Whoever said there was no point in crying over spilled milk must have been a mother of twin toddlers.

I had no concept of the amount of liquids that twins can spill, or the amount that carpets can absorb,but in the early months of twin parenthood, I learned. On some days it seemed that time not spent taking care of Emmalyn and Alexa or (seldom) sleeping was solely spent sopping up juice, milk and other spills. I became convinced that in the air, as a liquid leaves its container, some sort of molecular expansion converts a cup of juice into a gallon by the time it hits the floor.

One afternoon, as I scrubbed away at a spot I’d cleaned minutes earlier, I wondered how mothers a hundred years ago coped with rags and lye, instead of the arsenal of cleaners I had at my fingertips. It was not the first time I felt a humble gratitude to be living now.

The most ingenious invention of our modern era, I felt, had to be spill-proof sippy cups. The magic of being able to give a child a cup and know that when it was tipped upside down, rolled across the room or tossed to the other twin it would not spill, is hard to describe.

When Emmalyn and Alexa graduated to sippy cups I graduated to a new lower level of cleaning. Now I could give the house a daily once-over and it looked acceptable — certainly not meeting my pre-children standards, but definitely tolerable. And since most people have a near-fearful respect for parents of twins,the bar was a bit lower for me anyhow. Life was good.

So it was in horror that I listened as Ken said one night at the supper table, “You know, the girls are getting a little old for their sippy cups. I think we should start using regular cups with them.”

“Regular cups?”An image of our early parenting days flashed in front of my eyes. No. I couldn’t go back there.

“It won’t be so bad,” he promised,“Look how good they are with sippies.”

“Exactly. They are good with the sippies. Why do they ever have to drink from anything else?”

Emmalyn and Alexa’s excitement at the transition to regular cups overshadowed my reluctance. Now they drank from cups just like mom and dad. Now they were big girls! Or at least, that was their perspective. My perspective was that they were still little girls, now making big messes.

They tried to be careful, but spills were inevitable. Our house returned to being a swampy battlefield, where paper towels marked the latest spill so that grown-ups (oddly enough, never the girls) could step into it the moment shoes were kicked off tired feet.

On one particularly frustrating day, Emmalyn and Alexa spilled every single thing I gave them, including dark-brown Ovaltine that defied the laws of gravity and ended up on our 10-foot living room ceiling. Something inside me snapped and I sat them down for a stern lecture. “You are big girls now,” I said firmly,“and you have got to be more careful. I know you’re still learning and you’re trying hard, but you have got to get better.”

They exchanged timid glances and whispered,“Sorry, Mom.”

It was impossible to remain angry. I patted them on the backs.“It’s OK. You’ll get better.”

But through the afternoon and evening the spills continued, now accompanied by tearful admissions that they had been careful, but somehow, they didn’t know how, they had spilled their cups. The house was a wetland with something sticky or sloshy at every step. I couldn’t take any more. When Ken came home, I met him at the door and said,“We’re going out to eat.”

We sauntered into the restaurant and delivered the usual speech about being careful with their cups. And moments later — I still don’t know how this happened — I reached for something and my glass, brimming with cola, went sprawling across the table in a Niagara-worthy splash. I was speechless. Emmalyn and Alexa’s open-mouthed faces turned to me in unison. And slowly, as though she were exploring uncharted territory, Alexa leaned close and whispered,“I thought you were a big girl now, Mom.”

Emmlayn took the cue with a sorrowful,“You have got to be more careful.”

“But it’s OK,” Alexa said, “You’re still learning.” She patted my arm.“You will get better.”

The post Life with Twins: Our Cups Runneth Over appeared first on TWINS Magazine.

Polar Body Twins or “Half Identical”

What happens when the egg splits and then each half meets a sperm? That’s what scientists and researchers propose happens when a polar body or “half-identical” twins form. These twins are very much alike but aren’t a 100% DNA match — sharing about 75% of their genetic DNA. (Less than identical twins but more than fraternal twins.) To date, polar body twinning remains a theory. Believe it or not, there are no definitive tests to confirm whether you are carrying polar body twins even though there have been confirmed cases.

Semi-Identical Twins

This unique twin type identifies as identical on the mother’s side but shares only half their father’s genes! Semi-identical twins develop when two sperm fertilize a single egg, forming a triploid, which then splits. In 2007, the Journal of Human Genetics described a case where one hermaphrodite twin (someone born with a discrepancy between their internal genitalia and external genitalia) was raised as a female, with both testicular and ovarian structures, while the other was anatomically male.

