Thinking about a DNA test?

My girls will be 16 months soon and although they were di/di everyone seems to think they are identical. I am not sure and even though I think it is not a big deal I often think about buying a test to confirm or deny their monozygosity. In Belgium it is SO uncommon to do it and I would have to order from an American website and have it sent over all the way here, but would you think it'd be worth the hassle? I mean, how did other moms feel after having confirmed or denied their set was identical? I truly am afraid to find out they are fraternal and I cannot even tell why.

A few pictures: E&N (you can see more if you browse through the album).

 

Btw, after rereading my post I might have to make sure you ladies know I absolutely LOVE fraternal twins. I honestly don't know why I would want my own set to be identical...

 

I did the test. I wanted to know. I think both frats and IDs are cool, I just wanted to know what mine were. I thought it was a fun thing to do- we swabbed their cheeks and got an email back which showed their specific genetic markers being the same. It was a fun experience and I'd do it again.

PS- I think they are TOTALLY ID. If other people continually mix them up you've got a good shot at them being ID. Just looking at their facial structure it looks the same to me.

 

They totally look ID to me

 

They look ID to me too...and they are adorable .

I did the test for my girls. I felt they had the right to know the answer to the "are you identical" question. It's funny you say that you're afraid to find out they are frats because I had a similar feeling...I don't quite know what it was...I think it had something to do with the fact that I was still mixing them up and felt like I would be a horrible mother if they were frats and I couldn't tell them apart . My girls are ID and know they (and I) know for sure.

I have also spoken with several adult twins who don't know the truth about their zygosity and wish they did. One woman said her mother is convinced she and her sister are fraternal (they look ID) and refuses to talk about the fact that they might be ID and takes it as a personal insult that she wants to get tested. She congratulated me for getting my girls tested so they know for sure. I think its something they have the right to know, whether they are frat of ID, as it is part of the story of how they came to be . GL!!!

 

I also have to say that part of my reason for having them tested was selfish. Something happened in MY body to give me twins and I wanted to know what it was .

 

I would have them tested as well, especially since it's such a non invasive test to do. I'd have no problems with the answer either way, but it would be nice to be able to answer with certainty whether they were id or not.

For the record, I agree they look ID to me. Look at their eye shape, their nose shape, their lips shape, their chin shape, and their ear shape. If they are all pretty much identical, then they are probably ID

 

I say they're ID !

I totally get why you want to know for sure. For most frats .. it's very easy to tell. But when you have ID's .. unless you know for sure, you always find yourself questioning. It's usually the second question people ask after they the "are they twins?".
I never had mine tested but the older they get they more I am convinced they're ID but I may, someday, get the darn test. But I think it's kind of obvious with mine.

 

We did the test too. I wanted the answer as much as I wanted them to have an answer to the unending question of "Are you/they identical?" I was told they were di/di from the start of my pg. Turns out they were really di/mo. But I still probably would have tested anyways.

 

Thanks for your replies ladies! I know I really want to do the test and your answers gave me more insight into why on earth it feels so important to me.

Sometimes my girls look SO different and other times even I cannot tell them apart and it always makes me feel guilty. My father thinks it is funny though to challenge me while holding one and asking who she is. Really cracks him up if I'm mistaken. (Trust me to doubt my first thought then...) Annoying!

My husband doesn't think it is necessary to do the test now and convinced me to wait a little while. I'll bring it up again within a few months, lol.

 

I can totally understand how you feel! We thought the boys were Frat when I was preg but since being born, they look ID, everyone here has told me they're ID and my pedi said they were ID as well. I still want the test done. I think for me it's more the fact that my girls (not twins) look so much alike that we ofter get OH look at her she's got two sets of twins. So either the boys are frats that look a lot alike like their sisters or their ID.

I say go for it!! BTW I think your girls are ID!

 

I know, right? My husband and his brother look a lot like each other too. Might be just that with our girls as well.

 

I would do it! I can't imagine not knowing for sure!!

 

I also wanted to add that we don't know what other reasons that could come up someday where it would be important to know if they are fraternal or ID.

 

You are right, I guess my husband hopes it'll become more obvious if they're identicals or not.

