Brand new here, and scared to death

Hello, everyone.

My name is Michelle and I just found out on Fathers Day that I'm pregnant. My HCG numbers have been much higher than they were with my other kids at the same gestation and I've just had a wierd feeling that I might have more than one in there.

I just had an ultrasound on Monday, at 5 weeks and 4 days, and the doctor saw one gestational sac with 2 yolk sacs inside. I was thrilled to have my suspicion confirmed, but he said not to get excited because this type of twins can be dangerous. He gave me a printout of the ultrasound with arrows pointing to each yolk sac and asked me to come back in one week for another ultrasound.

I ended up going back there yesterday though, because I was having some very sharp stabby pains around my groin area and saw a tiny spot of brownish blood when I wiped. I was 6 days exactly yesterday. He did another ultrasound and says that he found a heartbeat next to one but not the other. I'm confused though, because he didn't measure the 'baby', just the yolk sac. He said the baby wasn't visible yet but had a heart rate of 145 bpm. How can he see a heartbeat without being able to see and measure the embryo? I'm confused...
I asked him if one might be a day or 2 behind the other and is there a possiblilty that we could see a 2nd heartbeat later on. After all, it had only been 2 and a half days since the last ultrasound that only showed the 2 tiny yolk sacs. He said that he didn't think so. I have another appointment on Monday and then he said he's going to refer me to a specialist. He did some HCG blood tests on Monday and yesterday and said they looked really good. (Monday's was 15,000 and yesterday's was 29,630)

I am very scared though, and very confused. Is it actually possible for one twin to show a heartbeat a couple days later than the other, or is he right? And how could he have seen the heartbeat but not the baby? Has anyone been through this before and it turned out okay?

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

~Michelle

 

Yes, I've been through the same thing. They saw one of the babies heartbeats a few days before the other.

I gave birth to monoamniotic twins in March. I will tell you that sometimes the membrane is so thin that a mono diagnosis can be wrong and because you are early in your pregnancy I would try not to worry (if possible) about the mono thing until it is confirmed. And even if this is a monoamniotic twin pregnancy you will get alot of support and advice from the few of us here. I can give you a ton of info, if you would like, to help ease your nerves if this is indeed monoamniotic for you. I hope I don't sound like I'm coming across like a know it all about this subject but I just remember my very first post on this site was the day I was diagnosed as mono and there were crickets chirping in the background. I did get replies from orther momo moms after a few days and was glad for their support and advice. I would just like to return the favor for someone else. I'll stop going on and on now.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, it's very exciting.

And please keep me posted.

 

I don't have experience or advice in this area- just sending lots of good thoughts your way :hug99:

 

Michelle, I wish I had some advice but all I have is lots of :hug99: I hope everything turns out okay and that you keep us posted. :love0028:

 

My ID twins were di/di but at the 6 week u/s you couldn't see a baby in the one sac just the yolk and the second sac was apparently empty or had a non viable baby.

At 10 weeks 2 babies two heartbeats. They will be 11 months old tomorrow!

Good luck with everything! It is still very early so your next u/s could show the two heartbeats!

Erica

 

I have a similar experience, we saw 2 yolk sacs in one gestational sac. Both heartbeats were detected a week or so later at 6w3d. The thin membrane that separates them (which makes them mono/di twins) was not detected until 9w1d despite very high tech equipment. I think it's too early to be sure you're carrying mono/mono twins. And just because you have identical twins, it doesn't mean they develop exactly the same. Every baby develops at their own rate.

When is your next u/s? Congratulations!!

 

i had mo/di twins, and we didn't see a membrane between them until 16 weeks! if you have two yolk sacs, there's a good chance they have their own amniotic sacs, even if they share a chorionic sac (therefore are mo/di). have them keep looking for a membrane! i hope you see both strong hb very soon!

jenny

 

Hi Michelle, welcome to Twinstuff! :wavey: I am glad Lisa (Irishlisa) posted because I thought of her when I saw your post. I hope everything turns out okay. :hug99:

 

Hi there, I'm another mono mum.

With two yolk sac's you have an extremely good chance of being misdiagnosed. The membrane just can be so thin it's very very difficult to see. Around 10-12 weeks is a good time to have a very good look for it. www.monoamniotic.org is a great resource and support.

Good luck and feel free to PM me if you have any questions

 

Wow, thanks so much for all the answers! It makes me feel a bit less anxious about it since I know it's happened to others. I'm really excited and scared at the same time, but it helps to be able to talk to people who have been there. My next ultrasound will be on Monday, and I'm PRAYING for a 2nd heartbeat by then. The doctor also told me when he called be about the blood test results, that he's going to send me to a specialist. That eases my mind a bit. I just really hope everything goes okay with my twins. I hate to sound selfish and say I'd be heartbroken to not have two, after knowing about them, but I just can't help it. I know I should be happy if I even get just one health baby out of it, but I SO want both of them to make it. Anyone else feel that way?

