Whether you are pregnant with twins right now or wondering if you will be able to have twins in the future, one of the questions that could possibly be burning in your mind is this: “Is having twins hereditary?” Science has been able to prove over the years that there are quite a few things that can be passed down through DNA and heredity. Are having twins one of those things?
Understanding Hyper Ovulation
Out of all of the different factors that play a role in multiple births, there is currently only one that has been confirmed as identified either through family history or genetic codes. That single factor is known as hyper ovulation, which is the natural tendency for multiple eggs to be released at the same time during ovulation instead of just the single one.
This process has been scientifically proven to greatly increase the chances of a woman being able to conceive fraternal (or dizygotic) twins. It is in these cases that one could say that genetics do play a major part in whether or not a set of fraternal twins will be born.
Who is the Carrier – Male or Female
Another question that seems to be circulating rather frequently is which partner is responsible for the birth of twins – the male or the female. Based on the concept of hyper ovulation, as mentioned earlier, this only applies to women since women are the only ones that can ovulate and release eggs in the first place. Therefore, even if a man has a family history of twins, this does not necessarily mean that his female companion does.
Is It Possible to Skip Generations?
There is absolutely no evidence that confirms the proposed theory that twins can skip generations. For example, if your father was one of two twins but you were not, there is no evidence that proves your children will be twins simply because of your father’s genetics. Any study that has been conducted in this regard has been circumstantial or coincidental so nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
However, this returns back to the concept mentioned above dealing with the power of hyper ovulation. Keep in mind that determining the gender of the baby (or babies) is still coming directly from the man’s sperm. On the other hand, hyper ovulation is only something that can be conducted in a woman’s body. While this process increases the chances of conceiving twins, it does not provide any guarantees on this issue.
