Positive Twin pregnancy stories please :)

[goingmadtrying]

Hi All

I found out yesterday that I am pregnant with identical twins :)

I am 6 weeks so still very early but 2 yolk sacs within one sac both with good heartbeats,

Obviously the worst thing to do but I have been googling twin pregnancies and the reading is not pretty. :( I'm now worried about vanishing twin, and also have read its not great they in the same sac, although the sonographer did say it was good they each had their own placenta???

I would be really grateful to hear any positive stories you may have, because I have been left feeling there is no hope :(

Congratulations!!

I may be wrong but I don't think you can have two placentas in one sac. You either have:

MCDA - one placenta, two sacs
MCMA - one placenta, one sac
DCDA - two placentas, two sacs

MCMA are the riskiest and rarest twin pregnancies, DCDA are the least riskiest. If twins are in your family it is likely they are DCDA (although not necessarily!) as they are two seperate eggs and the hyperovulation is hereditary down the female line.

MC twins are totally random - one eggs splits in two. My twins are MCDA and they are now amazing 20 week olds. The pregnancy wasn't easy but the end result is two beautiful babies.

Best of luck to you:)

Just to add to silverangel's post, DC twins can be identical - if the single fertilised egg splits soon after fertilisation, you get DCDA, if it splits a bit later you get MCDA, if it splits a but later you get MCMA, and if it splits very late (about 10 to 14 days I think) them sadly you get conjoined twins. The implication if this is that you cannot rule out identical twins just because they're DCDA (unless they're B/G!)

From the pregnancy point of view, I had DCDA B/G twins. I had a completely uneventful pregnancy (though was very tired in 1st and 3rd trimesters), worked full time with a 4 hours/day commute until 36+3 and delivered by straightforward ELCS at 38+1. To be honest, I think there is a lot to be said for not thinking about risks unless your midwife raises them. If you just carry on with life, doing as much normal stuff as you can, the pregnancy might fly by

Welcome to the club

[Obviously there are a lot of people who don't have the same experience as me, an I am in no way implying that they suffered more problems because they didn't just 'get on with it'. Just advising not worrying about what might be - save your energy!]

Hi goingmad. Congratulations on your news! I am 17 weeks with ID (MCDA) twins and so know how you feel - however, after appointments with a consultant I feel better and am trying to resist the urge to google anything and just go on the info I have been given - and not think too far ahead. So far so good!

Have you been referred to a consultant to confirm the type of twins you have?

It is very exciting news, but of course there are moments of panic! Staung relaxed and positive is the best thing you can do. How are you feeling?

Good luck, lovely news! I had a great healthy pregnancy with MCDA boys, an assisted but fantastic delivery and two lovely placid babies. They are now strapping 6 year olds and I could not wish for more. Just focus on the positives- you cannot change the outcome by worrying about it. I wish you every happiness xxx

Hi,

I'm 35+5 days pregnant with identical twin girls.

I'm not gonna lie it's hard work being pregnant with twins but as for all other problems it's all ok.

They will be keeping a very close eye on you and babies so if and that is a big if , there is something going a little wrong they will be right on top of it.

I don't see any midwives just consultant led care. Which I like feel more looked after!

You will be fine and I remember havin te same exact worries when I found out, like with any pregnancy you always worry about the baby, there is just one more extra to worry about now.

Take care of your self and rest when you feel you new too

Thank you ladies :) I'm staying positive and hope that in 8 months time my world is turned upside down with the arrival of my beautiful babies lol

I've know got over the shock and am positively excited!!!

I've got my booking appointment with my mw next week and was told I'd be referred then, I feel very special as it's not everyday you find out your blessed with two babies :)

I've tried to work out what type of twins I'll have, when I went for the scan I was told 2 seperate yokes with 2 placentas and 2 healthy heartbeats, but all in one sac, then I saw the nurse in epu and she advised they'll likely to be identical and either a set of boys or girls! The sonographer said it was a good thing they both had there only placentas and I would go back at 12 weeks for another scan to confirm all looked the same, any ideas?????

Thanks again and resisting the urge to google!!!!

Silverangel I'm just going on what the sonographer said so hopefully either the mw or consultant will eventually confirm things for me, my mil is a triplet, and my uncle had twins I think that's how it's come about

bigboobs I'm absolutely shattered!!! Thank u for sharing your experience an agree with the one day at a time congratulations on your twins :)

teddy thank you for sharing your story, I am trying hard to enjoy it and looking forward to the future however caotic that may be!!

xkaty wow so your nearly there and 2 beautiful girls :) I'm hoping I won't have to wait long to see a consultant so I can confirm everything, good luck with your birth do you know if you'll have a vbac??

Thanks ladies it means a lot to read your stories

Congrats! I'm very nervously 7+3 with DCDA twins

I think if there are two yolk sacs in one gestational sac then you are most likely MCDA (from silver's list) and there is likely to be a thin membrane separating your LOs.