Thanks so much for the warm responses, I really appreciate it. I'm going to enjoy being here.

 

Hi there! Welcome, it looks like you already got some great answers. Just wanted to add that its pretty common to spot a bit during the first trimester with a twin pregnancy. I spotted and cramped on and off for at least a couple of weeks and asked about it here and found out a lot of women went through the same thing. As long as its not bright red, your good and it seems as if your doctor will be watching you very close which is great!
Well good luck and keep us posted!
Glad you found out about your double pregnancy so early, I didn't find out until I was about 11 weeks or so.

 

If there are TWO yolk sacs there is a VERY VERY good chance you will have a membrane separating those babies. It is only the doc's who do not know anything (like my own) who start panicking you THAT EARLY!!!!!!!!!!!!! A membrane cannot be seen yet.

Look for the membrane around 12 or 13 weeks.. I think you'll find it. I wouldn't worry yet. Most will have a membrane- mine wasn't visible until 11 weeks and it took 30 minutes to find it! There were more times than not that the membrane could not be seen, even in my level 2's throughout entire pregnancy!!

Good luck!! Hold on tight! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1

 

Our membrane is so thin as well our doctor has taken so many pics of it over the pregnancy just as proof that it is there. I had to go into labor and delivery a few times to be evaluated for unrelated things and the first thing the doctor on that night would say is "do you know that your babies are in the same sack?" It is still difficult to see to this day but I can often point it out myslef now that I know what to look for. I have heard that misdiagnosis happens often for this reason. Good luck and try to update us after your appt. :hug99:

 

My girls are di/di and they had a very thin membrane that was hard to see - it was much later when it could be seen well.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!! and :sign0016: to the TS family!!!!!

 

Thanks so much for all the encouragement, ladies. It seems like Monday is never going to get here, and the longer I wait the more anxious I become. I'm just PRAYING that we see a 2nd heartbeat. My husband and family have been very supportive and encouraging and keep telling me that we will. I'm just one of those worry-warts, I constantly fret until I know everything is alright.

When he decides to send me to a specialist, what kind of doctor should I look for? A perinatal or a maternal-fetal-medicine one? Or are they the same thing? I tried to look it up but I came up nil. It can be so confusing.. LOL Also, if it turns out to only be one that is going to make it, should I still go to the specialist or just continue with a regular O.B? Sorry for all the crazy questions.

 

Hi Michelle! Good Luck with your U/S on Monday, I hope there are 2 little beating hearts! If he sends you to a specialist, it will most likely be a perinatologist, which is an OB specialist. Some OB's don't feel comfortable tacking twin pregnancy, so they refer you to someone else. Im sure your Dr will let you know what you need to know after you see him tomorrow. I have my fingers crossed for you! Keep us posted!

 

Well, I'm sad to report that Baby B didn't make it. There was practically nothing left; it had already been pretty much absorbed or whatever the body does in that kind of situation.

The good news is that Baby A looks great and is right on schedule. I have another ultrasound in 2 weeks to check on it's progress. Looks like I won't be needing any more info for twins though. Bittersweet....

 

Michelle, I am so sorry to hear this. :hug99: :hug99: I will be keeping you in my thoughts. I'm glad to hear that baby A is doing good.

 

Michelle, I am so sorry. I just wanted to send some :hug99: your way. I am so glad to hear that Baby A is doing well. Take Care!

 

I'm so sorry for the loss, Michelle :hug99: . I'm really glad to hear that Baby A is thriving!

 

Michelle, I am sorry for your loss. :hug99:

 

Michelle, sorry for the loss of Baby B. I'm so happy to hear that Baby A is doing well.

I wanted to let you know that we have a sub-forum called Pregnancy After Loss (PAL) that you might want to check out. All of the ladies who visit the forum have had a loss and gone on to a successful pregnancy. If you feel you need our support, please visit PAL; we're here to walk with you! :hug99:

 

I am so sorry to hear of your loss of baby b :hug99: you are in my thoughts.
Very happy to hear that baby a is thriving & growing ~

 

I'm so sorry!

 

We were told at 6w4d that we originally had twins but that we had already lost one. We mourned the loss of one while celebrating the life of the other. Two weeks later I asked them to look for the lost twin to see if he had been reabsorbed... lo and behold, there was a second heartbeat.

I don't mean to give you false hope. I don't know what I mean, but I'm so sorry for what you're going through right now.


May you experience miracles in your life and in this pregnancy. :hug99:

 

I'm sorry for your loss, and wish healthy vibes for baby A...