Question:
I have a perfect 6-month-old daughter and we will start TTC next month. I will be 37 in August and would LOVE to have twins. I have been eating a diet to increase chances for twins (as well as male)
My questions are:
1. Many say to wait until as close to ovulation to conceive male so we were going to try that. However, will that decrease the likelihood
of twins? in other words, do you have a better chance of twins if you have sex each of the 5 days of fertility?
2. With respect to diet, how far in advance should you start or is it just during the time TTC/ovulation?
Dr. Amos answers:
You are asking some interesting questions. There are two different kinds of twins: Monozygotic and dizygotic twins.
Monozygotic twins are twins from conception with one egg and one sperm. The fertilized egg then spits after conception. Monozygotic twins are also known as 'identical twins' or maternal twins.
Dizygotic twins are twins achieved for the conception of two different eggs with two different sperms. These are also known as non-identical or fraternal twins.
There is no way to increase your chances of monozygotic twins. They happen spontaneously in about 1 in 250 pregnancies.
For dizygotic twins, there must be two different ovulations with two different eggs. There is no evidence that you can increase your chances ovulating twice with either food or different kinds of sex. More sex or sex at different times will not make you ovulate more (or less).
Fertility drugs or IVF in-vitro fertilization increases the chances of having twins, but it would not be ethical to increase the chances of twins intentionally because twins are associated with increased pregnancy risks especially premature births.