Vanishing Twin Syndrome

[AllThingsConsidered]

I suppose this is a biological related post.
A friend of mine is going to have twin boys any day now.
At her first (very early) ultrasound she was told that two sacs were present but one may not be there next time, no worries.
I told her that if two sacs were present then two babies had been conceived, and Dr. is saying that one may or may not stop developing.
I don't think she wanted to think about it in that way.
Next ultrasound they were both present, but it made me question why the Dr. had simply said that one may disappear.
I researched this Vanishing Twin idea. (http://multiples.about.com/cs/medicalissues/a/vanishingtwin.htm)

The thought I see most frequently is that 1 in 8 pregnancies is a multiple.
That is an extraordinary amount. Imagine that, with such early sonograms it is really easy to see that a twin pregnancy has become a single pregnancy. It makes me wonder about prior to sonograms, never knowing if you were a twin. Would you have this loss of some sort? It is said that twins have amazing connections. (http://www.twinconnections.com/)

I have little idea on what it would be like to be a twin.
I wonder if one would go through life having an idea that something was missing. Would twin connection stem from always being around someone or is it a genetic mystery? Is it fraternal or identical effected more?

Is anyone a twin able to explain the sense of connection and their idea on if it is inherent? I'm curious that now they practice such early ultrasounds, if that would make a major difference in that person similar to knowing they have lost their twin after birth.

[Kilby]

I am not a twin, but it is fascinating to think about. Now everyone here will wonder if they had a twin in the womb. Everyone go and ask your parents. To find out something like that would be amazing.

[Kilby]

Did you ever read "The Other Half" or some similar title by Stephen King?
It dealt with the twin connection in a strange way.

[MacGuffin]

The Dark Half

[Kilby]

thanks.

[Mr Pink]

It is actually very weird that you mention this. I have for as long as I can remember had an underlying feeling of "missing" someone really close to me (as in closer than anyone I know). Sometimes this feeling gets really strong, and I get a deep sense of loss. I've also gotten to the point where I've seriously wondered if I had a stillborn twin when I was born. This might explain it.

[AllThingsConsidered]

I haven't read the Dark Half.
I'm glad that this is interesting to other people.

If 1/8 pregnancies is accurate, then that is a lot and at least one of us had a twin we never knew.

I feel a sense of loss, but I think it's due to never really connecting well with anyone as others seem to.

[KuJo]

think about this, if you believe in the afterlife your twin which either died before conception or came out and died, or was a stillborn. Do you think you would have that strong twin connection between this life and the afterlife?

and just for clarity i do not believe in the afterlife whatsoever.

[Mr Pink]

I feel a sense of loss, but I think it's due to never really connecting well with anyone as others seem to.

It's a more specific feeling, and I'm not sure if I'm able to explain it any better than that. But then again, my mind could be playing tricks on me about the whole thing.

[AllThingsConsidered]

What is really fascinating is when the twin gets absorbed into the developing other (http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/01/16/brother.shtml), rather than the lining of the uterus.
Maybe you are carrying the other person and have no idea.

Kujo that is an interesting thought. Anyone feel a connection to an afterlife...perhaps you had a twin?

Who knows if there even is an afterlife.

[quidam]

NO WONDER I HAVE ENOUGH TALENT FOR TWO.

I'm afraid to ask my parents, though, because I'm not sure I want to know the answer if it's "no". It'd be so unromantic.

*goes to ask parents anyway*

[last_caress]

What is really fascinating is when the twin gets absorbed into the developing other (http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/01/16/brother.shtml), rather than the lining of the uterus.
Maybe you are carrying the other person and have no idea.

Kujo that is an interesting thought. Anyone feel a connection to an afterlife...perhaps you had a twin?

Who knows if there even is an afterlife.

Anyone else read Dr. Bloodmoney by Philip K. Dick?

That phenomenon figures prominently in the plot.

[attila_the_hunny]

I probably ate my twin in the womb.

[kuranes]

I'm a Gemini, anyway, FWIW.

[Kilby]

What is really fascinating is when the twin gets absorbed into the developing other (http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/01/16/brother.shtml), rather than the lining of the uterus.
Maybe you are carrying the other person and have no idea.

Kujo that is an interesting thought. Anyone feel a connection to an afterlife...perhaps you had a twin?

Who knows if there even is an afterlife.

Now that you bring this up, I remember more clearly that in the book he had absorbed his twin and it was causing seizures.

[CosmicDust]

I've often found the brother-sister complementary opposite fraternal twin archetypes to be cool...but there's only a 1 in maybe 16 (or less, depending on the rates of identical vs. fraternal in these one-in-eight twin conceptions) chance that I ever had a twin brother. So, I don't think I can attribute it to that. Besides, I don't remember being particularly fascinated by that archetype until at least my teens.

[Madrigal]

I have a fraternal twin, and on some levels we do have a stronger connection than I do with my younger sister. Surely it's because we have lived very similar esxperiences while growing up - same schools, same trips, same friends. Weirdly, we even work in the same office now, not that it was on purpose... lol.

She also has the same sense of humour as me. Although sense of humour can be generalized depending on your nationality, each individual does have his very own sense of humour, that is different from everyone else's. My twin is the only person who shares mine. But as I said - if you share so many expeirences, you are bound to share things like this. I don't believe it's a biological gift, I attribute it entirely to environment.