Boy/Girl Monozygotic (Identical) Twins

Did you know identical twins are almost always the same gender because they form from a single zygote containing male (XY) or female (XX) sex chromosomes? However, there are a few reported cases of a genetic mutation in some male twins where one twin loses a Y chromosome and develops as a female. The female twin would then be afflicted with Turner’s Syndrome, a genetic disorder in girls caused by a missing or defective X (female) chromosome. It occurs in 1 of 2,000-2,500 live female births. There are many different features associated with the syndrome, and not all girls have all symptoms. Still, typically they are short in stature and lack ovarian development, have hearing disorders, abnormal fingernails, toenails, and drooping eyelids (Ptosis). The only other time gender differences would occur in identical twins would be if one twin experienced a gender transition process.

Mirror Image Twins

Mirror image twins make up around 25% of identical twins. This unique twin type occurs when the fertilized egg splits late – more than a week after conception. This type of twins can develop reverse asymmetric physical features, such as birthmarks or swirling hair whorls on opposite sides of their bodies. So, when these types of twins face each other, they appear to be exact reflections (like looking in a mirror).

Superfetation: Twins Conceived Separately

Typically, when a woman’s egg is fertilized, her cycle is interrupted, and her ovulation ceases. Rarely, an egg can be released while she is already pregnant, resulting in twins that are conceived at different times! This happens when eggs from two separate menstrual cycles are released as opposed to normal fraternal (Dizygotic) twins, where multiple ova are expelled in a single cycle. This is a rare occurrence in humans but is common in animals and usually results in twins or higher-order multiple pregnancies where the fetuses show noticeable differences in gestational development. Sounds crazy, but this Arkansas mom was pregnant with two babies conceived about two and a half weeks apart.

Heteropaternal Superfecundation: Twins with Different Fathers

Yes, you read that right. Twins with different fathers are possible. Sure, the definition for twins clearly states, “Twins are two babies who are simultaneously born from one mother.” But what about the dad? We know that when a woman releases multiple eggs in a single cycle, known as hyper-ovulation, it results in fraternal twins. However, superfecundation happens when the eggs are fertilized by sperm from separate incidences of sexual intercourse. In a nutshell: A woman with multiple sexual partners could have twins with different fathers (heteropaternal superfecundation). Genetic testing and advances in technology have made it evident that twins with two fathers only apply to fraternal twins, not identical twins. This situation can also occur when twins are the result of fertility treatments. This happened in 1995 with a pair of IVF Dutch twins. There was a mix-up in the lab when a piece of lab equipment had been accidentally used twice, causing another man’s sperm to be mixed in with the father’s and fertilized with the mother’s sperm. The result: two babies of different races.

Twins of Different Races: So rare that the odds against this are a million to one!

As mentioned above, heteropaternal superfecundation explains cases of fraternal twins with differing racial characteristics. The case above was due to a lab mix-up during an IVF procedure. However, in the United Kingdom back in 2005 and described as a “one in a million” occurrence, fraternal twin girls were conceived from two bi-racial parents. Each inherited different genetic characteristics from their mixed-race parents. (Essentially, one was white, and the other was black.) For this rare occurrence to take place, there must be a combination of circumstances starting at the exact moment of conception. This phenomenon can occur when both parents are of mixed race; each is conceived from a separate egg fertilized by a separate sperm (fraternal); and each sperm and egg must carry the genes for particular skin color (i.e., black/black or white/white).

Conjoined Twins

In short, conjoined twins are identical twins that do not fully separate from each other due to the incomplete division of the fertilized egg. The individuals will be connected to specific body parts and may share tissue, organs, or limbs. As the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia states, “Conjoined twins occur once in every 50,000 to 60,000 births.”

Parasitic Twins

Parasitic twins are conjoined twins that develop asymmetrically, with a smaller, less formed twin dependent on the stronger, larger twin. In Cairo, Egypt, back in 2005, a case of parasitic twins gained worldwide notoriety and even featured on The Oprah Show. Manar Maged was born with a second head attached to the skull of her own. While the head could blink and smile, it was not capable of independent life. The weight of the appendage would prevent Manar from crawling or sitting upright, prompting surgeons to remove it when she was ten months old. On February 19, 2005, doctors performed a thirteen-hour surgery to remove the attached head. The girl was released from intensive care in March 2005. Unfortunately, she passed away from a brain infection shortly before her second birthday on March 25, 2006. A variation of parasitic twinning is called “the fetus in fetu.” This occurs when an abnormally formed mass of cells grows inside the body of its identical twin. These cells survive during pregnancy and even occasionally after birth by tapping directly into the host twin’s blood supply.

Curious to find out more? Check out this report on a man who discovered a fetus in fetu as an adult.

The bottom line

Although most of us are familiar with fraternal and identical twins, many aren’t aware of the other unique twin types out there. After reading about these rare and unique twin types, you may have discovered a whole range of unique twin combinations that you may not have known were possible. But one fact remains true, regardless of what type of twin you are or have, the birth of twins is a miracle indeed.

The post Have you heard of these rare and unique twin types? appeared first on TWINS Magazine.

