Introduction and identical twin question

Hey, I just discovered this group the other day.

For a quick introduction, my wife Liz and I tried to conceive a child for 3+
years before we gave up and went the adoption route. We adopted an awesome
little girl from Kazakhstan, after living in the country for a month. She
was 10 months old when we brought her home in Dec 2003. Then we found out
we were pregnant 4 months later with twins! So we now have three awesome
little girls. Brianna just turned 2 last Thursday, on that day Rebecca and
Sydney were 11 weeks old. Our current twin issues include major cholic that
is driving us crazy (we are told this should start going away in the next
week or so) as well as the trials of breastfeeding both girls. We are
hoping that we can continue breastfeeding through at least their first 6
months.

Anyway, to my real question. We think that our girls are fraternal but it
is somewhat hard to tell and I think that they could be identical. My wife
and I can tell them apart, although I get confused between the two of them
sometimes (a fact that my wife likes to bug me about. heh). With identical
twins, are they completely and utterly identical? Like exact "clones"? I
had the thought that iden. twins were pretty much alike but outside
influences since their egg split will give them minor differences that the
parents can pick up on. Sydney has always been a little heavier, for
example, and is a little over 1 pound heavier now (they were born at 36
weeks at 5lbs 2oz (Rebecca) and 5lbs 6oz (Sydney)). I know that even iden.
twins can be fed in the womb at differing rates causing one to be heavier
which would obviously make them look a little different.

Anyway, my wife doesn't care one way or the other, but I have a thing about
wanting to know whether they are identical or not. I don't know why.
I've heard that the definitive DNA tests cost upwards of $400 per child
which is somewhat prohibitive for us right now.

Thanks for any help,
Steve

--
Brianna 2/03
Rebecca & Sydney 12/04

Steve Smith wrote:
Hey, I just discovered this group the other day.

For a quick introduction, my wife Liz and I tried to conceive a child for 3+
years before we gave up and went the adoption route. We adopted an awesome
little girl from Kazakhstan, after living in the country for a month. She
was 10 months old when we brought her home in Dec 2003. Then we found out
we were pregnant 4 months later with twins! So we now have three awesome
little girls. Brianna just turned 2 last Thursday, on that day Rebecca and
Sydney were 11 weeks old. Our current twin issues include major cholic that
is driving us crazy (we are told this should start going away in the next
week or so) as well as the trials of breastfeeding both girls. We are
hoping that we can continue breastfeeding through at least their first 6
months.

Anyway, to my real question. We think that our girls are fraternal but it
is somewhat hard to tell and I think that they could be identical. My wife
and I can tell them apart, although I get confused between the two of them
sometimes (a fact that my wife likes to bug me about. heh). With identical
twins, are they completely and utterly identical? Like exact "clones"? I
had the thought that iden. twins were pretty much alike but outside
influences since their egg split will give them minor differences that the
parents can pick up on. Sydney has always been a little heavier, for
example, and is a little over 1 pound heavier now (they were born at 36
weeks at 5lbs 2oz (Rebecca) and 5lbs 6oz (Sydney)). I know that even iden.
twins can be fed in the womb at differing rates causing one to be heavier
which would obviously make them look a little different.

Anyway, my wife doesn't care one way or the other, but I have a thing about
wanting to know whether they are identical or not. I don't know why.
I've heard that the definitive DNA tests cost upwards of $400 per child
which is somewhat prohibitive for us right now.

Thanks for any help,
Steve

--
Brianna 2/03
Rebecca & Sydney 12/04

First of all, hello and welcome. You will like it here, as it is full of
wonderful people and good advice.

As for identical or not, no they are not exact clones of each other.
All it means is that one egg split into two. They are still subject to
subtle differences caused by uterine environment or birth experiences.
The only way to tell for sure if twins are identical (unless they were
in the same sac or had TTTS, both of which only happen in identicals) is
to do a DNA test. You can get them done for $160 US, total, not per
child. The company everyone seems to use is Proactive Genetics. I have
not had it done so cannot vouch for them, but many people in this group
and elsewhere have gone through them. The website eludes me right now,
but perhaps someone else can provide it. If not, I will get it and post
back here.

Hope I was helpful, and again, welcome.

--
Terri & Rob
Colton (11-29-00)
Aimee and Kylie (12-22-03)
Visit us at:
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a..._kylie_colton/

"Steve Smith" wrote in message
9.130...
Hey, I just discovered this group the other day.

