9w5d and twins measuring 1 week apart

hey ladies,
i've known i've had twins for a month or longer now, but today was my first ob/peri appt. let me preface this by saying that at 5w6d, only 1 baby had a heartbeat, and my RE basically told me that i'd only have 1 baby. luckily i work in an ob/gyn ER and can get a sono whenever i want, and had an unofficial scan at 6w6d which showed 2 heartbeats. at my sono today, i am 9w5d and twin A measures 9w3d, and twin B measures 10w3d. both have heartbeats and are moving around. after multiple attempts to 'stretch out' baby A, the sono tech went and got one of the peri's (not mine) and she comes in and proceeds to tell me repeatedly that twin A will probably DIE. i know this is always a possibility, but she keeps saying DIE over and over again, like 5 times in a 30 second conversation. i guess she wants to make sure i understand the possibilities. i am not going into freakout mode... i will just wait and see and pray for the best. i'm actually not all THAT worried right now... but i guess i will be when i start getting responses here... lol.

i'd just like to hear stories of all kinds from women who have had twins measure 1 week apart this early on. thanks in advance!

amy

 

Amy,

:love0028: Baby A only measures 2 days behind your O date. Baby B is just an overachiever. Try not to worry. I think the peri was overly doom and gloom.

 

thanks Beth,
you're thinking the same way i am.
how are you? are you still in the hospital?
amy

 

One of my girls was always a few days (from 2 days to a week +) off from her twin. They were IVF so we knew the exact day of conception...it was a matter of different babies growing at different rates!! Also both my girls have big heads and that always threw the 'dating' for U/S off....One of my girls is STILL smaller than the other.

I think the PERI is being overly cautious rather than optimistic........that way you can be pleasantly surprised when it is twins. Mine warned me of IUGR and other things that *may* have occured (none of which happend in our case). We had preemies- but now they are healthy 2 year olds!!

Keep us updated!

KC

 

QUOTE(foppa2102 @ Dec 13 2007, 06:58 PM) [snapback]533264[/snapback]
thanks Beth,
you're thinking the same way i am.
how are you? are you still in the hospital?
amy


I'm o.k. I'm still in the hospital. Sorry. I tried to respond to you PM, but it didn't go through because of issues with hospital internet. I posted an update earlier.

 

i know the exact date of conception and my twins have always been 4-5 days different. It can depend on when the 2nd was concieved and just that one twin will always be ahead of the other. my boys are always different in days and when they measure them one is always alittle bigger weighing a couple oz more than the other. i wouldnt worry if you saw 2 heartbeats thats good. and babies dont always want to stretch out. twin a was in a ball last u/s i had and it had me worried but the next day i could tell he was higher more closer to my ribs. take it easy and just wait for your next u/s i think you will be fine.!!

how mean of the peri to keep saying that :angry: maybe they didnt teach him/her many ppl skills ;-) haha

 

QUOTE(Beth*J @ Dec 13 2007, 07:41 PM) [snapback]533233[/snapback]
Amy,

:love0028: Baby A only measures 2 days behind your O date. Baby B is just an overachiever. Try not to worry. I think the peri was overly doom and gloom.


My first thought was exactly that. We were told at 6 weeks "not to grieve" but that we had what appeared to have "been a twin pregnancy" but the second sac was much smaller and no visible heartbeat. So we didn't grieve...had never even contemplated the idea of twins, really. 8 weeks? SURPRISE!

I absolutely understand the doc's wanting to protect you, it's understandable...and obviously, anything can happen. With only 2 days off of your actual week count, and healthy heartbeats, I think maybe the language used by the doc was a smidgen strong.

Wishing you and those babies all the very best -- rooting for all three of you!

 

my ID twin girls are 4 days apart in measurements.
but with fraternal twins, they can definitely be that far apart. It's just a matter of when you released that lucky second egg of yours. But just seeing those heartbeats gives you hope to get beyond the weeks where VTS is a possibility.... I heard that once you see those heartbeats, VTS is a thing of the past.