Anyway, good luck to both of us - here's to healthy, happy twin pregnancies! x

Thanks teds and congrats

MCDA only have 1 placenta don't they?? Sonographer definately
said 2 seperate placentas???? It's all very confusing

How strange, I don't understand what the sonographer meant- I'm 22 weeks with probably DCDA twins (though only one placenta now, but most likely fused). MCDA definitely have one placenta.

Whicever you have, congratulations! But I'd guess you're MCDA. On the twins club 2 thread in ante natal clubs there are several people having MCDA twins, though more having DCD I think.

I only found out at 12 weeks, and I still worried about vanishing twin . On the twins thread, loads of people found out earlier and didn't suffer vanishing twin, so I hope you don't either.

How exciting for you!!! I'm hoping for a positive twin pregnancy all the way through! So far it's much, much harder than my singletone was (at a mere 22 weeks too!!!) but I'm so delighted and really looking forward to having twins.

Thanks dream congrats on your twins:)

I'm not sure they could share a placenta as completely oposite sides of the sac?? Will let you know next week when I've seen the midwife :)

if I work out how I'll put the scan pic on

thank you again :)

oh, my scan pics are on mine, we can compare . I have a 'lambda' sign- which is where you can see a triangle between the membranes at the obttom of the picture- that's a rubbish description, I'll have to see if it's clear online, but that's why they think mine are most likely non-ID DCDA, but as two boys, they could still be ID! And from 14 weeks they couldn't see 2 placentas, but they don't seem concerned about that.

I put some bump comparison pics from my first pg on with some other from the ante-natal thread I joined too... you'll be subjected to them...

I bought a book on twin pregnancy by an American obstetrician who had twins herself and specialises in multiple births, I will go and consult her...!

I will be having a csection (next week) eeeeek
I have never had one!

My babies are identical and share a placenta so to risky to pop them out myself.

It can be confusing.. when I had my first scan at 9 weeks I was told two placentas and two sacks... but at 12 week scan said no, definitely one placenta and one sack (with dividing membrane) - and the consultant has confirmed this. So I dont think they always get it right first time but I am sure you will get it clarified soon. SOoooooooooooooo exciting! x

Please take a look at my scan pic managed to upload it, Would be grateful on what you think :)

xkaty wow not much longer to wait until you meet them. :)

How do I see your scan pic goingmadtrying? I'm not having twins, but would love to see it anyway

Just double click on my name and then you should have the option to see the pic, glad to see your bleeding stopped, mine too xxxx

I too was told 2 sacs 2 placentas at my first scan. I then went private to have the nuchal folds measured (the blood test fir downs doesn't work with twins so you need to have a special scan to measure it and our trust didn't offer it on the NHS. Needs to be done around 13 weeks I think)and the consultant told me it was definitely 1 placenta 2 sacs.
My girls are now 3 and yes it's hard work, but j wouldn't change them for the world. [sgrin].
I worked full time until 33 weeks and had them at 34 weeks.
Congrats and good luck!!

Oh that's interesting poor, I'm assuming will find out about that from midwife ??

Did you look at my scan picture? what do you think?

On my phone at the mo. Will have a gander on laptop once the kids are in bed!!

Hi goingmad, I can't get on your profile to see your scan pic??

I couldn't have the nuchal translucency scan at my Trust- but it does have a Red Alert for maternity services- not encouraging! I could have paid £250 to go private (and travel to Leeds, miles away, or possibly Manchester), but I only discovered it was twins at 12 weeks, asked the mw after she cancelled the first appt for soon after (to attend an emergency home birth, fair dos) at 13 weeks about it and discovered I couldn't have it, and had 6 days to go and get it done- 2 of which were the weekend, 2 of which I was working. I came to the conclusion that I wouldn't have risked the pregnancy if there was anything wrong, couldn't face travelling to Leeds with awful morning sickness and a 13 month old and hoped for the best. As I still am!!

If you look on my profile at my 12 week scan pic, you can see the quite thick membrane between my babies, and it is even thicker, and kind of triangular at the bottom? That's the lambda sign, which means I'm the lower risk kind of twin pregnancy, though still classed as high risk, IYKWIM. I could never see two separate placentas, and there certainly aren't two now on my 20 week one, and its all less clear, they look really squashed to me!!

Hi sorry think I had my settings wrong you should be able to see now:)

dream yes I had a look at yours and there is a definate divide isn't there? Let me know what you think of mine :)

oooh, how lovely goingmad Gorgeous pic, congratulations, you lucky girl!

I, with my exactly no qualifications in ultrasonography, can't see a membrane between yours, certainly not like mine, looks crystal clear they're in one sac to me, but mine were 12 weeks on my pic and that's massive in clarity difference anyway as they're that big bigger, and I'm no expert. Having consulted Google, I agree with your sonographer and think yours are MCDA (or possibly even MCMA, though that type are so much rarer), and I certainly can't see a membrane between any of the MCDA twins on the google images I have just looked at (which do have them)!!!! Being not an experienced sonographer and all I'd expect that was normal But how do they have 2 placentas?! I'm confused about that! I looked at these

www.baby2see.com/development/ultrasound_sonogram/first_trimester_scans.html#week6

as in week 5 there's one with fraternal twins next to one with monozygotic... Beware Google, I know, I know....