The chance of having identical twins is about 1 in 285.
However, two identical twins sisters from Utah are breaking those odds… and plenty more!
The identical twins sisters are each expecting their second set of identical twins.
That’s five sets of twins in just two generations.
Identical twin sisters Kelli Wall and Kerri Bunker are both expecting identical twins in March next year.
The sisters are both approaching their second trimesters, and were excited to share their news with the world.
The sisters already have a set of twins each, born just 11 months apart. That in itself is pretty incredible, but to add a second set of identical twins each due in the same month, well, that’s just freaky.
Identical Twins And Identical Lives?
The sisters seem to be living parallel lives, both are teachers at the same school. They even married two best friends. The sisters are very close and say they are best friends.
The sisters both conceived their first sets of twins through in-vitro fertilisation after struggling to conceive. Conceiving through IVF increases the chance of having both identical and non-identical twins. The chance of non-identical twins is increased because it is common for more than one embryo to be implanted into the uterus. It isn’t yet fully understood why IVF increases the chance of identical twins (you can read a recent study here).
Speaking to KSL-TV, Kelli Wall said: “It’s a unique story, because I always felt my sister and I had a special bond. And we’ve always kind of looked out for one another, and I thought ‘Oh wouldn’t that be fun to have our kids experience the same thing.’”
Genetics and Twins
Non identical twins are known to run in families, but there’s currently no evidence to suggest that identical twins run in families. Kelli and Kerri may beg to differ, however.
Identical twins happen when a fertilised embryo splits in two. The twins share a placenta inside the womb. The babies share the same genes, so are always the same sex and usually look very much alike. Identical twins are also referred to as monozygotic twins. Identical twins are rare and only account for around a third of all twin pregnancies.
There are some risks associated with identical twin pregnancies, so it’s likely that Kelli and Kerri will be carefully monitored throughout. The sisters probably already know what they’re doing though, having both already given birth to identical twins. And, if they’re looking for advice, they can probably ask their mama who is pretty experienced too. That is, if she’s not too busy saving up to buy Christmas presents for all her grandchildren.
Recommended Reading
Expecting twins? Check out BellyBelly’s article 8 Interesting Facts About Twins.
Know someone expecting twins? Here’s how you can help.
