ID Twins - 2 Yolk Sacs, 1 Placenta

MissMandyD

I just had my second ultrasound and learned that our ID twins have different yolk sacs but share a placenta. Have any of you had this situation with multiples? And if so what can I expect? I can't go back to my OB until Monday and I am a little nervous because the radiologist said this makes me higher risk.

Thank you in advance for any advice! 

JTA2426

What you are describing is called mono di twins. It does make you higher risk as the pregnancy develops, and you will probably receive a consult with a maternal fetal specialist and more frequent monitoring as the pregnancy progresses. Your OB will tell you more, but lots of us on the board have this type of twin with no issues. I'm at 31 weeks with mine today, complication free. Good luck!

CNYBride05

At our 1st u/s, we saw 2 yolk sacs.  Many ID twins share a placenta.  The risk they are talking about is twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS).  

Our girls are mono-di, meaning the are in the same sac, but there is a membrane between them, thus mono (1 sac), di (own fluid).  That's a super basic explanation.  Many of the ladies here can explain further.

I was also worried about TTTS initially, but it's rare and you'll be monitored.  I had monthly MW or OB appts and monthly, then biweekly, then weekly u/s.  Congrats on your twins! 

PurpleIris30

Congrats!

We also saw 2 yolk sacs and 1 placenta at our first ultrasound, which meant we were most likely having mo-di identical twins.  In addition to everything the previous posters have said, I did want to add that we did have to go for another ultrasound to confirm that there was a separating amniotic membrane between the babies at about 10 weeks.  Although rare, there have been clinically confirmed cases of mo-mo twins (1 amniotic sac with 1 placenta) with two yolk sacs, so our OB and MFM specialist wanted to confirm we did have 2 amniotic sacs. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20664434  Mo-mo twins are higher risk than mo-di twins.

So most likely you have mo-di twins, but don't be surprised if you need another ultrasound to confirm they are mo-di rather than mo-mo, especially if the membrane isn't visible. 

amy1007

Yep. They were worried ours were mo/mo till 12w. Had our Id mono/di girls at 36w. No problems they were perfect!

SWA80

I'm 20 weeks with mono di twins. My advice is to do some research about the risks and to make sure that your doctor/s are monitoring everything carefully and properly. It is important to know the situation well so that you can advocate for yourself. It can be scary but outcomes are usually positive, even if TTTS develops but is caught early.

MissMandyD

Thank you so much for the advice! It really helps. 

raraavis28

My twins were mono/di as well, and for me it entailed a lot more monitoring, especially since they started showing a growth discordance of more than 20% around 15 weeks (this can be an indicator of TTTS). I was referred to an MFM and had biweekly ultrasounds to monitor the babies' growth, fluid levels, cord blood flow, and to check their bladders and kidneys. All along they were healthy, and did not develop TTTS, though they were delivered via C/S at 35w4d when their growth discordance surpassed the 20% mark. Baby A is still quite a bit bigger than B but they are healthy happy boys!

Good luck! Having mono/dis can be nerve-wracking (esp. if you have any kind of complication) but lots of ladies on this board had no problems. I would definitely recommend seeing an MFM and getting frequent monitoring. It helps set your mind at ease if nothing else. Wishing you a healthy and uneventful 8ish months!

Mrs. Alice

Congrats!  Sounds like you are expecting mono/di twins which means they are identical twins who share a placenta.  I had the same type.  It's hard to predict exactly what to expect but you will definitely have lots of u/s, monitoring and many Dr.'s visits during your pregnancy since you are high risk.  At some point you should also be consulting with a high risk Dr. known as a perinatologist or MFM.  Here's a link to another bumpie's blog with a great explanation of twin types:

https://pyjammy.com/types-of-twinstriplets/

JesseKhloe&Me

Yes, this was us We found out late & this is the reason the Dr. would never confirm they were ID. One was a pound bigger, which is normal & no complications!! Congrats & good luck!!

tiffwedd

Our boys shared a placenta and I had a very uneventful pregnancy.  I did get an ultrasound pretty much at every appointment to monitor them closely but I never complained because I got to see my beans often. 

Your doc will let you know the risks but the best advice mine gave me was to stay relaxed and not worry about things I read and I think the positive thoughts really helped in my case.

Good luck!