Difficulty finding one twin's hearbeat?

The OB today had trouble finding the babe's heartbeats. She had to squirm around with the doppler and finally got one babe's heartbeat on my left side - good and strong at 156bpm, but then she couldn't find the other babe - she DID find what she said was the placental pulse of the 2nd babe - at 152 and it being a different number is what told her it wasn't the first babe's placental pulse. She did not seem concerned and just said it was because at this stage they are still small and skinny and can hide behind each other. If it was at 27/28wks she'd be concerned, but she wasn't today....

I of course, was concerned. Its been in the back of my mind for the last two weeks that I can't tell if there are two babies moving in there, and wondering if one of them has died. I was looking forward to this appt to reassure me and it didn't......

Anyone else have this?????

 

It was hard to find one of my babies heartbeats too.. the lower one, baby A, is harder to find, not sure if it is just the position. His heartbeat has always been good though and everything looks perfect on ultrasound.

If you are too concerned go back and have her use the doppler again and if no heartbeat request an ultrasound.

Also it is hard to tell if it is a different heartbeat or an echo from the other baby.

I am sure your babies are fine, but still if you are concerned call your Dr!

 

Every appt. I had usually ended with an u/s to make sure both were okay because they could never differentiate between the heartbeats. If she wasn't worried, I think I would be fine with it. But if it's really concerning you, make sure to call them back and let them know. :hug:

 

Going by my one and only u/s the one that was hard to find was Baby A - and that one was quite low almost sitting in my cervical area transverse with feet in my left groin areal. Baby B was footling style breech down my left side. - We did get A's hearbeat 3wks ago no problems tho with the GP....

She wasn't concerned at all when I expressed concern, so I doubt I'd get anywhere trying to get in for another appt sooner than the 3wks she requested...

 

QUOTE(MichelleL @ May 26 2009, 09:10 PM) [snapback]1329146[/snapback]
Every appt. I had usually ended with an u/s to make sure both were okay because they could never differentiate between the heartbeats. If she wasn't worried, I think I would be fine with it. But if it's really concerning you, make sure to call them back and let them know. :hug:



I wish I could have an u/s each time - where we live they do not have u/s machines in the doc offices, and you have to wait weeks to get in for one no matter what unless you end up in ER. There are only 5 machines in the entire two health authorities (one being the portable in the ER) so they are booked constantly.

 

I'm sorry, Tamika, that you are worried about this. I would be as well. I wish you could go back to your doctor for an u/s!! I'm sure if your doctor was worried, they would have sent you to the ER. I just wanted to send you some hugs. :hug: :hug:

 

I don't know about any of this yet, but if you are worried, insist on a u/s! You don't need to be worrying about anything at this stage in the game, and in my experience doctors will let you get a u/s if you're worried and need reassurance.

 

My m/w found two areas with heartbeat, but they were so close at 156 and 153 that she brought in a portable u/s to just verify that both babes were ok in there. (They were!) This was last week, at 14 weeks.

 

My baby B was SOOOO hard to find the heartbeat (w/ the doppler and during NST's) It was so stressful :hug: :hug:
I agree though, if your Dr. was worried at all they would have sent you for an u/s hopfully?!
Are you feeling normal movement? If you continue to be concerned then you should definitely call your OB & let them know & tell them you want to come in for an u/s ~
Hang in there momma!

 

Liz - that's what I'm thinking, that if she was concerned she would have sent me to ER for an u/s. That is the only way to get in without being scheduled weeks in advance. The catchment area for the u/s machines around here is SOOOOOOOOOOOO huge that u/s are booked weeks to months in advance.

Tamara - that's what makes me wonder - that 'normal' movement! I know what normal is for a singleton and I definately am feeling movement and STRONG kicks/punches at that, but I have no clue if Im feeling only one babe or two.....

If I dont' start to really feel a difference in the movement in the next couple days and I'm not reassured I think I may do a trip to the ER and just say I've not felt ANY movement and see what they do. I know we don't have even a portable u/s machine in our hometown, so I'd have to go to the city ER.

Thank you to all for replying! The comforting words help!!! thank you!

 

Tamika,

I remember DD sitting below DS and so low they could barely find her heartbeat each time I went in. Only once was the dr concerned and sent me for an u/s. All the other times they weren't concerned.

Also since DS was on top I felt him move all the time and had a hard time figuring out if I felt DD. I know one time I was getting an u/s and saw her kicking but couldnt' feel it. The tech explained that position as well as where she was (low) and where my organs and everything was I probably couldn't feel her much.

