TTTS and identical twins (or fraternal)

Hello I´m new here

I have 11 months old twin boys. When I was 24 weeks pregnant I was diagnosed with TTTS. So I was on bedrest for the rest of my pregnancy. The TTTS was a mild case so we never needed any treatment. My boys were born at 35 weeks and 3 days. Healthy and strong and of course there was a size difference

But ever since they were born they haven´t really looked identical. I was just wondering if that´s normal for twins who had TTTS? Well they are very similar except they have slightly different ears My B twins ears stick more out and he has a rounder face and he weights a lot more (I geuss that is a big factor in why they look so different)
Also people are always asking me if they are fraternal and that makes me question things sometimes. Does anybody here have not so identical indentical twins

Here are some pictures of my boys...what do you think??

http://barnaland.is/album/img/61530/20081011161409_11.jpg
Brand new

http://barnaland.is/album/img/61530/20090202153348_8.jpg
3 months

http://barnaland.is/album/img/61530/20090510235506_9.jpg
6 months

http://tviburastubbar.barnaland.is/album/img/61530/20090918151803_3.jpg
11 months

 

I'm thinking they look pretty darn identical to me, and cute! Of course, if they had TTTS then they are definitely identical.

 

Holy cow are they cute!!! They look VERY much alike to me. Most TTTS babies I've seen have huge size differences. I don't really see that in your boys. They have the same weight differences as my ID boys. Like Tina said, if they had TTTS they are def. identical! Was the placenta examined after delivery? We were thought to have TTTS but never actually met the criteria. The placenta was examined and it was actually two fused together. The boys are still ID though (at least says the DNA test!).

 

I don´t know if the placenta was examined. My delivery was a little drama I had baby A by vaginal birth and B came by c section (after a came out B´s umbilical cord got trapped so I had acute c section)

Well I know the chance of them being fraternal is not very high but i have wondered if there were in fact two fused placentas. Or maybe I just think about this too much hehe. But the ear thing makes me wonder sometimes. But I will most likely have a DNA test Because all the TTTS cases I have heard of are very severe and have needed laser surgery while mine just cured itself on its own (thank god)

 

my id girls had a large size difference which makes their face shapes look different

 

My girls did not have TTTS nor did they have a big size difference, but they were born with totally different head shapes. Head shape is affected by position in the womb and a baby born vaginally will have a different head shape than one who was not. Mine were both c/s but twin A had decended into the birth canal and I was in active labor by the time they did the c/s. I suspect your twins ear difference could be do to that as well.

Also don't forget that identical means they have the same DNA, that DNA could still be expressed differently (recent studies have shown certain genes can get turned on or off by environmental factors, and womb position, or having been born vaginally could be one such environmental factor.)

 

:faint: You don't think yours look identical? :hush: Before I say something sarcastic.

 

I can see why u are questioning because of the face shape. But if they had TTTS they are Identical. They look very Identical to me. My twin sister and I had TTTS, and our face shapes are slightly different.

 

They look identical to me and they are so cute! What are their weights at birth and their weights now? My girls are identical and had TTTS (per the path report on the placenta) and don't look alike but they are about 5lbs apart.

 

They sure look ID to me (and really, really cute too!!)

 

They look identical to me too! Very cute!! My girls also had TTTS and I delivered at 35wks 5days. Twin A came out at 5lbs 5oz with a full head of hair and Twin B was 3lbs 8oz and very little hair. I too questioned whether or not they are identical. ardon: They did start looking mor and more alike as the weight difference wasn't as noticeable. They are still 4lbs apart but look more alike. However, their facial expressions and how they use their features are totally different, making them look non-identical.

 

Your boys are adorable and identical 100%!! My girls had TTTS. My Baby A had no fluid and B had waaay too much fluid. This caused their heads to be a different shape. My girls have never been more than a lb aprt. I didn't have the laser, I had 3 amniotic fluid drains and bedrest. Enjoy!

