Chances

My friend and I (who both have twin girls) were talking about how many sets of twins there are just where we live.  It seems like someone new is getting pregnant with twins every month or so.  It is rumored that something is in the water...  But we couldn't decide if it was just that we just paid more attention to twins now, or if twins really have become more common.  So I found this:

In 2000 there were 118,916 twins born in the U.S., which is a 78% increase from 1980.  That also means that  3% (1 in 33) of all babies in 2000 were born as twins.  So it is more common than I thought!

The chance of identical twins specifically is .4% or 1 in 250.

It could have increased because of the increase in health, age women are getting pregnant, and fertility pills.

Things that increase your chances of having twins:

• Being over the age of 30
• Having fraternal twins on your mothers side of the family (identical twins are not genetic)
• Fertility drugs
• Being African American 
• Having a large family

Of course, I am 20, don't have fraternal twins in my mothers side of the family (unless you count my great great grandma), didn't take fertility drugs, am Caucasian, and this is my first pregnancy.  Go figure.