Petrified

[butterflycats]

Just found out I'm expecting MCDA or MCMA twins... They are not sure if there was a thin membrane present or not. Had a scan 4 weeks ago at 6 weeks and only 1 baby with fetal heart seen, and 1 yolk sac, so in complete shock when I went for private scan and there are 2! Just petrified really of things going wrong and how we're going to cope x

[Tftpoo]

Congratulations butterflycats. I have MCDA twins. It can be stressful during pregnancy but you do get a very close eye kept on you. There will be a lot of scans and consultant appointments but at least you don't have to wait too long between each one. Pregnant friends used to tell me how lucky I was to have so many scans but I didn't feel lucky - it was stressful worrying about the risks. Tamba has some excellent info and resources on all types of twin pregnancy and especially twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) which is a risk in MCDA pregnancies. My boys were born with undiagnosed TTTS but are fine now. I would definitely recommend having a look on the Tamba website if you haven't already. Good luck with your pregnancy and do ask if you have any questions or just want a bit of support.

[butterflycats]

It's TTTS and IUGR I'm worried about I think and just the fact the risks for everything are so much higher. I'm a doctor and have worked quite a bit in obstetrics and paediatrics so I think that is making me worse! It's nice to hear from people who have had 2 healthy babies at the end of it though x

[Tftpoo]

I guess sometimes knowing more about the complications than most can make it more scary! I was fairly ignorant about twin pregnancies until it happened to me. I don't know if it makes you feel better but the antenatal care I recieved was fantastic, followed the NICE guidelines on multiple pregnancy to the letter and my consultant was very good and approachable. I felt well looked after during my pregnancy (got unlucky with the undiagnosed TTTS as it was the rarer, harder to diagnose TAPS version) . Even with all this, it's hard not to worry. I found it useful to go to community midwife appts as well as the hospital appts as I found she had a bit more time to talk thorough my emotional worries about bf, coping with 2 babies etc whereas the consultant was good for talking about the medical stuff.

[Tftpoo]

Oh meant to say, can you ask your midwife/consultant if your hospital does any multiple birth specific antenatal classes? I went to two and they were fantastic. Went through a lot of questions about birth but also practical stuff about looking after two babies. Antoher suggestion would be to see if there are any local twins clubs where you live. Tamba have a list or you could try your local Children's Centee or a Facebook search for groups.

[butterflycats]

Thank you tftpoo I think it's still early days, one measuring at 10 wks one at 9+5 and will be able to ask more when I've got my antenatal appt at 12+3. I was already consultant led anyway! Will definitely look locally to see if there is anything, but just concentrating on getting through the pregnancy first I think!

[ELSR30]

We found out we were having twins at about 7.5 weeks through a private scan and like you they couldn't see a membrane either. By the 12 week NHS scan they were able to confirm that we were having MCDA twins. I worried myself stupid about TTTS and had awful morning sickness through most of the pregnancy. There were a few scans where I would sit and analyse the measurements on the way home and convince myself there was something wrong even though the consultant wasn't concerned. At 36.5 weeks I had a planned C section as both were breach and my twins we born at 6lbs each and spent no time in special care. In hindsight I wasted a huge about of time worrying for absolutely no reason. My twins are now 18 months old and currently jumping up and down on the sofa with their older sister!

[Twicethehugs]

I've got two healthy MCDA twins who have just turned two. As everyone says, there are lots of scans and you'll be kept a close eye on. I worried a lot and was convinced they'd be prem but ended up being induced as they didn't want the pregnancy to go past 38 weeks. 5 days in SCBU but nothing that serious - a bit of jaundice, not very big (around 5 lb), needed to establish feeding and the ward wasn't that busy. I have a bit of medical knowledge but imagine the more you know, the more potentially scary it is. TAMBA is really good for advice and support, also run some classes etc in different areas. I hope you get over the shock soon and your pregnancy is pretty straightforward.

[GlitzAndGigglesx]

Congratulations! I'm 16w pregnant with DCDA twins but am MCDA myself. It's perfectly natural to feel even more anxious when carrying twins as with a singleton but as twins are more high risk we do panic more. I find TAMBA and baby centre really helpful and all questions are answered on there

[slightlyinsane]

Congrats on your twins xx I have 8 1/2 month mcma girls. Like tftpoo they were born with undiagnosed TAPS but don't appear to have any lasting problems. I think you are in a better position than most in that you know where to get the most up to date information on care and can way up all your options from a personal and professional point of view. Use that at every appointment and question everything.
Twin pregnancies are tough on your body so listen to it and rest when it needs it, be prepared to hit a brick wall, I think mine appeared at 30 ish wks. Good luck there's loads of people on here with loads of different experiences that can answer any questions.

[butterflycats]

Thank you so much for your support, so nice to hear good news stories ??