Anyone not know (or know anyone who didn't know) they were having twins until they gave birth???

[propercharlie]

Wondering if this is possible!!!

My sil's mother. But it was in about 1976. No scans.

It happened in Friends.

Ah yes of course, before scans I guess it happened all the time! Can you imagine the shock !!!!??

I know someone recently who this happened to but she had declined scans. Had a home birth and surprised the midwives when after the first baby had been born rather than a placenta following it a foot came out!

Viva even without scans how did she not feel, well, two babies?! I knew exactly where mine were, what they were doing, if they were hacking a fight etc. I was also the size of a small family car, which was a clue...

A relative. But about 30 years ago.

My friend didn't know she was having triplets till her 20 week scan. Third one was tucked up high somewhere. And she was ENORMOUS.

Judy Finnegan

A mum of a school friend, mid 70s.

The book "The Memory Keeper's Daughter" opens with the birth of unexpected twins.

My grandfather's wife had twins without realising until after the birth. 1963 though and each weighed over 7lbs!

Viva Wow what a shock for your friend - was it her first pregnancy ?
Like Bagof said I could tell which one was awake and kicking especially when they were both kicking, punching and bouncing around. I wonder if i would have noticed so much if I didnt know they were twins.......

DH's granny, although clearly that was 50something years ago.

There is an American programme called twins by surprise, I saw one episode when pg with DS, scared me senseless and couldn't watch again (even though woman in it had also refused scans).

Yup - my mum's good friend went from 2 DC to 4 overnight (as it were ) with no knowledge! Everyone just told her she was looking particularly pudgy as it was her third preg (yup, people are charming....)

On the fab American show twofurryones may be describing (I live in CA) called 'I didn't know I was pregnant!' a woman had her 4th and 5th babies with NO prenatal care, NO midwives present, NO DH present (she banished him to another room) all by herself in the bath. Oh, and one was a footling breech! Bonkers, obviously. (And yes, it's a slight misnomer in her case, as she knew she was preg, just not twins).

Why do I watch such crap tele? (sigh.....)

Chocolate I think that is a slightly different series, but I think I've seen an episode of that one too, it there was the one where a newly married couple were travelling across states to their new home, wife had stomach ache and ended up giving birth in the toilet block of a remote truck stop that had no mobile reception. She was in the toilet alone whilst her husband was on the payphone outside. The baby was breech and born blue, but was revived by a passing truck driver whilst they waited for the paramedics

There is also one called Quints by Surprise, which was a bit disappointed as she was just surprised to be pregnant with Quints.

Yes my SIL 2 months ago ! They live in Africa and she declined ante natal appointments as she couldn't afford to miss work ! She did have one check up but they only picked up one heartbeat so assumed it was one baby ha trurnesnout two gorgeous girls ! Amazing ! Obv she was in shock for a few days but all is well now ! And that was yep 2012!

Also my mum was a twin and their mother had no idea but that was1958! So more expected back then!

My grandmother, 55 years ago.

How did they know to invite reality tv cameras if they didn't know they were pregnant?

More relevant to the thread though, why would you refuse a scan?

My mum didn't find out til 30 wks when pg with my brothers in 1974. She already had me and my sister and we were both under 3 so it must have been a bit of a shock!

Yes a family friend, in the mid 1970s. They did have scans back then but they weren't nearly as clear as they are today. The boy twin was hogging most of the room (he was big too, still is - 6'5"ish) and after he was born they found a baby girl tucked away behind him!

My MIL some 40 years ago. Made worse by the fact she has been told she was infertile and so didn't even realise she was pregnant at all until late in the pregnancy.

My grandmother, when she had my dad and his brother. That was in 1952 though...

My mum, back in 1976. Had an odd shaped bump - the odd bump turned out to be another baby's head! 10 minutes after I arrived, they realised that my sister was also arriving.

As my mum's only 5"3 and it was the hot summer of 1976 (August birth) she must have been exhausted that year. Heads up to her, however much I've stressed with DS she's never said "well I did it for 2 of you, with no prior warning". Dad was telling his in-laws at 11.50 at night that their daughter had gone into labour 2 months, early; they were now the proud grandparents of twin girls but that they may not survive the night. We did, so dad was packed off to get another set of baby equipment.

It had a huge effect on both of them. they were together for 7 years before we were born and 18 months afterwards, I'm sure that the effect of an unexpected twin birth was a factor in this.

JennyPiccolo they use re-enactment (sp?) rather than a OBEM approach.

I think the lady in the twin programme I saw refused her scans as she had had a very medicalised birth with her daughter so had opted out of the US OB/GYN approach and hired a midwife, who she only allowed to use a doppler. She had a very uneventful pregnancy so she didn't see the need for more than that.

A friend, in the early 90s, had surprise twins. And she had had all the scans and normal appointments! Number two was tucked behind number one or maybe the ultrasound technician was incompetent. It was unusual enough to make it into the local papers though, so I wouldn't worry too much...

A friend of mine did not know she was pregnant at all, then had twins. Had I not known her I would not have believed it. She had them at 33 weeks if I recall correctly. It was about 10 years ago.

My Grandmother had triplets in her third pregnancy, my dad being one if them. She thought there might be two in there. That was 79 years ago, and the midwife told her to just concentrate on feeding the bigger two, as the little one, my dad, was sure to die. She gave him double helpings. All three are still live and well.