Moms of mo/di twins

TeacherTiff

Care to share your pregnancy/birth experience with a totally freaked out newbie? Google is not my friend this weekend.

flutepharm87

My pregnancy was textbook perfect until my BP started rising around 25 weeks. At first, we were just watching it, but after going to L&D at 27 weeks for cramping (OB said it was possible PTL, but it definitely wasn't) and still having elevated pressures, I was admitted to the hospital for observation. A week later, after lots of testing, I was diagnosed with pre-e and was placed on hospital bedrest until delivery.

The MFMs there didn't think I'd make it to 29 weeks, so I got steroid shots and signed release forms for the boys to get donor milk. Then I made it to 29 weeks. But no one thought I'd make it to 32 weeks. 32 weeks came and went, and I thought I might just make it to 37 weeks, their eviction date. But at 34 weeks, we found out that I had 17grams of protein in my urine, which is really dangerous, so I was wheeled to the OR for an emergency c-section.

They inserted a catheter and put me on IV mag to prevent seizures from the pre-e (which makes you feel horrible, all hot and sweaty and out of it). We got my urine results at 7:30pm and at 10:33pm, my boys came into the world at 34 weeks gestation. Jack weighed 5lbs 0.57oz and was 16 1/4 inches long; Ian weighed 4lbs 10.57oz and was 18 1/8 inches long. They were immediately taken to NICU while I was wheeled to recovery.

I wasn't allowed out of bed for 24 hours due to the mag drip (they kept it going for 24 hours pp to make sure I didn't seize) and then I was wheeled to NICU to see my boys. They were tiny and perfect. I was discharged from the hospital on Monday, gave birth the Thursday before. I was in the hospital for a total of 54 days.

Ian came home after 8 days of NICU time as he was a feeder/grower. Jack was in NICU for 23 days because he was having breathing trouble and later got an infection. Both are doing well at home with mommy and daddy. Oh, and around 31-32 weeks, I developed Bell's Palsy, which paralyzed the left side of my face. Took about 5 weeks, steroids and antivirals to clear me up, but I'm fine now (minus some residual nerve pain in my left cheek when pressure is put on it). GL, being a MoM is an amazing ride (so far!)!

IAM4UK

TONS of Appointments. At one point I was in the doctor's office at least 4 times a week. I had bi-weekly NSTs, doctor's visit, and then ultrasounds. I could have combined them, but I was on bedrest and it was great to get out.

 I was placed on bedrest at 27 weeks due to a high discordance between the babies. Bed rest worked and no real issues after that. I was admitted at 36 weeks on 12/23. I convinced the doctor's to send me home on Christmas Eve and they took them on New Year's Eve by planned c-section. I had to have a c-section since I had one with my oldest.

You need to be monitored to be on the look out for TTTS. See a MFM if you aren't comfortable with your OB. I only saw the MFM's since I was high risk before I even got pregnant. I have severe pre-e with my oldest and delivered her at 33 weeks at only 2lbs. 15oz. I never developed pre-e with the twins and delivered them at 37 weeks exactly at 6lbs. 2oz. and 5lbs. 9oz.

Good luck!

heatheric71505

No more google!!!  I too was terrified, we found out at 20 weeks that we were going to be having twins so it was very difficult to see the membrane.  For two weeks we weren't sure if there was one.  Google was not good in those days!  At 22 weeks we found out they were mono/di girls.

I don't even remember how often we were seeing docs, getting ultrasounds and having BPP's done, but at the end I was literally seeing someone to check on the babies every two days.  It was crazy!  It was all worth it though because my girls were born at 38 weeks 6 days at their scheduled c-section (I had a c-section with my son) and weighed 6 lbs 12 oz and 6 lbs 1 oz. 

I blogged about the emotions/worry about my twin pregnancy here

https://joshua-babylove.blogspot.com/2010/08/whole-new-world.html

Wishing you the best!  Welcome to the club

blondek8

I had a textbook, normal, uncomplicated, symptom-free pregnancy (except for the horrible edema at the end of the pregnancy) and was induced at 37w6d. I had an epidural and laboured for 9 hours, pushed for 2 and the boys were born with the help of some forceps. Nathan was 6.12 and 19inches, Ryan was 6.1 and 19inches. Both of them tripled their birth weights by their 6 month check up.

omgtwinsfeb11

All's well that ends well, right?  

I went on hospital bed rest at 22 wk. due to leaking fluids and contractions.   Because of my insurance, the medicine that I was on (which they're no longer using b/c of change in FDA recs) required that I be inpatient.  So I hung out in the hospital for 11 weeks until my babies were born.  It was scary in the beginning b/c they were telling me that I might lose them, but once I settled into a routine, it was not all that bad.  I was able to work from the hospital, which helped.

 As for the birth, my water broke and they let me labor for awhile but the babies' heart rates kept dipping so they decided to go with a C.  I loved loved my C section.  It was easy, recovery was not bad, and my scar is barely visible. 

 Boys had 4 weeks of NICU time to the day.  I know that sounds long, but there were no major problems.  They just kept having sleep apneas, so every time they had one, it would delay their discharge a week.  

 At 6 months, they are perfectly average sizes for their actual age (17 lb 5oz/25.5 in).  They've always been within a few ounces of each other.  You would never know all we went through!! 

Good luck!  I know you're getting some scary stories on here, but really it's not too frightening.  

 

Mrs. Alice

If you are freaked out, it probably won't benefit you to read mine! 