For a quick introduction, my wife Liz and I tried to conceive a child for
3+
years before we gave up and went the adoption route. We adopted an
awesome
little girl from Kazakhstan, after living in the country for a month. She
was 10 months old when we brought her home in Dec 2003. Then we found
out
we were pregnant 4 months later with twins! So we now have three awesome
little girls. Brianna just turned 2 last Thursday, on that day Rebecca
and
Sydney were 11 weeks old. Our current twin issues include major cholic
that
is driving us crazy (we are told this should start going away in the next
week or so) as well as the trials of breastfeeding both girls. We are
hoping that we can continue breastfeeding through at least their first 6
months.

Anyway, to my real question. We think that our girls are fraternal but it
is somewhat hard to tell and I think that they could be identical. My
wife
and I can tell them apart, although I get confused between the two of them
sometimes (a fact that my wife likes to bug me about. heh). With
identical
twins, are they completely and utterly identical? Like exact "clones"? I
had the thought that iden. twins were pretty much alike but outside
influences since their egg split will give them minor differences that the
parents can pick up on. Sydney has always been a little heavier, for
example, and is a little over 1 pound heavier now (they were born at 36
weeks at 5lbs 2oz (Rebecca) and 5lbs 6oz (Sydney)). I know that even
iden.
twins can be fed in the womb at differing rates causing one to be heavier
which would obviously make them look a little different.

Anyway, my wife doesn't care one way or the other, but I have a thing
about
wanting to know whether they are identical or not. I don't know why.
I've heard that the definitive DNA tests cost upwards of $400 per child
which is somewhat prohibitive for us right now.

Thanks for any help,
Steve

Your doctor should have told you if the twins were in separate sacs or in
the same sac when your wife was pregnant.

Besides the weight difference, do they look the same, moles in the same
place and other things? can you tell them apart with out the weight
difference?
The answers will help you determine if they are ID.



--
Brianna 2/03
Rebecca & Sydney 12/04
Jack


--
Viva fui in silvis, dum vixi tacui, mortua duce cano.

Brianna 2/03
Rebecca & Sydney 12/04

First of all, hello and welcome. You will like it here, as it is full of
wonderful people and good advice.

As for identical or not, no they are not exact clones of each other.
All it means is that one egg split into two. They are still subject to
subtle differences caused by uterine environment or birth experiences.
The only way to tell for sure if twins are identical (unless they were
in the same sac or had TTTS, both of which only happen in identicals) is
to do a DNA test. You can get them done for $160 US, total, not per
child. The company everyone seems to use is Proactive Genetics. I have
not had it done so cannot vouch for them, but many people in this group
and elsewhere have gone through them. The website eludes me right now,
but perhaps someone else can provide it. If not, I will get it and post
back here.



http://www.proactivegenetics.com/

Just a Google away.


Hope I was helpful, and again, welcome.

--
Terri & Rob
Colton (11-29-00)
Aimee and Kylie (12-22-03)
Visit us at:
http://www.babiesonline.com/babies/a..._kylie_colton/

Jack

Hi,
Some things to look at are hair colour and eye colour. Also ear shape.
Hair and eyes should be exactly the same colour if they are identical. Our
girls are identical, but one has a slightly wider face than the other.
Their best friends, also id twins, are the same.

Alison

"Jack H." wrote in
:


"Steve Smith" wrote in message
9.130...
Hey, I just discovered this group the other day.

For a quick introduction, my wife Liz and I tried to conceive a child
for 3+ years before we gave up and went the adoption route. We
adopted an awesome little girl from Kazakhstan, after living in the
country for a month. She was 10 months old when we brought her home
in Dec 2003. Then we found out we were pregnant 4 months later with
twins! So we now have three awesome little girls. Brianna just
turned 2 last Thursday, on that day Rebecca and Sydney were 11 weeks
old. Our current twin issues include major cholic that is driving us
crazy (we are told this should start going away in the next week or
so) as well as the trials of breastfeeding both girls. We are hoping
that we can continue breastfeeding through at least their first 6
months.

