Twins?

xmandapandahx · January 2014

First off, please do not judge us or say harsh words. I am only here for support and to get answers. Long story short, we are 26 weeks and have not been to a doctor (besides to confirm) yet. We didn't know we were pregnant for a very long time and then found out my doctor (who has delivered our previous 2 children) moved, had to find a new hospital/doctor that accepted my insurance and had an opening. Blah, blah, blah. I already feel like shit for being this far along and not seeing a doctor yet. Our first appointment is next week and the place we were going wouldn't even rush my appointment. They made us wait 3 weeks to get in!! They were the only place we called that even had an opening within 45 minutes of us =\ whatever.. anyways, on to the question. I have a home doppler. Used it today and found a heart rate at 150 bpm and then 125 bpm. A few family members and my husband already keep joking with me that I'm having twins because I am a little bigger than I was in the 2 previous pregnancies. So, when I found such a difference in heart rates I got curious. Is it normal for a singleton to have such a difference or should we be concerned about multiples? The only reason it even crossed my mind is I had just gone off the birth control pill and have heard of it causing you to hyperovulate and get twins. I thought I was just big since it was baby #3 though. Thoughts on the heart rate(s)? I know neither were my own. Mine was 106, I checked right after it picked up the 125 (after already finding a 150). Both were the nice, strong, galloping horse beats.. not the quieter (cord?) heart beats you sometimes find.

Ylvelill · January 2014

From what I hear it isn't uncommon to pick up your own arteries when using the Doppler but I have no direct experience

Good luck at your appointment though!

xmandapandahx · January 2014

Would my arteries be faster than my own heart beat though? That's a bit high for an adult isn't it? I don't know. Just curious. It was just weird. I kept track of both of my girls' heart rates and such throughout those pregnancies and they never jumped around like that and I could always tell what is my heart beat and what is a baby's. I will try again tomorrow just to check.

AmandaFaith · January 2014

Yes, the artery would register higher on the doppler than your own HR. I don't really pay much attention to the numbers on my doppler though (a Sonoline b) just because they don't seem very accurate. The artery has more of a swooshing sound, whereas our babies sound more like horses galloping. DH & I know DS is positioned on my left as DD on my right, and you can even tell a difference know how their heart rates sound--her's is faster. I hope you get some answers soon! T&Ps that your pregnancy continues well!

xmandapandahx · January 2014

They both sounded like a galloping is what got me. Also, I counted the heart rate that I heard (counted for 15 seconds, multiplied by 4). The placenta is what sounds like wind through trees, then the cord and/or arteries are more of the faint, swoosh swoosh sounding heart beats and then there is the loud galloping (reminds me of an oil well!). Right? I do hope my family is just being silly. I don't think I'm THAT much bigger than my previous 2 babies! LOL! And thank you! I'm very glad everything has been going so smoothly (except for the doctor part, grr!). I'm still really mad at myself for not knowing for so long =\ I feel awful, like.. how could I NOT know?! I am quite used to my body going 6 months without a period though so I wasn't even thinking about it, ya know? Too late now to beat myself up though. Glad we found a doctor who will accept my insurance and new patients!

xmandapandahx · January 2014

I kept looking for the cord to plug the doppler into the computer and record what I was hearing but I can't find it. Oh well! Thanks ladies!!! =D

pea-kay · January 2014

Don't beat yourself up - it actually happened to a (very intelligent) friend of mine. Not the twins, but the not realizing she was pregnant until later.

It's really hard for us to say how many babies you are having, but congrats on your pregnancy!

xmandapandahx · January 2014

Thank you! I really hope it's just a single, totally not prepared for our 3 under 4.. let alone any more than that!

KatieGummow · January 2014

No idea. Call your doctor and ask? Maybe it wlil get you in sooner. Keep us posted after you see your doc!

xnbride · January 2014

The doppler is really hard to use with twins. I do remember that with my singletons I got heartbeats all over my belly as it echoed around. And while I do get each of them on the doppler there is really no way that I would think "twins" based on that because they are very similar. The one distinct thing that is different about the doppler that could be most telling is I will get kicks at different spots because they are each kicking the doppler.
GL either way and congrats!!

ceechie · January 2014

My ob didn't use the Doppler until I was over 30 weeks bc it was so hard to get each babies heart rate. I do remember that I could feel two babies in there kicking (I never knew who was who until the end of pregnancy but it was busy!). And at 26 weeks, are you getting lots of movement? And since it's your third pregnancy, does the movement seem all over and more than normal?

