Here are some Twin FACTS to know before you pop those popular questions to twins or parents of twins (or other multiples:)

Popular twin question #1:
"So, which side of the family do twins run in?"

Twin FACT: Twins are NOT a hereditary occurrence from the father of the twins. It doesn't matter if the twins father has a twin himself & all his siblings have twins too. It will NOT increase his chances of having his own set of twins. A man CANNOT put "twin genes" into his wife's gene pool (or her ovaries) & cause her to have twins. (However, if a twin gene runs in the women in his family and he has a daughter, she may inherit it.)

Therefore, if you see a set of FRATERNAL twins, one of two things happened: It was a random blessing from God, or the "twin gene" that causes women to drop more than one egg during ovulation runs in HER family. The male contributor nor his genes have NOTHING to do with the fact that twins were developed. It NEVER runs in HIS side. So the question should just be outlawed. It's moot. The question SHOULD be (to the mother of twins), "So, do twins run in your family?" Know that Dad and his genes had NOTHING to do with the "twin" part of the conception. Nothing. Nothing. Nothing. NOTHING.

Popular twin question #2:
"So are they identical?"

First of all, if you see a boy & girl set of twins, BITE your tongue! Think about this question. "Are they identical?" Identical twins have exactly the same DNA. The only thing that makes them genetically different are their fingerprints as far as DNA is concerned. So, if one is a BOY, and one is a GIRL.... do you think that it's possible for them to be identical? NO. It is not possible for boy/girl twins to be identical. Rarely, the girl may have what is known as Turner's Syndrome & then they do have the same DNA. But you will know by physical traits that she has Turner's. But Turner's is rare. Google it for more info.

Popular twin question #3:
(When the question is directed towards identical twins) "Which side of the family do twins run in?"

First, remember the fact from popular question 1. Secondly, identical twins are NOT hereditary. It doesn't matter if everyone in both sides of the family has twins. If identical twins are conceived, it was a random act of God and had nothing to do with the gene pool. Nothing.

Identical twins come from 1 egg that split & caused two babies to form from 1 egg and 1 sperm. Nothing in our gene pools make that happen. God does.

Fraternal twins however, come from 2 different eggs being fertilized by 2 different sperm. And women dropping multiple eggs during ovulation can be a hereditary thing (but not always.) But the egg splitting is NOT. I repeat, identical twins are NOT hereditary.

Twin FYI's:

Don't tell their mother they're "Double Trouble." It's just insulting. Would you want anyone calling your child trouble? Furthermore, she doesn't see them that way at all. It's double the love!

Don't ask a parent of twins which one is their favorite (I've had this happen!) I replied with (to a parent who doesn't have twins), "Well, which one of your daughters is your favorite?" Moms don't have favorites with their twins just because they're twins.

Twins (and other multiples) are truly blessings!!
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