Background: have a 4yo son (conceived first try, easy pregnancy)...spent two years trying for number two, and after a round of IVF, got pregnant with number two AND three! My wife is currently 28 weeks with fraternal twins (one of each) and our OB has her listed as high-risk, despite a 100% perfect pregnancy with our son and only fertility troubles before this current pregnancy. As such, we started Non Stress Tests weekly last week. It was scheduled for an hour, but we had a throng of nurses in there the entire time because they couldn't find the heartbeats for more than a few minutes at a time. They said it was because there was still a lot of room in there and that they were moving around. My question, then, is why on earth are they doing them so soon? We have another one scheduled this week that my mother-in-law was going to take my wife to, but given the struggles last week and the frustration my wife felt the entire time, I'm going to go with her. I don't have a ton of vacation time and wanted to save it until the babies came, but if these NSTs are going to be a struggle for the next few weeks, I'm going to make sure that I'm there. FWIW, every ultrasound and test has otherwise been 100% perfect. Both are growing and neither has failed a single test.
My first one was at around 27 weeks and it was only because I wasn't feeling the babies much. I have never had any routinely scheduled ones at all. I've had 2 or 3 this entire pregnancy either for decreased movement or increased HR of one of the babies (and every NST turned out just fine). I'm 36 weeks and this is my 5th pregnancy. All of my pregnancies have been picture perfect, including this one. You will find that so many doctors are different, especially when it comes to multiples pregnancies. I'm thinking that once your wife is further along, it will be easier to keep the babies on the monitors.
I believe mine started around 28 weeks and then they were quite often after that as I went in to preterm labor at 31 weeks and put on bed rest. They are frustrating as it can take quite a while to figure out the two seperate heart rates and keep them on tape for long enough, plus its uncomfortable laying there so long! *hugs* to your wife!! I think a normal multiple pregnancy is considered high risk and things are done a little earlier and a little more often. Hang in there!!
I never had an NST. I had ultrasounds every four weeks from 20-28 weeks, every two weeks from 28-34 weeks, and weekly from 34 weeks until delivery. I never had any issues and never had any NSTs. They also didn't check my cervix until 36 weeks. I think some docs just do more testing as a matter of routine.
I never had them, either. I got ultrasounds very routinely, but never the NST. I bet now that your wife knows what to expect & that it's very normal for them to take awhile with 2 babies she should have a better experience. My docs classified me as high risk as well, although I was lower risk due to the boys being di/di (not sharing a placenta or sac).
I have mine at 28 weeks and at that first appt they found I was having contractions. After that I had 2 NST a weeks until I delivered.
Rachael - Your doctor sounds like mine! I had my initial u/s for dating at 10 weeks which is when we found out it was twins, and then not another one until about 21 weeks and every 4 weeks after that (he never even went to every 1 or 2 weeks). No routine NSTs and he still hasn't checked my cervix and I'm 36w1d today! It's fine by me though; I want this pregnancy to be as normal as possible, which it has so far!
It just fascinates me how different docs can be!! I have never been labeled as high risk, and I'm even having mono/di twins. He has never treated this pregnancy any different than a singleton pregnancy except for the monthly u/s starting at about 21 weeks. He told me in the beginning that this pregnancy was going to be just as boring as my others, and he has been right!
I was considered a high risk pregnancy but my Doctor told me I would be treated as a normal pregnancy, with one or two minor differences, unless I started to show signs of something wrong. Any multiples pregnancy is inherently high risk. My pregnancy went smoothly. I did monthly ultrasounds until around 30 weeks, then twice a month for a month or two, then once a week, then twice a week my last 2 or 3 weeks. I don't think I had my first NST until I was past 30 weeks, but I could be wrong. I do remember them being a pain in the neck because of the babies moving and the heartbeats getting lost. I got pretty good at finding the heartbeats again on my own, though. Each test usually ran about an hour.
We are having mono/di twins. I have ultrasounds and cervix cks every two weeks. Starting at 28 weeks I will have NST twice a week until delivery. My Dr office did warn me that I would be there a lot and sometimes for a long period of time. Example some appts will include an ultrasound, nst and Dr appt. My husband will come when he can but I don't feel bad going by myself. My mom and sister live close by and want to go sometimes too. I will just pack myself snacks and entertainment for the afternoon. It seems like alot but I don't care it took us forever to get here and it is constant reminder that they are doing well. Good luck to your wife.
I had them twice a week from 24 week on BUT only because I went into PTL at 4 weeks, and 4 more times after that. Had my pregnancy been "normal" they would have started at 32 weeks and I would have went once a week. I know at 28 weeks it is hard to get a reading on them, because like you were told, they are still small and have LOTS of room to move around. You will start too see it get easier and easier to pick them up though. I think for me around 32 weeks is when it started to get easier to find them AND keep them on the monitors.
At 35 weeks but that was because baby A had a low fluid level and her growth had slowed. We first noticed that at 28 weeks but at that point I was put on bed rest and I saw a dr twice a week and had ultrasounds twice a week. The NSTs did not start until 35 weeks and that was because Baby A was lethargic as well. They had to wake her with the buzzer at each Ultrasound and NST. Looking back on it I probably should have been very worried but I just went with the flow I guess ignorance is bliss sometimes!! I wonder if your dr is just being very cautious, which really may be a good thing. With our twins everything was all fine and dandy and text book perfect until my 28 week appointment (I was going every 2 weeks at that point) at 28 weeks my baby A had not grown in 2 weeks and had low fluid. I guess ESP with a multiple pregnancy, things can change on a dime. i have 3 older boys and each pregnancy was good, I also did IVF to get my twins and was considered high risk because I was carrying 2 babies, no other reason. A twin pregnancy changes the normal rules. Also, are your twins fraternal or identical?? If they are identical her OB may be keeping a closer eye on them?
Never had them. I see my specialist and have a sono every time...was once a month...now every two weeks...