Another peculiar thing is that we have a similar thought process. Often, we are thinking along the same lines, and the same thoughts lead to other shared thoughts. We notice this when we're talking to a group of friends, and we sort of end up 'competing' to say the exact same thing, tell the exact same story, or make the exact same joke. (Eh, my sister often wins the competition because she used to be quite the ENFJ, though she has evolved into an Introvert over the years.) But how could our thoughts not follow the same pattern if we have shared so many experiences? Surely, if someone says something about 'x', we will both remember the same 'y' most of the time.

I hear identical twins have a closer connection, though I don't know. I have also read statistics stating that fraternal twins are the siblings that are most prone to clashing, fighting, disagreeing. It used to be this way when we were growing up, but we have both stabilized since then. We used to be at each other's throats - litterally.

[AllThingsConsidered]

(Eh, my sister often wins the competition because she used to be quite the ENFJ, though she has evolved into an Introvert over the years.) .

That's really interesting. Do you think having a twin makes you more confident knowing someone relates to you, thus coming off more extraverted?
Then of course as twins do, establishing your own sense of identity and thus the change in later years?
Do you ever think about why she went from seeming more E to I?

[Madrigal]

That's really interesting. Do you think having a twin makes you more confident knowing someone relates to you, thus coming off more extraverted?
Then of course as twins do, establishing your own sense of identity and thus the change in later years?
Do you ever think about why she went from seeming more E to I?
Good questions, I'm not sure i can give you a satisfactory answer!

Being a twin with an extrovert while growing up did not make me more extroverted, it actually overshadowed me a little. Sometimes knowing that there was an ENFJ by my side only contributed to my thinking, "ah, what the hell, she can say/do it." Also, the inevitable comparison with someone who was a lot more social as well as more efficient (Judging type... always getting the job done ;) ) did not reflect well on me. I was quiet and I prefered daydreams to reality, and my school work was boring for me. I did not even feel committed enough to get average grades while in primary school.

On the other hand, my curse was also my blessing because after all, I did have a guaranteed friend to talk to all the time :D (yes, we would fight often, but just as much as we would fight, we otherwise very much enjoyed our company.)

As for establishing a sense of identity, our parents were the type that would dress us up the same way (family photo albums don't lie), and we were always together and shared interests. However, when we graduated from high school, we did start to go on our separate paths. I was interested in the arts and she was interested in economy. Still, we've always had the same types of jobs and even the same political ideas (entering the same party, for example). Luckily, we seem to have always had different tastes in men... hehe.

I don't know why she became an introvert, I think that she might have isolated herself from her naturally preferred environment during her last romantic relationship, which, by the way, has recently come to an end. I think she may recover some of that extroversion over the next few years - at least I hope. :)

[Pooja]

I've also grown up as the (frat.) twin of an extrovert (ENFP). When I'm around her, I do act more extroverted, but then it wears off.
When we're seperated for long periods of time, and then see each other, I'm usually more sarcastic/INTPish/nerdy, and she's more hyper/annoying/idealistic. So I think that we balance each other.
But I wouldn't have been surprised if she'd eaten me in the womb...

[shum]

What is really fascinating is when the twin gets absorbed into the developing other (http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/01/16/brother.shtml), rather than the lining of the uterus.
Maybe you are carrying the other person and have no idea.


my great great aunt had some doubles of some organs (i cant remember exactly which ones). i was always told that she was supposed to have been the result of an egg that didnt split quite right.

maybe the same thing or maybe bull. i dont know. interesting anyway.

[AllThingsConsidered]

Good questions, I'm not sure i can give you a satisfactory answer!

Being a twin with an extrovert while growing up did not make me more extroverted, it actually overshadowed me a little. Sometimes knowing that there was an ENFJ by my side only contributed to my thinking, "ah, what the hell, she can say/do it." Also, the inevitable comparison with someone who was a lot more social as well as more efficient (Judging type... always getting the job done ;) ) did not reflect well on me. I was quiet and I prefered daydreams to reality, and my school work was boring for me. I did not even feel committed enough to get average grades while in primary school.


I think what you said was interesting because I had an ENFJ best friend for 12 years growing up. She helped me to socialize by being my eyes, ears, words in public, I was incredibly reserved and sometimes oblivious....and we fought off and on all of the time, but really were pretty close to each other. After time we were very alike and even shared interests. People would ask if we were sisters.
This makes me wonder how much is environmental. I NEVER was that close with any other girl-friend. Then again our friendship ended badly...and probably wouldn't have if we were sisters.

Do you feel a sense of loss when not around her? Is there always an underlying need to check in with her? What about panic or that sixth sense when something happens?
I ask because I did not get these with my friend and perhaps it would be a twin thing.
Twin connection is a really interesting phenomena.

EDIT: Pooja didn't see your post yet. What about you with the above questions?

[AllThingsConsidered]

my great great aunt had some doubles of some organs (i cant remember exactly which ones). i was always told that she was supposed to have been the result of an egg that didnt split quite right.

maybe the same thing or maybe bull. i dont know. interesting anyway.

I've never heard of that. I have heard of identical twins mirroring each other and one will have all organs on the opposite side of the body.