Expecting Identical Twins - Question for other ID Twins Parents

My DH and I just found out two weeks ago that we are having twins, then last week we were told they are identical. We are both a little worried we won't be able to tell them apart at all. What is it like when they are first born?

 

We were very worried too, but we have been able to tell them apart just fine. We kept the ankle bands on until they outgrew them. Then we marked a toe of one of the boys once. We can tell ours apart because their personalities are SO different. Granted there are times when I come home from work that I have to really pay attention to who is doing what to figure out who it is.

But trust me, you will know. I worried before and then when they came, I never worried again!

Jenn

 

Thanks for the quick reply, Jenn! I had actually already planned to do those same things, with ours. Nice to know I'm on the right track.

Rose

 

Mine are ID but I did not know until I did a DNA test when they were 2! So that goes to show you probably will be able to tell!

Actually though, in the hospital, I remember being really emotional because I did not know who was who! I was emotional because I thought they were fraternal so I thought I was supposed to know who was who! Head shape for us was the biggest difference in the beginning. My one son had a very small round face and the other more oval.

 

I painted their toenails different colors before we left the hospital. I had no problems telling them apart though. The polish was nice for pictures You will be surprised at how quickly you will be able to tell them apart. Nobody can tell my girls apart, but to me they look completely different. Good luck and congrats!!!

 

We were paranoid about this since ours were really, REALLY identical in appearance. Now I can't believe they're ID (even tho other people still have a hard time telling them apart).

When they were in the hospital, the nurses were really good about keeping their bassinets in the same position and dressing them in the same color all the time. Of course, they still had their name bands on, too.

When we brought them home, we painted one of the boy's big toenail blue. We also dressed him in blue (or secondary color was green). His brother was in browns, reds, oranges... He was Baby B, his name was Bennett, and he wore Blue. I didn't realize how useful this really was until I recently looked at newborn pics of the babies that weren't labelled. I could tell by what color they were wearing who was who. Even tho DH and I have NO problem telling them apart now, I still dress them this way when they are going to see family, as they also memorized our little system.


Eve

 

My husband was very freaked out about being able to tell our boys apart, but so far, it hasn't been a big deal. They were pretty different in size at birth - 5 lbs. vs. 6 lbs. 11oz. - which has made them easy to distinguish, and their heads are different shapes (still) from being wedged together before they were born.

 

Ours are fraternal and I still was paranoid we kept on their hospital bracelets for about 3 days lol, but u know we still mixed them up a few times in the middle of the night and tried to feed the same one twice and wondered why they wouldn't take it and the other one was crying. The tips u've got about eh finger nail or bracelets etc.. will help

 

I had planned on painting a toenail, but the boys helped us out! One had more hair and the other had a birthmark on his back. Like Nicole, we thought they were fraternal until we finally did DNA testing at 16 months. You will be very surprised how easily you'll be able to tell them apart, but it is nice to have something to "check", especially at 3 am! :ibiggrin:

 

There are so many moms on here (myself included) who didn't think their babies were identical at birth. There is a good chance that there will be a noticable difference in their size or head shapes. Mine didn't start looking alike until 3 months, when they started to grow into their faces. By six months they looked a lot alike, but like others have said, by then their personalities, how they smiled, the look in their eyes really set them apart for mom and dad.

 

I was originally told they were fraternal as they were di/di. But after they were born, I was the only one convinced they were identical and knowing that there is a chance of di/di twins being identical, I had them tested. Like others, my boys had a weight difference- 6 lbs 2 oz and 5 lbs 7 oz, and different head shapes. However, I did not want to mix them up, so my big Baby A has a blue toenail on one of his feet. It did turn out they were identical and now I laugh when DH and close friends mix them up. In the very beginning, while you get to know them, a pound makes a huge difference, size wise. Then, mine have different cries- I can hear who's upset.

Now, here's something I don't usually share: I breastfeed both and usually at the same time and often in the middle of the night, I don't care who's who! I look and think, oh, it's one of my boys. His brother is right on his heels. I'm tired. You are eating. That's enough. :rotflmbo:

No worries- we rarely have to check the toe for who's who. They have different personalities and even skill levels.

You'll be fine-

Michelle

6.5 week old boys

 

We us nail polish on our girls...one of them has purple toe nail polish and the other pink.

 

We could tell, but they actually both had different birth marks on their legs, which was always nice to fall back on. You would be surprised how you will find the differences.

 

That reminds me of trying to sort out photos of my sister and I when we were little...no, we're not twins, but close enough in age, plus my mom sewed a lot of our clothes therefore made matching outfits, that other people used to think we were twins. I thought it was horrible until I tried to sort the photos--any ones where the face wasn't obvious, I would say, ok, I remember that was my shirt, so this one must be me...We finally started looking really different about age 9 or 10.
:laughing:

 

I've been hoping for a little birthmark! That would sure make it easy. Plus I was thinking of dressing them in different colors, but not sure how well that will work when the laundry starts piling up. Thanks for so many great ideas!