100 days of Twinipedia: "Wikipedia" for Twins

Monday, April 9, 2012

Day One-Hundred and thirteen of Twinipedia 

Fact #113
When twin eggs implant close to one another in the mother's womb, the placentas can actually become so close and attached that they fuse together, forming what appears to be one placenta.
This occurrence is one of the reasons why it is tricky for doctors to only look at the placenta as a way to determine if a set of twins are from one egg that split (monozygotic) or from two eggs that were produced separately and then each fertilized (dizygotic).


Twins can end up being mislabeled as monozygotic (from one egg that split) if this method is used since the impression given by the one placenta is that only one egg was ever produced in the beginning, thus the one placenta.  
Too interesting to us!



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Sunday April 8, 2012


Day One-Hundred and twelve of Twinipedia 

Fact #112
Ever heard of Twin Escalation Syndrome?
We hadn't until now but once we knew what it was we knew exactly what they were describing.  
"The term Twin Escalation Syndrome, is defined as the tendency of multiples to intensify and expand their behaviors in reaction to each other."
 
About.com shares some examples of this syndrome...
TES happens when for example, "Twin A cries, Twin B cries louder. In turn, Twin A cries even louder. And so on, and so on... Until the parents are crying the loudest of all."  (LOL - that last part is so true).
   
Older twins may tap their pencil while doing homework to catch mom or dads attention. The second twin may then start to click their tongue louder then the pencil tapping twin in order to divert attention back to them self.  Then the first twin taps louder and this cycle of noise goes on and on.


Twins will always be competing for attention in one way or another.  It is inevitable in most multiples lives since they have to share their parents attention while at the same developmental stages in their lives where needs can be high or low depending on the time frame. 


Consistent discipline and expectations for both twins will be important behavior techniques parents of multiples will need to use. Plus loving them both for who they are as individuals will help reduce twin competitiveness since they will feel secure in who they are as a person.



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Saturday, April 7, 2012


Twins and developmental milestones

Day One-Hundred and eleven of Twinipedia

Fact #111
Since many twin pairs are born earlier than their Singleton friends, they can end up reaching their developmental milestones a bit slower than those single-born friends. They often speak later than single kids and may even start moving about a little slower than others.
How delayed they are can vary depending on the twins and their birth circumstances but it is typical to see twins about 6 months behind their single friends in speech development.  They often have fewer words in use and they speak in more simplistic language and speak less often.  Most twins will eventually catch up and grow out of this delay.  And although we know that prematurity can cause this, it is not 100% clear why it happens.  What is good to know though is that most twins catch up sooner than later.


Posted by TwinsWithTots at 12:00 PM


1 comment:
  1. I can't figure out how to send you a message but since this talks about prematurity as well, I figured this would work. You speak of Astrology and prematurity a lot on the facts so here's my question: Does being born premature mess with Astrology? Like my girls were to be born Gemini but they were born 3 months premature so how does that work with Astrology? I don't know enough about it to know if it even matters what you SHOULD have been only what you were born under. Just always been curious. Thank you! Mary



Friday, April 6, 2012


Twin to twin transfusion syndrome - TTTS


Day One-Hundred and nine of Twinipedia 

Fact #110
This is actually something that I had never heard of.  With Becca's background in midwifery though, she was aware that this could happen and could be life threatening to twins.
Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)

This syndrome is defined as a serious complication with twin pregnancy but it only happens when the twins are identical. The problem starts with the placenta, where one baby receives all the nutrients and the other receives none. It is often detected by scan where one baby much smaller than the other twin. There may also be no fluid surrounding the smaller baby.

If TTTS is not detected early enough or is left untreated, the smaller baby may die due to lack of nutrients.  Plus, the larger baby may have major complications or even die as well since there will be too much fluid in the sac and this can cause pressure on the heart which can cause subsequent heart failure.
The mother may also notice some signs of TTTS like increased fluid around her bump and a feeling of breathlessness.

Some additional information about TTTS from Wikipedia.  
"As a result of sharing a single placenta, the bloodsupplies of monochorionic twin fetuses can become connected, so that they share blood circulation: although each fetus uses its own portion of the placenta, the connecting blood vessels within the placenta allow blood to pass from one twin to the other. Depending on the number, type and direction of the interconnecting blood vessels (anastomoses), blood can be transferred disproportionately from one twin (the "donor") to the other (the "recipient"). The transfusion causes the donor twin to have decreased blood volume, retarding the donor's development and growth, and also decreased urinary output, leading to a lower than normal level of amniotic fluid (becomingoligohydramnios). The blood volume of the recipient twin is increased, which can strain the fetus's heart and eventually lead to heart failure, and also higher than normal urinary output, which can lead to excess amniotic fluid (becoming polyhydramnios)...
Severe TTTS has a 60–100% mortality rate."...




