# Woman On b/c Pill Expecting Identical Quads! **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 5, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544 "2005-02-05T17:59:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Loopydude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e56c9b/32.png) [@Loopydude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Loopydude)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/1 "2005-02-05T17:59:46Z")
[Oopsie](http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4238765.stm)!! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Konstantine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f475e1/32.png) [@Konstantine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Konstantine)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/2 "2005-02-05T18:29:56Z")
It was probably because of how low her dosage of birth control was and I’m guessing her and her husband/boyfriend weren’t using condoms either. Still though, it’s enough to freak out all of us females who are on the pill. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/3 "2005-02-05T18:55:26Z")
I remember watching a show about a family with identical quads, boys. The mother said that people kept asking her if she’d taken fertility drugs, and she had to keep saying no. The drugs cause multiple eggs to be released, identicals come from a single egg that splits. I later saw that family featured in a Tide commerical, with the mom talking about how Tide helps keep the clothes of four active nine-yr olds clean. Hope they got plenty of money or Tide out of the job. Can you imagine later on, having FOUR teenaged boys to feed at once? ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 5, 2005, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/4 "2005-02-05T19:11:52Z")
Or four teenaged sons with drivers’ licenses?? :eek: :eek: ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/5 "2005-02-06T13:47:12Z")
What sort of a mag is the Daily Mirror? Reliable? Not? The reason I ask is that this is so absurdly unlikely, and the only other places I see her name when I google it is The Sun and The Yorkshire Herald. Could be because it’s too local to have hit wider, or it could be bullocks. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/6 "2005-02-06T13:51:12Z")
:smack: Of course, I didn’t notice that it was a bbc website. One hopes their factcheckers have been at work. Sorry to impugn the reputation of the Daily Mirror. Wow! :eek: Talk about your life-altering announcements! ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/7 "2005-02-06T14:21:56Z")
This might be the first time I’ve really heard anything much about quadruplets. 😉 Twins and triplets are mentioned a fair bit because their relatively common, quints and up because they’re so astoundingly rare. Quads seem to be stuck in a dark valley inbetween. (For some reason, I’ve always wanted to write a book that has quadruplets in it. 🙂 ) ---
**Author:** ![jester21](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ed655f/32.png) [@jester21](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jester21)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/8 "2005-02-06T14:27:53Z")
While the story link makes no mention of it… one way to negate the effects of The Pill, is to be on anti-biotics. I know a girl who got preggers that way… not once, but TWICE :smack: The first time my initial thoughts were: “you shoulda known better”… 2nd time: “Dumb ass” [slight hijack] The girl w/ Quads… she’ pretty cute 😃 [/slight hijack] ---
**Author:** ![Nightingale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecae2f/32.png) [@Nightingale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nightingale)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/9 "2005-02-06T17:27:42Z")
\*looks at newborn son \*looks at hubby \*runs away screaming ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/10 "2005-02-06T18:04:22Z")
> [@jester21](#): > > While the story link makes no mention of it… one way to negate the effects of The Pill, is to be on anti-biotics. I know a girl who got preggers that way… not once, but TWICE :smack: The first time my initial thoughts were: “you shoulda known better”… 2nd time: “Dumb ass” Wow, I had no idea. I’m on BC and I just finished a month of strong antibiotics for a chronic infection. Good thing I also use condoms… But thanks for the info, **jester**. ---
**Author:** ![Girl\_From\_Mars](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3da27b/32.png) [@Girl\_From\_Mars](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Girl_From_Mars)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/11 "2005-02-06T22:18:29Z")
Some pills are also affected by grapefruit - both juice and the fruit (have heard this both from my doctor, and seen it written on the box). Avoid this if you’re on the pill. Also back on topic, you can’t have identical quads - only identical twins. the egg can only divide into 2, so she’s had between 2-4 eggs fertilised here, and max of 2 sets of identical kids from such a pregnancy. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_I\_Am](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@Sam\_I\_Am](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_I_Am)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/12 "2005-02-06T22:28:14Z")
> [@Girl From Mars](#): > > Also back on topic, you can’t have identical quads - only identical twins. the egg can only divide into 2, so she’s had between 2-4 eggs fertilised here, and max of 2 sets of identical kids from such a pregnancy. You can, if both of those eggs divide again. It’s extremely rare, but it does happen. ---
**Author:** ![AwSnappity](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a3d4f5/32.png) [@AwSnappity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AwSnappity)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 10:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/13 "2005-02-06T22:28:15Z")
Bummer on that one, too! I love grapefruit. I’ll give it up in the name of infertility, though. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/14 "2005-02-06T23:02:58Z")
To add to what has been said, I know those boys I mentioned had to be identical. Peas in a pod they were. I also knew a girl who was an identical triplet, while I was in the service. She showed us a picture of herself and her sisters, and we sure couldn’t tell which one she was! 😃 Scary. ---
**Author:** ![chrisk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@chrisk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chrisk)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/15 "2005-02-06T23:30:47Z")
> [@Sam I Am](#): > > You can, if both of those eggs divide again. It’s extremely rare, but it does happen. I’d love to know if there’s ever been a set of quadruplets where two are identical, and the other two are also identical… a set of fraternal twins who each split into identical twins, in effect. Would that be rarer than flat-out identical quads? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [February 6, 2005, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/16 "2005-02-06T23:46:57Z")
I knew some people in high school–two brothers and a sister, fraternal triplets. Apparently there was a backfire with the birth control and multiple eggs were released. Nice people to know, all of them, even though I only ever had classes with one of the guys. ---
**Author:** ![Baker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bb73d2/32.png) [@Baker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baker)\ **Post date:** [February 7, 2005, 12:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/woman-on-b-c-pill-expecting-identical-quads/288544/17 "2005-02-07T00:10:32Z")
I read a story once about the classic “twins seperated at birth” thing. The two guys found each other after attending the same community college, in different years. When other folks started mixing up their names, they looked into it, found each other, and there was a TV story about them. Not long after one of them got a phone call. You guessed it, they weren’t twins after all, they were triplets. I saw a photo of the three brothers and there could be no doubt. The shape of the face, the teeth(big chompers, all of them!), the curl of their hair.