Vanishing Twin

ANDOPANO6

Have a lot of you fellow IVF'ers had this happen? I'm wondering how common it is.

Last Saturday I had blood in my urine, along with spotting all week, so I freaked out when I saw the blood. Got an emergency ultrasound at RE that morning and found out I had a second yolk sack somehow they missed. Baby A measuring on track at 10 weeks, baby B stunted at 6 weeks, and they say it will never grow and my body will absorb. This was also the source of the blood and spotting they assume cause other baby looking good.

It did make me kinda sad to learn this, even though I'm so grateful for healthy baby A. I did implant two embies, but all this time I thought only one took. My doctor says this is common? Have any of you had this happen, does the other sack effect the growing baby, has anyone's ever grown all the sudden? Dumb questions I'm sure, but like to hear experiences. Thanks!

k8teeinTX

I had a vanishing twin that initially had a heartbeat, but stopped developing around 8 weeks. We could still see the sac on u/s at 12 weeks, but it was gone by 15 weeks. I never had any bleeding from the loss of the twin, but that was likely due to its position. Baby A hasn't been affected in anyway. The only problem I did encounter was that I couldn't do the first trimester screen blood work or the Materni21 test because they couldn't tell which twin the fetal DNA was from. I know it's hard, but try not to worry. Vanishing twin is very common especially with IVF.

KdgTeacher

We found our Baby B at our second u/s with a heartbeat and by 11 weeks it was no longer viable.

My RE and OB both said that a large percentage of women who get pregnant with twins don't deliver twins.

Also, FWIW, you didn't implant 2 embryos.  You transferred them.  Both implanted and 1 stopped growing.

ETA: The sac of our Baby B was still around well after 14 wks.

oooCarrieB

Yes, very normal. With my IVF fresh cycle pg, we transferred 2 blasts, 1 split and I was originally pg w triplets. We lost the ID twins around 8 weeks. The extra placenta did not absorb until 20 weeks. I have a very healthy 2 year old from that pregnancy.

Hang in there. I know it makes you worry a lot.  

ANDOPANO6

KdgTeacher:

Also, FWIW, you didn't implant 2 embryos.  You transferred them.  Both implanted and 1 stopped growing.

I meant my body implanted both embies, but only one was viable.

ANDOPANO6

k8teeinTX:

I had a vanishing twin that initially had a heartbeat, but stopped developing around 8 weeks. We could still see the sac on u/s at 12 weeks, but it was gone by 15 weeks. I never had any bleeding from the loss of the twin, but that was likely due to its position. Baby A hasn't been affected in anyway. The only problem I did encounter was that I couldn't do the first trimester screen blood work or the Materni21 test because they couldn't tell which twin the fetal DNA was from. I know it's hard, but try not to worry. Vanishing twin is very common especially with IVF.

Very helpful to know about the Mat21. I am planning on doing the Harmony at my first OB apt in 2 weeks so hopefully I will be able to.

Thanks for the information ladies. 

new+tothis

I was initially pregnant with twins. Both had good heart rates until one miscarried. I could still see the sac and remains until about 16 weeks. At 18 weeks I asked and the tech could still see the other sac but it was much smaller and there were no longer any remains. It didn't impact the other baby at all. She is fine. In my case, I don't think it really reabsorbed so much as miscarried (I had a lot of bleeding and some clots). I'm so sorry you're going through this. It was a very painful experience for me. I had to grieve and mourn the loss.

BootsOrHearts

I'm sorry for your loss. I hope the rest of your pregnancy is uneventful!

ANDOPANO6

Thank you gals for the support and info. I suppose I am grateful I didn't find out about it until recently as I would've been very sad to lose one like some of you did, where you had time to grow attached to it. That would be much rougher.

TrixieGirl82

We lost a twin at 9 or 10 weeks.  We knew we were expecting twins and had no idea we lost one until we went in for a routine ultrasound and saw twin B no longer had a heart beat.  It broke my heart-still does, but I am thankful everything is ok with our twin A.  Twin B continued to "photobomb" our ultrasounds until about 14 weeks when it got pushed out of the way.  My doctor said he won't reabsorb, but that it will get pushed out of the way and when I deliver it will just look like a small piece of tissue.  They watched me closely just to make sure that twin B wasn't getting in the way of twin A growing.  After doing some research it does seem like it is more common then I would have thought.  I do hate the word "vanishing twin" though

ashleymarie512

We saw twins and two heartbeats at our seven week scan and then I started spotting brown about a week and a half later. I went in for our second scan a couple days early and baby b had quit developing, probably close to when our first ultrasound was. Dr doesn't think the spotting was related, and besides that maybe symptom, I didn't have any others. No remaining issues and remaining twin is doing great!

My RE told us at our first scan that viability was good and to plan on twins. Then after our second scan he told us this happens a lot with IVF. I wish I had known that and he hasn't given us somewhat false hope. It was hard to untell family about the twins.

FWIW, I still struggle with emotions of losing that baby and at every milestone, I think about how baby b would be doing at this point.

futurehuber

I'm so sorry for your loss. Either way, I imagine it's still tough. 

ANDOPANO6

To each of you ladies who responded I am sorry for each of your losses also. Seeing it in an ultrasound weekly, Im still at RE and getting scans weekly, is definitely disheartening.

CousinVicki

yes, i had twins, both with heartbeats, one stopped growing at 8 weeks.   still a little sad about it sometimes, it's bittersweet and hard to grasp when  you still have another healthy one growing!