Interesting Facts About Twins

I can't confirm the accuracy of these facts - but most of it I have read other places so I think it's fairly accurate.

1. Up to 22% of twins are left-handed. In the general populace, only 10% are left-handed.

2. Did you know that where you live can help determine whether or not you conceive multiples? If you live in Massachusetts and Connecticut, the twinning rate is 25% higher than the general populace.

3. On the other hand, if you don't want twins, move to Hawaii. Their rate of twin births is 30% less than the rate in the rest of the nation.

4. If you are super adventurous and want triplets, Nebraska or New Jersey is the place for you to make your home. Their rate of triplets is double that of the rest of the nation.

5. The Yoruba tribe in Nigeria has the highest incidence of twinning in the entire world. Why? They eat lots of yams.

6. One amazing mother in Chile gave birth to the last of her 55 children in 1981. Her children includes five sets of triplets (all boys). Now that mom has her hands full!

7. Fraternal twins are much more common than identical twins. The chance of having twins is about 1 in 285.

8. Both Elvis Presley and Liberace were twins? Their siblings died at birth.

9. The famous advice columnists Ann Landers and Abigail Van Buren (Dear Abby) are twins.

10. William Shakespeare fathered a set of boy/girl twins.

11. Fraternal twins run in families. Identical twins are a fluke of nature.

12. There are 7 different types of twins: identical, fraternal, half-identical, mirror image twins, mixed chromosome twins, superfecundation, and superfetation. These other types are very rare.

13. Due to sonograms being more widely available earlier in pregnancy it is now estimated that for every live twin birth, there are at least 6 other "twins" that no one ever knew about due to the vanishing twin phenomenon.

14. As if the woman in Chile did not have enough children, a woman in Russia in the 1700's, gave birth to 16 sets of twins, in addition to 7 sets of triplets, and 4 sets of quads!

15. The earliest twins were ever born and survived? 22 weeks! Each twins was less than 12 inches long and weighed only slightly more than a pound.

16. Twins do not have to be born on the same dates. The longest gap between birth is 85 days.

17. 27 lbs. and 12oz. Total is the heaviest combined birth weight of any set of twins.

18. Cirque du Soleil employs the most sets of twins. (With the exception of course of the Twins restaurant in New York City where you can only be a waiter if you are an identical twin.)

19. Only 14% of women carry multiples past 37 weeks. Most women give birth prematurely.

20. 56% of all twin births are spontaneous. (Meaning the couple did not use fertility drugs.)

21. Only 16% of triplet births are spontaneous and only 5% of quadruplet births are spontaneous. Anything more than quadruplets is not spontaneous.

22. Twins do not have to have the same father. It is possible for a mother to release two eggs separately (as much as 24 days apart). Consequently, the twins could have different due dates.

23. 82% of multiples are delivered via c-section, while 5% are delivered vaginally. The rest are delivered both by c-section and vaginally.

24. You have a 50% chance of having a c-section when you are pregnant with twins. You have a 100% chance of having a c-section if you are pregnant with more than 2 babies.

25. Identical twins experience nearly identical brain wave patterns.

26. Conjoined twins occur in every 1 out of 400,000 twin births.

27. Once you've had fraternal twins, you are 3 to 4 times more likely to have another set!

28. The rate of identical twinning is much higher in mothers that are very young and very old.

35 Weeks

They didn't check the babies weight this week - but the ultrasound looked good. I'm almost 2cm dilated - but the doctor said if they came now, they'd be just fine as they "aren't petite boys." Ha!

Here's my belly picture- complete with stretch marks. :( Apparently since the babies aren't having much success getting out the normal way, they are trying to hatch out. At least that's what my belly looks like - like a hatching egg. So much for that cocoa butter lotion and vitamin e stuff I've been slathering on for months. Hmph.

34 Weeks

I'm home - which means I have a lot of time to arrange and rearrange, wash, and generally putter around in the babies room. Too much time. :) On the bright side, everything is ready for them - the crib mobiles (Thanks Melena!), the clothes and blankets washed, diapers and clothes organized by size, etc. It's either that or watch soap operas. :)

The clothes have been washed - stuff on the walls hung up - the room is done! Now it just needs babies.

So, the Chicco carseats don't work in any double stroller even though the Babies "R" Us employee told us they would. So this week, we had to take back the carseats we had and get these - which work in several strollers. :( I liked the old carseats better, but these aren't too bad.

Blake got the stroller all put together too (Thanks Meagan and Brandon!).

Their closet is just about full! (I've been stocking up on diapers - those take up a lot of room!)

Blake's parents gave us this shelf for Christmas and it goes perfectly in their room! And bonus, Blake could use his new power drill putting it up. :)

The changing table is the cats new favorite spot . . . I wonder if they'll still like it after the boys get here! (Note the jungle stacker on the bottom shelf next to the books - it's so cute! Thanks Mom!)

Oh, Sophie. :)

The sun hits that spot everyday, and Sophie sunbathes for HOURS.

Here's a picture of me, Blake, and my mom on Christmas.

And, if I can figure it out, we've been practicing with our new video camera, so tomorrow I'm going to try to put video up on the blog. It won't be that exciting at first, but once the babies get here, I can add video clips of them which is kinda fun.

10 Pounds of Baby!

I had my weekly doctor appointment and ultrasound this morning. Babies still look great - they are getting so big! Baby A is 4 lbs 8 oz, and Baby B is 5 lbs 6 oz. Still both head down, and I'm 1 1/2 cm dilated so I've only progressed a little. I just have to make it past 36 weeks - before that they'll try to stop labor, after that, they'll just let the babies come. The doctor said they are in great shape for twins, and any additional day I can keep them in at this point is just icing on the cake - they will be healthy when they are born. So that's reassuring! I'm so uncomfortable at this point, I am counting down the days!

Quick Update

Today is my last day of work. I went to the doctor yesterday and I was 1 cm dilated and because of the risk for preterm labor, I am at work today getting things all straigtened away and then I'll be home probably until these babies are born.

I can still be up and around at home as long as I lay down for a while after short periods of activity. I can leave the house once every two days.

Babies are very healthy and looked great on the ultrasound. One of them had hair sticking straight out of his head. :) They are still both head down.

Well - here's to the next part of the adventure! Hope I don't get too bored at home! I am disapponted I didn't make it farther - I will miss working - but I want healthy babies. They must know that I'm getting tired of carrying them and I want them out - just not quite yet!

Baby Shower Pictures

My awesome sisters-in-law threw us a shower on Sunday, and emailed me pictures. They did such a great job! Here's a few of them:

Once I get all this stuff put away, I'll have to take a few pictures of the finished nursery. Thank you everyone for all the great stuff! Our babies will be well equipped. :)