Anyway, to my real question. We think that our girls are fraternal
but it is somewhat hard to tell and I think that they could be
identical. My wife and I can tell them apart, although I get confused
between the two of them sometimes (a fact that my wife likes to bug me
about. heh). With identical twins, are they completely and utterly
identical? Like exact "clones"? I had the thought that iden. twins
were pretty much alike but outside influences since their egg split
will give them minor differences that the parents can pick up on.
Sydney has always been a little heavier, for example, and is a little
over 1 pound heavier now (they were born at 36 weeks at 5lbs 2oz
(Rebecca) and 5lbs 6oz (Sydney)). I know that even iden. twins can be
fed in the womb at differing rates causing one to be heavier which
would obviously make them look a little different.

Anyway, my wife doesn't care one way or the other, but I have a thing
about wanting to know whether they are identical or not. I don't know
why. I've heard that the definitive DNA tests cost upwards of $400
per child which is somewhat prohibitive for us right now.

Thanks for any help,
Steve

Your doctor should have told you if the twins were in separate sacs or
in the same sac when your wife was pregnant.


The twins were in separate sacs. There was also two placentas fused
together. As I understand it, if they were in one sac or if they had one
placenta then they would probably be identical, but the fact that neither
was the case doesn't necessarily mean that they are fraternal.

Besides the weight difference, do they look the same, moles in the same
place and other things? can you tell them apart with out the weight
difference?
The answers will help you determine if they are ID.


I'll check their ears more closely tonight. Their noses, eyes, and hair are
pretty much identical to the naked eye. I don't think they have any moles
or anything. We may have to check out Proactive Genetics.


Steve

The twins were in separate sacs. There was also two placentas fused
together. As I understand it, if they were in one sac or if they had one
placenta then they would probably be identical, but the fact that neither
was the case doesn't necessarily mean that they are fraternal.


Our girls, Kyra and Lauryn were in seperate sacs...the lining between them
measured thin which suggested to our Doctor that they were identical. He
also did a test to the placenta after the birth which determined them to be
identical.



I'll check their ears more closely tonight. Their noses, eyes, and hair
are
pretty much identical to the naked eye. I don't think they have any moles
or anything. We may have to check out Proactive Genetics.

The only way that we can tell ours apart anymore is the fact that Kyra has a
pointy ear. I like the people that insist that they can tell them apart...I
just smile.

I'll be introducing myself in a thread shortly...I'm glad to see activity
here though.

Larry

thunderbrewcoffee wrote:



Our girls, Kyra and Lauryn were in seperate sacs...the lining between them
measured thin which suggested to our Doctor that they were identical. He
also did a test to the placenta after the birth which determined them to be
identical.

I have a lab report that says my twins shared a placenta and outer
membrane, but no way are they identical -- not only do they have
completely different coloring, they have different blood types! I don't
think it's always easy to tell fused placentas from a shared placenta.

Around a third of identical twins have separate placentas anyway.

--Helen

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 15:37:26 -0000, "Nebulous"
wrote:


Hi,
Some things to look at are hair colour and eye colour. Also ear shape.
Hair and eyes should be exactly the same colour if they are identical. Our
girls are identical, but one has a slightly wider face than the other.
Their best friends, also id twins, are the same.



There can be some significant differences in appearance between
monozygotic ("identical") twins, and planta examination is about as
useful as tea leaf-reading, so in the absence of any other
characteristics that definitively rule out monozygosity (e.g.,
different sexes or blood types) the only sure way to tell is with a
genetic test.

Nick

--
Nick Theodorakis

contact form:
http://theodorakis.net/contact.html

On Tue, 22 Feb 2005 23:32:51 GMT, Steve Smith
wrote:

Welcome and congratulations times 3! You've really got your hands full
:-)


With identical
twins, are they completely and utterly identical? Like exact "clones"?

No, definitely not. A friend of mine has identical twins and they
really don't look alike -- one is quite a bit bigger, one has curlier
hair than the other. I have no trouble telling them apart. OTOH, the
Olson twins are fraternal and I can't tell them apart at all (not that
I try that hard ;-)

I'm not sure, as my twins are very obviously fraternal (different
blood types in addition to the different hair color, eye color, size,
etc), but I think the only way to know for sure is genetic testing.
Identical twins can have separate sacs and separate placentas just
like fraternal twins.

Welcome again!

--
Paula
Mom to Olivia and Cassie (b. 4/8/03 @ 26 weeks)
^Grace^ (b. 5/16/02 d. 5/17/02) and ^Adam^ (b/d. 5/17/02)
and a little BOY due 7/4/05 :-)