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Home » Parenting » Irish Twins and Twins » Risks of Having Irish Twins

in Irish Twins and Twins

Risks of Having Irish Twins

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Having two children back to back in under 12 months is risky, but why? via @irishtwinsmom11The term "Irish Twins" first appeared in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, a time when there was a significant influx of Irish immigrants into the US. via @irishtwinsmom11

If you have read the about me section of my page, you will know that I have two boys that are eleven months and three days apart. I am a twin, and my husband, Christian’s mom, is also. We thought the odds were in our favor to have twins, but God had a different plan. We ended up not having twins, but having Irish twins.

Table of Contents

  • What does the term Irish Twins mean?
  • The History:
  • How Common are Irish Twins?
  • My Irish Twin Boys:
    • More on Echogenic Intracardiac Focus (EIFs):
  • Risks of Pregnancy’s Back-to-Back
  • Risks of Having Irish Twins:
    • Prematurity
    • Health Risks to Mother
    • The Low Birth Weight of the second child.
    • Scarcity of breastmilk
    • High autism risk
    • Complications with the placenta
    • Momma may take years to recover from one pregnancy.

What does the term Irish Twins mean?

They are defined as having two children born within 12 months of each other or within the same year. For example, a mother having a child in January and then October.

However, Irish twins are not actually real twins as they were not born at the same. However, they may or may not be Irish but that depends on the parent heritage.

The History:

The term “Irish Twins” first appeared in the United States at the turn of the 20th century, a time when there was a significant influx of Irish immigrants into the US.

Most Irish immigrants at that time were strict Catholics, and therefore, did not practice family planning. It was not uncommon for Irish families to be quite large, with children coming into the family almost yearly.

For this reason, it is easy to see that the term Irish twins were considered a derogatory term to Irish immigrants.

How Common are Irish Twins?

It was more common before the 1900s as birth control was not really used as much as it is today. However, today it tends to occur more as there are several misconceptions like you can’t get pregnant when breastfeeding and several more.

The History of Irish Twins

My Irish Twin Boys:

Jack was born in January of 2016, and the pregnancy wasn’t exciting till near the end. I passed a blood clot approximately a month before delivery. Not a mucus plug or anything of that sort, but a gush of a blood clot.

Then during labor, I spiked a fever. It resulted in him being rushed to the NICU following an emergency c-section. I didn’t have any morning sickness with him except for perfumes and cologne.

Luke was a different pregnancy. I had morning sickness that started around nine weeks and lasted what felt like forever. I do not still, to this day, like ginger snaps and do not understand why they call it morning sickness when it lasted all day sometimes.

During our 20-week ultrasound, we found out that Luke had an echogenic intracardiac focus (or EIF), which looks like a small bright spot on a developing baby’s heart during an ultrasound. A few weeks before delivery, the echogenic intracardiac focus was no longer visible.

In December of 2016, our second son, Luke, had made it into this world via a scheduled c-section.

More on Echogenic Intracardiac Focus (EIFs):

EIFs themselves have no impact on health or heart function. Often the EIF is gone by the third trimester. If there are no problems or chromosome abnormalities, EIFs are considered regular changes, or variants.

Researchers have noted an association between EIF and chromosome problems. These types of chromosome problems occasionally are seen in trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome) or trisomy 21 (Down syndrome).

In the case of an isolated EIF, and no other ultrasound findings, some studies show that the risk for a chromosome abnormality is approximately two times a woman’s background risk. Other studies report up to a 1% risk for Down syndrome when an EIF is seen on a second-trimester fetal ultrasound exam.

I was sent to see a high-risk obstetrician who did some genetic tests and a detailed ultrasound that all came back okay. The spot was still there, but she didn’t appear worried about it at all, even though I was a nervous wreck.

My physician advised that sometimes it will just go away on its own, but they will do the testing and keep a close eye on it. The spot remained till the final 2-weeks before our scheduled c-section. We had no complications following, and all testing came back normal.

Risks of Pregnancy’s Back-to-Back

Due to the toll one’s body takes during a pregnancy, it is not recommended to have pregnancies back-to-back. The World Health Organisation recommends a gap of 2 to 5 years before you welcome a new life into this world.

Risks of Having Irish Twins:

Prematurity

It is defined as a newborn that is born before the 37th week of pregnancy. The younger sibling can be born prematurely even though the older sibling was born at term (after 37 weeks of pregnancy). The reason being, during pregnancy, a woman’s body depletes resources that takes time to replenish.

Health Risks to Mother

It takes time for women’s bodies to recover, so during contractions, it is essential to rest.

The Low Birth Weight of the second child.

This complication likely results due to prematurity. Another possibility is the lack of nutrition in the womb. The mother’s body hasn’t replenished the necessary vitamins and nutrients from the previous birth. Where one can overcome through the proper intake of nutrients and prenatal vitamins. In my situation, Luke weighed more than my first son, Jack. It can vary by different individuals, so I would not recommend stressing over it.

