MMC of twins - can anyone help make sense of this?

[liloa]

We had our 12 week scan today and a rescan in EPU, and unfortunately it looks like it is a twin MMC. I've got so many questions rattling round in my head and wonder if any of the below is familiar to anyone?

The first scan showed a fairly developed gestational sac (probably about 9w) but it was empty. It was agreed that because of the size it really couldn't be viable, so we could start management for MMC today, subject to being rescanned in EPU as a formality.

Had the EPU scan and they agreed, until the doctor suddenly stumbled across a second gestational sac with a yolk sac in it. She said that was not viable either, as it was much too small (I checked online afterwards and it's probably the equivalent of 4w), but unfortunately policy means they have to wait a couple of weeks and rescan me. No possibility of management in the meantime.

I would understand if they'd only found the very small one there might be a tiny glimmer of hope that my dates were massively out, but surely the combination of a 9w empty sac plus 4w sac means it's impossible? So why in this case do we have to wait for the inevitable?

Also, I'm struggling to get round what has most likely happened here. So the tiny sac presumably took but stopped growing at 4w or so, whereas the larger one never did but nonetheless kept growing? I've spent a while Googling twin MMC but I can't really find anything similar.

I know I probably need to step away from Google but at the moment none of it makes sense. Thank you for any wise words!

Sorry to hear what you are going through.

I had a missed miscarriage a few years ago. I was scanned once and then had surgery. In the aftermath of this I really worried that there had been a mistake and I had lost my baby needlessly.

While the couple of weeks wait is going to be absolutely terrible for you at least at the end of this you will be absolutely sure that there was no mistake.

Thank you, @itstrue. I'm so sorry for your loss and to then have that worry on top 💐

It totally makes sense to wait to be sure, but it sounds like here it just wouldn't be possible with such a difference in size between the two sacs (the doctor herself said no chance that the second one is viable either). It's hard because I think DH is holding onto a small amount of hope on the basis that they otherwise wouldn't be rescanning.

I am so sorry you're going through this. It very much sounds like they are just following protocol here, as they are required to. Doesn't make it any easier on you or your husband though. Sending lots of love.

Thank you, @Fletchasketch. Unfortunately stuck in a bit of limbo now. I started bleeding on and off around a week ago a few days ago and they said they'd call me today to see if things had progressed and to formulate a plan. No call yet but I've just had a couple of electronic letters come through saying they've discharged me and cancelled the remaining appointments. No progression in the bleeding either. I'm not feeling that optimistic about the miscarriage completing on its own at this point (I must be about 14 weeks and one of the embryos stopped growing at 5) so will somehow have to get back into the system. I never realised it could be this drawn out.

I'm sorry for your loss. I had similar. A MMC with twins at 13 weeks. I think mine both stopped growing at 9 weeks but we were told they wouldn't start management for 2 weeks as it was twins but that it was almost certainly a MMC but they weren't allowed to do management.

I then miscarried naturally the next day. To warn you of the practicalities it was quite a difficult process because the size of the pregnancy. I had contractions which I wasn't expecting.

There are charities around who can give you support