Finally an answer to the "are they indentical" question...

So to make a long story short, i was told very early on by an U/S tech the boys would be fraternal due to the seperate sacs, which i believed until i educated myself a little on twinning. I later had another level 2 for a hormone study, which i never asked the question of identical/fraternal at. I was told later by my neonatologist, he believed they were identical, had one placenta and 2 sacs, but couldn't say for sure becuase the placentas could have fused at some point. So i picked up my medical records yesterday due to a switch of Gyno's and read on the report from the study u/s, they are monoamniotic dichorionic, which i took to mean, one placenta/2 sacs. Am i correct in assuming this???
I know it is crazy but i am excited to finally be able to say "yes they are identical", instead of "i don't know" :umm:

 

My girls are mono/di. Which means one placenta and 2 sacs. I don't know all the technicals but my girls are ID if that helps.

 

Mono/di is definitely identical- that's great to finally have an answer to the question you (and they) will forever get!!

 

I have always been told mono/di is identical, but now I've just thought of a question. If the placentas fuse, they look like just one, right? So wouldn't fused placenta twins also be called mono/di?

 

I am a Pathologists' Assistant and dissect placentas on a daily basis. The PP is correct that monochorionic/diamniotic is seen only in monozygotic twin placentation. According to my placenta book, "all MONOCHORIONIC placenta are from monozygotic twins, but placentation is dependent upon the time of separation of the single ovum and DICHORIONIC twins may be associated with either mono or dizygotic twins. The degree of separation or fusion of dichorionic placentas does not give information concerning zygosity." The placentas can be completely fused or only partially fused along the disc and/or membranes. I can tell you from practical experience that most of the fused placentas that I dissect are di/di. Overall, di/di occur about 68% of the time, mono/di about 30%, and mono/mono about 1.5%.

 

QUOTE(2girls2b @ Sep 25 2008, 04:34 PM) [snapback]997121[/snapback]
I am a Pathologists' Assistant and dissect placentas on a daily basis. The PP is correct that monochorionic/diamniotic is seen only in monozygotic twin placentation. According to my placenta book, "all MONOCHORIONIC placenta are from monozygotic twins, but placentation is dependent upon the time of separation of the single ovum and DICHORIONIC twins may be associated with either mono or dizygotic twins. The degree of separation or fusion of dichorionic placentas does not give information concerning zygosity." The placentas can be completely fused or only partially fused along the disc and/or membranes. I can tell you from practical experience that most of the fused placentas that I dissect are di/di. Overall, di/di occur about 68% of the time, mono/di about 30%, and mono/mono about 1.5%.

Wow thats so interesting ! Do placentas fuse often ? Or is it a rare occurance ? My boys had one placenta (so it appeared) and I was never told if it was 2 that were fused so i am one of those .. not 100% sure moms ..

 

QUOTE
I am a Pathologists' Assistant and dissect placentas on a daily basis


Another question, how do you label a placenta that has been fused? At birth, we were told one placenta, but then the records stated two placentas. This was what the nurse read to me. I didn't read the actual report.

Jdandson+2, congrats on finding out and saving that money from the DNA test!!!

 

QUOTE(jdandson+2 @ Sep 25 2008, 11:30 AM) [snapback]997019[/snapback]
So i picked up my medical records yesterday due to a switch of Gyno's and read on the report from the study u/s, they are monoamniotic dichorionic, which i took to mean, one placenta/2 sacs. Am i correct in assuming this???
I know it is crazy but i am excited to finally be able to say "yes they are identical", instead of "i don't know" :umm:

Are you sure you don't mean monochorionic/diamniotic? What you said means two placentas and one sac which I believe is impossible. I think you mean one placenta and two sacs which always means the twins are identical (except for one extremely rare case a few years ago where frats were sharing a placenta - there's always a rare exception).

 

Are you sure you don't mean monochorionic/diamniotic? What you said means two placentas and one sac which I believe is impossible. I think you mean one placenta and two sacs which always means the twins are identical (except for one extremely rare case a few years ago where frats were sharing a placenta - there's always a rare exception).


could be, i was reading while 2-2 year olds were jumping on me :wacko:
They definitely had 2 sacs, i saw that for myself at all my level 2's, so i had to have misread or just miswrote.

 

QUOTE(Aurie @ Sep 25 2008, 07:05 PM) [snapback]997948[/snapback]
Another question, how do you label a placenta that has been fused? At birth, we were told one placenta, but then the records stated two placentas. This was what the nurse read to me. I didn't read the actual report.

Jdandson+2, congrats on finding out and saving that money from the DNA test!!!


I would have to read your actual pathology report to explain your situation. Most of the time when I dissect placentas my descriptions include whether there are two separate "discs" or one "disc" with attached membranes. Sometimes there is one disc in which I can't tell whether it is fused or truly one placenta. Other times, there are two discs only connected by a portion of membranes, and then there are the ones that are one disc in which you can tell they have fused. Most of the twin placentas I receive are one disc and I used the terminology "apparently fused" quite often.

 

QUOTE(Moodyzblu @ Sep 25 2008, 05:31 PM) [snapback]997810[/snapback]
Wow thats so interesting ! Do placentas fuse often ? Or is it a rare occurance ? My boys had one placenta (so it appeared) and I was never told if it was 2 that were fused so i am one of those .. not 100% sure moms ..


Most of the placentas I get "appear" to be fused. It is difficult to tell whether it is one placenta or two that have fused. Sometimes there are two "discs" that are clearly fused and held together by membranes only or two totally separate placentas not connected by membranes or anything. The zygosity would depend on whether or not the membranes are mono/mono, di/di, mono/di and not on whether the placenta is fused or not. If you're not sure and want to know, I say do the DNA testing. My girls were di/di so we did the testing and found out that they are monozygotic. It was a relief knowing for sure and being able to tell people that they are identical!