Twins are sharing 1 placenta?

courtney4425 · March 2014

Hey ladies,
I went to the dr yesterday for an ultrasound at 14 weeks and the dr is sending me to a high risk dr bc the babies are sharing a placenta. The dr didn't really give me any info, and I'm very new to this multiples thing.... Is this a huge deal? Dangerous to the babies? They are currently the same size, as of yesterday. Any help would be appreciated. Sorry if this is a dumb question!

ballygirl · March 2014

Twins can be either monochorionic or dichorionic. Dichorionic twins (di-di) each have their own placenta and amniotic sac. They can be either fraternal twins or identical twins. Monochorionic twins share a placenta and will be identical twins. Most monochorionic twins have their own amniotic sac within the placenta. This is called monochorionic, diamniotic (mo-di) Because they share a placenta, there are some additional risks associated with this type of pregnancy - mainly twin to twin transfulsion syndrome (TTTS). Its nothing to freak out about at this point but you should get treated by a high risk or maternal fetal medicine doctor for additional ultrasounds throughout your pregnancy. The specialist will go over all this with you. Some monochorionic twins also share an amniotic sac (mo-mo). This is more risky than other twin pregnancies but it is pretty rare I think. You will see the abbreviations di-di (for dichorionic, diamniotic), mo-di (monochorionic, dichorionic), and mo-mo (monochorionic, monoamniotic) quite a bit on here.

Congratulations on your twins! Since you are just starting out on your twin journey, I will tell you there is a lot of scary stuff out on the internet about twin pregnancies. Try not to get to freaked out about it all. Twin pregnancy can be a little more stressful and risky but outcomes are generally very good with good prenatal and possibly NICU care. Stay positive and feel free to come on here and ask away. I learned so much from this board during my own mo-di pregnancy. These ladies really know their stuff!

JTA2426 · March 2014

Everything PP said. My boys are mo-di, no TTTS, born at 34 weeks. They are 8 months now and so much fun! Congrats on your twins.

courtney4425 · March 2014

Thanks y'all. We've known since I was 6 weeks that they were twins, but this is the first time it started to feel real and scary!

24karat · March 2014

@ballygirl summed things up very nicely. I have mo-di twins (we thought they were mo-mo till around 14 weeks) as do many MoMs on this board. We had some complications but made it to 37 weeks with healthy babies.

It is very normal for a twin pregnancy to be referred to an MFM (high risk OB), especially mo-di or mo-mo twins. It can be alarming to hear all the crazy complications but try to not worry about things. My MFM was careful to say there is an elevated risk of complications, but that it isn't worth worrying about till they happen (if they even do) and that most twin pregnancies are carried close to term without major complications. Good luck and welcome!

jezebel57 · March 2014

Congrats! I have mo di boys born at 36 weeks with minimal complications during pregnancy. They are 8 weeks and doing great!

kgs0505 · March 2014

Congrats!

I had mo-di girls at 35w6d (also took until about 14 weeks to discover the dividing line between the sacs). They did have TTTS and fetal laser surgery, but we caught it early with the MFM (at the cusp of Stage 2 when they had surgery). The rest of my pregnancy was fine, with minimal complications. They did great and are healthly 11 month olds now Seeing a high risk doctor is very typical for twin pregnancies, especially identicals, so don't worry too much about it now.

daisy19782011 · March 2014

I am one of the rare people that have mo-mo twins. I am not going to lie, it was very scary, and my MFM tried to prepare me for the worst, but actually, other than planned hospital bedrest, and early delivery, the pregnancy as really good. They were born and 32w5d and were in the NICU for 3 weeks but were really healthy and still are. Congrats!

whitehousem · March 2014

I'm 28 weeks with mo/di twins. I have been seeing a MFM every other week since 12 weeks. No signs of TTTTS and it's pretty unlikely to develop at this point. They will just want to monitor you closely so they can catch any potential problems early on. Now that I'm further along I can see my MFM less and OB more. Congrats!

Labyrinth3000 · March 2014

Don't let the doctors scare you. My high risk specialist had me in tears worried about TTTS, Down Syndrome, and VSD. In the end my Mo/Di girls have none of the above. Congrats and try to relax!

courtney4425 · March 2014

Thanks y'all! Makes me feel so much better!!! Ill let y'all know what the high risk dr says when we go in a few weeks!

amy1007 · March 2014

Mo-di girls who are 2.5. Had them at 36w, complication free pregnancy!! Congrats!!

Rxmom04 · March 2014

Thank you so much for asking this. We just found out I am 8 else along with mono-di twins and I was wondering about needing a specialist too. Will be asking at my next appt. Good luck to you!

Want a personalized experience?

Twins are sharing 1 placenta?

Re: Twins are sharing 1 placenta?

Choose Another Board

Search Boards