IdDTD (is that right?!) are 5, has anyone else read anything about certain character traits on 1st & 2nd born twins?

[XenaWP]

I know I read something about this sometime after the birth, but as the first 2 years were lost in the morass of sleep deprived insanity rather a blur, a don't know where it was. The topic was about some generalised character traits and behaviours that have been found in studies of 1st and 2nd born twins. Does this ring a bell with anyone? Am asking as DTD1 is more anxious and DTD2 is more easy-going and I have this feeling I've read something pertaining to it...
sigh
twin brain strikes again
not looking for ultimate answers to why they are how and who they are, it just popped into my head tonight and would like to know if I've made it up! (I was thinking, having someone sitting on your head for 9 months would make anyone anxious, and having a reasonably comfortable sibling as your pillow for 9 months would also make you feel pretty good about life )

T1 is more cautious more depedant on me whereas T2 is fiercely independant and out-going; says hello to everyone!

Not heard of the study but would be interested in reading it!

What does IdDTD mean, is this identical twins?

I think she means Identical dear twin daughters :)

Yes, I mean identical twin girls! Haven't been on MN for an age and get tied up with acronyms - so I thought I'd invent something! I did see Id on another post.

My girls are only 1 minute apart and the difference multiplemama mentioned is shockingly apparent. DTD1 is reserved, focused, and unflappable, while DTD2 has a spirited, cheeky disposition--she's very outgoing, fearless, with lots of smiles and tantrums in equal measure.

Would be interested to read whatever it is you read!

I find this fascinating. I don't have twins myself but I'm friends with identical twins, I've have known them since I was 4. They've always been very different in personality - the older one is more sensible, the younger one was very rebelious when younger (she's calmed down now!).

DT1 very adventurous, talkative, bossy
DT2 cautious, quiet, shy

DTD1 - comes across as outgoing but actually isn't - she the quieter and more reserved of the two although she can be a bit bossy.

DTD2 - smaller, outrageously independent, feisty, fearless, spirited, cheeky and is mostly the ringleader if they are doing something naughty.

We had TTTS and T2 was the donor, delivered at 31 weeks, they tried to intubate her and she wasn't having any of it, even when she was that tiny. She put up a fight in NICU / SCBU as well so I think its inherent to her personality.

I wonder of birthweight / growth rate is a factor in how we raise twins. My twin ID daughters (16 weeks) appear to have emerging personalities (as far as this is possible at 16 weeks). DTD1, heavier and healthier at birth, heavier now by over a pound, seems feisty and strong willed. DTD2, who had IUGR and was kept in special care, seems more mellow, coy (I know - she just is in my head ), and slightly more fragile / less demanding.

Can this be possible at such a young age, or am I projecting because of their different sizes / weights? Given I feel like this now, at such an early stage, I am sure this will impact on how I raise them, and thus, their actual personalities.

Not sure.

My twins were; 5lbs 4oz (T1) and 5lbs 9oz (T2) at birth and are now less than an inch/lb apart which is really weird. However T2 who weighed the most at birth is the more out-going, independent twin, was always the "easiest" baby...

DTD1 is outgoing, social, bossy
DTD2 is shy, quiet and demanding

DT1 is easy going funny independent.
DT2 is shy, stuck to me all the time, very sensitive.

It's like they are 2 sides of 1 coin and are never the same at the same time.
It's bloody hard work to be honest.

poorbuthappy - Ain't that the truth!

Mine were 5lb7 (twin 1) and 3lb5 (twin 3); rare to have such a size difference in ID twins. No signs of twin-to-twin so just a strange thing. Worrying at the time, but both seem so well now.

It depends doesn't it? If you had a C section, surely it is ultimately down to the surgeon for instance who came out 1st regardless of who was sitting on who's head?! And presumably even with a natural delivery they only engage towards the end so one may have been relaxed and floating in the space for some of it (at other twin's expense) but it won't have been for too long?!

2 sets of twins here (me and my twin sis) and then my twins. My sis (Twin 1) much more outgoing / social / risk taker. Me (Twin 2) more sensible / risk averse.

My twins: Twin 1 - cautious, sensible, conscientious. Twin 2 - absolutely none of those characteristics. Loud / unfocused / so laid back.

I have 2 sets borth born natural, and both in the same order as they laid, T1 was always the closest to my pelvic bone or head furthest down (scans throughout showed this in both PGs).

My first set are ID (my posts above are about them) however my faternal twins (b/g) were premature but T2 (g) met all her corrected age milestones and is the more out-going one.

So it's interesting hear all these theories/thoughts. And you make a good point, mandy :)

URGH. Baby brain. DD was born first she was laid just a little lower than her brother so it was a guessing game who would arrive first and it was her so she was T1. I need a nap!

I heard of a lady who had twins and she treated the "firstborn" as an independant child i.e encouraging him to play etc, while she babied the 2nd twins, always carrying him, refusing to let others hold him, wouldn't let him explore soft play like his brother. She went to the extreme...

So maybe it's down to how we raise/treat them, too.... just a thought.

Mine are only 18 wks but the coin analogy seems to be fitting for them T1 4lb 11 more serious more demanding t2 5lb 10 happy smiley much more laid back

Hi slightlyinsane, how are you and your lovely twins getting on? x

DT1 was always number 1 regardless of method of birth.

Am I the only one then who's darling ID twins flip personalities and traits as if just to confuse me?!

My twins can completely confuse me somedays. Once they even switched shoes on me and spoke the same language so I had to rely on their little facial looks to figure them out and they're all 24mo...

Hi mama
The girls are gorgeous, on prescription milk to see if the days of screaming is due to lactose intolerance. Still massively different sizes which is a pain as they're now in different size clothes and nappies, but constantly smiling and got my first chuckle out of t2 yesterday, which makes everything worth while. If it's possible to have the opposite of pnd I've got it

How's you and your increasing brood??

So glad to hear they're doing well (I think you said somewhere they had TTTS?) and that you got your first chuckle! :) I'm still waiting for DS to chuckle but he's more interesting in screaming at me

Good, ds recently had the Miral value & Ross Procedure and is recovering well, dd is now walking! I'm worrying and stressed nothing new there!! as I've been referred to a fetal medicine clinic :(

According to their red books there were "some concerns" about ttts after doing my own research it looks like it was taps form of ttts not tops (the one that affects fluid levels). I'm about to request all medical notes to go through it and get it amended if its not correct. And the 16% in size difference should have been enough to cause "some concerns"

Glad the op went well and he's on the mend.

Sorry to hear about your referral, fingers crossed its been an unclear scan and everything is fine.