lakeesha Hennessy Williams answered
There's only an increased possibility if your mother is a twin - and this is because scientists believe that the genes passed on through females can have an effect on the likelihood of having twins.
Am I more likely to have twins?
Of all the genetic traits that may have a possible effect on whether you have twins, the gene that controls 'hyper-ovulation' is probably the one of most interest to you.
Hyper-ovulation is when a woman releases multiple eggs every time she ovulates. Women who have this condition are more likely to give birth to fraternal twins (twins which are born at the same time, but from different eggs).
If your mother suffers from hyper-ovulation, then there's an increased chance that you too could have this gene.
However, the gene needs to be passed on through the female side to have any impact - so your partner's genes (or his mothers) won't factor into the equation.
What's the chance that I will have identical twins?
Identical twins (a pair born from a single fertilized egg) are a bit more of a mystery. Scientists have yet to discover what genetic triggers may be at play in this scenario.
The likelihood of having twins also depends on ethnicity, and what part of the world someone comes from will determine what gene pool they're most likely to have acquired their genetic traits from.
In countries like Japan, 6 in every 1000 births is an identical twin birth - whilst the highest incidence of twin birth in a population falls to the Yoruba people of West-Africa (around 50 pairs of twins per 1000 births).
As for the idea that 'the gene for twins skips a generation', well, there's no scientific evidence to back this theory up!
Am I more likely to have twins?
Of all the genetic traits that may have a possible effect on whether you have twins, the gene that controls 'hyper-ovulation' is probably the one of most interest to you.
Hyper-ovulation is when a woman releases multiple eggs every time she ovulates. Women who have this condition are more likely to give birth to fraternal twins (twins which are born at the same time, but from different eggs).
If your mother suffers from hyper-ovulation, then there's an increased chance that you too could have this gene.
However, the gene needs to be passed on through the female side to have any impact - so your partner's genes (or his mothers) won't factor into the equation.
What's the chance that I will have identical twins?
Identical twins (a pair born from a single fertilized egg) are a bit more of a mystery. Scientists have yet to discover what genetic triggers may be at play in this scenario.
The likelihood of having twins also depends on ethnicity, and what part of the world someone comes from will determine what gene pool they're most likely to have acquired their genetic traits from.
In countries like Japan, 6 in every 1000 births is an identical twin birth - whilst the highest incidence of twin birth in a population falls to the Yoruba people of West-Africa (around 50 pairs of twins per 1000 births).
As for the idea that 'the gene for twins skips a generation', well, there's no scientific evidence to back this theory up!
