If you have twins/triplets, how did the doctor/nurse/midwife tell you?

[TheTERFnextDoor]

And did any of you have a hunch before the medical professionals told you?

I'm just curious as this is always such a significant moment in films etc.

I knew was carrying twins. It was my fourth pregnancy and every symptom was much stronger. I didn’t say anything to my husband in case he thought I was crazy. I had an early scan and the sonograph said ‘I can see a really strong heart beat for baby 1 here but there is also another weaker heartbeat for baby 2. As the sonographer predicted twin 2 stopped growing.

Lovely thread, this has made me wish for twins! So sorry for every mum who has suffered a loss too, heartbreaking at any stage.

Telling other people we were expecting twins was fun too. The best reaction was my brother. We told him I was pregnant after the 12 week scan and handed him a picture of Twin 1 - "This is the baby". Then handed him a picture of Twin 2 - "And this is the baby's twin." "Oh yes," he replied, nodding along politely - shortly followed by, "TWINS?!?" as he actually registered what I'd said!

I've been on the other end of that too, however...! My first pregnancy was only a few weeks behind that of a work colleague, our maternity leaves were roughly the same time, etc. When we were both back at work, somebody said to me, "Oh, did you hear about <name>? She's expecting twins!" And I said, "Oh my goodness, a toddler and newborn twins?! She's never going to sleep again!" And those words rang in my ears when I found myself in that very position just a couple of months later!

I was very nervous at the scan, mostly because I was 17 and had just come to terms with being pregnant only to become really worried something would be wrong with the baby.
The nurse was so lovely, really gentle and reassuring. She talked about support I had in place and was just very kind. I asked if she would check it was all okay before showing me, because I didn't think I wanted to look if something had already gone wrong and she said she would and when I was ready she would point out everything on the screen for me.
She was scanning away and I was staring at the diagram of a uterus on the opposite wall.
She sort of said "ooh" and I whipped my head round asking what it was and was it okay. She said everything is totally fine, measurements are spot on, do you want to see?
And she turned the screen round and showed me something like this is the legs, this is the spine, and this is the other babys spine and there are both of their heads, you've got two perfect babies in there darl.

I went for an early ish scan as did some high impact sports and was really really sick. Husband, who was watching the screen while the sonographer scanned, started giggling and held 2 fingers up to me. I cried and vomited all the way home, while he kept giggling

Magical thread.

I'm so sorry to read about those who have had losses x

@mnhq can this go into classics?

Totally outing to anyone that knows me but here goes! I had a sixth sense that I was going to have twins. Already had two and decided to go for 3rd. Said to husband that if he agreed to 3, he should be prepared for 4 in case it was twins. Got pregnant, told family early as it was Christmas. My daughter who was six at time said she hoped it was two babies in my tummy. Then out with friends and said it would be just my luck for it to be twins. Following day I sadly miscarried at 11 weeks. Three months later I was pregnant again and decided to go for an early private scan at 10 weeks. I went on my own, and night before asked my husband how he would feel if it was twins. No real reason to say this - I wasn't feeling particularly sick, wasn't showing.
Anyway lying on the couch and the sonographer said "was this an assisted conception?" (No). "Is there a history of multiples in the family?" (No). " Well it's twins!". I immediately asked if they were identical and after a quick second opinion she confirmed that there was one placenta, so yes identical. I told my husband over the phone from outside the clinic but checked he was sitting down first. Next stop was a bookshop where I bought two books about twins/twin pregnancies. They are 19 now.

this one made me emotional x what a lovely thread to read

I was very sick from the beginning, much more than with my first pregnancy, and started looking pregnant from about 8 weeks. My GP referred me to hospital for a scan at 24/25 weeks, as I was very big for dates. At the time, ultrasound was only used in exceptional circumstances and was not routine. I had to go to the county hospital, as our local hospital didn't have a scanner yet.
I strongly suspected I was carrying twins, partly because of my size but mainly because of the movements - I was feeling kicks all over the place.
The radiographer scanned me and said, "well there are definitely two babies in there!" and showed me the screen.

At my first scan. Sonographer said ‘there’s one heartbeat and there’s another’.
I was so shocked. I had to go back to work and i was still keeping it quiet so had to pretend to Be normal whilst grinning like a lunatic all
day.
one of the best days of my life.

This thread is beautiful 😍

I found out at 8 weeks pregnant. I went to the EPAU as I'd had some pain and bleeding. I was fully expecting them to tell me I'd had a miscarriage but they said "baby has a strong heartbeat and is measuring bang on the dates you have given us. But sadly if you look here, we have a second sack. Baby is only measuring 6 weeks with no heartbeat. It's very likely this is a non viable pregnancy and you will fully miscarry over the coming days" I was distraught. They asked me to come back for a second scan a week later. I'd stopped bleeding by then and it was only a single pregnancy.

That baby is now 15. He arrived almost 10 weeks weeks early weighing just a little under 2lbs due to severe pre eclampsia and HELLP syndrome followed by a PPH after delivery. I wonder if by losing the 2nd baby my body was protecting me due to what was to come later on in the pregnancy?! I will obviously never know but I may well have lost them both otherwise.

So cute!

Funny you should say that because I've always told DP when we were younger 'I reckon id have twins one day' and sure did!

Also, funnily enough when I was about 6 weeks pregnant we told our 2YO DS there is a baby in mummy's tummy and he said 'I love the babies in mummy's tummy' 👀 he knew before us!

We had a history of non-viable pregnancy and were scanning during Covid so everything delayed.

Me: 'Is the heartbeat there? Is it beating?'
Nurse: 'Yes, it's fine. Both fine.'

Three years on, both very fine indeed 😍

Went for 12 week scan.
Sonographer asked me "is there a history of twins in your family? (Very conversationally as if musing and not in relation to what she was seeing).
I said no.
She said "well there is now!"

Exactly the same for me, at a private early scan.

Though my older daughter (she was three then) told me beforehand - gave me a cuddle around my waist and said “There’s babies in there”. I corrected her and asked her if she thought there was a baby in mum’s tummy.

They are difficult but fabulous toddlers and a bossy older sister now.

In the 1960s my DM found out when the midwife said ‘my god there’s another one’. My DF was downstairs on the phone telling his parents they had a grandson, he pulled the bannister off the wall getting up the stairs to my mum!

At my ultrasound the sonographer said she could see two heartbeats let’s just check for any more. I was glad I was lying down, thankfully justvtwins. I have no idea how the parents of triplets plus manage.

Agreed. Mother's of triplets should be presented an OBE in the delivery suite as compulsory!

I don't have a spare hand. Triplet mum's don't have enough hands. Huge difference.

This almost made me cry. A beautiful story.

Agree! Best story on a thread of lovely stories!

There are lots of non-ID twins in my family including my siblings so I’ve always expected to have them. Was actually more shocked when I had singletons!

Midwife was scanning my tummy, turned the screen around and asked what could I see? 2 heartbeats next to each other was clearly visible. Double the love❤️❤️