Are they identical or fraternal?
In my case, there is no way to know until they are born. I have two placentas, and each baby has it's own chorion (the "big sac") and amnion (the amniotic sac inside the chorionic sac). I could have either Scenario 1 or Scenario 2. This is good, because these are the two safest scenarios for twin pregnancy.
Do twins run in the family?
In my case, no. Twins "running in the family" only applies to fraternal twins, and is only a factor on the woman's side. What "runs in the family" is the woman ovulating two eggs. This is something that can be passed from mother to daughter, so therefore it has nothing to do with the father's side.
Did you try to conceive twins?
I will never understand this question, and the answer is no. There really is no way to "try" to have twins. Undergoing fertility treatment does increase the chances of fraternal twins, but there is no way to purposely have twins - unless you purposely put more than one fertilized egg into the uterus, but even then there is no guarentee that they will both implant succesfully.
What are the chances of having twins?
In the United States, if you undergo fertility treatments, or have any of the other factors that increase the chance of double ovulation (being over the age of 35 and being overweight to name a couple) the chances of having fraternal twins are 1:32. This rate has gone up considerably over the recent years due to increased use of fertility treatments. If you do not undergo fertility treatment and have none of the other factors that increase double ovulation, your chances of having fraternal twins are 1:89.
The likelihood of having identical twins is about 1:250. There are no factors that increase the chances of having identical twins - it's completely spontaneous. This rate hasn't changed over the decades and is remarkably constant all over the world.
Did you undergo any fertility treatments?
Nope.
I heard that fraternal twins can look just as much alike as identical twins. Is that true?
Nope. Fraternal twins share no more of the same DNA than do any other siblings. Identical twins will have some slight differences, but they are still considered "identical". It's a safe bet that if the two siblings look nearly exactly alike, with some slight differences that make it able to tell them apart, they are still "identical".
Which is Baby A and which is Baby B?
The baby closest to the cervix is Baby A. Baby A and Baby B will never switch. Baby A is born first in a vaginal birth and in a c-section. For me, Emma is Baby A and she is on my right side. Ava is Baby B and is on my left side.
Does having twins mean you will have to have a c-section?
Having twins does not guarentee you will have to have a c-section. If Baby A is in a head down position, and Baby B is also head down, then vaginal delivery can be safely attempted. If Baby A is head down and Baby B is head up, then vaginal delivery can also be safely attempted with Baby B either turning itself after the delivery of Baby A, being manually turned after the delivery of Baby A, or being born breech. If Baby A is in the breech position then a c-section must be done. A c-section will also be done if the doctor thinks that there is a possibility of any complications during the delivery.
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