NEW QURSTION FROM NEW EXPEXTING TWIN MOM

I called my doctor yesterday to ask if I would be getting another ultasound at my next visit on the 18th....she said I wouldn't get another one till my 23rd week when I go see the peri for my level two and fetal echo...but if I had concern I could pay for as many as I want. My thing is 1. I am making myself crazy thinking things, that's all I do is think about the babies...are they ok...are they alive...are they growing...all day all night thats what I think about!!! 2. at 23 weeks from what I hear being a twin mom I am over way over half way there by then how can I shop and plan for my twins without knowing the sex and then only having roughly 15 weeks to do so....ok and the last two things for this morning.... when I roll over it hurts if I stretch a certain way it hurts is that normal...I am not spotting or cramping is it just my belly making room? also my belly is already hard and showing big signs of babies on board...I feel like a first time mom with all these questions but I hate the unknown....please help!

 

QUOTE(bray64015 @ Oct 5 2007, 11:59 AM) [snapback]436845[/snapback]
I called my doctor yesterday to ask if I would be getting another ultasound at my next visit on the 18th....she said I wouldn't get another one till my 23rd week when I go see the peri for my level two and fetal echo...but if I had concern I could pay for as many as I want. My thing is 1. I am making myself crazy thinking things, that's all I do is think about the babies...are they ok...are they alive...are they growing...all day all night thats what I think about!!!


First of all, congratulations!! Can you switch to another dr. or see the peri regularly instead? You really should have more ultrasounds than that. My dr. did a scan every two weeks and I was sent for a Level two u/s every four weeks.

QUOTE(bray64015 @ Oct 5 2007, 11:59 AM) [snapback]436845[/snapback]
.... when I roll over it hurts if I stretch a certain way it hurts is that normal...I am not spotting or cramping is it just my belly making room? also my belly is already hard and showing big signs of babies on board...I feel like a first time mom with all these questions but I hate the unknown....please help!


Yes, your uterus is probably making room and many women carrying twins start showing and/or wearing maternity clothes in the first trimester. HTH.

 

First - congrats on your twins! Second, I remember going through some of what you are - I did't get a lot of u/s until I was over 20 weeks. No other problems, so not a whole lot of doctor visits until I got further along. No problems is a really good thing. When I went for my regular visits, even though I wasn't scheduled for u/s, they did a quick one to make sure there were still 2 heartbeats at almost every visit since they can't distinguish between the two when they are really small. just because you aren't scheduled, doesn't mean you might not get one.

And there is a lot you can do to plan without knowing if you are having girls or boys. I'm a big list person, so I just started listing things and doing what I could before hand.

I was so worried, too. I think I worried more because the twins were my second pregnancy, and I knew more about what a single one was like. My stomach hurt a lot because of it getting so big. But if you have any questions - call your doctor to make sure.

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions if that would help - not sure how old your other(s) are, but my twins are a year, and my older daughter is 3 going on 13...

ETA - my DR. has twins herself, and was a great doc., but you need to be comfortable with everything yourself.

 

THANK YOU....I think so too.....



QUOTE(pamelastwins @ Oct 5 2007, 07:09 AM) [snapback]436849[/snapback]
First of all, congratulations!! Can you switch to another dr. or see the peri regularly instead? You really should have more ultrasounds than that. My dr. did a scan every two weeks and I was sent for a Level two u/s every four weeks.
Yes, your uterus is probably making room and many women carrying twins start showing and/or wearing maternity clothes in the first trimester. HTH.

 

my daughter is 12 and my son who was born with aortic stenosis is 4....which makes my worries with the twins even greater!




QUOTE(EmilyM @ Oct 5 2007, 07:16 AM) [snapback]436852[/snapback]
First - congrats on your twins! Second, I remember going through some of what you are - I did't get a lot of u/s until I was over 20 weeks. No other problems, so not a whole lot of doctor visits until I got further along. No problems is a really good thing. When I went for my regular visits, even though I wasn't scheduled for u/s, they did a quick one to make sure there were still 2 heartbeats at almost every visit since they can't distinguish between the two when they are really small. just because you aren't scheduled, doesn't mean you might not get one.

And there is a lot you can do to plan without knowing if you are having girls or boys. I'm a big list person, so I just started listing things and doing what I could before hand.

I was so worried, too. I think I worried more because the twins were my second pregnancy, and I knew more about what a single one was like. My stomach hurt a lot because of it getting so big. But if you have any questions - call your doctor to make sure.

Feel free to PM me if you have other questions if that would help - not sure how old your other(s) are, but my twins are a year, and my older daughter is 3 going on 13...

ETA - my DR. has twins herself, and was a great doc., but you need to be comfortable with everything yourself.

