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Jack & Carol
We had only had our profile activated a short time before our agency was contacted by our birhtmother. The agency explained to her, her rights and the laws of adoption for our state. Only two more months passed and we set up a meeting. She was so sweet and we just prayed that she liked us. We were on pins and needles waiting to hear from our agency. We found more ...
Multiples
In the United States, approximately 31 per 1,000 births are multiple pregnancies, mostly bearing twins or triplets. In fact, about 29 per 1,000 American births bear twins.
Multiple births that come from a single egg that has been fertilized by a single sperm will be identical multiples. For reasons unknown, the fertilized egg splits into 2 or more embryos during the first stage of development. Identical twins or identical multiples may share the same placenta. However, they are usually contained within separate amniotic sacs in the uterus. It is rare, but possible, for identical twins to share one amniotic sac.
Multiples that are identical are always the same sex and blood type. The babies do not always look exactly alike, but sometimes are so alike that is it hard to discern one baby from the other. It is also possible for one child to be right handed while the other is left handed.
Fraternal multiples develop when separate eggs are fertilized by separate sperm. Fraternal fetuses will have separate placentas and amniotic sacs as well. Fraternal multiples have greatly increased since 1980 because of the increase in infertility treatments. Multiple fetuses conceived with some types of infertility treatments are almost always fraternal.
Fraternal twins tend to run in families. The multiples are born frequently to women who are white or of African descent. They can be different sexes and have different blood types. The multiples may look very different from each other but they may also look similar, much the same as sibling do.
There are completely natural causes for multiple births. A woman will have an increased risk for having a multiple pregnancy if she is in her thirties. Naturally occurring fraternal twins are most common among older women, 35 years old to 40 years old. The risk is also higher for a woman that has already had a multiple pregnancy.
There are also some risks associated with a woman giving birth to multiples. The risk of miscarriage rises when a woman carries more than one baby. Some of the complications that can occur are gestational diabetes, preeclampsia, placenta previa, anemia, and also the need for cesarean delivery.
All multiples and the expectant mother will be considered high risk. The mother to be will have to have more frequent medical checks than a mother carrying a single baby. It is important for the expectant mother of multiples to follow the doctor's advice very carefully to ensure the best possible gestation for the babies.
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