Just how identical are your identical twins?

[BibiThree]

DTs are almost 6 mo and I don't think they look very alike, but they are certainly genetically identical. I have my suspicions they are going to be quite different as children in the looks department. I have already had complete strangers tell me with complete certainty that they are not identical twins - because a complete stranger glancing at them in the buggy is a genetics expert.

So, how identical are your identical twins?

My identical nephews look different except when they are asleep. Physically, one is slightly taller and heavier than the other which makes his face look fuller. Also, they have different haircuts and always wear different clothes.

As soon as they move or talk, they look different, because of their different personalities. However, once they are asleep, their resting faces are very similar.

My ID girls don't look that similar. The have the same hair, eye and skin colour but their face shapes are different and there is quite a size difference between them.

Isn't it frustrating when people constantly tell you they are not ID? It doesn't make any difference to me if they are or not but people seem so adamant! During my pregnancy I had over 20 scans from some top consultants - seems unlikely they would all get it wrong and a bloke outside the corner shop would be right instead .

Like you glamour badger, I was scanned every fortnight during my pregnancy as they initially thought the girls were mono-amniotic as well as mono-chorionic. Turns out they were di-amniotic, thankfully! So I too am pretty sure they shared a placenta, and it was in my c-section notes after the birth. I wish i'd photocopied them to whip out every time someone knew better.

Now my DTs are older it's actually quite useful that they don't look so alike as I'm no longer asked the endless, inane "twins" questions. A lady in a shop recently exclaimed "they look so similar, they could be twins!" - which is a marked improvement on the enquiries about my birth and gynecological well-being that seemed to interest random strangers in the first few months .

My current faves while out and about are

"Ooooh, are they twins?"
"Boy and a girl?" - despite both of them being togged out in pink snow suits
and
"Is it hard? / How do you cope?" - no, it's a walk in the park actually, you've only got to look at my under eye bags to see that!

I'll miss it when it stops I'll bet! I should stop being such a grump and be glad people are taking an interest in my girls

mine look alike at first glance - but like many other id twins one is a bit bigger and has a bit of a fatter face.

Most people can tell them apart but find it difficult to know which is which when they have them on their own.

Mine are 5 next week - and are just starting to enjoy the fact that people don't always know which is which - today they decided to wear the same jumpers to school "to confuse the teachers "

I think how identical they look varies as they grow - sometimes more so, sometimes less so.

DS's best friend at school is an identical twin. The have different haircuts which helps most people but the main v obvious difference is that their adult teeth are growing down differently. Their mother says they were harder to tell apart with they had all their milk teeth but it is very obvious (to me anyway) which one is which because of their teeth.

bibi, I get mixed responses ot mine. Some say they look soooooooo much alike they can't understand how I can tell the difference. Others think they are completely different. The other day someone told me 'that one looks a lot like you'...'oh, but so does the other one'...!
I also get 'boy and girl' thing.

They looked really different at birth and dt1 has more hair and isn't quite as fat so they look quite different. Put hats on them and you have to look quite closely. Personalities I think they are quit different, but more more alike each other than either of them are like ds1!

Actually people comparing them like that kind of annoys me.

I saw fantastic, gorgeous twins the other day (about 18 months old). 2 boys, one was a big with ginger hair and blue eyes, the other was small with dark hair and brown eyes (i resisted the 'oh but they are so different' comment as is must drive her nuts! !). The mum was English, but sadly we were both in a rush so didn't have time to chat much.

Research say the id twins raised together have much more different personalities than those raised separately.... ah, twins, they are fascinating!

Bibi It is like dejavu! I have identical twin girls - 9 months now. Some times I find it hard not to laugh when I get the boys or girls question (identical pink snow suits too!).

We think it is easy to tell them apart but again lots of people can't tell especially if they are on their own.

I think the genetic explanation is that although they have the same DNA there differences in how genes are expressed.

I love having twins and think they are fascinating too, I just hope we manage to bring them up with out being screwed up with being twins!