zazu13 · January 2014

No experience with the doppler, but I am also 26 weeks. I have noticeable movement every day in two very distinct places in my belly, often at the same time. I haven't been through a single pregnancy, but since you have are you noticing double the movement? Measuring bigger is not uncommon in subsequent pregnancies, but I am as large as many 40 week single pregnancies. Best of luck and congratulations on your baby or babies. Keep us posted!

xmandapandahx · January 2014

I am recognizing different movement than with the girls. I could very easily "belly map" them and figure out where they were and how they were situated but I tried with this baby and I can't figure it out. I told my husband it's either a really crazy baby that is doing somersaults and using all his/her limbs to kick/punch me or it's an octopus. He replied with "it's twins" -_- I could very easily find where the head or bum was, find a heart beat and feel where the big kicks were and then from that point.. use the belly mapping website to guide me into finding baby's position. I have tried over and over again this pregnancy and I just can't seem to figure out how baby would be situated in there. There are kicks in two different spots and then smaller bumps (like hands) in another spot and then I can feel a bum (I don't think it's a head due to sometimes it feels more like a leg). I have noticed that it doesn't really change though. I don't get kicks or bumps in random places. It's always the same spots. I figured s/he would still have room to turn and move around but I guess it's just comfy in there. Lol!

xmandapandahx · January 2014

I'm pretty tiny so I think him and our family is just being silly because I am bigger this time but jeez... it's our third baby!

This is me at 27 weeks with our second, I was pretty much the exact same with the first as well.

This is at 24 weeks this pregnancy. I don't have any photos from 24 weeks with either previous baby.

ceechie · January 2014

You should try to measure it. I was always measuring 10 weeks ahead! Every single appointment until the end then at 37 weeks, I measured 52! Ahhhh....
Also, have you looked into a private ultra sound clinic. Usually they charge under $100 for a basic gender reveal or 2d ultrasound. If it is in fact twins, the high risk factor takes over and you need to see a MFM fast. Good luck and healthy pregnancy thoughts!

xmandapandahx · January 2014

Thank you! I tried to talk DH into a private ultrasound place since we had to wait so long just to get a freakin' appointment with the new doctor but he said it wasn't going to happen and to just wait. I am already high risk due to having uterine didelphys but the new doctor apparently didn't care and didn't rush anything "you still have to wait the normal _X amount of time_ before being seen". Really?! We tried to explain our situation but they weren't listening and just kept repeating that the first appointment is always scheduled for so many weeks after the person calls to get an appointment. I've never heard of a place doing this so I am already not liking this place. Whatever.. anyways, how do you measure? I have never tried to measure myself. With both of my girls, according to my doc, I always measured about right (she never said I was smaller or larger than what I should be at).

xmandapandahx · January 2014

...and we still have a week until our first appointment. It's on the 21st. I am tempted to call them back and see if they have anything sooner but I doubt they'd change it if they were that adamant when we first called.

TheDairyQueenx3 · January 2014

For what it's worth my twins heart rates were exactly the same or within a beat or two if each other on Doppler and ultrasound. Also I was much smaller than I was with my oldest (a singleton) with him I showed like normal around 18 week mark with the twins I didn't even show until 25ish weeks. I'm pretty small too (108 pre twins now 124 at 9 weeks pp) Keep us updated when you get your ultrasound! Hope they get you in quickly for that! Congrats on the pregnancy

ps dont feel bad about not getting in sooner it happened to me with our first. And then the insurance issues with them delayed us another 5 weeks so I was 20 weeks when I was seen never did get a real due date but he is a very healthy crazy 4 year old

LottaLattes · January 2014

Honestly, the only way to know is through an u/s. My twins always had the exact same hr on the Doppler and in u/s as well. And you could just have a bigger baby, could be further than you realize, have more fluid, etc. Good luck either way, try to be patient and no point in stressing until then, hang in there!!

jennybean80 · January 2014

In order to get a really accurate heart rate you need to count each one for one full minute. It is normal for a single babies heart rate to fluctuate quite a bit, as there will be periods where it is at baseline, and then periods of accelerations (usually when baby is moving). So one baby's baseline could be 125 bpm and the same baby could then have a period of accels that put it up to, or above, 160bpm.

Not saying it couldn't be two babies, but it could just as easily be one.

ShannonSky · January 2014

Yeah, I think you'll just have to wait

for me, heart rates are always nearly the same, but in very different locations (lower right, mid left). Movement is very distinct from my last two pregnancies and clearly feels like two babies.

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