My mo/di twins were discovered at my 10 week u/s.  I had to request a MFM referral from my OB because she didn't feel I needed it yet.  However I felt uncomfortable with just her, given the higher risk of mo/di twins.  After 16 weeks mo/di twins need to be watched closely for TTTS.  I had my a/s at 18 weeks with the MFM.  Found out we were having two healthy looking little boys! 

Meanwhile everything seemed to be going fine and then I went back to the MFM for another appointment at 22 weeks.  Diagnosed with stage I TTTS.  Not a candidate for surgery yet.  Taken off work to "take it easy" at home and told to eat a high protein diet and come back next week for another u/s.  That was the longest week ever.  Our next u/s actually looked better - baby A had more fluid, but he was having an abnormal cord doppler.  Again, come back next week for another u/s.  I came with a bag packed that time.  Baby A was measuring way behind with absent diastolic flow to his cord.  The Dr. gave us a very grave outcome - 10% survival rate right now.  We may need to consider a procedure to clamp baby A's umbilical cord to give baby B a better chance. 

At 24 weeks, I was directly admitted that day to the high risk OB unit.  NSTs 3x day, u/s 3x week to monitor them closely.  Somehow my babies continued to grow and thrive and I managed to keep them inside for 4.5 more weeks.  At my last u/s we had a growth scan and baby A had dropped into 6th percentile.  It was too risky to continue on with the pregnancy now.  They were born  by c-section later that day.  An awesome birthday by the way, 7-11-11.  Owen weighed 2lbs and Miles weighed 2lbs 8oz. This is by far the hardest thing I have ever gone through, but I know it will all be worth it in the end when I take my precious babies home.

mpstochlinski8

wow all of your stories are amazing,scary and hopeful at the same time. Im 24wks today with mono/di twins so far so good but sounds like most of you were fine til late 2nd tri or so. I will keep fingers crossed for all of us things cont to go smooth! congrats on your news of twins, def avoid google its super scary. for me talking to my docs and moms here comforts me and educates me the most I'd say. GL

TeacherTiff

Thanks so much everyone. My H keeps telling me to step away from google too, but it's so hard. I literally knew nothing about twins and then went to the u/s alone and was in too much shock to ask any questions. I see my OB in a little less than 2 weeks so I'll have questions galore then. For now, we are thinking they are mo/di but she wasn't 100% sure she could see a membrane... lots of prayers going on!

I appreciate all of the stories- comforting and a little scary. Knowledge is power, right?

JosiePosy

I think it's good to know the risks, but at the same time you don't want to scare yourself silly either.

I was textbook until 20 weeks (approx). Then I was sent to a specialist for possible TTTS. That turned out not to be the case, but Baby A was definitely growing slower than Baby B. We kept a close eye on things. My cervix shortened and funneled, but being horizontal as much as possible helped for that.

At 26 weeks I was in the hospital on Mag for a few days due to PTL. We got the contractions under control and I was discharged on oral meds.

At 28 weeks I was back in the hospital (during my biology final exam of course) for symptoms of HELLP/pre-e. I took my bio final in the hospital (and passed by the way) and stayed on hospital bedrest for 8 days until the doctor decided I needed to deliver. My bloodwork kept getting worse, and if we waited much longer I would have had very low platelets and needed to be put under for the surgery. So we had an emergency c/s at 29w6d and the girls were born at 3lbs and 2 lbs 4 oz. I saw them for a couple of minutes and then they spent the first 4 days in the Level III NICU at the children's hospital across the street from my hospital. I stayed in the hospital for 5 days after delivery to watch my BP and bloodwork. The girls were transferred to the Level II Special Care for the next month. At 43 days, they both were discharged.

6 months after discharge, and they are about 15 and 17 lbs and doing fabulous. 

lovebugkim

My pregnancy was uncomplicated as well & I was able to work the whole time. We found out we were having twins on our 1st appointment at 8 weeks!! Right away the Dr. told us that at some point we will be seeing a Specialist or MFM. We opted for an NT scan at 12 weeks which came out great and then at our 20 week anatomy scan, my Dr. said this is where you will need to start seeing the MFM. I would see my OB every 4 weeks and I was going to my MFM weekly to check for TTTS. Baby A had more fluid than Baby B, but after several weeks, they evened out. In the beginning it was scary. You just hope and pray that things continue to work out every time you go. After a month & a half of close monitoring my MFM ruled out TTTS and only wanted to see me biweekly. Then after just 2 biweekly appointments, I was back to seeing her weekly because my Baby B was behind Baby A growth wise. So for the rest of my pregnancy, I would go to weekly MFM appointments for growth scans and BPP's. I LOVED seeing my babies every week, but those appointments are not always happy ones.   I ended up getting steroid shots for lung development in case of PTL, but never had blood pressure problems or Pre-E.

In the end I carried my boys for 36 weeks 4days. They were born by C-section due to Baby A being breech and Baby B transverse. They were 5lbs 4oz & 4lbs 4oz and both scored 9&9 on their APGAR's.  Baby B had to go to the NICU because he was under 5lbs, but only as a grower feeder. He was never on oxygen or anything else and he was able to come home with us when I was discharged 4 days later!!

pea-kay

I had mo/tri triplets so my story is a bit different, but all the same, i had a perfect, easy pregnancy. No complications or labor or contractions or anything. But at 32 weeks, my bp started rising, and there was some protein in my urine. I was hospitalized and delivered at 33w2d. Less than 2 weeks of nicu time for the boys.