In 2003, when I started to investigate the whole idea of the loss of a twin in pregnancy, I thought that the term "vanishing twin" would do it.
Wikipedia
My problems with Wikipedia illustrate very well how little people know about the loss of a twin which encompasses much, much more than the so- called "vanishing twin" phenomenon, where the sight of two gestational sacs at the first ultrasound scan, only to find just one on the next, makes it look as if one twin has "vanished". (Also take a look at the discussion page for an object lesson in scepticism)
My original article lasted six months before it was subsumed into "vanishing twin." Despite the fact that the term has now been in use for five year or more and has been the subject of three books and four articles, "wombtwin" still takes you to "vanishing twin" which was a staff decision, not mine. [try it] I am not familar with the politics of Wikipedia but I suppose the term "wombtwin" will eventually become accepted as a real term - at the moment it is described as a neologism.
Neologism?
People started to use the term in 2008. "I am a wombtwin," they say - [such as here on the Experience project.] That is not true in fact for the "wombtwin" is the lost twin. The survivor is the "wombtwin survivor. " It is a carefully-chosen term, designed to encompass all the various early twin loss scenarios, including miscarriage, abortion, fetus in fetu, the fetus papyaceous, a twin stillborn or born too soon to live, a neonatal death, a teratoma or a dermoid cyst. That idea has yet to infiltrate.
The latest insight and excellent advice is to split the word into two - womb twin. These are two words that are not neologisms and are fresh and new only in the fact that they are put side by side. A "womb twin survivor" article will be my next attempt to get this term onto Wikipedia - lets see how I do. Ill keep you posted.
Tomorrow we will begin a journey into the true facts behind this idea, and we will begin with events in the mother's pregnancy.
My original article lasted six months before it was subsumed into "vanishing twin." Despite the fact that the term has now been in use for five year or more and has been the subject of three books and four articles, "wombtwin" still takes you to "vanishing twin" which was a staff decision, not mine. [try it] I am not familar with the politics of Wikipedia but I suppose the term "wombtwin" will eventually become accepted as a real term - at the moment it is described as a neologism.
Neologism?
People started to use the term in 2008. "I am a wombtwin," they say - [such as here on the Experience project.] That is not true in fact for the "wombtwin" is the lost twin. The survivor is the "wombtwin survivor. " It is a carefully-chosen term, designed to encompass all the various early twin loss scenarios, including miscarriage, abortion, fetus in fetu, the fetus papyaceous, a twin stillborn or born too soon to live, a neonatal death, a teratoma or a dermoid cyst. That idea has yet to infiltrate.
The latest insight and excellent advice is to split the word into two - womb twin. These are two words that are not neologisms and are fresh and new only in the fact that they are put side by side. A "womb twin survivor" article will be my next attempt to get this term onto Wikipedia - lets see how I do. Ill keep you posted.
Tomorrow we will begin a journey into the true facts behind this idea, and we will begin with events in the mother's pregnancy.
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