Why is everyone so interested in “Baby’s” name?  Because it gives him an identity, almost a personality, answers those who have studied the phenomenon. “Every name sends out signals,” says Linda Rosenkrantz and Pamela Redmond Satran, authors of the book, Beyond Jennifer and Jason: An Enlightened Guide to Naming Your Baby.  “It transmits messages and reverberations of its own: a level of energy and intensity of color and sheen, a texture.”

Although it is often difficult to come up with a name for one baby, let alone two, three or more, the following are some basic questions expectant parents choosing multiple monikers are best advised to ask themselves.

Is each easy to pronounce?  Since your children’s names will be spoken many times over their lifetimes, try not to saddle any of them with a tongue-twister.  Catch potential problems with pronunciation by repeating the name aloud several times in succession.  Practice with and without the middle name.  Zane Noble, for example, looks great in writing but when spoken, the repeating “n” sounds can fuse into something sounding like Zane Oble.  If the speaker tried to pronounce each “n” separately, the name might then sound like Zana Noble.

Does each have a pleasing rhythm?  While practicing a name for pronunciation, also note the rhythmic quality.  Does the name roll off your tongue like a melody or do you prefer it to sound more “sing-along”, as in the name “Mary Jane Rein?”

Do the initials spell F.A.T.? Children can be charming, kind and innocent.  They can also be thoughtlessly cruel.  Historically, a school-age “game” many children play is inspecting each other’s initials for dirty words or unflattering names, then taunting their owners.  Think of the fun they’d have with Patrick Edward Eubanks, Frances Alice Tatman or Bradly Michael Wright?  You can’t outsmart a child, but you can do your best to think like one.  Examine the initials of a name in every combination of first, middle and last.  Watch not only for words but also abbreviated sentences formed by letters that sound like words (a, b, c, I, m, n, p, r, u), Ida May Butts might not be happy with her initials when she goes to school.

Is the spelling of each unusual?  Rosenkrantz and Satran advise against deviating the spelling or pronunciation of a common name.  For instance, you should think twice about changing the spelling of Cindy to Cyndi because of the potential confusion involved.  Also, don’t expect others to pronounce Maria with a long “I”, no matter how clearly you explain it on a kindergarten form.  Both Cyndi and Maria can expect to spend the rest of their lives correcting other people’s attempts at pronouncing and spelling their names.

There are many considerations when choosing names for your multiples.  Some are more important than others, but more parents will agree that the following hint offered by Bill Cosby in his book, Fatherhood, is one to pay attention to:  “Always end the name of your child with a vowel, so that when you yell, the name will carry…”

SPECIAL DO’S AND DON’TS FOR NAMING MULTIPLES

Don’t Rhyme.  Resist the temptation to choose rhyming names.  Twenty-two-year-old Karla remembers the confusion caused by her sister’s rhyming name.  “At school, classmates and teachers would sometimes call me Marla, my sister’s name.  That really bothered me.  The only reason people were confused was because of our names.  I mean, I had short brown hair and Marla’s hair was long and blonde—we were totally different.”

Don’t Make A “Precious Pair”.  To foster the individuality of your multiples, avoid the temptation to give them names that make it easy for others to lump them into a category; it will be hard enough to keep them from calling your children “the twins”.  Naming your girls Heather and Daisy, for example, may forever brand them “the flower girls.”

Don’t Fall Into the Same-Initial Trap.  If you cannot resist using same-initial first names, make sure the middle initials are different.  There is too much potential for the mix-up of records and other information when there are two J.A. Smiths that went to the same school, have the same parents, same address, same birthday, etc.

Don’t Forget Nicknames.  We live in a society that loves to shorten names into nicknames.  Be sure to consider all possible nicknames.  Will it sound like fingernails scratching a chalkboard to you when your daughter, Elizabeth, is called Liz, Betsy or Libby by her friends?

Also, avoid choosing names for your multiples that have the same nickname.  Pairings such as Robert and Roberta, or Christine and Christopher, offer the potential for mix-ups—some of them embarrassing.  For example, does Gerald or Geraldine get to open a letter “To Gerry” marked “SWAK”?

Do Maintain Consistency of Style and Tone.  Names can be grouped into categories such as contemporary, classic, artistic, attractive and studious.  Rosenkrantz and Satran recommend selecting family names out of one category or another.  Keep in mind that some names such as Brittany, sound contemporary, while others, such as Pearl, have an old-fashioned ring to them.

Do Choose Several Names for Each Sex.  The ultrasound technician says, “Congrats!  You are going to have twin girls.”  Does that mean you can totally concentrate on names for girls?  No way!  These tests are not always 100 percent accurate in predicting babies’ sexes.  Furthermore, there have been cases of a third baby remaining undetected by an ultrasound.  Your best bet would be to have an extra name or two for each sex—just in case.

Ruby Coats Mosher, D.V.M., of Emporia, Kansas, is a veterinarian and mother of fraternal twins.

The post Before You Name Them, Read This! appeared first on TWINS Magazine.