did anyone have a "hidden" twin?

*shortie · December 2009

Hi! I'm just visiting from PGAL, and I was curious. Did any of you ever have a "hidden" twin (i.e. a twin that didn't show up on an early ultrasound, but surprised you with its existence later)?

I'm having a singleton pregnancy, but twins run rampant in both mine and my husband's families (identical and fraternal). I've been terribly sick since 4 weeks, and my betas have been high (over 500 at 14DPO, 13,700 at 24 DPO, 131,881 at 8wks 5 days). I haven't heard my baby's heartbeat on Doppler, and I've only had one ultrasound, at 6 weeks which showed a single sac and a baby (+ heartbeat ) - but with a lighter "shadow" behind it.

I'm not a radiologist or an obstetrician, and I am *SO* happy to be having a healthy baby at last, but I do wonder a little bit, and thought I would ask.

TIA!

Temp159135562506975 · December 2009

it happens- but is rare- esp if the are looking for multiples. They saw my twins clear as day at my 5w US.

betas really mean nothing (my singleton and twin betas were almost the same) and m/s really means nothing... my twin m/s was worse than my singleton m/s- but it was still hardly existent - i know singleton moms who were FAR sicker than me - some needing medication b/c of it.

Twins on your DH's side mean nothing -- only your family can pass along the tendency to ovulate more than one egg.... and identical twins are thought not to be hereditary -- only fraternal (there are some who think that a man's sperm can influence the splitting of the egg- but the medical community still sticks to only Ids = hereditary).

Regardless- congrats on your pg!! Best of luck at your next US!

Young100904 · December 2009

Its possible, but no one knows without another ultrasound. I had a 6 week ultrasound at the RE and they didnt see twins. At my 8 week they saw the 2nd baby. Looking back at the 6 week u/s there was another sac next to the baby they did see.

Ask your OB if they can do another u/s to ease your mind. Chances are that its a singleton, but that way you arent left wondering.

*shortie · December 2009

Thanks for the info! I just had read about it and wondered if anyone here had experienced it.

Unknown · December 2009

A girl posted a few days back about how at her 8 week u/s there was 1 and at her NT scan there were 3. She was completely shocked as she was not on any fertility treatments - they were spontaneous triplets.

MrsAmyB · December 2009

kimberlygfeller:
A girl posted a few days back about how at her 8 week u/s there was 1 and at her NT scan there were 3. She was completely shocked as she was not on any fertility treatments - they were spontaneous triplets.

This is me It happens! My ute measurement was "about 8 weeks" and a quick peek showed 1 happy baby with a heartbeat. It was likely baby C, as its on top and is the fraternal one. FWIW, we didn't expect twins, nor triplets, at all!

ccthatsme21 · December 2009

This happened to me as well. At my 7 week ultrasound, we saw 1 baby and 1 heartbeat. When i went back for my NT screening, SURPRISE...there was two!!! I wasn't on any fertility medications, so it was very random. I've never heard of twins running in my family, but my husband does have one set further back in his family. GOODLUCK!!!!