 

I only had 2 u/s before my first peri apt. at 20 weeks. I think it's bit odd that they aren't scheduling you at 20 weeks with the peri (I thought that was the "norm" for twins) and that they picked 23 weeks.

I had my first u/s at 9-10 weeks...my dr. normally does one at that time to date the pregnancy and make sure they have the correct due date. That is when we found out we were having twins. I had another u/s at 13 weeks (this was NOT planned) b/c they were only able to get one heartbeat with the doppler. They took me in and literally did a 10 second u/s to find both heartbeats and that was it. i didn't get another one until I was 20 weeks.

We found out the sex at 20 weeks. I really only had 7 weeks to "plan" after that. I was placed on bedrest at 27 weeks. Spent 27-30 weeks at home on bedrest and then I was hospitalized on bedrest for 25 days from weeks 30-34 and delivered at 34w1d.

I guess my best advice would be to PLAN EARLY!!! You don't need to know the sex of the babies before registering, etc. We registered for all unisex stuff like PNP, car seats, strollers, bouncers, swings, etc. b/c we knew we wanted to have more kids in the future. We also did the nursery in unisex colors and an animal border. My showers and the nursery were ALL completed prior to 27 weeks. In fact, I went on bedrest the day after my shower. AH!!! So, really, after finding out we were having girls, we went out and bought clothes (not even a lot b/c peole knew at my shower that we were having girls and we got a TON of stuff).

Goodluck!

 

Are you carrying fraternal or ID? Do they share a placenta? With ID, from what I've been through, I've been getting more U/S (2x's a month) until 24 weeks and then once a month from there (although I thought the closer to .... the more often I'd get them. My 1st U/S was at almost 16 weeks (when we were suprised with twins), then I had a level 2 at 18. I had another one at 20 (because the 1st one misdiagnosed several things and the dr. was a jerk, so I had to do what I could to find a perinatologist and MFM... went to UCSF) and then a quick fluid check u/s at 22 weeks and will have another u/s at 24 to compare baby sizes, weights, etc. All the extra ones are for TTTS checks as well as IUGR. But even fraternal twins can end up with a fused placenta and will need to be monitored for TTTS as well.

How far long are you? I'm almost 24 weeks (tomorrow) and I can still get around. But I had a singleton pregnancy 6 years ago and carried really well without any problems until the day she came. So finding out I was carrying twins this time (it's VERY rare in our families) I'm kinda hoping the same thing... no preterm labor, no bed rest, etc. But the past isn't always the best predictor for the future when it's twins and not another singleton, ya know? And I have no one around me with twins who can help me prepare or figure out what to get done early. And sometimes I'm holding myself back from doing things because I feel like it's too early, but then again I don't want to get caught off guard. I prepared for things early with DD and although some thought it was too early, it was actually just in time because DD came sooner than expected.

For a while I freaked out about not feeling movement every day, but they have really active days and tucker themselves out and are calm for a day or two. But as of this week, they are active every day. I'm not talking just kicking, whole body movements, pressing on internal things, etc.

The good thing is, the bigger they get, the easier it is to see the sexes. at 18 weeks we saw that one was a girl, but then later we heard they share a placenta so they are ID and both are girls. Further u/s definitely showed both of them.

It depends on where it hurts. If it's on your sides down to your groin, that's ligament and muscular. Your uterus has to grow faster for these babies than with just 1. Mine feel like they're stretching like a hammock to hold the babies. Sometimes I feel it strongly when I'm up and around, so I got a babyhugger for support and it's helped a lot.

Your uterus is probably going to be measuring 4 weeks earlier than you are (mine has been since week 16) because of the extra baby. But you aren't twice as big so it's really cramped in there and you will be showing quite sooner than a mom with a singleton.

I highly recommend you get Dr. Barbara Luke's book called "When You're Expecting Twins, Triplets, or Quads" for all the extra information my "Your pregnancy week by week" book doesn't have. The week by week talks about baby developement and uterus growth, etc. I read 4 weeks ahead for the uterus parts, but the week by week for the babies. It's really good you are here on this site too as you will find a lot of information.

 

I wonder why they aren't doing more u/s? Is it your insurance? Even so, I bet a you could find an OB who would insist that more be done. Maybe you should start shopping for a Dr. more familiar with multiple births.

That said, even though I had u/s every 2 wks or so, I didn' tget to find out sexes until 19 wks. My dr refused to venture a guess, although I'm sure he knew early on

It will be enough time; especially if you are a 'planner'.

Congrats again!

 

I've had several u/s throughout my pregnancy but that's because my boys share a placenta and they're watching for signs of TTTS. However, if my boys didn't share a placenta, my OB would still do a quick scan at every appt to confirm heartbeats- she says it's too difficult to distinguish 2 heartbeats with a doppler alone. She wouldn't have made me wait til I was 23 weeks. You might want to think about changing doctors or consulting with a peri for further recommendations. 23 weeks is a long time to go without an u/s in a twin pregnancy (in my opinion)... Good luck and congratulations on twins!!

