The Differences Between Twins and Irish Twin’s – The Irish Twins Momma

It often isn’t planned to have twins or to deliver one child, and then shortly after finding out you are expecting a second. This doesn’t allow much time for the women to heal, but every child is a miracle in God’s eyes.

Some research has shown the risk of Irish Twins (or the second child) and the mother. Every situation, though, is unique. You still want to continue to be monitored by your physician.

What is the definition of Twins?

Twins are having two children born at the same time. However, twins can be further classified as fraternal and identical. Fraternal twins are when there are two different eggs that are fertilized and may not have the same sex or appearance. Identical twins are conceived from a single egg and look exactly alike.

What does Irish twins Mean?

The age difference between Irish twins is classified as having delivered two infants within twelve months (1-year).

My Conclusion on the differences:

1. If you are lucky to have both Irish Twins within the same year as me, then you get the same Tax benefit as having twins. Otherwise, you will have one in one year, followed by two the next year (one for each child). The tax benefit often lasts until they are 17. At this point, they can then claim themselves as independent and not dependent on their parent.
2. With twins, you have one delivery of two children, which results in a quicker recovery time than having Irish twins due to conceiving and delivering another infant before a year. It does not allow your body enough time to recover and replenish some of the necessary nutrients lost during pregnancy.
3. Often many think that the second child will learn much from the first. It is true, but it doesn’t mean there is a shorter time for learning specific material or life lessons.
   • Potty Training – If you have twins, you can potty train both children at the same time. However, you will need two of everything and will likely have double the amount of wash at the same time. For Irish twins, it just takes twice as long, but the positive is that you only need one children’s toilet because once the oldest is trained, the youngest can start using the toddler potty.
4. For clothing for twins, you will need two of everything. With Irish Twins, the best thing is after they are at the toddler stage, the clothes will either go from your oldest to your youngest child’s dresser. However, if they are the same size at a stage, you are at a bigger win! Well, maybe, in my opinion, because sometimes sorting wash with all the different sizes can become aggravating.
5. Newborn Necessities– For twins, you need two of everything, were with Irish Twins, you don’t. You can transfer your oldest to a toddler seat at the dining room table while letting your youngest use the Highchair when ready. I previously wrote a post on this, and it has even more details about the variations. I recommend you check it out.
6. Toys – Often with twins, many buy two of everything, including raddles, teething toys, and play mats. My boys have learned to share their toys so close in age. However, you will constantly be buying toys to further challenge your oldest. You maximize the value of that toy(s) or gadget(s) as your youngest will be learning to play with it too. So, in the end, you get more bang for your buck with Irish twins here. However, you must purchase high-quality toys if you want them to last long enough for both children.
7. Bath Time- With twins, you can use one bathtub and make it an assembly line. No judgment here, especially because twins or Irish twins at bathtime can be challenging. Honestly, though, it is best to have someone there to help during the newborn stage. You don’t take your eyes off the children in the bathtub, even for a split second. For Irish twins, you will just pass the infant tub down to the youngest while upgrading your oldest to a bathtub seat. However, there will come a time when the twins are in the toddler stage, and they will both need a bathtub seat for support.

Celebrities that had back-to-back kids (Irish Twins):

It is harder than you think to have Irish twins unless you have a lot of luck. Below are some fantastic celebrities that had blessings back to back within 12 months or less.

• Britney Spears –  September 2006 birth of her second son Jayden James only 12 months after welcoming Sean Preston.
• Tori Spelling – Only ten months after welcoming daughter Hattie in October 2011, Tori Spelling added a fourth child to the mix with the birth of son Finn.
• Kerri Walsh-Jennings – Olympian Volleyball Player – Is a mom to two boys, Joey and Sundance. They are Irish twins, being only 11 months apart in age. She wanted this, though, and hoped their close age makes them very close brothers and friends.

Do you know of any more differences between twins and Irish twins? I would love to know! 

Sincerely,