ID or fraternal? What do you reckon??

[MunchkinMama]

Sooo, we've finally decided to get the dna test to see weather our boys are identical or fraternal. Fun!!

It'll still be at least two weeks until we get the results, so I thought let's pass the time by guessing what it will be!

Here's what makes me think they might be ID:

-for the first 3 months we could barely tell them apart (lucky Ethan's got a birthmark on his forehead!)

-If they just wear nappies I have to have a really close look to figure out who's who

-DH gets them confused all the time

-they have the same build, same skin tone, same eye colour, hair is same colour and texture

-they have the same weirdly shaped feet (got that from me, yay ), and same shaped hands

-they both have a little hairy patch on their lower backs, just like their daddy

-their facial features are very similar

-their, ahem, private parts look the same ( see, I always figured all little boys looked the same down there, but thanks to it being summer here and us going to the beach everyday I can now confirm: They do not!)

-they hit their milestones (standing, crawling, babbling, teeth...) withing a few hours to a couple of weeks of each other

Here's what makes me think they might be fraternal:

-Well. Sometimes they just look really really different to me!

-Some of our friend think they look quite different

-Leo's eyes are bigger, and his face looks a little fuller, plus he's got a more hair

-Ethan's ears seem to stick out a little more

-their foreheads have slightly different shapes

And now the fun part: Here are some pictures where they have *somewhat* similar facial expressions:

Brand new boys:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58172621@N08/5594011955/

In the pram:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58172621@N08/5594600126/

Hanging out at home:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58172621@N08/5594601264/

And all 3 of us at the playground last night:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/58172621@N08/5594015317/

Tell me what you think! Just for fun, and to pass the time until the results come in. And upload some pic of your own beautiful multiples, I just love seeing everyone's little ones!

Edited by MunchkinMama - 4/6/11 at 11:25am

[hergrace]

My rule of thumb is that if Mum ever thinks they might be ID, they are. 

Those pictures look about as alike as the two sets of ID twins I hang out with most.

[mylilmonkeys]

I'd say ID is a safe wager. :)  

[Katielady]

They look ID to me! I know two sets of baby boy twins, both fraternal, and they look a LOT less similar than your two lovelies. It'll be neat to find out, either way!

[Lisa1970]

Oh, they look ID to me. But some fraternal twins look a lot alike. I think I read that even Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen were fraternal.

[becoming]

My bet is on identical!

[Smurfette2]

My girls are fraternal. Unless they're dressed differently, I can not tell them apart. Seriously. One used to be smaller than the other with kind of rounder eye sockets but her face has since filled in and they are total copies of each other. Mine are DI/DI so I know they're not identical - just look-a-like sisters. And even though the twins don't have the same bio-dad as my TeenBaby, their baby pics are strikingly similar. They even suck the same thumb as TeenBaby used to and favor the same breast.

*My husband and his older brother are IDENTICAL in looks, mannerism and speech only the brother is several years older and has salt/pepper hair. And all four of his sisters look like carbon copies of their mother, even down to their Marilyn Monroe beauty marks. Strong genes I guess.

Mary Kate and Ashley are fraternal - maybe your babies are copy-catters too!

[hergrace]

Originally Posted by Smurfette2 

Mine are DI/DI so I know they're not identical - just look-a-like sisters.

This is one of the biggest misconceptions about multiples. DI-DI multiples CAN be ID.

[Gena 22]

As HerGrace says, plenty of di-di twins are identical, and the ONLY way you can know frat or id is by a DNA test, unless twins are a different sex, hair color, eye color, etc.  I've heard as many as 30% of same sex twins are ID.  My girls, and lots of sets I know, were di-di MZ.  We assumed frat until at 15 months, when I was tired of telling people, no, they're not identical, and people not believing me, we got them tested.  Lo, ID!  Plus, like your boys our twins hit all their milestones together - rolling, sitting up, walking, teeth, talking, etc.  I'd bet that nearly all people that test find out ID.  As a PP said, if mom thinks they might be MZ, they are!

Your boys are adorable, and one of the more similar sets I've seen.  I'd put a lot of money on MZ.  Please let us know how it turn out!

[purpleheather79]

My guess is MZ!

[ShanaV]

That's identical! And adorable! Congrats on such beautiful babies!

When my boys came out we didn't know whether they were ID or not -- two sacs, two placentas. But they sure did look a lot alike! The question was, did they look alike cus they were babies, brothers, or truly identical? There are definitely differences between them, like yours. Little fuller face on one, slightly higher forehead on the other, etc. The DNA confirmed that they were a match. I'm sure yours will do the same!

I bet that the Olsen twins are in fact identical, but were in separate sacs, so they THINK they they are fraternal. Because those girls don't look like just any ol' sisters. 

Basically, if only Mama (and people who are around the twins all the time) can tell em apart, that means they're identical.

This image helped demonstrate all the different types of twinning, and how di-di CAN be MZ or DZ. http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/monozygotic+twins

[SashaBreeze]

Look totally ID to me.

[JanineRivera]

I vote ID :)

[LSUtwinMama]

as a mom to confirmed ID di/di twin girls (DNA tested in the NICU), I'd say your boys are ID, too! 

I can pick out small difference in my girls (for example one has a rounder face even though the weigh the same) but everyone else gets them confused. 

Beautiful babies, btw!

[aja-belly]

id! when do you get the results?

i love these threads. your boys are so beautiful!

mine are not id - no doubt about it.

[MunchkinMama]

We should have gotten the results about a week ago, but still nothing! And now with the easter break... A little frustrating.

Will call them after the easter holiday's to kick their butts a bit, and then let y'all know once we've got an answer

My guess is becoming more and more id too, but we'll see.

A very happy easter to you all!

[Smurfette2]

Happy Easter to you too! :)

[OGirlieMama]

Originally Posted by Smurfette2 

My girls are fraternal. Unless they're dressed differently, I can not tell them apart. Seriously. One used to be smaller than the other with kind of rounder eye sockets but her face has since filled in and they are total copies of each other. Mine are DI/DI so I know they're not identical - just look-a-like sisters. And even though the twins don't have the same bio-dad as my TeenBaby, their baby pics are strikingly similar. They even suck the same thumb as TeenBaby used to and favor the same breast.

*My husband and his older brother are IDENTICAL in looks, mannerism and speech only the brother is several years older and has salt/pepper hair. And all four of his sisters look like carbon copies of their mother, even down to their Marilyn Monroe beauty marks. Strong genes I guess.

Mary Kate and Ashley are fraternal - maybe your babies are copy-catters too!

As others have already said, di/di means nothing as far as zygosity. Statistically, 30 percent of monozygotic twins present di/di. My di/di girls are DNA test-confirmed monozygotic. If you really can't tell your girls apart, I'd spring for the DNA test. And I wish Mary Kate and Ashley would, too.;-)

And OP, I vote MZ based on the pictures and your suspicion. I've never actually spoken to anyone who did DNA testing and got a DZ result. If Mom suspects it and continues to suspect, it's probably so. 

[tink79]

My bet is on identical too and such cuties!

I have another set of di/di identicals confirmed by dna test.  It's definitely a common misconception, even the u/s tech told me that they were fraternal because they were di/di.  If we would have waited to do the dna test, we could have confirmed it ourselves, once they filled out and the whole in utero characteristics of one being breech and one being vertex faded, it was obvious that they were identical.

[4midablemama]

I'm going to be the odd one out and say they are fraternal. I can see small differences just from their photos-and btw, they are precious!!!