Hang in there as best you can and let us know how you do

 

Where do you live?

I am sorry you are worried though and I hope you get an answer soon.

 

QUOTE(adia2007 @ May 26 2009, 10:48 PM) [snapback]1329294[/snapback]
Tamika,

I remember DD sitting below DS and so low they could barely find her heartbeat each time I went in. Only once was the dr concerned and sent me for an u/s. All the other times they weren't concerned.

Also since DS was on top I felt him move all the time and had a hard time figuring out if I felt DD. I know one time I was getting an u/s and saw her kicking but couldnt' feel it. The tech explained that position as well as where she was (low) and where my organs and everything was I probably couldn't feel her much.

Hang in there as best you can and let us know how you do



That would make sense according to the u/s I had - I didn't feel movement where Baby A was and all the times I commented that the babe was squirmy, it turns out it was Baby B who was doing the squirming. I sometimes feel movement bang on the top of my pubic bone and that must be Baby A since s/he is down in there.

DoneYet? - I'm in rural southwestern Manitoba. The closest city is Brandon - which has 3 u/s machines in that department, one in the ER and the 5th is in a local town. They are also the only two hospitals that deliver babes, in addition to doing every type of u/s that would possibly be done.

Just to give you an idea of the catchment area, check out this map

http://www.gov.mb.ca/health/rha/map.html We are living in the Assiniboine, and the main u/s department is in the Brandon. The town that has the one u/s machine is in Assiniboine.

 

Oh and I wrote 'Placental Pulse' in my first post - I meant to write Cord Pulse....

 

Wow!! thanks for the link Interesting.

So if you are in your living room how far is the hospital that you can deliver at? What about a high risk hospital? Just curious you can tell me to mind my own business

I get nervous that the hospital I want is 45 minutes away but there are 3 on the way there if something happened

 

Sorry your nervous about the HBs. My dr doesnt even generally attempt doppler with twins for that reason and just uses the portable u/s machine. I'm sure both lil ones are doin fine but i know how unnerving it can be. :hug:

 

Oh, my Caroline (baby A) played merry hell with us, every single time. I was worried anyway, becasue I was under the impression during the whole pregnancy that my girls were mono-di (they weren't-they were two fused placentas) so the worry of not finding Carolines ticker every time, sent me into hysterics.
The u/s tech was never worried. I, however, was shi**ing myself the whole time. But, my Caroline is here, and fine and five months old! And fat, and very, very sassy. Hang in there. Twin pregnancies are scarier than singletons on the whole. You're always gonna be scared no matter what we tell ya, hon. And that's ok. Just know that it's happened to most of us at some point and we've got loads of gorgeous healthy munchinks!

 

My doc never uses the doppler on me. I get an ultrasound every appointment and they get the heartbeats there.

 

QUOTE(KristenLee @ May 27 2009, 01:09 PM) [snapback]1329443[/snapback]
My doc never uses the doppler on me. I get an ultrasound every appointment and they get the heartbeats there.


Same here. My doc only has the portable but he whips it out everytime and at least takes a quick look to see that all is as it should be. Honestly, I dont think I could deal with just the doppler. I need to see them every time. Its only once every 4 weeks at this stage and thats what insurance is for -- he has the equipment, I want to see the babies.

It sounds like you're under a different system though. I'm sorry to hear that you're stressed, but as you said, I'm sure it is all fine. Try not to worry too much.

 

Becky - I teared up reading your reply - that is totally true - no matter what i hear I'm not gonna stop worrying til they are here and healthy - and then the worries change to new ones altogether! LOL

Sparkle77 - I'm in Canada, so although ALL healthcare is 'free', there are definately limits on it in the rural areas. If I was in the capital city of Wpg it may be different - not sure.

 

QUOTE(DoneYet? @ May 26 2009, 11:29 PM) [snapback]1329324[/snapback]
Wow!! thanks for the link Interesting.

So if you are in your living room how far is the hospital that you can deliver at? What about a high risk hospital?


No worries about minding your own business!

I live 10min from a hospital equipped for minor emergencies - stabilizing accident patients etc and they do routine scheduled surgeries, but anything like a high risk pregnancy - which twins are considered - would automatically be sent to Brandon - which is a 45min drive from our house. They are able to handle all emergencies and they do have a small NICU, but it would be more for the babes who just require a bit of extra help with oxygen, temperature etc. Anything that would require, say - surgery (ie if you were pregnant with a babe that had an oomphalocoele, you would be sent to Winnipeg, which is about a 2.5hr drive from where I live (to the outskirts of the city - about 3 hrs to the hospital itself).

