Identical Twins: Scans

[TigerCub07]

Hi,
Is this normal?

I'm 21 weeks pregnant with identical twins and I'm having a scan evey 4 weeks (12, 16, 20, 24 etc). Is this normal?

Also, people keep asking me how I know they are identical as when their sister/friend/cousin/stranger on the street etc had twins they were told there was no way of telling if they are ID or not in utero. Again, is this true??

Sorry, the photo is there now. Pretty similar, non?

Hi

I am new to all this but desperate to know if anyone is in the same situation... I am 19 weeks pregnant with ID twins who are in the same sac and sharing the same placenta. I am being scanned at St Mary's every 2 weeks to check for TTTS. I was quite freaked out when they told me all the risks and said my pregnany was high rish, high complication and that whatever happens they won't let it go past 36 weeks!! Has anyone been in the same or similar position? Am having another scan today so will know more but at the moment the growth is fine.

Thanks a million.

Nina

Hi ninacze, I was told the membrane separating the sacs can be very hard to detect, so there could be one there. Try to stay calm and have faith that the fortnightly monitoring will pick up anything untoward.
The multiples board is a great place to come for support. x

Thanks BibiBoo!

I had a scan yesterday and they said there is a membrane and that so far no TTTS signs which is fantastic!

I'll keep watching what's going on...

Yay! The day they found the membrane (20 something weeks for me) was the best day ever, I'd been soooo worried until then. I'm so pleased for you.

I was scanned every 2 weeks i found out i was having twins @ 6 weeks pregnant & thats when i was told they were id twins(MCDA) as i was told the earlier the scans the better way of seeing the placenta ect & more accurate in telling if id or fraturnal. I had my girls @ 29 weeks. The hospital i had my girls in do fortnightly scans for id twins up2 30 weeks then weekly scans & every 4 weeks for fraturnal twins

I am 17w with id twins - seperate sac but only seperated by a thin membrane, and one placenta. From what I've picked up, the earlier the scan the easier it is for them to say ID or not. I've been told they are 99% sure they're ID but I think they're scared to say 100% incase they're wrong and I sue (not that I would!). Sometimes it's hard for them to tell, depends on sonographer's clear view.

4 weekly scans are usually for non-id twins. I will be having fortnightly scans and consultant appointments from 20 weeks onwards. My pg is straight forward, good blood pressure etc and I have dd1 who is 3 and had good pg with her so my fortnightly scans are standard rather than due to issues.

Which hopsital are you at? I'm at Yeovil in Somerset.

Congratulations on pg!

As I understand it, the placenta issue depends on when the zygote divided.

If it divides between conception (day 0) and day 4, then each twin will have their own placenta, and their own amniotic sac. So, DCDA twins. And then no-one can tell from the scans whether they're identical or fraternal twins!

A division between day 5 and day 9 means a shared placenta, but each twin has their own amniotic sac. Thus, MCDA twins.

And from day 9 to 13, the twins would share the placenta, and the amniotic sac, making them MCMA twins.

Post 14 days results in conjoined twins.

I have MCDA twins (one placenta, one sac with a thin seperating membrane- def ID), am having growth scans to check for TTTS every two weeks and on the alternating weeks a consultant appt at my local hospital where they have been doing a quick scan just to check the heartbeats.

So I had a scan at 8, 12, 14, 15, 16, 17 and so on until week 24 when they have said they will drop to every 4 weeks as the main risk period for TTTS will have passed by that stage.