnicity, body type, diet, and fertility treatments also play significant roles, meaning twins can be a complete surprise.
To form identical or monozygotic twins, one fertilised egg (ovum) splits and develops into two babies with exactly the same genetic information. To form fraternal or dizygotic twins, two eggs (ova) are fertilised by two sperm and produce two genetically unique children.
The gene for hyperovulation can come from either side of the family, but the woman would need to have the gene in order for the couple to have twins based on genetics. In other words, twins on the father's side of the family will have no influence on your chances of having twins.
If they are identical they are not hereditary, it's just luck! Fraternal twins are only hereditary and only on the mothers side, they also don't always skip a generation and you can have multiple twin pregnancies!
Everyone has the same chance of having identical twins: about 1 in 250. Identical twins do not run in families. But there are some factors that make having non-identical twins more likely: non-identical twins are more common in some ethnic groups, with the highest rate among Nigerians and the lowest among Japanese.
You may experience more nausea or fatigue and notice some additional symptoms that singleton pregnancies don't typically present. According to the American Pregnancy Association, these other symptoms may be indicators of twins: More than one heartbeat detected by a Doppler. Increased hCG levels in the body.
Heredity. A family history of multiple pregnancy raises the chances of having twins. Older age. People assigned female at birth who are older than 30 have a greater chance of multiple pregnancy.
Identical, or monozygotic (MZ), twins have 100 percent of their genes—including those that influence risk for alcoholism—in common, whereas fraternal, or dizygotic (DZ), twins share (on average) only 50 percent of the genes that vary in the population (see figure). Common Environmental Sources.
Key Differences From Identical Twins
Sex Differences: Fraternal twins can be two boys, two girls, or one of each, since they come from separate eggs fertilized by separate sperm. Identical twins, on the other hand, are always the same sex because they come from one egg.
Age: If you're over the age of 35, you're more likely to release multiple eggs during ovulation. Family history: If your mother's side has a history of fraternal twins, there is a chance you could conceive twins naturally.
After the age of 35, the female body produces more FSH or follicle-stimulating hormones. As a result, during ovulation, the body releases more than one egg and increases the chances of having twins. Taller females and the ones with a higher BMI also have an increased chance of having a twin pregnancy.
What causes the fertilised egg to separate into two? The exact reason why this happens is still a mystery. Over the years there has been a lot of research and time invested into finding out why some zygotes split into two and others don't. But the truth is we still do not know why.
Natural ways to increase your chances of having a twin pregnancy
As you get older, the likelihood of conceiving twins increases. The higher rate of twin pregnancy with age is linked to hormones. Researchers have found that as women get older, they produce more follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH is what encourages the ovaries to produce eggs.
The Link Between Folic Acid and Twin Pregnancies
Some studies suggest an association between women's dietary folate intake and increased twin birth rates, especially among those who also undergo fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF).
For a given pregnancy, the odds of conceiving fraternal twins are only determined by the mother's genetics, not the father's. Fraternal twins happen when two eggs are simultaneously fertilised instead of just one.
The differences in genetic code between siblings are due to variations in the chromosomes passed down to them from their parents. This, more often than skeletons in the closet, also explains why some siblings will receive different ethnicity or ancestry results.
What causes you to get pregnant with multiples? A multiple pregnancy means you're pregnant with more than one baby. Multiple pregnancy usually happens when more than one egg is fertilized. It also can happen when one egg is fertilized and then splits into 2 or more embryos that grow into 2 or more babies.
However, males are also more susceptible than females to die in utero, and since the death rate in utero is higher for twins, it leads to female twins being more common than male twins.
Multiple births of as many as 9 babies have been born alive; In May 2021, the Cissé nonuplets were born in Morocco to Halima Cissé, a 25-year-old woman from Mali. As of May 2023, two years since their births, all 9 are still living and reportedly in good health. The list of multiple births covers notable examples.
In a twin pregnancy, there are elevated levels of hCG, making it possible to have a very early positive result. However, home pregnancy tests won't confirm if twins are present, only the presence of hCG. It takes around 2 weeks after conception for hCG to be detected in a hCG pregnancy test.
Bloating. The pregnancy hormone progesterone causes digestion to slow down, which may cause you to feel bloated in early pregnancy. This bloating may also contribute to pregnancy nausea. Food cravings and distaste.