27 Week Check up

Today was my 27 week check up, cervix is fully closed, still lots of fluid, and still both boys.. But a slight difference in weights today, one is 2 pounds and one is 2.6 pounds.. doctor says we will just watch their weights closely.. Next check up in 3 weeks..

Any thoughts in weight differences? And if it is going to be something, aren't I getting far enough along to deliver if need be?

 

I don't know much about the weight differences, but viability is usually considered around 24wks. From what my doctors have told me and what I've read, the major risks go down a lot at 28wks. But of course, it's best to keep the babies in as long as possible as long as they are healthy. If there starts to be questions with weight and weight gain, sometimes it's better for them to be born. I'm just over 26wks and my next 'goal' is 28. (I have cervical issues.)

If you are at risk for delivering early, I would highly suggest getting the steroid shots.

Hope this helps some!

 

I delivered (c-section) around 36 weeks (just under 37) due to discordant weight. It began around week 28 or so. Your doctor should be requesting/performing ultrasounds to check their weights about every 2-3 weeks or so. Mine wasn't TTTR but IUGR. Had separate sacs and placentas but twin B started lagging behind A. By 36 weeks, it was found that she had not gained any weight in 2 weeks so my c-section was bumped by almost a week. At that point, it was just better for her to be outside the womb. And my twins are fine and healthy (they are one-month old today; today is my actual due date). One (born 6 lbs. 12 oz.) spent a few days in special care and was discharged with me 4 days after birth. The other (born 5 lbs. 3 oz.) was fine but had trouble keeping food down (acid reflux) and was kept for 2 weeks in special care.

27 weeks is still early and I think it's probably still the case that they are better off in utero for now. It's their lungs that need developing at this point. If the gap becomes bigger or one twin stops growing, then it's time to deliver.

Just do what you've been doing and don't worry. It will be fine. Hang in there!

 

There was always a 1 to 1.5lb difference in my two while I was pregnant. My OB wasn't concerned (I was getting u/s at every single appt) as they were fraternal and Baby B was gaining at every appt as she was the smaller of the two.

At birth (I had them at 38w3d) there ended up actually being a 2.5lb difference. Baby A at 7.10lbs and Baby B at 5.3lbs. Both healthy and no NICU. They roomed in with me and we all left the hospital 3 days later.

As long as they are both gaining weight and no other complications it really should be fine.

 

I went in last week at 26.3 weeks and my babies were measuring 2.2 lbs and 2.5 lbs. My peri said they were "being nice" to each other and there was only an 8% difference in size. He said they only start to become concerned at all at a 20% difference.

 

Both of my babies measured about the same the whole pregnancy and then were born at 7lbs and 5 lbs 11 oz...

 

I don't think that the weight is a significant enough difference to be concerned about, mine are 3 lbs. 12 oz and 4 lbs. 6 oz. My doctor was very pleased with their weight and progress. I wouldn't be overly concerned unless the doctor has said you should be. He/She may just be cautious and want to make sure that the weights don't become significantly different.

 

There was always a difference between the girls.

The other thing I wanted to mention is that the closer you get to being "done" and they are telling you the weights, take it with a grain of salt. At my last u/s the tech said the girls were about 5.4 and 5.9 and when they were born, they were 4.8 and 4.11 - don't know if I had the "new guy" when I had that last one done or what...

Anyhow, just hang in there I'm sure the little guys are just fine!

Alexis

 

I think that it is still a small enough difference that it is not a concern yet. Your doc will probably just keep an eye on it through u/s to ensure that the difference doesn't increase. Sounds like they are doing well !

 

I think the weight difference is small enough that it is probably nothing to worry about and it sounds like they are keeping an eye on it. As far as delivering if something were to happen, hey you seem far along to me since I delivered before you, but obviously you would want to deliver later than earlier. But please keep in mind that there is so much technology out there and drs. can do amazing things with these little ones born today.

 

I just had my appointment (32 weeks) and I have a pretty big weight difference--about 1.5 lbs. THey are fraternal twins so the doc says that they are genetically different and may just be different weights. They are MORE interested if the little one keeps gaining weight NOT if he catches up to his sister. If he stops gaining or if he loses weight, they'd be worried. Otherwise, it sounds like it is just something they watch. I've seen BOTH an OB and a perinatologist and they are both not worried..so it's just me who occasionally gets worried. But this website has made me feel better. Seems like there are SO many people in the same boat!

 

My fraternal twins have been >20% discordant since about 20 weeks. B has always been bigger than A, but it's gotten worse as time goes on. Last time they were measured, A was in the 30th percentile and B in the 90th.

I was sent to the peri who is now my primary doctor for the remainder of my pg. We went through genetic counseling and u/s and they determined that it is most likely just genetics and nothing more serious between the boys. One of the reasons there is little concern is because Baby A is on target -- Baby B is two weeks ahead in growth. They said if Baby A were smaller than dates, or started to go down in percentile, it would be more of a concern.

We have growth u/s every 4 weeks now to make sure they are both doing OK.

 

I just had my growth ultrasound today. They were concerned about my lil girl at the last ultrasound because she went from the 50th percentile to the 25th percentile in weight. They didn't compare her to her brother too much other than that she wasn't growing hardly at all. Now they are closer in size almost the same weight. 2lbs 10oz and 2lbs 14oz but she still is a bit off for where she should be. They will let you know when it's time to get serious. One day I was working 12 hours a day at work and exersizing and bumbling along in my pregnancy. The next day I get a call and they say quit your job, stay in bed and eat more food. I did just that and they are both growing beautifully now. I guess I just can't be supermom anymore. I wouldn't worry. Prior to that my doctor had no worries and let me go gung ho and stay active. I had IUGR with my first born too. And he was a nice fat healthy 8lb 2 oz little ball of chub.

 

Are they ID or Fraternal?

If they are ID and share a placenta, you should be monitored for TTTS. I highly recommend going to the TTTS.ORG website. It could be IUGR, and TTTS is rare, but if they are more than 20% different from each other, that could be a very strong sign and you'd want to get it taken care of ASAP instead of waiting until they are born.

If they are fraternal, has their placenta's fused? This could also lead to TTTS because they could end up sharing connections when it becomes fused. But being fraternal they could also just be that different from each other, they are individual eggs/sperm ya know.

But it could also be a simple fact of the other baby just about to go into a growth spurt, which happens as well.

But TTTS is very serious and I would get that ruled out...

I'm pregnant with ID twin girls (they share a placenta) and will be monitored for TTTS 2x's a week until 24 weeks and then once a month, but TTTS can happen very quickly and the severity can increase exponentially within a week. So I'm trying not to freak out about that myself, but it's always a possibility. They say it's rare, but rare things happen to US as well as others. You don't want to go on thinking that it's so rare it couldn't possibly happen to you, and then it does. ya know?

HTH

 

i totally agree with bernice.

If they are id and sharing a placenta you need to be monitored every two weeks.
Mine are, and I've had to fight with my dr to get the risk of ttts taken seriously and get us every two weeks instread of 6 and 4. I recommend a visit to the ttts website, i read some of the boards for during pregnancy and thats where i found the courage to advocate for my babies after reading some of the stories there. It is rare, 15% infact, but that 15% chance happens to someone!

Play it safe and make sure your dr is doing the right thing.

If this is already in place, keep doing what you are doing, knowing that you are being monitord well.
Good luck