 

Thats what happened with ours. When they were infants they looked totally different (to us, anyway). But by the time they were 2 it was pretty apparent they were ID. Their pedi used to laugh at me when I questioned her about it.
Now at 6, I even mix them up from time to time.

 

My girls were mo/di and I still wanted the test for those few percentage that you read about that are frats. Plus, after the new newborn stage, they looked different to me (but they looked ID to everyone else) I wanted to know FOR SURE. It bothered me that I felt I couldn't answer the question are the ID truthfully, without talking about my placenta and their matching brain cysts. They tested ID and now, I and they know for sure. Yours look ID to me, but obviously, if it were me, I'd test them. I would have a real problem if my father made me play the who's who game. That would really bother me.

 

They look ID to me and very adorable! I know I would tempted to do the test too, I don't know if I could go without knowing for sure. Good luck with your decision and let us know the results if you decide to do the test!

 

I'm someone who never tested--when they were born they didn't look much alike to us, but at 9 months started looking alike, at 12 months looked quite a bit a like, and my 18 months if they were sleeping, even we could not tell them apart. Their expressions and the look in their eyes is what makes mine look different, so when they are asleep--those things are gone. I suggest you take pictures of them sleeping, crop close around the face then show them to your husband and ask, who is this? By doing that, we decided we can not deny the fact our twins are identical and a test would only be for confirmation, and we don't need to spend 100 dollars for confirmation, especially considering in our economy that's a bigger chunk of our income than for most Americans.

Others circumstances have also lead me to believe my twins were actually mono-di so therefore identical. In my first u/s at 5 and a half weeks, there were two distinct sacks--but right smack next to each other. The team that did my c/s swears the placenta was one, not fused (but there was no lab to analyse it, just 6 doctors). Some of the differences in their apparence at birth could be attributed to very mild TTS--one had a much darker skin tone than the other. And lastly, I went into labour at 35 weeks-which appears to be very common for mono-di pregnancies.

Good luck with which ever choice you make--I think your twins are ID.

 

This picture screams identical to me.

 

Thank you all for replying! I'll stick to the "I think they are identical" comment for now and always hope people won't ask why we don't know for sure so I don't have to go into details. I suppose if everyone -including you, experts- says they look the same and I find myself often doubting it probably shows they are identical.

Yesterday I made a funny picture where they seem to synchronize their moves.

I will probably do the test within a year or so, when I've convinced my DH, and I'll definitely let you know the results!

 

CUTE pics! Totally identical NO DOUBT!!

 

I had di/di boys and also wanted to know. We had the test done when they were 6 months old. By that time, we could see subtle differences in their appearance and could tell them apart. I was actually surprised to learn that they are identical. Like you, it really didn't matter to me what type they were... I just needed to know!! As a side note, chances for having a second set of fraternal twins increases if you already have one set. That was in the back of my mind since we were planning on having more children.

Do it, you will always wonder!!

 

My boys were also di/di. Even when we were told frat while I was pregnant and how slim the chance was on them being ID I always said they WILL be ID. It was just a feeling I had. We have never had them tested, but there is nobody who can tell them apart (just guessing) and they just turned one year. We as parents could not tell them apart until over 8 months. We used blue toenail polish at all times on "baby b". Sometimes even now I have to have them both together to make sure I am correct on who is who. They even have the same dimple on their knee in the same spot and same small curve/dent on the earlobe. They have no marks sep from each other. My ped told me pretty much not to waste my money on the DNA test as they were the most ID twins she has ever seen. So saying all that I decided against spending the extra money just to know what I already feel in my gut and heart.

As for you go with your gut.

 

I think people would save a lot of money if they just posted here and asked It's really 100% obvious to strangers if twins are ID or not.

They are totally ID and adorable! My parents never tested for my sister and I (I guess it wasn't possible at the time anyway) because really, if you have even one doubt at one point about who is who, they are definitely ID.

 

That's what I used to say! Untill....
there was one case in my seven years on TS, I think one of the Rachel's DATsomething as a username. Her DNA test came back faternal, the only time I've ever been wrong. (I still wonder if it wasn't a lab mistake... :ibiggrin: )