Twins have become more and more common in our culture because of fertility drugs that result in multiple births more often than not. But, some women manage to get pregnant with twins without the use of fertility drugs and are surprised at such an outcome. With twin births increasing by 400% in the last twenty years, many can be explained away by fertility drugs, but every now and again twins actually happen naturally.
Your chance of having twins depends on many things, but it’s worth knowing that 32 of every 1,000 births in the United States is a twin birth. This means that you have a fairly good chance of having twins if genetics, your body, your age, the right sperm, and the right egg meet up. There usually is no way to predict twin births, but every woman has a slight chance of conceiving twins.
There are two different types of twins, identical and fraternal. Identical twins come from the same egg, and the egg divides into two pieces allowing two fetuses to develop within the same amniotic sac. Fraternal twins happen when two eggs are released and fertilized and each forms just as it would have if there was no other pregnancy at the same time. Genetics usually dictate what type of twins you are more likely of having, but women have either fraternal or identical twins all the time with no history of twins in their family.
If you are pregnant and are worried about having twins, it’s likely that you have nothing to worry about. The family history for you to look at would be on your mother’s side, and if there is not a long history of twins, either identical or fraternal, you will not have a high chance of having twins. If there isn’t any history you’re likely in the clear, unless of course, you’ve had twins in the past.
If you are pregnant later in life you are at an increased chance of having twins. Hormones and the release of eggs is often a little off, resulting in a twin pregnancy. If you are trying to get pregnant with twins, you are more likely to do so later in life compared to when you are younger.
Your chances of having twins increase with your race, as well. African American women are known to have more twin pregnancies than any other race. This doesn’t mean that if you are African American you will have twins, it just means that you have an increased probability.
Every woman has a small chance of having twins without fertility drugs, yet genetics, age, and race are the best indicators. If you really want to become pregnant with twins many doctors believe having sex later in the ovulation cycle makes you more prone to have twins, and many link the eating of yams by a woman to increase her chance of having twins. In the end, without fertility drugs it just takes the right parents and the right egg and sperm to meet to create a twin pregnancy!
