overlooked twin? *ultrasound added*

bearbelly

My doctor does these really quick ultrasounds, and the machine is really old so I really get terribly grainy blob pictures, haha. I don't get to hear the heartbeat (only see it flutter, and even then I can't really see it, I just nod).

The reason I'm saying this is that, in all of my ultrasound pictures, there is a second blob near the bottom of the picture that is growing just as fast as primary blob. My cousin, who is a doctor but NOT an OBGYN, keeps telling me that I should have my doctor double check for twins because I'm huge for a FTM who, at 16 wks, has not gained any weight but has a big hard bump, and he keeps pointing to the other blob and saying "that looks just as likely to be the baby as the primary [blob]". Now my other doctory family members (nurses included) are saying the same thing.

I have mentioned this to my doctor twice, and both times he laughs like I'm making a self-deprecating joke about being huge and I feel like I could offend him if I push it, but the more I look at the pictures, the more I think it looks like identical twins, too. 

Do you think that it's likely that my doctor will discover a twin he missed after 3 ultrasounds?

 

politelypink

Probably highly unlikely. I know on my ultrasounds, it looks like I could be pregnant with triplets or quads due to other areas. Unless there is another heartbeat in that area, and you see a flicker, it is likely not twins.

Lena122

Could the blob be the placenta? I agree with PP that after 3 ultrasounds your doctor probably would have caught it. I guess it's always possible though...

emschott

I would agree that it's not likely.  I am pregnant with spontaneous twins, and my OB said that I had a 1/80 chance of that.  Even when I got an ultrasound with him (and not with the MFM or the detailed first one for dating) on his equipment, it's still clear that there are two.  And like you said, I can barely even see the hearts beating on his little office machine. I would say that once you've had an ultrasound, you can rule out the possibility.  It is great to have just one- there are so many fewer potential complications!

bearbelly

Angiee930

To me that looks like only one baby and like the other ladies said it could be the placenta.

avalovesart

Yep, I agree...the pic looks like only one baby.

politelypink

avalovesart:

Yep, I agree...the pic looks like only one baby.

ditto

emma12210

My OB has 2 offices... my first 2 u/s were done at the office w/ the crappy u/s machine (can't even hear the HB) and it was still pretty obvious. Here is my 10 week (2nd) u/s

 

emma12210

but yeah, yours is pretty grainy! you'll have to get your a/s on a better machine so you'll know for sure then GL

jennlin

looking at your u/s, i can't tell what you say is the second blob.....i only see one in there.

cmcmillan

Did you or are you doing the 12 week NT scan? That one is pretty detailed so it will be easier for you to read.

JeniLovesNeil

I always have a full bladder at ultrasounds and you can see it.  It looks just like where the baby is, but obviously with no baby in it.  It might just be that. 

5bears

I think something you should really consider is that it doesn't sound like you really trust your doctor and that he quickly dismisses your concerns.  If you do ask what the second blob is, he should really explain why it's not a second baby instead of dismissing your concerns outright.  Maybe you should switch practices if you don't like his demeanor.

jen-dale

Lena122:

Could the blob be the placenta? I agree with PP that after 3 ultrasounds your doctor probably would have caught it. I guess it's always possible though...

Jen0204

Was the u/s machine that they used on you able to detect the HB?  I had an u/s at 6 weeks due to some bleeding and asked if she could see a HB and she said "yeah, and here there's a second one".  There wasn't really anything that I could really see at that point, but they still knew that there were two in there, and as time progressed it obviously became very more clear that I have twins. 

Everyone grows differently, so the size of your stomach really isn't a good indicator.  I was overweight to begin with, and only now is there a definite change in my stomach in my eyes, and I'm still not getting any questions from people.

If you want to clearly ask him without offending him (which you shouldn't worry about, if there are two in there that's more important then his feelings), then just say that your doctor relative looked at the u/s and thought there might be two.

ETA - ask questions at your next u/s.  If you're unsure of what something is, just ask.  I know my techs have always been very friendly.

ErikaFleury

In one of my earlier, grainier ultrasounds, the umbilical cord was also very noticable, and since I'm no doctor, at first I was afraid it was another baby!

 I don't know how far along you are (unless I missed it above) but just have them keep checking if you're unsure about twins.

 My SIL's twins didn't get discovered until her fourth month.

bearbelly

Thanks ladies!

My cousin was referring to the blob of the same shape at the bottom (like it would be laying on its back). In another ultrasound shot from the same week this other blob is a little bit more white and you can't even see the main baby in the middle at all. Every picture is just incredibly wispy, haha.

I will be switching doctors when I move across country, so I'm going to stick it out with him a bit longer, but I'm going to an independent ultrasound clinic tomorrow to ease my mind

ETA: I'm 16 weeks tomorrow, but the ultrasound is from 14 weeks.

ChristinaL27

I had the same thing in my U/S and my family kept telling me I was having twins. The tech just said one and I bought it into my doctor and he verified that it's a single one... but it was the exact same size as the other... my doctor said it was probably gas or waste.

anigirl16

jennlin:

looking at your u/s, i can't tell what you say is the second blob.....i only see one in there.

This! It looks like only one baby to me.