TWINS question

[carisa]

My gestational carrier (surrogate) just found out she is pregnant with twins! I'm so excited. She was 6 1/2 weeks at her first ultrasound. How can you tell if they are fraternal or identical. I'm assuming that they are fraternal becaue we did IVF and transferred to embryos, but you never know. Does anyone know how you can tell? Thanks.

[carisa]

HeathJo-
boy and girl twins would be so much fun!! Congratulations.....

[HeathJo]

I am pg with twins, after using injectables and IUI, and my RE was telling me about the increase in identical twins resulting from IVF protocols whereby after ICSI the embies can be transferred later (as in after 5 days as opposed to 3 or something) which gives them more time to split and be identical. I am such a novice on this that I am sure this info is full of holes, but just wanted to validate it for you.

Also, my perinatalogist was even unsure at first whether or not I had identical or fraternal because of something to do with the membrane sac. Anway, I am having a boy and a girl, so they are fraternal.

CONGRATS ON YOUR TWINS!!!!!

[Helen72]

If you look at the u/s pic and you see one sack and 2 yolks then they are identical.  Most likely after ivf you will see two separate sacks.  

[carisa]

Thanks, I assumed they would be, but I had an RE ask me if they were identical or fraternal and i really hadn't thought about it because I assumed they would be fraternal since I did IVF. Then he told me that IVF/ICSI has been related to more identical twins lately than they ever thought. Something about the ICSI process.......

[carpediemforlife]

you more than likely have fraternal twins....how exciting for you! Congrats.

[Helen72]

Fraternal twins have two separate gestational sacks.  Identical twins will have one.  Ivf typically results in fraternal twins.