Did you know that the average rate of twins born in the USA is 32 pairs of twins for every 1,000 births? That is a really high rate! Whether you are actively trying to increase your chances of having twins, or just curious as to why some mommies are blessed with two, read on to find out the factors that contribute to having twins! Here’s our to-do list if twins are a must have for you! Claim Your 20 Free Pregnancy Tests – Click Here
We all know that having a family history of twins increases your chances of conceiving twins. But, what a lot of people don’t know is that only fraternal twins are hereditary, not identical twins. Another fun fact? It only matters if twins run on the mother’s side of the family. If your mom, grandmother, or great grandmother, has had fraternal twins, it will up your chances. If your partner has twins in his family? Doesn’t affect your chances!
If you have twins already, or at least another baby, your chances are higher. The chances for a mom who already has a set of twins to give birth to another set of fraternal twins? FOUR times greater than the average mom, or about one in twelve! Now, those are some great chances! See, history does repeat itself! Also, with each pregnancy a mom goes through, her chances of conceiving twins increases.
Older moms have a higher chance of conceiving twins. Older moms produce more follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) than younger moms, and this may cause more than one egg to be released during ovulation. The rate of twins for mommies over 45? A whopping 20%! Want me to really blow your mind? If you give birth after age 50, the chance of twins is a staggering one in NINE!
Recent studies have shown that women who are overweight are twice as likely to give birth to twins. The studies show a direct correlation between the frequency of twins and the mother’s BMI. Twins are also, for some reason, much more common in taller moms too.
African-American mommies have the highest rate of twins, followed by Caucasian moms, then Hispanic moms, then Asian moms.
What? Yes, yams. Why? Nigerian moms have the highest rate of twins in the world, around 1 in 22. Scientists believe that this is directly related to the mother’s high consumption of, guess what? Yams! It’s apparently the peelings from the yams that increases hyperovulation. So, you want to get pregnant with twins? You might want to get a yam cookbook!
Well, maybe. Women that eat dairy products are up to five times more likely to get pregnant with twins than women who don’t. The studies that have been conducted on this say that vegan and vegetarian women are less likely to get pregnant with twins.
But, critics are quick to point out that it is probably not the actual dairy products themselves that increase the chance of twins, but consuming the dairy products from cows that were treated with growth hormones. So, the hormones, not the dairy products, may actually be what is responsible for the increased twin rate. And the vast majority of dairy products now are labelled made from cows that were not treated with the growth hormone rBST.
If you already have a little one and are looking to get pregnant again with twins, it might be a good idea to keep on breastfeeding your little one! It has been said that moms who were breastfeeding when they got pregnant are nine times more likely to get pregnant with twins than moms who were not breastfeeding the time of conception!
As we all know, going off the Pill can kind of throw your body off a little bit, and make it act a bit crazy. Well, you can use that wackiness to your advantage by trying to conceive during the first or second cycle after going off the Pill. Sometimes your body, trying to get back into its normal cycle, will release an extra egg during these cycles. So, it’s worth a shot!
While most people think that fertility drugs are almost a guarantee to have multiples, that is not really the case. The facts are, the rate of twins is about one to three percent. Taking Clomid, the most popular fertility medication, might increase your odds to around eight percent. So, not a huge increase at all. Truth is, it is nowhere near as common as people make it out to be.
There you have it folks, a list of the most common traits associated with getting pregnant with twins! I am sure there are some old wives’ tales or legends out there that we haven’t thought of? If anyone knows of any more, be sure to share them with us!
Comments