23w4d Appointment

I had an u/s and appointment today and feel so scared and worried now. The boys are still measuring differently, and now it's more than a 20% difference, so I am being sent 2 hours away to the closest peri. Baby A is 1 lb 4 oz (30th percentile) and Baby B is 1 lb 10 oz (90th percentile).

I've tried so hard to do the stupid 24 pounds by 24 weeks thing and because I've been so sick (hyperemesis), I've only gained 15. I tried to assure myself it didn't matter, but my OB was asking about my eating and telling me to try to eat more (I was very small to begin with, only 106 pounds). He said that while it may just be genetics causing their size difference, if I eat more, perhaps Baby A will get more and get bigger. I just feel like complete crap and like I'm endangering my babies by not eating well or not eating enough. But I'm not hungry! If I eat more than a little, I get sick and then I have to do an IV.

Also, Baby B has some spot on his heart that is one of the markers for Down's Syndrome. He doesn't have any other Downs markers, so I am trying to stay positive that he's just fine, but it's just one more thing to worry about right now.

I am waiting to hear back from the peri to see when they have an appointment for me. I feel like it can't be soon enough but at the same time, I don't want it to come at all. I don't want to need it.

This pg has been so hard and I finally thought I was doing pretty well. Now I keep thinking of the stupid part in the When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets or Quads book where she tells some anecdote of a women who lost her twins at 24 weeks but that woman had "only gained 15 pounds" -- like she caused it or something. Like I am causing something bad because I can't eat.

Thanks for letting me get this off my chest today.

 

Hey, I am sure you are doing great! No pregnancy is easy or the same! I am 23 weeks too, and always worried about EVERYTHING.. my cousin lost one of her twins at 5 months and that is hanging over my head all the time! I don't think I will quit worrying until they are both safe, healthy and in my arms..

Keep your chin up, stressing can't help.. HUGS!

 

Try your best to stay positive. I think it is a very scary thing to be pg with twins and I won't stop worrying either until they are here. You are better off going to the peri dr b/c they are specialists for a reason and will be able to help more than your ob. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

:hug99: I had only gained 10lbs by 24 weeks, but I am average weight for my height. Have you tried the Boost High Protein drinks? I was drinking 3 a day, when I was having appetite problems.

 

I don't know if I would worry about the weight thing. The doctor never said anything to me about my weight and I had only gained one pound by that time.

 

At 24 week i had only gained like 10 lbs. No one ever said anything to me about gaining 24 lbs by 24 weeks. I hope that everything will be okay with your babies!! :hug99:

 

to reassure you: my twins are in the 50th and 10th percentile respectively and the little one is still hanging in there at 30 weeks and passing all her bio physical tests with perfect scores. at 18 weeks, both my twins had markers on their hearts and one twin also had one on her bowel and i got an amnio and they both came back normal. the marker on the heart is the softest of the softest markers for down syndrome (meaning least conclusive). as far as eating, i don't know what to say except that i eat all the time and my lttle twin is still small. the babies take what they need from you and you get what's left. in my case, the slow growth is a placental issue w. the little twin so no matter how much i eat, it probably won't help her grow. also, i have heard of twins evening out as time progresses and 20% is not that big a discrepency. hang in there!

 

I only gained 31 lbs my whole twin pg... and I'm not a big person.... my twins were born a healthy 5lbs 15 oz and 5lbs 11oz at 37wks 5 days..

Can they tell if the babies have seperate placentas?... I suppose the only way to really tell if they are frats is by amnio...but if they are frats I see no reason why it wouldn't be reasonable to have them at different sizes. hopefully the peri will reassure you ...hopefully your babies will match more closely at your next appt. try not to worry too much...eat healthy....eat as much protein as you can handle...and in the forms you like..whether it's peanuts or meat or eggs or dairy... eating little meals all day long is a great way to keep off the nausea and put on the pounds...and it helps for heartburn issues too.. makes sure that if you are drinking milk it's whole milk...right now you might as well get the fat in where you can... butter on your bread adds some calories too!

