The calculator above is not exactly a “Conception Calculator for Two Possible Fathers”, it’s rather a calculator that guides you in determining who the possible father of your baby is. Before talking about a Conception Calculator for two possible fathers, we need to ask the question – is it possible for a child to have 2 fathers? We’ll answer this question and more below. Kindly read on.
We understand that you’re here because you’re looking to know the possibility of a child having two fathers. It is frustrating to live with fear and agony. The fear that your child will never know who his/her father is, really.
The paternity of a child is of utmost importance to such a child. A child’s paternity serves as the bedrock of their identity and self-acceptance. Even research has shown that children who grow up without knowing their fathers are more likely to engage in juvenile delinquency than other children who have their fathers around.
A child’s father gives the child direction and functions as a compass for the child’s existence on Earth. This is evident in the fact that many children have their fathers as their role models.
We feel you and we’re here to give you all the answers you need as regards this issue. This blog post will bring answers to all your long-standing questions.
To check if you’re the father of a baby, try out the ‘Am I the Father Calculator’ here.
How Does Fertilization Occur?
Fertilization and pregnancy don’t just take place. There are processes that ensue and factors that affect fertilization in a woman.
When you have sexual intercourse with a man during your fertile window, the sperm that the man releases, fuses with the ovum from the woman, and fertilization occurs.
Fertilization, sometimes, doesn’t happen during sexual intercourse. It happens days later, sometimes, even five days later. This is because sperm can survive that long in the cervix.
So even if ovulation occurs five days later after sexual intercourse, there’s a probability that the egg can be fertilized and you can fall pregnant. Tricky, isn’t it?
Once fertilization takes place, implantation follows suit where the fertilized zygote attaches itself to the wall of the uterus. The body produces human Chorionic Gonadotropin, a hormone that causes the body to get set for pregnancy.
When the egg has been fertilized and travels down the uterus, growth begins, and only then can we say that fertilization is successful.
Obviously, one sperm fertilizes an egg and none other. This makes it impossible for a child to have two fathers.
How Are Twins Formed?
The formation of twins is quite similar to the formation of a single child, however, there are marked differences. Twins can be identical or non-identical. A pair of twins being identical or not depends on how they’re formed in the womb.
1. Non-Identical or Fraternal Twins
Usually, the ovaries release one ovum which fuses with the sperm and causes fertilization to occur. With fraternal twins, the ovaries release two ova that equally fuse with two sperm and fertilization occurs resulting in two babies.
During pregnancy, the babies have their placenta and umbilical cord distinct from each other. Hence, they receive food and oxygen individually from their mother.
When this sort of fertilization occurs, the two babies are often dissimilar and share few similarities. They are referred to as dizygotic twins given the fact that two zygotes are involved.
Identical Twins
In the case of identical twins, a fertilized egg splits to produce two eggs with the same genetic makeup. They’re always of the same sex and share their placenta and umbilical cord in some cases.
While identical twins come from the same ovary, they don’t share the same structures always. Depending on the stage where the egg splits, they might share the same feeding structures or have different ones.
Superfetation
In recent times, research has suggested that a woman can get pregnant while pregnant with another child. Surprised? You should be.
It sounds technically impossible for a woman to be pregnant with another child while she is already pregnant, however, it is possible.
When a woman gets pregnant, ovulation ceases and the uterine wall becomes thickened such that no sperm cell can get through.
If ovulation occurs shortly after she’s already pregnant and she has sexual intercourse, it is possible that she might get pregnant again.
Medical science has been unable to explain such happenings and it’s more shocking that there are women who have experienced this.
Jessica Allen, a Californian surrogate mom in 2016 delivered two children who were thought to be twins. When further investigations were carried out, scientists were puzzled. They discovered that one of the “twins” belonged to her and the other belonged to the Chinese family.
Superfetation, as mysterious as it sounds, cannot cause a child to have two fathers. A child can only have one father because one sperm fertilizes the egg at a time and pregnancy occurs.
This means that only the man whose sperm results in pregnancy is the father of the child.
Superfecundation
Let’s complicate things a bit more. Just like in the case of twins, a woman can produce two ova in a space of two or five days and if she has sex with two different men, she can get pregnant from both men.
This means that the two different ova will be fertilized by sperm cells from two different men. These are simply non-identical twins with two different fathers.
The eggs are released, fertilized, and implanted at once BUT from intercourse with two different men.
Superfecundation is rare, though some studies show that it has occurred in 2 percent of the twin cases recorded.
Even in the case of superfecundation, it is not possible for a child to have two fathers. It involves the sperm of different men with two different ova and as such cannot result in a child having two fathers.
Artificial Insemination
This is a case where semen is artificially introduced into the cervix or uterus of a woman to aid conception.
Artificial Insemination is employed by couples who are looking to conceive and need medical help to aid their conception.
Even if the sperm of two different men are introduced into a woman, the sperm cell of one man is only that which can result in pregnancy.
You might think that the seminal fluid is liquid and as such can mix and cause a child to have two fathers.
That sounds logical but is impossible. The sperm cell is contained in the seminal fluid and the sperm cell from only one man results in pregnancy.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. In the case of gang rape, can a child have two fathers?
In the case of gang rape, the seminal fluid from the men involved would spill, however, it is the sperm cell from one man that can result in pregnancy, regardless of how many men are involved.
2. Can another ovum be fertilized after one has been fertilized?
Yes, this can happen in the case of superfetation, however, the chances of this happening are extremely slim.
Even when it occurs it is always one sperm fusing with one ovum and nothing else. While superfetation is possible, it is impossible for a child to have two fathers.
3. If the sperm cells of two different men are inserted into a lady, can it result in a child with two fathers?
The seminal fluid is the physical liquid we can see, however, contained in the seminal fluid is the sperm cell. Even if the sperm cells of two men are inserted into a woman, she can only get pregnant through the sperm cell of one man. Nothing else can play out.
Ditch Your Doubts
Medical science has proved over and over again that it is impossible for a child to have two fathers. Right from the foundation, a child is from one ovum that fuses with one sperm cell from one man and nothing else.
Imagine if it was possible for a child to have two fathers, there would have been complicated issues in several places and with several people.
Thank goodness it’s impossible.
While it might be challenging for you, all you need is to engage in a detailed search, look through your fertile window, your conception date, and the men you had sex with during that period. You’re sure to find a clue as to who the father of your child is.