I don't know how I would have felt had I learned I was carrying two that early. I feel like those who learn that early are so lucky because they can start to do everything possible to make sure they are healthy and grow good and big. I didn't know until I was almost 17 weeks. And even then at 18 weeks, the imaging place that gave me my level 2 u/s found 3things that made my Ob act like my babies weren't going to survive. I quickly dismissed him and got into touch with a highly qualified perinatologist/OB in a very good hospital (UCSF)... I had another level 2 with him at almost 20 weeks which quickly ruled everything out. Then I made plans to find an OB that I could work with. It's been hard, and she's been stubborn, but lately it's been working out just great. I hope things work out better for you and don't stress too much (yeah right....).

 

Neither twin is that small, one is only 2 days smaller than your gestational date. The other is just big. It sounds like they both have strong heartbeats. I am not sure about the stretching out situation but, I don't think my Baby B was stretched out and they didn't seem concerned. I don't remember if B stretched out during the u/s or not. They told me that both measured between 11-12 weeks and I was about 12 weeks. I hope that you find peace and maybe a new doc if they are going to be so alarmist. Good luck. :hug99:

 

I was like you in the beginning, 8 weeks. Although my babies measured almost the same, one had a significantly B had a significantly lower heart rate than A did and my OB said there was always a chance that B would not make it. I talked to her a little more and did my own research. I figured out that onc eyou reach 12 weeks the likelyhood of loosing one drops by soemthing like 75% as in a singleton pregnancy. At my 12 week appointment, Baby B was actually slightly bigger and the both continued to have great high heartbeats!!! Now I am almost 19 weeks and we get to find out the sexes next Wednesday...........what a great Christmas present. Hang in there, I am sure that the sizes with catch up to each other soon.

 

Why would she say that Twin A would probably die, if it's measuring right on target and has a heartbeat? I am mystified. Unless the heartbeat was way too slow? Do you know what the actual rates were? Or does she maybe think you're farther along than you are?

Anyway, the difference in size itself is not something to worry about, certainly not at this point. It's hard to measure something that small. My twins always differed in size (though the same one usually measured bigger), sometimes by up to a week, and the OB always said not to worry as long as they both kept growing at about the right rate.

 

My girls consistently measured 5 days apart throughout the whole pregnancy. Dr was not at all concerned as long as the difference did not get bigger and they were each progressing with that one week difference steadily. So she would compare each baby to itself and if it was growing she was pleased. She would not compare them with each other. It's possible they were conceived or implanted on different days which would explain their difference. It was funny because on my chart she would not I was for example 20/21 weeks pregnant!
Sorry the dr is being so incensitive. there are better ways to tell you that there might be a concern.
Hope everything works out well for you and your babies. Try not to stress too much- if you are hearing heartbeats for both thats such a great sign.

 

QUOTE(Minette @ Dec 14 2007, 12:06 PM) [snapback]534157[/snapback]
Why would she say that Twin A would probably die, if it's measuring right on target and has a heartbeat? I am mystified. Unless the heartbeat was way too slow? Do you know what the actual rates were? Or does she maybe think you're farther along than you are?

Anyway, the difference in size itself is not something to worry about, certainly not at this point. It's hard to measure something that small. My twins always differed in size (though the same one usually measured bigger), sometimes by up to a week, and the OB always said not to worry as long as they both kept growing at about the right rate.



both babies' heartbeats were at 166. and i cant be father along than i am since i conceived with IUI. i think there always has to be on doc in a practice who has to play 'bad cop'... i certainly had that with my first pregnancy, where my son actually did die at 30 weeks. maybe that plays a part in her wanting to prepare me for any possibilities, when unfortunately i'm fully aware of the possibilities and fearing them all the time. i'm just glad she's not my doc, and my doc is awesome- i used to work with her when i worked L&D.

anyway i'm doing well and not stressing out. i just cant wait to prove her wrong!

amy