Scarcity of breastmilk

If breastfeeding during pregnancy might lead to contractions due to the release of oxytocin in one’s body, and she may also witness her milk to dry up.

High autism risk

A sibling born less than a year after her older sibling is more susceptible to the risk of autism than those who have a much more significant gap. It could be related to prematurity, lack of nutrients, and various other factors.

Complications with the placenta

Due to back-to-back pregnancies may lead to severe complications with the placenta, i.e., placenta previa and placental abruption. In placenta previa, the placenta lies low in the uterus, possibly covering the cervix, which may lead to bleeding. Placental abruption is a condition wherein, placenta disconnects from the uterine wall. It can result in heavy bleeding due to the tear in all connecting blood vessels. It can also prove life-threatening for the mother.PLACENTA PREVIA

Momma may take years to recover from one pregnancy.

It goes beyond the typical tiredness and physical aspect of carrying, delivering, and nourishing a child. Carrying a baby can take vital nutrients from a mother that can take years to replenish and restore.

Having two children in a small timespan doesn’t allow mothers the necessary time to recover physically or mentally. So many complications can occur or not occur like in any given situation. Research has shown that a mother with kids close in age is at a higher risk of postpartum depression, which can cause long-term damage if left untreated.

Every situation is entirely different, though, and I did not meet any of the risks listed above. I ate a well-balanced diet, but I will probably still have my belly for a bit. It is getting smaller when I look at pictures.

Sincerely,

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Comments

  1. Erin says

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    My kids are 20 months apart. I can’t imagine Irish twins!

    Reply
  2. Phoebe says

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    Where did you get the information about autism? I would like to know. THank you!

    Reply
    • irishtwins16 says

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      I have read so many articles but this is the one I linked to in that comment – https://parenting.firstcry.com/articles/autism-in-babies-symptoms-causes-and-treatment/

      Reply
      • Kez says

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        Wow! I dont even want the bodily stress of one pregnancy, let alone 2 within a year! :oP

        Reply
      • Mariah says

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        i was also trying to find the information u listed on Irish twins leading to much higher risk fo austim, and i followed the link u posted. but found nothing int he article regarding irish twins. the only thing about twins is the paragraph ive listed.

        “If autism already exists in your family, your baby will have a higher chance of developing the condition. If you already have a child who has been diagnosed with autism, then your child will have an 18% chance of also being diagnosed; however, in the case of identical twins, if one is diagnosed, there is a 95% chance that the other will be diagnosed as well”

        did you mean to post a different link?

        Reply
        • The Irish Twin's Momma says

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          You are absolutely right! Here is the Link from the Mayo Clinic and I have corrected it in the post.

          Reply
  3. Esmé Slabbert says

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    Hi Ashley
    You have been nominated for The Sunshine Blogger Award! Thanks for being part of my blogging journey, and I hope you will be able to participate and pay this forward. You will find the post on my blog at https://bit.ly/2Z7Fcgt and published at 2am Vancouver, BC time August 16, 2019

    Reply
  4. prabhu says

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    i have also twins, and difference between both kid only 12 second.

    Reply
  5. Ida says

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    I have three kids, twins and my first born 2,5 years apart. I’m glad that my eldest was a bit older when the twins were born, as she was already a great help from the beginning. The twins have developed at a slightly different pace, one started walking several months before her sister, but then she started talking a lot later. In a way, I think twins, though challenging, might be a bit easier than siblings with a small age difference. Everything from feeding, potty training, etc go on the same schedule with twins, but babies 11 months apart makes a huge difference. I can only imagine, at times it’s tough being a mother of several either way!

    Reply
  6. Laura says

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    Really interesting. My brother and I are 19 months apart, and that feels close, but to have two kids born the same year is amazing. They’re going to have a great story to tell for the rest of their lives.

    Reply
  7. Valerie Fowler says

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    Thank you so much for sharing this. While my own kids are spaced farther apart, my mom had 4 kids in 3.5 years {!!!}. I’m glad that you and your beautiful babes are doing well now.

    Reply
  8. Britt says

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    This is really interesting. We have Irish twins in our family, but I never knew that there were so many potential risks involved. Thank you for sharing all this info.

    Reply
  9. Hoang Vi Fessenden says

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    wow I couldn’t imagine having twins!

    Reply
  10. Jenn Summers says

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    Great article. I can not imagine how hard it is on your body to have two full pregnancies within a year. You’re a rockstar hun!

    Reply
  11. Jessica says

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    Im definitely going to be reading more of your posts as I just recently found out I’m expecting #2. I’m 2 months pregnant and 5 months postpartum. 2nd pregnancy was an oppsie as i was on BC but I’m excited none the less…nut bery nervous

    Reply
    • The Irish Twin's Momma says

      at

      That is what happened to us. Quicker than expected but still blessed. Feel free to reach out because it definitely is not easy having them back to back.

      Reply

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