TTTS and movement

We were diagnosed with TTTS at 2o weeks and I was being watched very carefully until now. The twins started doing better with all the extra protien and bedrest so I haven't needed surgery or amniocentisis. At our last ultrasound the twins only had a 16% size difference! Baby B is larger and Baby A smaller. Baby A has had quite a lack of fluid until our last U/S. Our last U/S was last Thursday they could see her bladder and her fluid level looked good. Since they are looking good now I'm not due for another dr apt. for 2 more weeks and not due for another U/S for 4 more weeks! Baby B had an excess amount of fluid but they weren't concerned about it because her heart looked fine. Up until recently baby B was the active baby and Baby A was quite a bit less active. Baby A has been becoming more active the last couple weeks which is great, but the last week or so I have been feeling baby B move less and less. The last couple days I have been getting concerned about the lack of movement but when I do feel her kick once in a while that reassures me. I have not felt any movement from Baby B since yesterday morning. I am wondering if anyone else has had this happen? Could it maybe be because there is so much fluid around her that I just can't feel her moving?

 

I always had a tough time differentiating between which baby I was feeling I just knew I felt them all over, but if you have any concerns I would call your OB. It's better to be safe than sorry and that's what they are there for. Good luck and keep us posted!

 

It could be, also where is your placenta? Most importantly...you still need to have weekly ultrasounds. I can't stress it enough. You need to demand it. Just because it is improving does not guarantee anything. Mine improved also, but my doc (high risk) continued twice a week until she decided that my placenta was dying and I had to be delivered.

 

My babies & I went through this horrible TTTS disaster - but I had the surgery at 20 weeks. My boys move around alot & I can't always tell which one is which. So that could be it - for the longest time I thought when Baby A was my mover - but then after what seems like a million u/s I know that Baby B is way move active. How far along are u? But most importantly you need to have weekly ultrasounds! It is a must. Too much can change in a week not to scare you or anything but I've been through this & made it to 35 weeks so far. But not without weekly ultrasounds, doctors visits, NST & BFP. Please keep us posted I wish you the best of luck and contact the foundation. They have useful info.

 

TTTS deserves to be watched very closely because things can change in a instant. I lost one of my mon/di boys this past April to TTTS. The syndrome was only briefly mentioned to us by our high risk OB as a "possibility". I was having ultrasounds every two weeks with both boys always coming through all the measurements perfectly fine and their weight was almost the same the entire time. At 28w4d at a routine stress test/ultrasound I was told baby A was gone. I had notice decreased movement the previous couple of days but contributed it to the boys getting bigger.

For your peace of mind insist on being watched closely...if this Dr does not want to honor your wishes, find one that will.

Much luck to you and your babies.

 

We also went through TTTS, acute onset at 27 weeks (my USG on a Weds was fine, by Friday TTTS had developed). I'm so glad that the scans are looking better. I could feel the baby with more fluid more, as he was extra active swimming all over the place. I agree with everyone else that you should have weekly scans...it's frustrating that you have to be the one to advocate for this. Our babies are still in the NICU (6 wks down, probably 4-6 more)...doing well...the doctors keep telling me how lucky we are that the boys are doing so well after TTTS...and I really believe it's because they stayed in as long as they could and came out when they really needed to. Keep up the great work!

 

Ok.. so I called my peri on Monday and complained about baby B not moving. Her nurse told me to go to the nearest hospital's L&D for triage. They did a NST and said that it was fine and sent me home before even seeing a doctor. (This is not my regular doctor btw.. I went to the nearest hospital like the RN told me). I went in for my regular OB apt. today and my peri yelled at me for going there. She said she would have rather had me drive the extra distance so she could have taken care of me. Anyways she was concerned about baby B's lack of movement and brought a bedside U/S into the room. After looking for a while she decided to get me into a regular U/S room to do a biophysical profile. Baby A (who is very active) scored 10/10 and Baby B 6/10. Baby B is not making the breathing motions or moving by herself. We were able to get her to move her legs a little bit after they made me roll over, raise my knees to my chest and do pelvic lifts several times. Baby B is also now 20% larger than Baby A (again). Her bladder is MUCH bigger than Baby B's still. I'm so frustrated this was getting all better and now all of a sudden things have gone to hell. She still has a lot more fluid also (which is why I figured I wasn't able to feel her moving). It's apparent to me now that the reason I don't feel her moving is because she isn't moving. So I was sent home with the same instructions as always.... Lay down a lot, drink lots of ensure and weigh myself every day to monitor for excess weight gain. I don't know what to do. My next U/S isn't for 2 more weeks and I just wonder if any of this is going to help. I can't imagine waiting for the next U/S to come but then again I don't want it to come to find that there is no longer a Baby B.

 

Is it possible that they have moved positions. Remember your doc is there to serve you if you are worried call the office or go to L&D. I spent a week in the hospital for low feta movement. Remember in or our of your body you are your child's best advocate!

 

I hate to sound like a broken record...but 2 weeks is too long!!! You need to demand that you be seen at least in a week, if not sooner. If your baby is not moving much you should have twice a week (I did) They can give an amnio reduction if needed. Please be persistent!! You are your babies only advocate.

 

You are very smart to go to the closest L and D if you feel their movements have changed. I hate to be repetitive but you MUST BE SCANNED WEEKLY! Even once every 10 days is not enough! TTTS can change overnight and a baby can be lost that fast. I am not trying to be nasty or scare you but you really need to keep pusing for weekly scans and keep going to L and D if anything seems "off" or different to you. The time to start fighting for your kids and standing up for your kids starts now! Good luck, keep us posted!

 

Ugh.. well I ended up going to L&D on Friday because I was having contractions 2 minutes apart that would not stop. They told me I was 1 cm dilated and due to a heart condition I have couldn't give me any of the medications they usually use to stop the contractions. They did end up putting me on magnesium sulfate up until yesterday morning which was successful at stopping the contractions (as well as giving me 3 days of double vision). They did a fetal fibronectin test which turned out negative so that is great. They also gave me 2 betamethasone shots in for the babies lungs (which is even greater because I distinctly remember the Dr. saying "If I make it to 24 hours after the first shot" they would give me another one). They stopped the magnesium yesterday morning and told me if I started contracting again they wouldn't give it to me again (scary... I would think it would be better than delivering at 28 weeks?) I made a comment about that and was told that the shots normally work pretty good in helping to mature the babies quickly.. I still can't imagine having twins at 28 weeks and them not having to be on a ventilator (not to mention tube-fed)? Yesterday the Dr. said I would definitely not go home for a couple more days but to my surprise my peri came in this morning and said if I had no more cervical change or contractions since the magnesium I could go home today. So at 1 cm dilated and no contractions I got to come home on bed rest. The good thing is while in the hospital I got another U/S and the babies are staying at a 20% difference-I know this isn't the greatest but I also was not allowed to eat up until last night so they are hanging in there with that. Their fluid levels are also both in the normal range now. Baby A being completely normal and Baby B being on the high end of normal.