 

:hug: :hug: That has to be hard! I now I'm in Canada too (Alberta) and I had nothing but complaints about the care I got with my singleton. Now that I am high risk cuz it's twins the care is definitely better but there's still never enough time with your doc to address everything to make us feel better is there? I am still feeling unsure about a few things myself. I also often wonder if there may only be one left, I would think that's natural. I am definitely lucky though that I also get an u/s at every appointment, (with my singleton I only got 1) although it is not a very good machine at least they can tell what they need to from there, no doppler here either.

My City does things a bit differently, we have a maternity clinic located in the hospital and you go there to see whatever doc you want (that's part of the clinic) or you take what you get each time, continuity of care doesn't really happen there too much even if you book with a certain doc they switch and get called away a lot. My OB also has a high risk clinic within that clinic too but it's his "office" rather than a clinic per se. But all in all, here it definitely makes you feel like cattle herded through the gates (except with the high risk docs). Our NICU here is pretty good although anytime before 26 weeks and serious complications get sent to Calgary about 3 hours from here. I hear ya, free isn't always better, but this time around I feel I am getting adequate care because it's twins. Sorry I got off on a tangent, thought you may find it interesting though as you are in Canada too.

I hope you can get some reflief soon from the worry. It's hard isn't it? :hug: again.

 

Peace of mind is the most important thing for any mom. :hug: I'm glad you got into the OB finally. Many women here have to wait up to a week for the u/s appt then sometimes up to a week for results. They send the information to the metro area to be read. I'd go nuts waiting so I do the two hr trip! :lol:
I think if the OB was concerned you would have got a u/s right away in the ER.

All I can do is offer my experience I'm having right now.

My ob's and peri's have reassured me that it's fine and normal for one twin to be a bit smaller or slower heartbeat than the other. As long as it's not a major difference or something that changed drastically from my last visit. I get to have an u/s every two weeks at the peri's to watch for anything like TTTS or issues.

Baby A is a tad bigger in size with a faster beat by 5-10 beats sometimes. He's my active one that I feel the most. Baby B is on target like his brother but just smaller and his beat was always lower than the other. We do know he's very active despite I can't feel him sometimes. He's usually hidden in back inside somewhere.

 

Michelle...my DH and I sprung for midwifery care for our two boys who were born in AB - it was worth every single penny!!!!! (now its covered but so much more regulated). I've never HAD an OB, so this is new in so many ways.

Gabria - the waiting is the same here. There is no radiologist in the u/s office in our nearby town, so its sent via email to the radiologist. When I had the u/s that discovered the twins the u/s tech told me lots of info that she has been given the leeway to tell because the radiologist isn't there. She also called him immediately to be sure that he got it and whether he wanted anything else. Thankfully the tech is awesome.

 

It is VERY common to not be able to find both the HB's with the doppler. Please don't worry about that. My family doc doesn't have an U/S machine so he could never find both. I went to the peri later on and they used U/S so it wasn't an issue.

 

My peri always did a quick U/S to check heartbeats. Every visit, which was every 1-3 weeks for me. I was actually on hospital bedrest at 24 weeks and the nurses would try to come in each shift change and find the H/B's with the doppler and hardly ever had success. If they did, it took 30-45 minutes. Some would keep trying and others would just pull in the U/S machine.

I think it is quite common.

 

Never even saw a doppler machine. Got an ultrasound at every appt and a level 2 at every other appt. I had appts every 2 weeks and 2x's per week for the last few months. (high risk, mono di)

But they never even mentioned a doppler for me. Crazy! I'd be freaking too. I had to SEE them. Even when I could feel them very well, I still had to see them w/ my own eyes.

I'm sure it will be fine.

 

Thanx for the reassurances ladies! I'm glad I found this board!

 

I'm sorry you had such a scare, I had a couple times my ob couldn't find the second heartbeat easily and it's scary as hell!! I never got u/s either, even though I'm in the US, it just depends on the dr. :hug: I'm sure that baby is just playing hide and seek though and your next appt you'll get your reassurance! I know that doesn't help right now though!!

It can't hurt to call your dr and express your concern again, I know you won't feel better until you can at least talk to them again! :hug:

 

Thanks Danielle. I'm taking comfort in the fact we got that cord pulse at a different rate than the babe's heartbeat.

And if I think about it, I feel more movement down low then I do where we DID get a heartbeat...