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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

to ask if it's possible for a scan to miss a twin?

67 replies

Carlalala101 · 25/02/2017 23:16

I had my first scan last week and my pregnancy was dated at 9 weeks 4 days. The sonographer performed the ultrasound for only around 3-4 minutes and didn't seem thorough at all.

This is my third pregnancy, my other DC are four and two years old. This time, I knew I was pregnant before I tested. The line was immediate and dark despite being several days before my missed period. I feel nauseous all day every day and cannot bend over without retching. I'm so extremely tired that I fell asleep playing on the floor with the DC midday today and headbutted the floor Blush I can barely eat and have had lots of stretching and cramping pains. Perhaps most significantly of all, I think I look around 4/5 months pregnant already.

I suspected before my scan that twins could be a possibility and was hoping to have my mind put at rest but the speed of the ultrasound and my continuing growth and symptoms makes me wonder if it's possible for a twin to be missed at an early scan. I hadn't heard of it before but having Googled it, it seems it is possible though I'm sure it's very rare.

AIBU to ask if you, or anyone you know, had a twin pregnancy that wasn't detected at an early scan? And am I being unreasonable if I book a private scan to investigate more thoroughly?

OP posts:
bonfireheart · 25/02/2017 23:19

Yes I know someone this happened to.

toomuchfaster · 25/02/2017 23:22

I strongly believe this happened to me, as I had a huge bleed at 10weeks but was still pregnant after it and had two placentas! Totally denied by the doctor I saw, but midwife said it was definitely possible.

EmeraldIsle86 · 25/02/2017 23:23

I think it would be very unlikely. We had an early scan at 8 weeks with dc3 and it was very obvious that there was only one blob in there...even more obvious than the scans at 12+ weeks in a way when they're zoomed right in.

In terms of size, I don't think it's unusual to be very large on number 3. I was 'average' sized on dc 1 and 2. I'm currently 29 weeks with number 3 and my bump is huge this time...people regularly ask how long I have left, thinking it's a matter of days and are gobsmacked when I say 11 weeks.

Fernanie · 25/02/2017 23:25

It's not unheard of. I don't think it's unreasonable to book a private scan, just expensive Grin. Depends if you can bear to wait another couple weeks for the routine 12 week one or not. But women get additional private scans for all sorts of reasons - the midwives and doctors certainly aren't going to think anything of it if you do go for it!

Birdsgottaf1y · 25/02/2017 23:29

My friends twin pregnancy was picked up at around 13 weeks.

My DD was convinced that she was having twins, because the latest pregnancy was very different. We asked the MW and she said that they can be missed on the first scan, because one can be behind the other (or something).

My DD is only having one, the pregnancy has just clicked in stronger and quicker.

Original poster
Carlalala101 · 25/02/2017 23:32

This is how big I am already; I wasn't this size until at least six months pregnant during my last pregnancy. It feels feel far too big for just ten weeks Confused

OP posts:
Pinksink · 25/02/2017 23:34

I had exactly the symptoms you describe with v unexpected 3rd pregnancy. Was picked up at 5 week scan though even at that stage they thought there might be problems. One had a heartbeat the other didn't. At 12 weeks I completely lost one baby but the other is now 2! Good luck x

Inneedofaholiday2017 · 25/02/2017 23:36

3rd pregnancy - you'll pop much sooner sorry!

I was convinced my dd was a twin pregnancy for all the reasons you also outline but no - there was always only one and she's right here now. Each pregnancy is different. When they listen to the heart beat they can listen for two in your next app. Likelihood is nothing was missed tho.

BarbarianMum · 25/02/2017 23:38

That might be a 5 month look for you but you look the same as I did at 12 weeks and I just had singletons. They were whoppers though.

UnicornButtplug · 25/02/2017 23:42

The baby/babies wouldn't even be put of your pelvis at 10 weeks, I was the same with my third baby but it's mostly water retention and bloating, your stomach muscles just don't hold it in after being weakened by the previous pregnancies.

welshmist · 25/02/2017 23:45

I was enormous with the second very early on, they suspected twins but scan showed just one, he was born weighing 8 lbs, however, according to my husband when they broke my waters, he nearly floated out of the room. So it could be just a lot of amniotic fluid.

Original poster
Carlalala101 · 25/02/2017 23:46

I don't mean to sound smug unicorn but my stomach muscles had recovered and it was flat. I took this picture a week after doing the test so it's gone from flat to huge in just five weeks!