 

So sorry you are having to stress about all of this.
I also had hyperemesis and it was absolutely horrible, I gained a total of 7 pounds and delivered ay 38 weeks. (babies were 5-3 and 5-13). What I was able to eat had nearly no nutritional value & I worried every day. My babies are fine & getting chubby now!
Just do the best you can and know the babies are incredibly resilient. Try to ignore the people who tell you to eat more & just do what will work for you. Hopefully the heart marker is nothing & won't even be seen on the next US.
Hang in there.

 

Sommer-I'm so sorry you are worried right now. I wanted to let you know my cousin had a baby and he is now 18 months old. He had 3 markers for Downs, one was on his heart, and they told her to prepare himself for Downs Syndrome, well he was born perfect, no Downs Syndrome at all. So don't let that worry you right now, I know easier said than done.

You are doing your best, that is all you can do. :hug99:

 

Thank you for the reassurance and positive thoughts. After being so scared for most of the pg with bleeding and spotting and hyperemesis, I had just gottne to a point where i was feeling kind of good and feeling like we'd go all the way with these boys, and now I'm just back to fears of emergency c-sections, problems, NICU, etc. I am trying to just hang in there until I get the appointment with the peri.

 

Hi Sommer,
I post at another board where you post as Luckylily. I have followed your pregnancy closely since you are just over a month ahead of me! I just wanted to send you some positive thoughts--I know how rough this pregnancy has been for you--hang in there, I really believe you and your boys are going to be just fine.

I second the recommendation on the Boost High Protein drinks. (They taste kind of gross before you get used to them, but they are loaded with good calories). I'm still down 5 lbs from my pre-pregnancy weight, and I've been drinking those to help gain weight and finally started gaining in the past couple of weeks. I too have a hard time eating enough. I just don't have much of an appetite. I know I won't be anywhere near the 24 lbs. by 24 weeks mark--I'm hoping just to be close to pre-pg weight!

I hope the peri gets to see you soon and hopefully allay some of your fears. I'll be thinking of you!
-Aimee

 

You're doing great. At 27 weeks I've only put on 17lbs. and my doctor said they're doing well. At 26 weeks my twins were 1lb. 14oz. 56 percentile and 1lb. 11oz 42 percentile according to them. I'm sure you're just fine and eating well .

 

Hang in there...stay positive!!! Sending big (((HUGS))) your way :hug99:

 

I got the call from the peri's office today and it looks like we go in on September 11th. We have an appointment with the genetics councselor first, then an ultrasound, then a doctor's appointment to review the findings. I wish I could have gotten in sooner, but this was the fastest they could get me in. I'm anxious to hear what they have to say...

Everyone keeps telling me of twins they know who were different weights at birth to try to reassure me, and I realize they can be different sizes "just because", but I also know my OB wouldn't ship me 2 hours away for a second opinion if he wasn't concerned...

 

At 24 weeks my girls were 3 weeks different in size. It was caused by a 2 vessel cord.

 

I'm so sorry that you're so worried right now. I've always heard/read that the babies take all of the nutrients/calories that they need first and you get what is left. I know it worries you to get referred to the Peri, but your doctor is probably just doing it as a precaution.

As for Baby B's heart, I believe you're referring to a EIF (Echogenic Intracardiac Focus). They found one on our Baby A's heart at the 20 week scan and I was pretty worried for about a day. Since then, I've talked to many people as well as a genetic counselor who have all reassured me that it usually means absolutely nothing. In fact, even after they found our baby's EIF, I was told that the chances of her having DS are only 1/1200. Sometimes the EIFs actually disappear during pregnancy as well. Here's a link that really helped me when I was so worried ... all of these babies were found to have a EIF and all turned out perfectly healthy.

http://boards.babycenter.com/n/pfx/forum.a...669&tid=790

Please keep us posted on your progress and hope you feel better soon.