why can't i come back sooner?

i had an OB work-up appointment today, and an ultrasound last week (at the 9-week mark).

the doc said my next ultrasound would not be scheduled until 18 - 19 weeks. huh? why can't i come back sooner than that? how do i tell people with any certainity that i am having twins if i haven't seen them on the "big screen" for 9 weeks?

i don't understand. is this normal?

-times two

 

Do you go back to the OB before then? My OB did an u/s at every visit to check the h/bs, said it was too hard to try and find two on with the doppler, fine with me. I also saw a peri and they did a growth scan at every appt. so I had an u/s at every dr. visit.

I hope you go back to the OB sooner than 8 weeks though.

ETA: I guess some OB's do more with twins and others just do the standard one at 20 weeks, just depends on the OB. If you go to a peri you would get one at every visit.

 

I didn't have too many appts. with ultrasounds before my 20 week appt. THat is pretty typical. I hope everything works out! IT seems like a long time.. I know. I am hoping to get ONE ultrasound before my 20 week.

 

That is normal with pregnancy, luckily you got one at 9 weeks!! Many doctors don't even give one until 16+ weeks.. CONGRATS!! I would just hold off on telling everyone its twins until 12 plus weeks.

 

The NT scan is done at 11-13 weeks, so you could schedule that if you wanted to.

My last US was at 12 weeks, and my next one is at 20 weeks. I can't wait to see my little jumping beans again!!!

 

My ob was the same way, she said the prenatal care for twins was about the same as singletons for the first 20 weeks (as there is not much they can really do), and then increased appts and u/s start after that. I had an u/s at the RE's at 10 weeks, then not one until 20 weeks with the ob, it was an agonizing wait. Don't worry though, in the later half of pg, you get them all the time, I get to see my babes every week, it is so reassuring!

 

I was told the same thing. However, when I would go in for my O/B appts, my OB would try to hear the heartbeats and because she could never be sure that she was hearing both, she'd send me in for a quick U/S just to make sure. So I ended up with a couple quick ones before my big U/S at 20 weeks. Also, at one point, I was in a lot of pain and I had one then too.

Hope you get to see them before 20 weeks...but I think it's normal not to schedule any til then.

 

My peri did a quickie U/S at each visit to check for H/B's and measure my cervix length via T/V U/S. You should really be regularly having your cervix length measured starting in the second trimester, and that is via U/S.

 

We were in the same boat...had a 7 wk u/s then the next one wasn't scheduled until 18 weeks. OB said after that we'll have them very regularly though.


(I did actually get one today due to some spotting...it was reassuring to get the u/s, but I sure would rather have waited and not have the stress of the spotting. Although...I've been told not to worry...it is just a low lying placenta or placenta previa...anyway...off topic...sorry :FIFblush: )

 

Yeah very normal. I had one at 10 weeks(only b/c I am type 1 diabetic) then after that I had a growth u/s at 17 weeks, then another at 24 weeks and another growth u/s at 30 weeks. My next u/s is at 32 weeks for a fetal echo cardiogram (only b/c of diabetes). They say my diabetes is greater risk to me than having twins. Mine are in seperate sacs though and both have their own placents.

 

I will 11 weeks on Saturday so far I have had two u/s and I have another to measure the cervix on Sept 6th. My clinic specializes in high-risk pregnancies, they do a lot of IVF (even though we are natural) so they are over the top with multiples. That is the reaosn I go on mandatory bedrest at 26 weeks.

 

I think it's pretty normal if you are having a healthy non-complicated twin pregnancy. Even though you aren't having a "scheduled" ultrasound until 18 - 19 weeks, that doesn't mean that you won't have a quick u/s just to check the heartbeats before then. That's how it was for me, I only had "growth" ultrasounds at 7 weeks and then not again until 19 weeks, but every 4 weeks when I went in they couldn't find 2 heartbeats with the Doppler so the doctor took a little peak on the ultrasound. Then starting at 19 weeks I have had a growth u/s every 4 weeks, and I still get the ultrasounds just to check the heartbeats at every appointment, so for example this week I've been able to see my babies on 2 different days in one week!

 

Sounds typical to me too. Most insurances won't pay for more unless it's medically necessary to have one done. With the twins, I had an u/s at 9 weeks to date the pregnancy, I had another at 12-13 weeks b/c she was having trouble finding the hb's with the doppler...could only find one. So, I literally had a 15 second u/s to find the other hb. I didn't have anymore until my 20 week peri apt.

 

Hi,

I've had a number of ultrasounds but I guess a few were for testing purposes and not just to have an u/s. First was at 9 weeks -- that's when we found out it was twins! Next was at 12 weeks for the first trimester/nuchal translucency test. Next was at 16 weeks for amnios. And then I just had one last week, when I was 20 weeks -- which is a normal u/s time. So as someone else suggested, maybe you should do the first-tri screening test b/c that involves an u/s.

From 12 weeks on though, my doctor was able to hear two heartbeats with just the doppler (at my regular checkup appts, not u/s appts), so hopefully your doctor will do that at least!

I feel for you, sweetie -- it's hard going weeks without seeing the little ones! I would think that esp. early on in a twin pregnancy, they'd do them more often, but insurance doesn't care too much about your peace of mind -- it all comes down to money for them

 

I guess I was super spoiled because my Dr. let me come in every week for the first trimester, and then after that my appointments were every 2 weeks. My dr. did an u/s sound in her office every time I went in because she said that is was hard to confirm both heartbeats with the doppler. My Dr. said that she wanted me to be relaxed, and I could come in as often as I wanted to be reassured everything was fine. I haven't recieved an outragous bill from the insurance company, so I am assuming they covered it...

 

QUOTE(ladybenz @ Aug 22 2007, 07:51 PM) [snapback]375843[/snapback]
The NT scan is done at 11-13 weeks, so you could schedule that if you wanted to.



That's exactly what I did to get around my doc not wanting to do another u/s til wk 15 or 16. it was a very quick look, but it's all I needed to feel a whole lot better!

 

I was concerned about this too. My doctor's nurse told me I would get one at 9 weeks and 20 weeks and that would be all. I reminded her I was having twins and she said she knew and that it is standard. Well, I shouldn't have worried. I talked to the doc and she told me that she was planning to do one at nearly 13 weeks and one at 20 weeks and then at least an ultrasound a month after that to watch my cervix and the babies' growth. It's going to be a long wait until the 20 week u/s, but I'm confident that they are watching me close enough since they are going to do more ultrasounds after 20 weeks. Now I know that the nurse isn't the authority and if I want to definite answer I need to ask the doctor directly. I think you are fine not to get one until 20 weeks (even though it seems like forever) as long as they are watching you closely after that. Maybe they will do more for you if they can't find both heartbeats with the doppler.

 

I would have been the same way if it weren't for problems with spotting and bleeding.