2 sacs 1 heartbeat, I'm in limbo. AIBU to ask for your advice?

[Diddlf]

Posting for traffic as I'm in limbo, confused, a bit upset and would appreciate some advice.

I'm 7 weeks pregnant. Gruelling exhaustion and constant nausea, far worse than I had with my existing DC.

Last week I had a termination consultation which included an internal scan. The scan showed two sacs of identical size but only one of them contained an embryo with a heartbeat.

I couldn't go through with a termination and decided to proceed with the pregnancy.

I spoke with my GP about the findings from the scan and she referred me to the early pregnancy clinic. They called me this afternoon and have booked me in for a viability scan next week to see whether anything has developed in the second sac.

I've read conflicting anecdotes online, some saying the same happened with them and they went on to have healthy twins - others saying they went through it and it was "vanishing twin syndrome"

I'm told it's not uncommon for one to implant later than the other hence a difference in the rate of development, plus I'm still really early.

What should I be bracing myself for, in your opinion?

Has anybody got any experience of similar?

No experience but a massive unmumsnetty hug.

Keep resting and try not to worry. Make sure you are drinking enough.

Thank you Libraries, that's very kind of you.

I'm staying well hydrated and have started on folic acid.

Shortly after posting this thread I've began to have stomach pain, trying not to worry too much as I had horrendous stomach ache in early pregnancy and he was just fine.

My friend had what she thought was early miscarriage but when she went for a scan there was a healthy remaining twin. I do have to say that with one child I saw a heartbeat at 7 weeks and the other it wasn’t visible till nearly 9 weeks. Are you okay? I don’t think you can predict the results.

I’m so sorry, it’s very hard news to hear.

I had a twin pregnancy, early scan done due to bleeding so found out at approx 8 weeks. At my 12 week scan one of the twins had no heartbeat. I wasn’t offered a termination and tbh would have been horrified at the thought. I have nothing against abortion at all but mine was a planned pregnancy and I would have preferred to wait and see.

The remaining twin (ds2) is now in 6th form and planning for university🥰 It was a horrendous pregnancy as no one could tell me what would happen. I was told I may miscarry but no one could know for sure. Obviously I didn’t and had a full term pregnancy.

I hope things work out for you💐

I'm sorry your in this position.

I had an early internal scan at 7+3 and discovered I was having twins and both heartbeats were seen on screen.

The sonographer did explain to me about vanishing twin syndrome and to wait until 12 weeks before absolute confirmation that both twins were viable.

I ended up going for a private scan at 9+4 for viability for reassurance.

I hope your okay

Thank you for the replies, I appreciate them. I've been having some stabbing pains down below over the past couple of days and then this v uncomfortable stomach pain tonight but no bleeding. Touch wood.

It was a huge shock and I wasn't expecting it. There has been no history of twins in my family and OH never mentioned there being any in his - until we got this news and he said his DM once told him that he was a twin and she miscarried his sibling.

My heart was never in having a termination, I just felt I had no option at the time due to circumstances. As soon as I saw a heartbeat on the screen I knew I couldn't go through with it and now have this overwhelming urge to protect the baby/ies at whatever cost.

I'm very sorry for your loss and what you went through Cosmic, I'm so pleased everything worked out well for your DS2 though. I bet you're so proud

@rosegoldivy

I'm sorry your in this position.

I had an early internal scan at 7+3 and discovered I was having twins and both heartbeats were seen on screen.

The sonographer did explain to me about vanishing twin syndrome and to wait until 12 weeks before absolute confirmation that both twins were viable.

I ended up going for a private scan at 9+4 for viability for reassurance.

I hope your okay

Hi Rose

I was exactly 5 weeks and 6 days when the scan revealed one heartbeat, so I'm cautiously hopeful that twin #2 implanted a little later and theirs will be visible at the viability scan, though I'm bracing myself for there being no change or the sac having shrunk.

I'll be 8 weeks when I have that scan so things will be much clearer by then.

How lovely that both of your twins were viable, that's heartening to read.

Its really a wait and see situation, which is really hard.
I had two sacs, one heartbeat at 7 weeks, two heartbeats at 8 weeks, then only one heartbeat at 9weeks. This was after ivf and previous early losses, hence the numerous scans. It was very sad but the remaining pregnancy was uneventful and DD is a fully fledged tween now.
Best wishes

@BreakfastClub80

Its really a wait and see situation, which is really hard. I had two sacs, one heartbeat at 7 weeks, two heartbeats at 8 weeks, then only one heartbeat at 9weeks. This was after ivf and previous early losses, hence the numerous scans. It was very sad but the remaining pregnancy was uneventful and DD is a fully fledged tween now. Best wishes

I'm very sorry for your loss's, Breakfast.

Gah life can be so unfair can't it

You're right about it being a 'wait and see' situation, and that's the hardest bit for me. I've been swaying between reaching acceptance that there's only one growing, to then thinking "but there might be two, it might be ok"

Really pleased that your DD made it

Not twins but I had an internal scan and no heartbeat at 5 weeks (risk of ectopic pregnancy), no heartbeat at 6weeks -but yes one at 7 weeks -more of a fetal pole. That child is currently watching netflix...........sadly it is wait and see.

I've seen a surprisingly large number of stories of people who's twins didn't just implant at slightly different times but were from two entirely different ovulation events. Ie. weeks between them. If you google it, it's actually 'relatively' common in twin pregnancies. I've read a number of stories where the person went into labour with 1 full-term baby and one 36-40 week baby.

