# Identical Twins - Seperate Placentas. How common?



## Alwilan

So when I was originally scanned I was told it was unlikely that my twins were identical, because of seperate placentas/ and sacs. Yet they added the clause of unless they are different sexes there is no way to be sure without the blood test at birth. I am expecting girls, and with the 2nd one smaller at early scans always presumed they would be non identical. At 14 weeks I was told my placentas were joined at the edge.

So has this happened to many of you and did they turn out identical/non identical I just don't know if it is the doctors say its possible because there is a 0.5% chance or whether it is much higher?

Apologies for my ramble :dohh:


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## knitbit

I'm in the same boat. I'm expecting two girls. As best as I can tell, the odds are 2/3 that they are fraternal and 1/3 that they are identical. I was told that when the embryo splits before the fourth day, they'll get separate placentas. Mine are measuring almost the same and they move similarly which really makes me wonder...


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## Alwilan

It certainly gets your mind wondering, I don't mind either way, but just wish you could know beforehand. Thanks for the info though x


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## wondertwins

Wow, this is news to me. I assumed that since my critters are in separate sacs and have totally separate placentas they are definitely fraternal. But I guess that's not always true. According to Wikipedia.... 

100% of all fraternal twins are DiDi (having separate sacs and placentas). Duh. :) 
25% of all identical twins are DiDi. 

And rounding out the stats:
60%-70% of all identical twins are MoDi (separate sacs, but shared placenta). 
2% of all identical twins are MoMo (same sac and placenta)


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## Eternal

do they test all at birth? Ive been told my are non-identical and that seems most likely to me, both have measured differently, clearly in different sacs and one placenta is anterior and other posterior, so think it would be impossible for mine to be indentical. 

But two people with twins have told me you dont really know until birth. So do they check or not? Or only check if they have a doubt?


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## auntcarrie

My OB told me there was a 1% chance they were identical since they were both girls. Who knows where he got his statistics if you all found the above. 

Was very obvious right away they weren't. All my girls look very very different.


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## Mosnippy

hiya ..i dont have twins but am an Auntie to twin monkeys!

they where fraternal..two sacs etc and were told they not identical..but its hard to tell them apart! i posted a pic for you! there is slight differances..but my brother still gets them confused!! Men for you!!
 



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## wondertwins

Mosnippy said:


> hiya ..i dont have twins but am an Auntie to twin monkeys!
> 
> they where fraternal..two sacs etc and were told they not identical..but its hard to tell them apart! i posted a pic for you! there is slight differances..but my brother still gets them confused!! Men for you!!

Wow. They are really do look similar!


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## Mosnippy

the worst bit they look like my brother...poor boys haha.. ok not the best photo..as little Caiden (with the bowl) is pulling a face!


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## Mosnippy

thats a better one...
 



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## knitbit

I was told that if we can't tell them apart, they are probably identical. The perinatologist made a point to tell us that if they are same sex, you will not know until they are born and look different. They can still look a lot alike and be fraternal though. I guess they can do a cheek swab, but I'm not sure what benefit there would be in that or how much it costs.


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## kirsty2376

This is actually really interesting and helpful to read. When i had my 12 week scan, the sonographer said that they were twins in seperate sacs and with seperate placentas which meant they were likely to be non identical. I read this post to my partner and he said that the sonographer did say that they might be identical. I was so emotional i don't think i took it all in but I am now curious to know whether they will be identical or not. We have a 16 week scan so i am going to ask about their sexes. if they are the same sex, does that mean they could be identical??


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## Alwilan

Kirsty I believe this would be the case and is the position I have found myself in since finding out its 2 girls, I don't know why it bothers me so much, but I like being in control, and not knowing till they're born is such a wait. I also thought the chance was quite low, but Wondertwins posted it is a 25% chance, which is quite high!! I have another NHS scan on friday coming and will try and tie the sonographer down to chances etc...
Mind you none of the twin mummys have posted to say this has happened to them....yet, I suppose we will have to wait and see x


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## tripletsOMG

I am wondering the same thing 2 sacs here two placentas but joined at edge Both boys. My mind is wondering? R mine identical or fraternal


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## Cuffy

It's actually much more common and a lot of people with same sex twins believed they were fraternal until the dna test showed they had dna that was 99.998% the same. If it were me I would be getting it checked. My fil made me chuckle when he asked if ours were identical and how we knew they weren't "Ahm well no because one has a winky and one doesn't" one of those times I didn't know where to look to stop me from laughing!


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## Nbkxu4a

I am having identical twins but didi. We know identical as pregnant via ivf and only one egg put in!!!!


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## Debbie82

I had IVF and 2 embies back on day 5 so know mine are fraternal as they're didi but the hospital still refuses to write off the possibility of them maybe being identical :shrug:

Ps nbkxu4a what a lovely surprise!