 

After reading what all of the other ladies have to say, and including my own experiences, I'd start shopping for another Dr. With my second child, my ob did an ultrasound every visit just because I wanted to see the baby

I am 12 weeks today, I'll have my second ultrasound next Monday at the ob's, and a week later I see the peri for the first time. I will have an ultrasound every two weeks until my third trimester when we go to once a week.

 

I had to battle getting u/s done too, but I got them. I had to battle with the midwives but then my OB took over my care and he wanted them every 4wks, then every 2wks.

Even with a singleton, you get an u/s done at 20wks, so 23 sounds a bit too long for me.

I would suggest talking to them about your concerns and that you want more u/s. If they are not willing, then you need to change. We were ready to change but my OB was willing after we addressed our concerns.

April

 

I have been seeing a peri for all of my visits. I think I may have had 2 or 3 ultrasounds before my 20-week anatomic scan, and then about every 3-4 weeks after that. I haven't had any complications at all, or maybe I would have had more. What really helped, especially in the beginning when I couldn't really feel them move all that much, was renting a doppler to use at home so I could listen to thier heartbeats whenever I wanted. It truly was a sanity lifesaver, and worth the money in my opinion.....

 

I've heard a lot of people who only get the "normal" amount of scans with twins through 20 weeks, and not every twin mom automatically gets sent to a peri. I would have never seen a peri if it weren't for >20% discordant growth.

I *did* have many, many u/s (almost every visit) so far but I also have had spotting, bleeding, placenta problems, differences in growth between babies, pre-term labor... all things they wanted to check on. If I did not have those issues, I would not have had nearly as many u/s.

I think a lot of the reasoning for lack of scans before 20 weeks is that there really isn't a lot they can (or will) do at that point if there is a problem (unless they discover mo/mo twins or something, then I would guess they'd be watched much more carefully from early on). With my first OB, I was bleeding heavily at 11 weeks and he didn't even think an u/s was necessary, because if I was losing them, there was nothing they could really do about it. True to an extent, but I wanted the u/s to know what was going on, so I went to the ER and then switched practices.

I do think it's tacky for your doctor to say you can have more u/s "if you pay for them" and I am sure you can find a doctor who is better suited to providing the care you desire. And I also agree that 23 weeks is an odd time for the anatomy scan, it's usually at 20.

 

as i am having id twins, I pushed for fortnighly scans. It was a battle and at first my ob said that nothing could be done if the twins had ttts before 24 wks as they werent viable for birth until then. This conflicted with info i'd read about ttts so i sought a second opinion from a specialist (over the phone) who recomended them fortnighjly. My dr obliged after all my hassling, but i think that they are my babies not his, so i want to be sure they are ok.

I had a scan at 9wks(for dates and found out there were 2!)
I had a scan at 12wks (Nuchal fold test)
and i am due for another 16wks(could not get in any earlier)18 and 20(level 2) and keeping fortnightly thereafter.

The big qu as said in pp is are they sharing a placenta, if so i would def be pushing for more scans!!

 

Just speculating, but I wonder if the doc *was* being specific about the 23-week mark for the Level II. That's about the right age/size to do a full fetal heart study...perhaps given your son's history of stenosis, the doc is planning a fetal echocardiogram for the twins? That's when they did the studies on our twins, anyway.

I agree with PPs who suggested visiting another peri...not much bedside manner there, eh?

And aches/pains? Um...it's kinda-sorta-pretty uncomfortable...but worth it! Hang in there!

 

I have not seen my doctor since my first visit and we didn't even know we were having twins then, she was off the day they did the ultra sound, and I have called with many questions only to talk to the nurse. I have made up my mind I am going to switch doctors, nothing against her but I want someone who wants to take precautions not someone who is worried about insurance I have already seen them seen there hearts beat I can not fathom the thought of losing them now! and that's not to say that I won't but I want someone who will do everything to make sure I won't!







QUOTE(natasha163 @ Oct 8 2007, 12:04 AM) [snapback]440168[/snapback]
as i am having id twins, I pushed for fortnighly scans. It was a battle and at first my ob said that nothing could be done if the twins had ttts before 24 wks as they werent viable for birth until then. This conflicted with info i'd read about ttts so i sought a second opinion from a specialist (over the phone) who recomended them fortnighjly. My dr obliged after all my hassling, but i think that they are my babies not his, so i want to be sure they are ok.

I had a scan at 9wks(for dates and found out there were 2!)
I had a scan at 12wks (Nuchal fold test)
and i am due for another 16wks(could not get in any earlier)18 and 20(level 2) and keeping fortnightly thereafter.

The big qu as said in pp is are they sharing a placenta, if so i would def be pushing for more scans!!