With you having been checked at 5+6, although there are no guarantees, I would feel very hopeful that you were just too early to see twin #2.

Have you ruled out a private scan to check? It would remove the wait and I'd have thought you'd have a definitive answer by now.

Wishing you the best whatever the outcome.

Hello and sorry you are going through this. I had lots of bleeding in early pregnancy, two sacs but only one heartbeat at 8 weeks. Lots of bleeding between 8 and 12 weeks, including once so bad I had to be taken to hospital in an ambulance. That one heartbeat is now a 12 year old who is taller than me! I will never forget those weeks though, it is all so hard. Take care.

Thank you so much for the continued replies, it's really helpful to be able to discuss it.

I've seen a surprisingly large number of stories of people who's twins didn't just implant at slightly different times but were from two entirely different ovulation events. Ie. weeks between them. If you google it, it's actually 'relatively' common in twin pregnancies. I've read a number of stories where the person went into labour with 1 full-term baby and one 36-40 week baby

That is so fascinating to me! I haven't actually heard of this before, but I'm going to look into it for sure. I didn't know that was possible

I'm really sorry for your loss, the devilsadvocate. It's sad that it seems really common for that to happen. It's lovely to hear your DD is ok and thriving though, if i do end up with just the one I'll still consider myself lucky.

It's crazy how much can change in a week. I've gone from feeling as though I simply had to terminate to now wanting to protect the baby/ies at whatever cost.

Thanks OP, we were thrilled to get our one and only but you do still feel the loss. Though you could start paying for scans, and I think we paid for the 9 week one as I wanted reassurance, the truth is that it’s very early days yet.
I think you may well be fine, it is early for you to see a heartbeat iirc. I hope so.

@Diddlf It's called Superfetation. And the stats would suggest it's incredibly rare, but I get the sense that the only reported cases are cases where the twins are literally/actually born weeks apart. I've seen so many women saying that they had twins that measured days/weeks apart so they suspect this is what happened to them (although there's no documented evidence of it)

I do wonder how many cases go unreported though. Particularly because the difference in dates is most likely to be a matter of days and so it's automatically put down to late implantation, slower growth, not of significance etc.

I agree that your feelings can change quickly. I honestly felt lucky that two had implanted purely because it meant a higher chance of ending up with one, and I didn’t especially want a twin pregnancy (which you do have to think about with ivf). After we lost one, I thought about that one a lot. Now, it is a part of our DDs story.

I forgot to answer tbe question about private scan!

Yes, I could (and will) do that depending on what happens at the viability scan next week.

The nurse who called me to book me in for that scan said they'd want to leave at least 2 weeks between scans (the one at the consultation and then the viability one) as more can change in two weeks than it can one.

Different circs but I had a early scan at before 7 weeks and one baby. Asked what the second circle was and was told it was part of the sac.

12 week scan and two heartbeats....

I think the early scan showed two sacs but because I was so early only one heartbeat and the woman wasn't very experienced.

Healthy pregnancy but what had caused the early scan was quite severe stomach pains to the point I was convinced it was ectopic.

Good luck

@SleepingStandingUp

Different circs but I had a early scan at before 7 weeks and one baby. Asked what the second circle was and was told it was part of the sac.

12 week scan and two heartbeats....

I think the early scan showed two sacs but because I was so early only one heartbeat and the woman wasn't very experienced.

Healthy pregnancy but what had caused the early scan was quite severe stomach pains to the point I was convinced it was ectopic.

Good luck

I wonder if the pains you were having were similar to what I'm having tonight, can you remember how it felt? IE stabbing/dull/sharp etc.

I've no knowledge of what an ectopic feels like barring what I've heard about pain on the shoulder being a red flag for one.

Thankfully ectopic was ruled out last week, everything is where it should be.

My whole stomach hurts, a little better than an hour ago but still moderately painful. I have a constant cramp along my bikini line where you would usually get period pains, but it extends all the way upwards. I have a 'burning' feeling behind my belly button.

I remember having alot of pain with DS in the early weeks and having a scan to check all was fine, it was. I can't be totally sure whether this is that pain again or different iykwim.

@CosmicComfort

I’m so sorry, it’s very hard news to hear.

I had a twin pregnancy, early scan done due to bleeding so found out at approx 8 weeks. At my 12 week scan one of the twins had no heartbeat. I wasn’t offered a termination and tbh would have been horrified at the thought. I have nothing against abortion at all but mine was a planned pregnancy and I would have preferred to wait and see.

The remaining twin (ds2) is now in 6th form and planning for university🥰 It was a horrendous pregnancy as no one could tell me what would happen. I was told I may miscarry but no one could know for sure. Obviously I didn’t and had a full term pregnancy.

I hope things work out for you💐

This is almost exactly the same as what happened to me.

@Diddlf it was very much on one side, which is why o worried about ectopic. And it was sharp pain.

Abdominal pain has dissipated this morning thankfully.

I wish I asked for a copy of the scan print outs the nurse took at the consultation, just incase the sac has reabsorbed by next week. It's really hard to think of one being there one week and possibly gone the next.

Argh, must think positive thoughts

@Diddlf

Abdominal pain has dissipated this morning thankfully.

I wish I asked for a copy of the scan print outs the nurse took at the consultation, just incase the sac has reabsorbed by next week. It's really hard to think of one being there one week and possibly gone the next.

Argh, must think positive thoughts

Hey OP, do you have any update