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## tripletsOMG

I have always wondered this also @ 6wks I had 2babies same sac and 1 in its own sac all with heartbeats. now i have 2 boys in own sac own placentas fused at edge early on they measured different but now are exactly the same. some measurements differ slightly but weight is the same. i assume mine are fraternal one built slim like me other like daddy but cant be 100% sure.


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## Nbkxu4a

Just to make me stranger (and lucky) I had one egg transferred day 5 (gone to blast) and everything I have read led me to believe that I would therefore be a single placenta but there are definitely 2 !!! Think I am the exception but statistics are irrelevant to the individual so guess you can never tell


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## busymum5

I was talking to a twin mum @ kinder and she said that there are other tests if they are identical by dental history/records. Which is a much cheaper option than a dna swab (possibly free?). Not sure if it's the same worldwide but possibly worth looking into..


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## tripletsOMG

Nbkxu4a said:


> I am having identical twins but didi. We know identical as pregnant via ivf and only one egg put in!!!!

explain what is the didi? no one has explained much to me I know i have 2 healthy boys in there own sac and fused placentas


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## Nbkxu4a

Didi means diamniotic/dichorionic
Ie two sacs and two and two placentas


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## tripletsOMG

Nbkxu4a said:


> Didi means diamniotic/dichorionic
> Ie two sacs and two and two placentas

So there is a possibility that u can have identical with seperate sac/placentas hmm i'm curious guess i will know for sure at birth


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## wondertwins

tripletsOMG said:


> Nbkxu4a said:
> 
> 
> Didi means diamniotic/dichorionic
> Ie two sacs and two and two placentas
> 
> So there is a possibility that u can have identical with seperate sac/placentas hmm i'm curious guess i will know for sure at birthClick to expand...

Yep. It seems that about 25% of monozygotic (identical) twins are di/di. This happens when the egg divides very early, and each bub develops his own sac and own placenta. (See the Degree of Separation section of this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin). 

All dizygotic (fraternal) twins are di/di except in very rare cases.

However, it seems very common for doctors who are not very familiar with multiples to assume di/di equals fraternal. It will be a fun surprise at birth either way!


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## Alwilan

tripletsOMG said:


> Nbkxu4a said:
> 
> 
> I am having identical twins but didi. We know identical as pregnant via ivf and only one egg put in!!!!
> 
> explain what is the didi? no one has explained much to me I know i have 2 healthy boys in there own sac and fused placentasClick to expand...

Basically its a way of referring to 2 placentas and 2 sacs, Dichorionic-Diamniotic x


Sorry didn't see everyone elses reply - doh


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## jrand2more

My OB was insistent that our boys were fraternal as they were in 2 seperate sacs, even though there was one placenta.

When I went to a specialist at 18 weeks for an anomaly scan, I was told that because they were both boys, because there was one placenta, because they have the same calcification (soft marker) in the same place, and because the membrane seperating the sacs was less than 2mm wide, they were identical.


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## kirsty2376

Mosnippy said:


> hiya ..i dont have twins but am an Auntie to twin monkeys!
> 
> they where fraternal..two sacs etc and were told they not identical..but its hard to tell them apart! i posted a pic for you! there is slight differances..but my brother still gets them confused!! Men for you!!

I have just recently had twin girls, they are non identical as they had seperate sacs and placentas, but when we lay the together they look very similar. The only differences really is their hair (one has slightly more and darker hair) and that one has a tiny bit chubbier face.

My girls were DCDA, does anyone know what that means?


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## redmovie

kirsty2376 said:


> Mosnippy said:
> 
> 
> hiya ..i dont have twins but am an Auntie to twin monkeys!
> 
> they where fraternal..two sacs etc and were told they not identical..but its hard to tell them apart! i posted a pic for you! there is slight differances..but my brother still gets them confused!! Men for you!!
> 
> I have just recently had twin girls, they are non identical as they had seperate sacs and placentas, but when we lay the together they look very similar. The only differences really is their hair (one has slightly more and darker hair) and that one has a tiny bit chubbier face.
> 
> My girls were DCDA, does anyone know what that means?Click to expand...

DC=Dichorionic and DA=-Diamniotic x


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## Camdun

Hello,
My twins were in separate sacs and are identical. Before birth I was told they were most likely fraternal, however, once tested after birth it was determined they were identical.


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## marymoomin

Yes ! This happened to me. Told they were frats blah blah and through this site my suspicions got raised and had my girls tested and they are identical.
Edit: just noticed this is donkeys old !


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## cherrylips100

The last few posts are recent, so I'm sure it will be helpful for some people. Especially as doctors are so vague about dcda twins. I'm waiting on results at the moment, literally no idea what the result will be.


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## marymoomin

Good luck - keep us posted. When do you expect to hear?


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## cherrylips100

I sent the swabs back three weeks ago so hopefully in the next couple of weeks.


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## Alwilan

This is so weird seeing a post I started being replied to. Mine turned out to be non identical, but as I sit outside their bedroom door trying to convince them to goto sleep, they are definitely identical pains in the butt x x


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