Just found out...TWINS!!!

Owlgrad2015

Hello everyone! I frequent the Nov '14 boards but today at my 9 week ultrasound I found out I am having twins! I am in complete shock, twins do not run in either mine or my husband's family. The ultrasound technician said they have separate sacs which is good because it decreases complications, but I'm starting to second guess that when I look at the pictures. Maybe you guys know more about it, and maybe they will look more separate later on? Baby A had a heart rate of 171 and Baby B had 168. Both measuring 8w6d. Anyways here are some pictures, can anyone tell if they are indeed separate or not? I don't know how the tech could tell but what do I know haha

Owlgrad2015

And another

amy1007

Those are identicals! Congrats! Getting pregnant with identicals is a spontaneous occurrence that can happen to anyone. Fraternal twins (hyper ovulation) can be passed down on the mothers side. Men have nothing to do with twin history in families etc.

amy1007

She probably saw a thin membrane dividing the two if she told you they were in their own sacs. That's a very good thing. Much higher possibility of complications if not in their own. Probably mono/di twins.

Owlgrad2015

amy1007 said:

She probably saw a thin membrane dividing the two if she told you they were in their own sacs. That's a very good thing. Much higher possibility of complications if not in their own. Probably mono/di twins.

@amy1007: OH yes I do remember her mentioning a membrane separating the two..does this mean it will separate more later on or will it remain close like that through the whole pregnancy? I don't know what mono/di means lol I really don't know any twin lingo. I better learn! Wow if they are identical that is so exciting!

Owlgrad2015

Also, does it mean they will likely have separate placentas too or is it too soon to tell?

jocie2581

Congratulations and welcome.  I am no expert at reading ultrasounds, so I defer to what your tech said.

ceechie

Congrats!!! How exciting?!
They look like mono/di - you'll be seeing a lot of them in all the u/s you'll have coming up! I loved the Dr Luke book for all the twin info. Really helpe me with lingo and and everything with my twin pregnancy.

Rxmom04

Congrats!! Those look a lot like my first ultrasound pics, I'm having mono/di twins too (EDD 10/16). The doctor explained the mono/di part as one placenta and two amniotic sacs. Also, if it helps none of my printed pics so far have shown the membrane separating them but the tech at my last ultrasound showed it to me as she was taking measurements so if they said its there I'm sure they saw it even if it's not showing up in your take home pics.

whitehousem

This is what my first ultrasound pics look like- mo/di twins (identical)- one placenta and two amniotic sacs (there is prob a very thin membrane between the two that you can't see here). Mo/di is less risky than mo/mo (sharing same amniotic sac) but more risk than di/di (two sacs/two placentas). Identical is not genetic, just the spontaneous splitting if one egg. Your OB probably referred you to a high risk doc (MFM/perinatologist). Ask lots of questions. You should be monitored very closely. Congrats and welcome! Shock is totally normal

Owlgrad2015

@rxmom04 are you by chance a pharmacist?? Just wondering because I am in pharmacy school right now Finding out about twins is definitely a shocker especially b/c I don't know how it will affect my upcoming rotations. I guess I will have to take some rotation blocks off...if you aren't a pharmacist then this won't make sense and disregard lol

Owlgrad2015

@whitehousem My OB didn't refer me to a high risk doc but she did say I will be placed in high risk category and she will share delivery responsibilities with a multiples doctor. But she doesn't want to see me again for 4 more weeks. I will be 13 weeks then

Owlgrad2015

ceechie said:

Congrats!!! How exciting?! They look like mono/di - you'll be seeing a lot of them in all the u/s you'll have coming up! I loved the Dr Luke book for all the twin info. Really helpe me with lingo and and everything with my twin pregnancy.

Cool I was looking for a book because my OB suggested I get one about twins, I will definitely check out the Dr. Luke one!

