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Of course, twins can be a handful. But, then you are going to love and adore them nonetheless. In fact, if you have been around twins, we are sure that there are some things about them that you will find absolutely fascinating. You may have even asked them numerous questions to understand what it is like to be in their shoes or how life is for them. Do they have the infamous ‘twin connection’ that everyone keeps talking about? These may sound like pretty simple questions but can catch people’s interest to no extent. And, when you are expecting twins, this curiosity may deepen even a little bit more. So, if you fall into this category, here we bring you some of the facts that you might want to be aware of:
1. They Begin Interacting With Each Other Inside The Womb Itself
It is said that the twins start to interact with each other as early as the second trimester. In the 14th week of gestation, it can be observed that the twins are trying to reach out for one another. And, by the 18th week, it is said that the babies spend more time contacting each other than their own selves. Around 30 percent of the babies’ movements are directed towards each other (1). Isn’t it fascinating to know that these little beings are aware of each other’s presence? Not only this, but they also make an effort to contact and respond to one another. Isn’t this the most beautiful thing that you have ever heard?
2. They Have Their Own Secret Language
According to the NCBI, twins have been often known for inventing and developing their own language, one that is unintelligible to other people (2). Such languages have been defined as autonomous languages, idioglossia, or cryptophasia. And, this is not such a rare phenomenon in spite of what is currently believed. It is known to exist in almost 40 percent of the twin babies but is said to disappear with time. Isn’t this the coolest thing ever? If you had to pinch yourself to believe in this one, you aren’t alone. As toddlers, twins make their own secret language to talk to each other. And, while most of this disappears as they grow up, they retain some of these ‘telepathic’ traits for the rest of their lives.
Many people know that twins have some similar emotional attributes and personalities. But, did you know that they may have some shared health conditions at times? One example for that is Tom and John Pantlind, who have been known for sharing heart problems (3). Neither of them showed any symptom for almost the initial three decades of their lives. But, both of them discovered that they were suffering from an atrial fibrillation problem within a few weeks of each other. Another interesting thing is that the brothers have an equivalent eyesight. Considering that the twins usually have the same DNA, this does not really come as much of a surprise.
4. They Can Have Separate Fathers
You must have not seen this one coming. But, yes, it is actually possible that the twins can have different fathers altogether. There is a woman, Mia Washington, who came to light in 2009. She had twins who have two different fathers (4). While this is the only instance that we know of, it shows that this is a possibility. But, this can only happen if the mother indulges in lovemaking with two different men within a five-day-span. And, each of their sperms ends up fertilizing one of those eggs.
What are your thoughts on all these interesting facts that you learned over here? Please share with us in the comments section below. Good luck, ladies!