OP posts:
knorrig · 25/02/2017 23:46

I had a scan at 7+4 and it was a twin pregnancy...there were clearly two blobs and two heartbeats. They did need to do an internal scan that get a proper look as one was smaller and heartbeat slower. Unfortunately the second one didn't make it and had all but disappeared by the 12 week scan. No bleed, just got reabsorbed. But all going well with baby 1 and 23 weeks today.
I did suffer with terrible sickness and tiredness in the first 10 weeks and doc said my body was suffering 2x due to it being twins.

Original poster
Carlalala101 · 25/02/2017 23:47

And my first two only just hit 6lbs despite being full term so I don't have a history of big babies. I fully accept the twin theory is unlikely; I just would've preferred a more thorough ultrasound to have completely put the idea out of my mind!

OP posts:
chatnanny · 25/02/2017 23:48

Surely it's the height of the fundus which suggests the weeks. When you lie down you should be able to feel where the bump actually has its top especially as you're slim. 20 weeks is up to tummy button. 12 weeks you can just feel it above the pubic bone. Yes you may stick out more each pregnancy but it wouldn't affect the height. I'd be asking for a rescan. As well as twins you could have a fibroid.

JayneAusten · 25/02/2017 23:49

I feel bad saying this but hopefully it's worth it to put your mind at rest - the shape of your tummy looks really bloated rather than an advanced pregnancy stage. I can get a tummy like that after a good chinese takeaway. Grin I really doubt they missed a twin.

RyanStartedTheFire · 25/02/2017 23:51

No matter if you have a flat tummy after giving birth your muscles have still been stretched out and automatically ping out. Your uterus would barely be out above your pubic bone now. I would be seeking advice though as I wouldn't think that was normal for 10 weeks.

Pixel · 25/02/2017 23:52

When dd was at playgroup there was another mum who didn't know until the birth that there were two babies. The doctors reckoned that as their heartbeats were synchronised it only sounded like one which makes sense but she told me that she did have a scan as well. What stage she was at when she had the scan I don't know.

Original poster
Carlalala101 · 25/02/2017 23:53

I hadn't eaten before the photo was taken since the previous day though because I purposely wanted to see what it was like pre-bloat. It is even bigger by the end of the day once bloating is accounted for.

OP posts:
Pixel · 25/02/2017 23:55

Sorry that's probably not very helpful as it's rather vague and I'm only going by what she said! You may want to ignore me Blush.

Witchend · 25/02/2017 23:56

Yes it's possible-my dsis knows someone it was missed until 36 weeks as one was behind the other. they were sent in for measuring big for dates. Then they spotted a third foot. Grin

However, the tiredness is probably dealing with a 2 and 4yo as well as being pregnant and you do show more for later pregnancies.
With dd1 and dd2 people didn't realise I was pregnant even at 30+ weeks (the advantage of severe morning sickness). With ds I was definitely looking pregnant by 12 weeks despite still having morning sickness.

And the size of the baby doesn't necessarily mean you look bigger. I was sent in as measuring severely small for dates-dd1 was nearly 8lb at a week early. Dsis was sent in for measuring large for dates. 5.5lb at a fortnight late.

JayneAusten · 26/02/2017 00:00

Everyone always knows someone this happened to, yet I've never heard anyone say 'It happened to me'.

It sounds a little bit like you're disappointed. Did you mentally prepare for two? In the first photo you have your arms up and are tensed. In the second one you're very relaxed, arms down. Plus bloat. As others have said, twins or no twins, the uterus would still be totally inside your pelvis at this stage so there literally isn't anything it can be other than bloat, water retention and weak stomach muscles. Ah, it's such a glamorous time.

PinguForPresident · 26/02/2017 00:09

Unlikely, but not unheard of. Scanning technology these days is pretty advanced.

It's much more liekly to be stomach muscles that have been weakened by 2 previous pregnancies and given up the ghost much earlier on this time, plus bloat and water retention.

At 10 weeks your uterus would generally not be palpable above your pubic bone. The "bump" is all other stuff.

Lynnm63 · 26/02/2017 00:22

I had twins. It was a problematic pregnancy that saw me in hospital on bed rest dtd didn't like being scanned and particularly didn't like the heartbeat trace they did twice a day for 20 mins. She used to 'hide' behind her brother. It regularly took an hour to get 20 mins of her heartbeat. They could always find her on ultrasound though, eventually!

underneaththeash · 26/02/2017 00:26

I had a very flat stomach after DC1 and DC2 and looked very very pregnant after just a few weeks with DC3 - I also asked if it was "just 1".