Can it sometimes take longer to detect a multiple pregnancy?

AllisaurusRex

Thought I could get some good feedback here, maybe someone's been through it. I am 13 weeks and 2 days pregnant. I had my first ultrasound at 9 weeks 6 days. At that ultrasound, we found 2 yolk sacks. I have a family history of twins, so I immediately asked if that meant there were 2 babies, and my doctor answered quite definitively, "Looks like he's alone in there." I went home with photos of just one baby. I read that sometimes you can't tell until 12 weeks or longer, but I've been on here browsing and learned that alot of you girls knew as early as 5-6 weeks. Is it possible that I am having twins and for some reason we just haven't seen the other baby yet? I am convinced that it's twins. I've put on 10 lbs in my first trimester, I've been in maternity clothes (and fitting them well) since 7 weeks, and I literally look like I'm 5-6 months pregnant right now. I'm having my 2nd ultrasound the day after tomorrow, so hopefully I will have some answers then, but in the meantime I'm just looking for some input.

techdg26

My twins were detected at 6w4days. I had a sonogram at 5wks exactly and there was a 2nd sac that appeared empty. By the next week when I went in, there were two heartbeats and they were measuring within a couple days of each other. Is this your first pregnancy?

This is my 4th pregnancy and each pregnancy I show a lot faster. 

BizEB

I don't understand why your doctor didn't say anything about the other sack. Strange.  At 9 weeks and 6 days, if you are sure you are sure of your dates, you should see 2 heartbeats in a viable twin pregnancy so maybe he assumed it was a singleton pregnancy if there was just one heartbeat.  It still seems odd to me that he didn't say anything about the 2nd sack. 

AllisaurusRex

This is my first pregnancy. She measured the one baby we found at 9 weeks 6 days, so I'm pretty sure we're sure of the dates. Only one heartbeat though. It was the vaginal ultrasound though, not the one they use on the belly so I don't know if that makes a difference?

kaiteedidit

We found out at 7 weeks and it was very obvious there were 2 babies. I would think that at 9 weeks your doctor would be able to tell if there was more than one. 

As far as showing early, I did not show any sooner with my twin pregnancy than I did with my singleton pregnancy. I didn't start to show until at least 18 weeks and didn't gain any weight until after 20 weeks.  

AllisaurusRex

Doc thinks the weight gain and extra belly is mainly water retention. Also, I breezed through the first tri with almost no morning sickness, nothing until about 10 weeks and I've only thrown up about 3 or 4 times total. So maybe it's that too. But that second sack is driving me crazy.

mrscalkins

Our two were visible, with very faint heartbeats at 5w4d.  I had a second ultrasound done around 9 1/2 weeks and it was very obvious that there were two babies in there.  How did the second sac look compared to the first?  If you were able to view a baby in the first and not the second, I would say that the doctor is correct that it is a singleton pregnancy and there isn't a second baby.

AllisaurusRex

The second sac was equal in size to the one with the baby. I don't know that I noticed anything else about it, but I don't really understand ultrasounds. I wouldn't have known the baby was a baby if the doctor hadn't told me.

BizEB

Are you sure you didn't see just one yolk sac and one amniotic sac?  I just cannot imagine that you had two amniotic sacs and the OB saying nothing about twins, even if he/she thought it was a vanishing twin. 

mrscalkins

Ok, so when the doctor pointed out the baby in the first sac, did the second sac look the same?   As in, was it just a sac or was there something in there?  Did the doctor refer to it as a sac at all?  It's possible that the ultrasound was picking up the baby and part of your anatomy, which would be why he didn't mention what you are thinking was a second sac.  

 

AllisaurusRex

The second sac was empty, and the word she used was "yolk" sac. Personally I don't even know the difference. She didn't say anything about twins, just made the comment about him being alone like that ended the conversation. If it was a yolk sac but there's only one baby, is that vanishing twin, like there def WAS 2?

kaiteedidit

Honestly, I think your doctor would definitely be able to tell at 9 weeks if there was a 2nd baby. Unless he isn't a very good doctor.

mrscalkins

If the second sac was empty, then no, it is not twins.  

E&RMommy

If there were 2 yolk sacs in the same gestational sac and only one baby then you had ID twins but the second twin did not develop.  The 2nd yolk sac will just dissolve.

If there were 2 gestational sacs and one was empty then you have one baby and one blighted ovum.

Sorry it's confusing.  But sounds like just one baby.  We had 2 babies with heartbeats at 5w6d.  

blondek8

Agree with above posts. Our twins were detected at 6w4d. It was quite obvious to the radiologist. 1 gestational sac that contained 2 embryos and 2 yolk sacs and both had hb's = ID twins. FWIW, I didn't gain weight until 2nd Tri and I just started wearing maternity clothes at 17-18 weeks.

smeyer

My first u/s was at 7w but it was immediately obvious that we had 2 babies and 2 heartbeats.  My only thought was that perhaps your dr thought you could have a vanishing twin and didn't want to upset you or cause you to worry.  Do you have another u/s scheduled anytime soon?  Unfortunately, another u/s is the only way you'll be able to tell for sure.

Temp159135562506975

at 9w babies are quite formed - look like gummie bears...if all you saw in the 2nd was a sac- then it's not twins. 

vaginal US"s are more accurate at the early stages than on the belly US's.

when you are "showing" early like that- it's all bloat- not baby - even with twins... babies are the size of peas or smaller in those early weeks- they don't make you show.

dec13th

smeyer:

My first u/s was at 7w but it was immediately obvious that we had 2 babies and 2 heartbeats.  My only thought was that perhaps your dr thought you could have a vanishing twin and didn't want to upset you or cause you to worry.  Do you have another u/s scheduled anytime soon?  Unfortunately, another u/s is the only way you'll be able to tell for sure.

This is what came to mind for me.  I think that they tried to breeze thru the situation in order to not upset you...

jackieb3858

My twins were missed at our 6 week ultrasound. We didn't find out until my 13 week ultrasound.

cocojack10

dec13th:

smeyer:

My first u/s was at 7w but it was immediately obvious that we had 2 babies and 2 heartbeats.  My only thought was that perhaps your dr thought you could have a vanishing twin and didn't want to upset you or cause you to worry.  Do you have another u/s scheduled anytime soon?  Unfortunately, another u/s is the only way you'll be able to tell for sure.

This is what came to mind for me.  I think that they tried to breeze thru the situation in order to not upset you...

This was my thought too.  SIL had a vanishing twin, which was discovered @ 13 wks.  Hope you get your answers later this wk!

babya2010

kaiteedidit:

Honestly, I think your doctor would definitely be able to tell at 9 weeks if there was a 2nd baby. Unless he isn't a very good doctor.

Ditto this. We found out at 5w6d (two very obvious heartbeats). At my 8w appt there was no denying there were indeed two babies. As far as showing/needing maternity clothes, I wore my regular clothes until I was 16w and used a belly band with regular clothes until about 20/22. This is my first pregnancy though.

It will be interesting to see how your next u/s goes - keep us posted!

RobynK

allison*marie*foster:

This is my first pregnancy. She measured the one baby we found at 9 weeks 6 days, so I'm pretty sure we're sure of the dates. Only one heartbeat though. It was the vaginal ultrasound though, not the one they use on the belly so I don't know if that makes a difference?

At that stage in pg the vag ultrasound is the best one and you will see more accurately then external/belly.

I'm sorry but if there were not 2 heartbeats seen during your appointment then you are not expecting twins.  The HB will start during week 6.  Best of luck to you in the remainder of your pg.