 

Hehe of course they look alike but identical, no. And also they look much more alike in photos than real life

 

Mine also use their facial expressions totally different. But they were born only 1 lbs apart but now they are 2lbs apart. Well when they were 3 months old there was almost no difference in weight and then people had a hard time telling them apart (except mommy and daddy of course and close family )

Here they are 6 days old and too me they look sooo different. Maybe I´m just weird he he

http://barnaland.is/album/img/61530/20081016164801_7.jpg

 

They are identical. No doubt and chances are it was one placenta with the TTTS, not two. It can fuse and you can get TTTS but it's rather rare.

Whatever the number of placentas tho, they ARE identical. No doubt! And sooooooo cute!

 

Identical twins means they are monozygotic, not carbon copies. They are two individual babies. Even clones have differences.

 

Yes I know What I meant was that they look rather like really similar brothers than identical twins. If you know what I mean (hope I am making myself clear enough in english, I´m Icelandic )

 

They are so cute! Congratulations on your boys! I know what you mean though about non-identicals. My boys are also identical but to me they more like fraternal brothers than identical twins, though people are always asking me how I tell them apart. I think parents are always the ones who question their twins zygosity more than anyone and I think it's because we're around them all the time and pick up on their subtle differences. Either way, your boys are adorable and if there's any question, definitely get a DNA test (though I think you can save your money because they really look like their identical!)

 

My vote is identical too! They are sooo cute!!! I love their hair color.

 

OK, I have to join the line of posters that say your boys are Identical! I'd save your money on having a DNA test! :lol:

My boys are definately fraternal; sure they have some similarities but are also very different. People ask if they are identical all the time. They just don't know or understand truly what fraternal vs. identical is all about. :unknw:

Your boys will develope little things that stand out for just them and you will really notice that because you're their mom. They're still ID!

Super cute too!!!! :good:

 

Many mothers of identicals feel the same way you do. If my boys weren't monoamniotic I would have had a DNA test done. My boys have VERY different head and face shapes. Also Clay has pointy spots on his ears that Cooper doesn't have. My boys have never been more than a couple of ounces apart in weight and height and they were both born via c-section , but they still look very different to me. Here are some pics:
http://www.twinstuff.com/forum/index.php?app=gallery&module=user&user=29010&do=view_album&album=374



eta: Another vote for identical.

 

Soo cute!!!! But oh my,they were monoamniotic??? Wasn´t the pregnancy stressful?

 

Hi, my guys had TTTS. We actually just had our ten year anniversary (09/09/1999) for the laser surgery in Tampa with Dr. Quintero, my hero. My boys have carried their size difference for the last nine years. Max is broader, heavier and taller. Luke is leaner, narrower and about 1 inch shorter. Not much has changed in their differences since they were born, Luke 3 lbs 11 oz and Max 5 lbs. Congratulations on your boys, they are gorgeous!

Wendy

 

Thanks. Yes, it was very stressful. I changed OB/GYN's at 20 weeks, finally got to see an MFM (referred by my new OB) at 24 weeks, and went inpatient for continuous monitoring at 26 weeks. I delivered at 34 weeks, 2 weeks NICU. The best part of the pregnancy was being inpatient, all I had to do was look at the monitor next to me to see their heartbeats, and we had no decels.

Have you decided whether or not to order a DNA test?

 

All I know is that your guys are ADORABLE!!!

 

Yes I can imagine how you must have felt. What a horrible feeling it is to not know how things will end up. It´s almost been a year since I gave birth but memories of this awful pregnancy often pops up....making me wonder if I will ever want to get pregnant again (this was my first pregnancy). But I´ll get over it

I haven´t decided yet about the DNA test. I want to have it checked out but but we´ll see

 

Absolutly IDENTICAL and so so cute. My girls heads are shaped different and Hope's ears stick out and are thinner than Grace's. Grace has always felt heavier than Hope also. Of course I have always been wrong because they have always weighed within 2 oz of each other until their 2 year check up and Grace jumped 1 lb heavier than Hope. Grace also has one swirl in her hair and Hope has 2 swirls. I did the dna test and they are identical. I am pretty sure us parents of identicals just don't see it like everybody else. Once again your little guys are so handsome.