Rxmom04

Congrats on coming to the end of pharmacy school too then! Yup, I am a retail pharmacist so the twin pregnancy should make the job interesting for the next few months at the very least, especially when I start to show. I'd be happy to talk with you off board about rotations if you want, no big secret but you're right probably- not as interesting to the general board:). Feel free to send me a pm if you want.

whitehousem

Owlgrad2015 said:

@whitehousem My OB didn't refer me to a high risk doc but she did say I will be placed in high risk category and she will share delivery responsibilities with a multiples doctor. But she doesn't want to see me again for 4 more weeks. I will be 13 weeks then

I would ask lots of questions about her experience with twins and how they are going to monitor you. You should be closely monitored for twin to twin teansfusion syndrome (TTTS). Like you, my first appt was with OB around 9 weeks, then MFM around 12 weeks, then 16 weeks with MFM, then every two weeks after that...with an ultrasound at EVERY appt. From what I've learned here, most mo/di moms have had similar schedules. Not trying to scare you, but mo/di twins do carry additional risks and need to be monitored more closely. At a certain point the likelihood of TTTS becomes more unlikely and they don't need to check for that as often. Now I'm down to monthly growth scans at my MFM but at 32 weeks (now) I'm going to my OB for twice weekly non-stress tests.

Sindorella

Congratulations!!!! Don't worry, you will pick up on all the twin lingo in no time.

mer313131

Congrats and welcome! No experience yet but your ultrasound looks way different than my Di/Di twins

Rannndi

Congratulations!  That's so exciting!  I'd definitely go based off of what your tech said at this point, but your ultrasound does look very similar to my 8 week u/s.  Mine share the placenta but have a tiny membrane that separates them.  They explained it like this: "They're sharing a house, but they have their own bedrooms."  Which like PPs have said, is great news.  This would mean that your babies are mono/di.  They did say that they'd be able to tell for sure at the 12 week u/s if they were for sure identical and they did confirm that because things were more clear.  The membrane separating them also became more clear.

As for the care that you receive, ask LOTS of questions to your regular OB.  Mine said the same things, but then was refusing to give me an ultrasound between 12 and 20 weeks.  This is NOT normal for mono/di twins because they need to be monitored closely for growth and signs of Twin-Twin Transfusion Syndrome.  I ended up switching to a Maternal Fetal Medicine specialist, and I'll have weekly transvaginal/abdominal ultrasounds in order to check cervical length and amniotic fluids.  If there is a discrepancy in amniotic fluid, it can be a sign of Twin-Twin.  

I'm sorry this is long.  I'm just trying to explain the things that I didn't understand at the beginning.  Let us know if you have any questions.  This is a great place to come with your multiples questions.

shanaynerz

Congrats and welcome! As others said, it does look like mo/di twins. My twins are fraternal and are in completely separate sacs, yours look like they share one. And do make sure you see a high risk doctor. Be persistent with your doctor and ask lots of questions. I had a prior twin loss (frat) but am still considered the lowest of the high risk, yet I'm still getting ultrasounds every 4 weeks and seeing my OB more often. Good luck!

Odebdo

Congrats on the twins....all the PP are correct...yours looks totally different than my di/di twins....look forward to getting to know you here on the boards.

daisy19782011

Congrats! Beautiful U/S! Looks at those 2 little happy ones in there They look identical to me! Yay!

JTA2426

All of what PP have said. Looks like my first u/s! Congrats!

megs2011

Looks Mo/di. Mine looked similar to that (even though I was told di/di.. my tech didn't know what she was talking about). Mine had a super ultra thin membrane that was almost non-existent. The tech did an internal u/s and almost couldn't see the membrane. Mine were definitely mo/di. If they are mo/di, they share a placenta.

Congrats!

ANGnJON

How exciting! Congrats & welcome!

amberej

Congratulations! We are both due in November with twins! I'm 8weeks 2 days, they are measuring 8 weeks 6 days. Looks like yours are sharing the same placenta:) identicals!!