chances of having twins again

Hello- I delivered spontanous twin boys at 28 wks this past April due to losing one in uetro. Although we never had any testing done to confirm that they were in fact identical my High Risk OB insists this was the case. They shared one placenta, had two separte sacs but the dividing line was so thin. He blamed the death on sudden onset of TTTS (the babies were always only an ounce apart in their weights and I was being seen every 2 weeks). I am learning to accept this very difficult situation and recently my husband and I have discussed the possibilty of considering to try and get pregnant again late 2010. My concerns are these...

-Is there a good chance that I can get pregnant again with spontanous twins?
-How do you emotional not worry yourself to pieces that you will lose another baby...twin or singleton?

Please let me know your thoughts.
Sheila

 

:hug: I'm sorry for your loss.. If your boys were identical, then your chances of having another set of twins is no more than anyone else (though I have read of some moms who have 2 sets of identicals)... Identical twinning is believed to be random where fraternal twinning they have linked to genetics because the mom hyperovulated. Good luck with whatever you decide to do!!

 

I'm so very sorry for your loss. The chance of conceiving a 2nd set of ID twins is 1 in 70,000. So, it's pretty uncommon. I've conceived twice since giving birth to ID twins and they've both been singletons. As for your second question, I have no idea how to deal with that as I've not lost a baby, but I imagine it's something that's always going to be on your mind. Even though I've not lost a baby, it's still something I worry about as a parent. Good luck with your decision making. I've said a little prayer for you and your family.

 

I'm so sorry for the loss of your son!

I did a lot of research about this before we got pg again and it seemed like if you had ID twins the chances of another set were the same as the first time. But it's very uncommon to have back-to-back ID twin pregnancies. Even for fraternal twins back-to-back spontaneous twins are not all that common (I think I read one study that said even for fraternal twins back-to-back spontaneous pg are 1 in 10,000). Based on what I read about that it all has to do with the cause of the fraternal twins. It can be caused by going off birth control, getting pg soon after a birth, a fluke cycle, etc... If it's one of those causes then you would have the same % as anyone else (1-3%) But if you have a history of hyperovulating the % goes up. I think the highest i read was a 20% chance. But most Drs say there's about a 5-10% chance on average of a 2nd set of fraternals. I know that doesn't pertain to you exactly, but if someone does a search this will come up.

Also, there's some theories out there that just because you hyperovulate or have an egg split, that doesn't mean that you will have twins (as we all know). They think there's something with our bodies that cause them to be more hospitable for multiples (but I haven't read anything that says what that something is.) They think a lot of pg start out with twins, but that the 2nd egg or embryo doesn't make it past 5-6 weeks, which is usually way before you would have an u/s for a normal pg. And then there's the vanishing twins that happen also (and who knows - that could also have something to do with the hospitable uterus theory too - some people can just carry twins easier?)

Anyway, the chances of another set of ID twins are pretty slim. That doesn't mean you won't hyperovulate and have a set of fraternals, but there's probably only a normal 3% chance of that.

I wish I could help with your 2nd question. I haven't lost a baby, but have gone through having very premature babies (I know it's not the same, but still something to worry about) and there's not a day that goes by that I don't worry that I won't make it to viability with these 2 (and by that I mean 28 weeks wehn they would have a very good chance of survival and that they would not have to endure all the pain and suffering of many many months in the NICU). I don't think that worry ever goes away. I wish I could tell you that it would. One thing that does help is that our dr's are taking VERY good care of us this time and keeping a very good eye on the babies and me. I would think they would watch you very closely too and give you top priority care.

Blessings and prayers for whatever you decide.

 

We lost our twins at 22 wks...and it is hard to open yourself up again to the possible pain. I had taken Clomid for the twins, but my (new) OB investigated and I was able to ovulate normally after a different course of medication. The cycle I knew I was pregnant, I wished for twins...to have another chance. But now Ièm glad there is only one in there. I had to take it one day and one week at a time, and it took me a long time to emotionally embrace this child. Everyone is different, so you will have to work out your own way of handling your emotions through the TTC and early pregnancy stages. Be open to your DH, and if you have a supportive friend or relative to discuss your anxieties with, that can help. Good luck and :hug: .

 

Thank you to all that have replied. I guess in the end we will have to go with our hearts and take the chances of what is dealt to us! Happy New Year to all!