Why Do Famous People Give Birth To So Many Twins?

amorsalado
wrote on July 25 2009 @ 03:44 pm: [report]

It’s because they tend to be older, so they use IVF whether they admit to it or not.  Also, I’d lay good money on the fact that several of them (Geena Davis comes to mind) not only use IVF, but they also use much younger donor eggs.  Women who are almost 50 just don’t normally give birth, let alone to twins.  Yup, donor eggs.

What I truly truly wish is that celebrities who do use IVF and donor eggs or any combination of assisted reproductive technologies would TALK about it so there wouldn’t so much stigma and shame surrounding the entire matter of infertility.

retro chic
wrote on July 26 2009 @ 08:39 am: [report]

Convenience (not just age) and IVF/Surrogacy. Who’s got time to have kids the usual way with competing concerns of juggling film schedules, plotting career strategies, managing drug/smoking addictions, hedging adverse body changes, maintaining plastic surgery and beauty treatments, brokering teetering marriages while keeping your “numbers” up? Isn’t that just too much to ask of an celeb?

@Amorsalado: “Women who are almost 50 just don’t normally give birth, let alone to twins.”
Actually, older women – including celebs – twin *more* due to hyperovulation, esp after years of Pill use. It spikes again at 45+, tho, I’m sure this wasn’t necessarily the reason for most of these celebs, as you pointed out, and for the motives named above. They’ve got the money and access to do it for convenience and elitist chic. So, no, they won’t be sharing any time soon, unfortunately.

Also, an abundance of several other factors creates/explains an abundance of twinning, even for celebs:
http://multiples.about.com/od/funfacts/tp/howtohavetwins.htm

Add to list:
Marcia Gay Harden

amorsalado
wrote on July 26 2009 @ 09:33 am: [report]

There is -nothing- convenient about IVF.

retro chic
wrote on July 26 2009 @ 10:14 am: [report]

@amorsalado: In context and on topic, I’m referring to a *Celeb’s* (what this article is about, not reg people), version of Convenience – for IVF/*Surrogacy,* ie, when others are doing the carrying, as I stated above (doesn’t the surrogate have to undergo IVF?). It’s apparent you have personal contact with the IVF, and is so noted, and I’m sure is not convenient for the one doing it – sorry for your trying experience of it.
But, it would be delusional to believe that celebs don’t factor convenience in. It has been done for decades, starting with adoption, then assisted methods when they became available. Yes, there are the truly infertile ones desperate to conceive, but not nearly as many as one would be made to believe. My family is 3rd gen entertainment, and that is just the tip of the celeb fertility iceberg. We haven’t even touched on why most are actually infertile – multiple abortions, STDs,...

DancerNinja
wrote on July 27 2009 @ 08:19 am: [report]

If IVF was that common practice, we would probably hear more about multiples beyond twins, unless the aborted the others, and those twins would be fraternal. I’m betting on the age making a difference, as the probability for twinning, many times through blastocyst fission, starts to increase after the age of 35.

retro chic
wrote on July 27 2009 @ 09:27 am: [report]

@Dancer: I agree, I think it’s aging mostly too, (as in first comment 1/2 way down). My comments go to celebs’ motivations *within* incidence. Their access to money, advanced techniques – and yes, Drs are well-paid for their custom services and confidentiality while looking the other way, so, no, we wouldn’t hear about it (unless leaked). But overall, yes, the primary driver is age, but with unusual bases.

Many celebs live in a different world of skewed ambition, ego and self-delusion already fed by handlers’ “anything for you” and “anything is possible.” Add money/quasi status, they don’t possess the same sensibilities we may wish to ascribe to them, and shouldn’t. Look, I don’t want to overwork this, all I’m saying is we shouldn’t exclude their motives and incidence since many don’t function in the world the same way we do. Many have had “complicated” pasts and are now dealing with it. Also, another cause for their infertility is tubal ligations they underwent when younger. And crazy exercise routines/“aids.”