To want some answers?! Pic attached

[Mashoona88]

I'm about 12 weeks pregnant following a missed miscarriage at 13 weeks at the beginning of this year. I'll put the disclaimer in here that I realise I am completely obsessing and this is probably an irritating post but I'm just so frustrated.

First things first, I had cramping and minor spotting at 6ish weeks. I was aghast and convinced I was losing this baby, too. I finally got an appointment at an EPU at 7 weeks and had an internal scan, which I quickly discovered was by a student (I wasn't asked to consent), who tried to insert the probe into my anus twice and then very brutally shoved it into the correct orifice without so much as a cursory wipe. I was so taken aback by the fact she found a heartbeat I barely had a chance to think about how to respond to the violation or to really look at the screen.

Fast forward a couple of weeks and my tummy had really popped (uterus palpable halfway between pubis and belly button) and sickness had hit full force. It got me to thinking whether the spotting and cramps was thanks to a twin, vanishing or not. I pulled out the pic the tech had given me and see something but it isn't clearly a second sac - see pic, bottom right. I thought perhaps it's conceivable that my evidently unqualified sonographer might have missed something at this early stage. I certainly didn't get any explanation at the EPU - just the usual 'there can sometimes be pain and bleeding in pregnancy that's normal' chat. I have since gone google crazy and discovered other pics at 7 weeks for twins that look similar, also for vanishing twins, also for bleeds. I've posted the pic elsewhere and got little response and thought I'd just wait for my next scan and perhaps get some answers, but even though I booked early at about 7 weeks (and my MW confirms she put in scan request then) I rang up the us department yesterday having not for a date through and the reception said she just booked me for a week and a half from now!

Now I know it is ridiculous but every day feels excruciating, I just want answers. If there's a bleed that's potentially a risk, I want to know. If there's a twin, obviously I want to know! If there was a vanishing twin, I'd still want to know and to value that life as I did the last baby I lost. The more time elapses, the less likely it is I'll get those answers (it may well be reabsorbed).

AIBU to be so het up that I can't seem to get any answers? That I have to wait so long?! (I suspect yes - but can someone please give me an opinion on the pic?!) also that I think early pregnancy care can be so effing insensitive? I pleaded with the us receptionist for a cancellation to have my scan closer to 12 weeks on account of being worried due to the MMC and she was so rude and cold!

Thanks

[DinoSnores]

Your scan looks very, very similar to the 8 week scans that I had with all three of them, all of whom were singletons.

[Mashoona88]

Thank you for your reply, dino. Did you have the second blob? Any explanation for it, or is it just an artefact of ultrasound?

[FlyingGoose]

I had slight bleeding in early pregnancy, had a scan at epu, it was very clearly twins with two heartbeats. Didn't look anything like your scan picture. Was five and a half Weeks gestation. Hope you get you're scan soon.

[FlyingGoose]

Sorry *your

[wrapsuperstar]

I had a vanishing identical twin. Seen on scans at 6, 7 and finally 8 weeks -- in the last her heart had stopped beating. By the 12 week scan she'd been reabsorbed.

Even at 6 weeks it was easy to spot on the scan. I have had many many early scans due to RMC and yours looks like a normal singleton pregnancy of that gestation. I am so, so sorry to hear of your dreadful treatment by the trainee sonographer. If you feel up to it at some point down the line please don't hesitate to speak up about it.

Congratulations on your pregnancy.

[2boys1girl1dog]

I see what you mean about the second sack, although I'm not at all qualified so haven't got a clue!! I feel for you, I know how anxious and obsessed you feel after having gone through a miscarriage. I hope you can get answers as soon as possible and I hope it puts your mind at rest.
Good luck!

[DinoSnores]

I don't know enough about ultrasound, I'm afraid, to answer properly, but do you mean the two 'blobs' of the baby, one being the head, the other the body with the emerging limb buds.

This site has a few good pictures to compare with:

pregnancy.about.com/od/pregnancycalendar/ig/7-Weeks-Pregnant.-ThA/

Hope that all goes well next week. Time never moves so slowly from the time from that BFP to the dating scan in my experience!

[Mashoona88]

Thank you all for taking the time to reply. Dino, I've scoured those and many other pics - the second blob is the fainter one to the bottom right of my uterus, next to the clear gestational sac.

[Mashoona88]

And oooh yes, how it drags!

[m0nkeynuts]

Is this what you mean (hoping I have highlighted the right bits...)?

I'm absolutely NOT an ultrasound expert but it does look a bit like a second sac, when compared to twin ultrasound pics.

[Mashoona88]

Thanks monkeynuts, exactly what I mean. It does look like something at least then, and I'm not totally insane?

[Mashoona88]

Wrap - I missed your post somehow. So sorry to hear about your RMC and your vanishing twin. I was thinking di/di due to the separate sac if anything for me, but accept it could be something else, or nothing.

