Methods Nigerians use to increase birth of twins

By Nnenna Joseph

Giving birth to a child is one of the most joyful experiences for a woman when there are two of them, it brings immeasurable joy. Twins are the birth of two offspring from the same pregnancy, it is a relatively uncommon phenomenon, and as such, twins are often regarded as special.
There are Identical and nonidentical twins, identical twins share similar physical identity and nonidentical twins share fraternal physical features.

In Europe, the figure is about 16 twins for every 1,000 births, and in the United States, it is about 30 for every 1,000 births while in Nigeria it is reported that the frequency of twinning across Nigeria is 6,070 out of 189,178 total births and twin birth per 1,000 deliveries to be 32.1.

Meet The Black and White Twins

Igbo-Ora, a town 80 kilometers from Lagos, is termed the twin capital of the world: unconfirmed estimates from the town say it boasts of a mind-blowing 158 sets of twins for every 1,000 live births.

Myth says it is a specific species of yam available in Nigeria. Fertility experts confirm that a possible explanation for the high incidence of multiple births in the area could be in the consumption of a specific type of yam containing a natural phytoestrogen, which is thought to stimulate a woman’s ovaries to release eggs from each side.

Africans outside African have less chances of giving birth to twins, this means Africans having a higher chance of twins is suspected to be linked to diet and environmental factors.

Other factors that influence the birth of twins is age, research says women above the age of 35 have higher chances of giving birth to twins. Hereditary factors also influence the birth of twins. IVF procedures fertilize more than one egg to increase chances of success. This increases the chance of fertilizing twins.

Nigerian twins are easily identifiable especially in their young age as they are almost always dressed in matching outfits at least for the first few years of their lives.

How My Great Grandmother Stopped killing Of Twins In My Village Nise And Environs

While most twin pregnancies are unplanned, having twins isn’t always luck. You can increase your chances of having twins ( or even triplets) if you take certain measures such as the consumption of certain herbs and different sex positions.

To increase your chances of having twins, the male partner should consume Zinc-Rich Food. Zinc-rich foods accelerate the production of sperms.
Taking Folic Acid Supplement although debated, has nonetheless shown some good results while trying to conceive twins. It is advised to take supplements as it’s known to prevent neural tube defects.

Apart from the methods mentioned above, it is widely believed that certain sex positions increase the chances of conceiving twins. There are fertility Supplements and Drugs that enhance conception of twins, these are sometimes called artificial methods.