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Original poster

How many people know identical triplets?

120 replies

BonBonVoyage · 01/01/2019 13:16

A comment on another thread started me thinking (this is not a TAAT though!)

How common are identical triplets? I've looked at stats online but I'm more interested in how it translates to real life.

I'm a teacher and in all my years teaching I've taught one set of identical triplets. They were super identical - same voice, handwriting, drawing style, personality. It was uncanny (in a nice way)

I have taught another set of non identical triplets and my sister has too (different school). I know a lady who has triplets grandsons (two identical, one not).

I know one set of identical twins, have taught in two other schools with two other pairs.

How many identical triplets do you know?

OP posts:
Roomba · 01/01/2019 13:47

Two girls in my secondary school (so 80s/90s) were two of identical triplets. Sadly they lost their other sister at a few hours old. Does that count?

Other than that, not come across any triplets let alone identical ones. I did meet four Swedish lads who were quads once on holiday. Not sure if they were actually identical (or whether that's even possible) but they all looked so alike it was impossible to tell them apart.

Ariela · 01/01/2019 13:50

My daughter knows a set of identical triplets (girls). I couldn't tell them apart, but apparently they're all different, she knows one better through a hobby the other 2 don't share. Apparently they've been encouraged to do their own thing.

Idontmeanto · 01/01/2019 13:51

I met a set on a youth church holiday once, and one of the three rocked up on the same degree course as me years later. I’ve worked in schools for a decade now and never encountered any.

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GodknowsIwanttobreakfree · 01/01/2019 13:52

Teacher for 30 years, never known triplets.

Happyandshiney · 01/01/2019 13:53

I know several sets of triplets big ID and non-ID but then I used to be heavily involved with our local Multiples group (twin Mum) so I’m not terribly representative.

Twins are considerably more common that triplets. Last time I looked at the stats it was about 15 twin pregnancies in 1000 pregnancies. It’s less than one triplet pregnancy per 1000.

burblife · 01/01/2019 13:53

@whenwillthetwitchstrike I wonder if I teach at your DD school?! We have 4 sets of identical twins and two non identical sets in the same year group. I think 3 other sets in the school too.

Never met triplets in my life!

tumpymummy · 01/01/2019 13:53

Also work in a school. Loads of twins but no triplets, and don't think I have ever met any.

LooksBetterWithAFilter · 01/01/2019 13:55

I know two sets of adult identical triplets a male set and a female set the female set are older and are easier to tell apart as they have different styles so hair and clothes are different the male set are 30’s and just wear jeans an t-shirts and have similar haircuts it can be confusing see them one at a time down the street shopping or something and having no idea which one is which.

winsinbin · 01/01/2019 13:58

I know three sets of triplets, one in their 50s, another in their early 20s and the youngest ones are about 12. None of them are identical.

huggybear · 01/01/2019 14:01

The set I know were conceived naturally which I believe is incredibly rare.

bokkleorandoove · 01/01/2019 14:07

A friend's SIL was expecting identical triplets. Sadly the mother had to undergo a selective reduction - I think because they shared a placenta and it meant losing all three if the triplet pregnancy continued.

chocolateavocado99 · 01/01/2019 14:08

Dd2s best friend is a triplet. Her 2 brothers look nothing alike..(but I still can't remember who is who).
There are non ID triplets at dd1s school, but I don't know them.

whatswithtodaytoday · 01/01/2019 14:10

I know one third of a set of triplets, non-identical as one girl and two boys. Never encountered any others.

However, there were three sets of twins in my year at school! One definitely identical, not sure about the other two as I could always tell them apart but they are very similar.

knittedjest · 01/01/2019 14:10

I know on set of identical triplets who work for my family but judging by the reaction people always have to them I'm guessing it's pretty much unheard of.

Also know one set of non-identical triplets.

Sexnotgender · 01/01/2019 14:12

Someone my husband knows had triplets about 6 months ago. They already had 2 under 5.

LittleCandle · 01/01/2019 14:17

There were identical triplets at school a few years below me. We also had 2 sets of identical twins.

amusedbush · 01/01/2019 14:25

I’ve never (knowingly!) met any triplets. There were several sets of twins at my school, only one identical. One set in my year looked nothing alike but one of them was the spit of their brother, who was two years older.

My mum has twin cousins who couldn’t look less alike, but one of them is spookily similar to my auntie, who is the same age as them so apparently people at their school assumed THEY were the twins. I was 14 the first time I met the cousin and I thought she was my auntie! Blush

Chocolateismynemesis · 01/01/2019 14:31

Off the top of my head I think I know 6 sets of triplets - none are all ID although 3 sets have a set of ID twins and a singleton.

Only 1 set is all same sex and to be honest all 3 of them look so alike I still can’t tell them apart despite knowing them since P1. (they are now S1)

The other 3 sets (inc my dad and 2 aunts) are all non-ID.

I know A LOT of twins - my own are ID and at one point in their 2 class entry school there were 4 sets in their year group, 3 of which were ID. In their school there are either twins or triplets in every year and in most years there are 2 sets of more - it’s weird!

(I also loosely know a set of quints (as in they are good friends of good friends of ours and we have met them with our friends once or twice.) and they fascinate me more than anything!

ChloeCrawfor · 01/01/2019 14:34

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pisspawpatrol · 01/01/2019 14:45

I went to school with a set of triplets. I think two were biologically identical and the third not, but they all looked the same and spoke and behaved very similarly too. They were split into three separate schools eventually, to try to give them normal social relationships as they were often treated as one identity by lots of the people at school.

bibbitybobbityyhat · 01/01/2019 15:10

I've met 3 sets of triplets in my life (all boys) but none of them identical. Isn't identical astonishingly rare? Like more rare than quadruplets or something.

SockQueen · 01/01/2019 15:14

My SiL is one! It's very, very rare. I've only met one of her two sisters and could tell the difference only by looking at clothes/hairstyle etc. DS (2) was very confused about there being "Two Auntie Xs!"

SirVixofVixHall · 01/01/2019 15:16

I know two sets of triplets, both IVF babies. One set are cousins of mine, neither set are identical, they are both three non-identical triplets.
I know two sets of identical twins, and two IVF sets of twins. So four sets of twins. I know adult twins too, a few different sets, about half of them identical sets of twins.

ReaganSomerset · 01/01/2019 15:17

I've taught a set.

molemonkey · 01/01/2019 15:19

I dont know any triplets but I was one of 6 sets of twins across 2 reception classes.

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