I filled out my mumsnet survey on mc care yesterday and did think perhaps I'd try to pluck up the courage to say something about that scan. If I had found out at that stage the baby wasn't viable think the whole experience would have been a significant trauma.

Thanks again all, really does help to have others to bounce off at the very least

[TwoAndTwoEqualsChaos]

I had a blighted ovum/vanishing twin/empty sac at a 7 week scan. They did say, I'd have never noticed it if I had had my first scan at 12 weeks. I am afraid I can't recall exactly whatthe scan looked like, I'm sorry, but, with all this pain and uncertainty, can't you go along again to EPAU? Once we've been referred to it, in our area, I think we can return without another referral.

[neversleepagain]

Here's my twins scan. Looks different to yours.

[neversleepagain]

And mine were DCDA.

[YoureMyWifeNowDave]

www.advancedwomensimaging.com.au/first-trimester-dating-ultrasound

I suspect that the other dark bit may be your bladder

[Mashoona88]

Two - I'm so sorry to hear about your vanishing twin. I feel reluctant to go back, once bitten twice shy perhaps! But that is the most sensible suggestion really, perhaps I shall.

Neversleep - nice pic. Yep, I can see it doesn't look like mine. But as I say, I've scoured literally hundreds of pics (loony, I know) and they all look different to some extent, and some do look similar.

Youremywife - I explored that possibility (only via google, granted) and from what I could glean it would seem not as the blob appears inside the uterus. I could very well be wrong of course.

[AntoinetteCosway]

I have no answers about the pic but wanted to ask whether you've complained about the sonographer? Trying to insert the probe into your anus is just horrific. How basic a knowledge of biology does she have?! Or was she just not looking/paying attention? Either way she needs some more training immediately and at the least. I'm so sorry you went through that.

[Poppyhat]

I'm a GM to twins and went to all the scans , from 6 weeks onwards .
I keep going back to your pic. , and the more I do the more I can see exactly what you mean, there does look like a second sac ,
It doesn't look like my daughters, but they all looks different anyway. .
I did meet a mother with twins who had had normal scan done , all through her pregnancy. , but it wasn't until the birth that they realised there was a second baby there . So they sometimes do miss the second baby especially if they are not looking for 2 babies.
Non identical twins can be conceived at different times so a person could have a 7week and a 6week foetus so would look a bit different in the scan anyway. .
Good luck with this pregnancy , I hope it all goes well .

[WandaDoff]

Would you be able to afford a private scan?

If you google private pregnancy scan for your area it should give you a few results so you could check prices.

[Mashoona88]

Antoinette - I haven't yet but I'm thinking I should say something. Not necessarily to complain about the student - although she clearly needs more training before performing such scans on sensitive women in the EPU, but about the fact I was given a student (with the potential to make these errors) without being asked for my consent. Their was what a presume was her supervisor in the room but she was tapping distractingly on a computer and literally didn't look up. Saying that, the student could do with some direct feedback, not least about her bedside manner. When I squealed in pain upon the second attempted anal entry she just shoved it in the correct hole without a sorry, or indeed batting an eyelid.

Poppy - thanks for looking and your reassuring words. I had thought that about the possibility of two different conception dates.. Who knows. I'm leaning towards it probably being a bleed, perhaps explaining my spotting.. But wish someone would have confirmed it to me at the time if so.

Wanda - I did check it out over Easter but they seemed to be booked up for ages, will look into it again, but truthfully we can't really justify the cost and with my toddler (and me not driving and very pregnant-sick) it would be difficult to get to my nearest. I might resort to it though.

Will update when I have any answers, anyway. I always love a good update.

[Mashoona88]

*there

[icanneverremember]

I had six rounds of fertility treatment and finally fell pg with twins. My 6 week twin scan was very different - even though they were dcda the sacs were exactly next door to each other, touching along their length. i'm in no way a sonographer or medical expert but the second blob looks like it could be your colon - I often saw mine on frequent internal scans!

[Mashoona88]

Hi icannever, congratulations on your twins after such a long fertility journey. Yup, I know colon can be seen on scans, but not within the uterine walls usually? Maybe though. I wouldn't mind, I just want to know - I want any and all information to prevent me going mad this time. The MMC hit me (and my marriage) quite hard and this pregnancy feels a bit of a test of endurance so far. I realise that might sound self indulgent to others who have had RMC and hard fertility journeys, and I'm hating myself a bit for that.

A scan might not resolve the question of the blob now, I realise, but time will tell eh?

[deakymom]

i can't comment on the twin aspect but if it helps i had blood loss with all three of my children one was "significant" blood loss they are all fine and ALL singles and im at higher risk of a multiple because my dad is a twin who was originally triplets nan lost one (who would have been her only girl out of 8 boys) but the boys were healthy full term

may the rest of your pregnancy go well complain about the student and be mindful of thrush because that is what caused my bleeding with my first son it was chronic and caused my cervix to degrade hence the bleeding and what looked like flesh being lost (tmi) my point is it looked bad but he was full term and i had to be induced to get him out in the end xx