To Read more, go to 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin-to-twin_transfusion_syndrome


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Thursday, April 5, 2012

 Twins and Astrology




Day One-Hundred and nine of Twinipedia 

Fact #109
We thought this essay would be interesting to share.  It is a twist on the typical books out there about twins, twin parenting, twin bonds and relationships and all things twin related.  This article is titled Astrology and Twins.  It delves into the idea of how even twins who are born at the same time can be very different in many ways.
Go to Twinstuff.com to check out this and other interesting reads about twins at: 



Details from twinstuff.com about this article...

Articles/Twin Facts
Author:Administrator
Astrology and Twins by Ruth Orvis Twins run in Ruth's family and she has always had more than a passing interest in the subject. In an exclusive essay for Twinstuff, she discusses how twins who are basically born at the same time can have different astrological signs and personalities." ...

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Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Does 1 placenta mean Identical Twins?

Day One-Hundred and eight of Twinipedia 

Fact #108
Some people have asked us if identical twins share the same placenta and that is how you Know they are identical?  We have written a little about this before but wanted to touch upon it again since we are curious too.
In the past, this is what doctors and scientists believed to be true; one placenta at birth meant meant 1 egg had split which meant the babies were identical twins.  This is not the belief anymore though.
Some identical twins do end up with one placenta shared, while others do not.  It is now understood that this process depends on when the egg splits to form the identical twins.  It is believed that if the egg splits within the first few days of conception, they will have two separate placentas. If the egg splits after the first week, then the identical twins may share one placenta.
So it is all in the timing of the split, not how many eggs it all started with.
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Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Twins and Multiples Festivals from Around the World




Day One-Hundred and Seven of Twinipedia 

Fact #107
Twins have the unique opportunity to be able to attend yearly Twin Festivals both in the Continental US as well as all over the world.
Asociación de Nacimientos Múltiples
Mexico
There are festivals from Ohio to Ireland and Great Britain to Ghana.  Take your pick!
Ghana Twins Foundation
Ghana
There is a great site called Twin Realm that shares a great collection of Twin festival listings including locations, dates, and events at the festival.
Twinsburg Twins Days
Check it out if you are twins and would want to attend a festival in your country or check it out for your twins if you are the parents of twinnies!
Carrickmacross twins + parade
Ireland

There are also Super Multiples Festivals noted on the site as well.

Enjoy!


The Triplet Connection Convention
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Monday, April 2, 2012

Colleges that give Twins discounts and scholarships!



Day One-Hundred and Six of Twinipedia 

Fact #106
Our friends at About.com (About Multiples),  have shared some other really cool information about twin scholarships that are available. This time they shared what colleges and universities give money to multiples who plan to attend that school at the same time.
Here are some colleges and universities with specific programs...
  • Randolph College, Lynchburg, Virginia. Offers a 15% discount on tuition when both twins are enrolled; the scholarship is renewable each year of enrollment. There is no application process; contact the financial aid department for further information. In 2008-2009, five sets of twins took advantage of the discount. (Read more about Randolph College at About.com's Guide to College Admissions.)
To check out the other six schools listed by About.com that give multiples tuition discounts, go to -

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Sunday, April 1, 2012

Twins and College scholarship assistance



Day One-Hundred & Five of Twinipedia

Fact #105

Wish we had known this information when we were applying to college!
About.com, Guide to Twins author Pamela Prindle Fierro took the time to share some really important information about twins and money assistance for college on the site.  We think this is way cool and think this is a great example of an author using her influence for the better good.  Thanks for this information Pamela!!!!

Pamela shares that "Twins that aren't planning to attend the same college may qualify for scholarships through a twins club or organization."  She recommends to parents of twins to join multiples clubs in their area as well as nationally in order to have the opportunity to apply for these scholarship funds for their twins. 

She notes that the National Organization of Mothers of Twins Clubs is a great resource for finding information about a club in your area.
She also shares that each year, twins that attend the Twins Day Festival in Twinsburg, Ohio have the opportunity to win scholarship money for schooling. 
 "A $1,000 scholarship is given to a set of twins each festival...and the winning pair of twins must be seniors in high school and have attended and registered at least three of the last five festivals."

Lastly she talks about the Northwest Association Mother of Twins Clubs. This club "awards several scholarships per year to those candidates who qualify as a multiple birth and are looking to further their education. Once known as the Twin Scholarship Fund, it is now called the Shan Pynes Scholarship."

To check out more of the articles Pamela has written, or to ask her further questions about these scholarship opportunities, go to   
http://multiples.about.com/od/twinsinschool/a/twinscholarship.htm
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