How do I know if I am identical twins?

Answer

Best,

It is not always easy to distinguish identical from fraternal twins.

If there are clear differences (different sex, different hair color, different appearance in general) it is easy, because then you are dealing with fraternal twins. These are developed from two sets of egg cells and sperm cells, and thus differ from each other as ordinary siblings differ from each other

On the other hand, you have twins who look alike, and you can simply say that they are identical. They are then developed from a single fertilized egg and have identical genetic material.

It becomes more difficult when as twins you are very similar, but there are still some clear differences. This can happen with both types of twins: identical twins can look different over time due to influences from the external environment, while fraternal twins of the same sex can look very similar because they have strong family traits.

In such doubtful cases, it can help to know details about the pregnancy: if you grew as twins in the same amniotic membrane or shared one placenta, you are monozygotic (but that does not automatically mean that you are dizygotic if there are two amniotic membranes or placentas). You can also compare blood groups: if you have different blood groups, you are fraternal (but that does not mean that you are automatically identical if you have the same blood group).

Ultimately, there’s only one way to be 100% sure, and that’s a DNA test. But before that happens, maybe the above tips are enough to determine what kind of twin you are?

friendly goodies,

Francis Meerburg