"Do Twins Run In Your Family?"
By: A mom of three sets of twins
When people first find out that I have three sets of twins… if they aren’t speechless or shocked to disbelief, or as some have responded just laughing hysterically, the question I get more than any other is, “Do twins run in your family?” which at this point is almost a little too obvious to answer.
Here is the LONG answer to this question. The short answer is, of course, yes, on both of my parent’s sides.
Here is the LONG answer to this question. The short answer is, of course, yes, on both of my parent’s sides.
So why was I so surprised when I found out I was having twins? because nobody in my family who I knew of had twins or was a twin, or so I thought.
When I called my paternal grandma, age 85 at the time, to tell her my double exciting news, always as cool as a cucumber, she reacted with, “they’ve arrived!”. I asked, “What?” thinking, these aren’t her first great grandchildren, and she told me, "I knew someone would have twins sometime because there are so many twins in the family.” I was shocked to my core to hear this since they were all from previous generations. I found out that my grandpa’s grandma had 16 children including a set of twins and from her alone descended twelve more pairs of fraternal twins, including my three sets.
I found out through family trees and old birth records, many of the twin sets had matching first letters of their names. Almost all of them were born before ultrasounds could detect the mother was even having twins (I can’t even imagine the surprise/horror of finding out at birth!). This was so exciting to discover and I wanted to know more!
I found out through more conversations with my grandmother on my mom’s side that there were also fraternal twins on her side and my second great-grandmother on my mom's side was also a twin mom!
When I called my paternal grandma, age 85 at the time, to tell her my double exciting news, always as cool as a cucumber, she reacted with, “they’ve arrived!”. I asked, “What?” thinking, these aren’t her first great grandchildren, and she told me, "I knew someone would have twins sometime because there are so many twins in the family.” I was shocked to my core to hear this since they were all from previous generations. I found out that my grandpa’s grandma had 16 children including a set of twins and from her alone descended twelve more pairs of fraternal twins, including my three sets.
I found out through family trees and old birth records, many of the twin sets had matching first letters of their names. Almost all of them were born before ultrasounds could detect the mother was even having twins (I can’t even imagine the surprise/horror of finding out at birth!). This was so exciting to discover and I wanted to know more!
I found out through more conversations with my grandmother on my mom’s side that there were also fraternal twins on her side and my second great-grandmother on my mom's side was also a twin mom!
There was a lot I could learn from these two but I wanted to know more details, find more twins, and even connect with ancestors from this side of the family I never knew. Did they know of any twins? Did we have a twin gene? And through the help of the DNA project company, 23andMe… that is exactly what I did. I am so grateful to know so much more about my relatives and diving deeper into what makes our family unique and why.
My second great-grandmother with 13 sets of twins descendants was a dairy farmer who lived in Ireland and moved to New York state with her husband and first two children, as a young woman. I found out she was raised first by her schoolteacher grandfather and then her father and step-mother before marrying a tall and handsome man, also from Ireland and migrating to the United States to start the dairy farm and go on to have fourteen more children, including one set of twins. I even found a relative with the original twin mom's last name who still lives in Ireland and was able to have a conversation with her. She didn't know of any new twins.
Another thing I love about 23andMe is the +Health option! It helps screen for certain genetically detectable health factors which helps people discover what types of foods and even exercise are best for their particular body. I think knowing about any potential health problems and strengths is a way to further understand ourselves. The more we know about our bodies, the more we can be kind and nurturing and move toward a healthier self in the future, physically, mentally and emotionally.
If you would like to give 23andMe a try, click the link below and get started. You'll be so glad to know more!
My second great-grandmother with 13 sets of twins descendants was a dairy farmer who lived in Ireland and moved to New York state with her husband and first two children, as a young woman. I found out she was raised first by her schoolteacher grandfather and then her father and step-mother before marrying a tall and handsome man, also from Ireland and migrating to the United States to start the dairy farm and go on to have fourteen more children, including one set of twins. I even found a relative with the original twin mom's last name who still lives in Ireland and was able to have a conversation with her. She didn't know of any new twins.
Another thing I love about 23andMe is the +Health option! It helps screen for certain genetically detectable health factors which helps people discover what types of foods and even exercise are best for their particular body. I think knowing about any potential health problems and strengths is a way to further understand ourselves. The more we know about our bodies, the more we can be kind and nurturing and move toward a healthier self in the future, physically, mentally and emotionally.
If you would like to give 23andMe a try, click the link below and get started. You'll be so glad to know more!
