Hello Claire
Ohh I love the subject of twins. I'm an identical twin and my husband has 3 sets of twins in his family. We often get asked if we'll have twins. Personally I'd love them.
I've always had a fascination in twins and have done a fair bit research. My sister even did her dissertation on twins.
Although I'm a twin, it's still very unlikely I'll have twins myself and the fact that my husband has twins in his family means nothing. If there are any links to genetics, it will only be on the mothers side as she is the one who produces the eggs.
The internet has loads of information on whether twins run in the family. I found this -
But do twins really run in families? Actually that's probably one of the most widely perpetuated myths about multiples. While some families do seem to have a preponderance of multiple births, it's often more than a coincidence than a connection.
Is There a "Twin Gene"?
Of the factors that influence multiple birth, there is only one that could be identified as genetic or explained by family history: hyper ovulation. Hyper ovulation is the tendency to release multiple eggs during ovulation, increasing the chances of conceiving fraternal (or non-identical) twins. So, in families where the women have a gene for hyper ovulation, genetics would sufficiently explain an increased presence of fraternal twins.
However, only women ovulate. So the connection is only valid on the mother's side of the family. While men can carry the gene and pass it on to their daughters, a family history of twins doesn't make them any more likely to have twins themselves.
I hope this helps, but even if you were to have twins I think you would be very blessed. I love being a twin and really think they are amazing. Good luck x
