Possible twin pregnancy undetected on ultrasounds

[saramarshall]

Hi all, I'm currently 16weeks pregnant Iv had two transvaginal scans at 5 & 7 weeks due to pains in my left side they thought I was carrying ectopic however the first scan showed this not to be the case but no heartbeat was visible so we had to go back 10 days later to see if foetus was viable the second scan showed the heartbeat, since then we've had a regular 12 week ultrasound scan & everything appeared fine and showed only one baby. Visited the midwife yesterday for routine 16 week check and she had a listen for a heartbeat we got one and my partner started getting exited saying it sounded like a boy based on the old wives tale of the atr train sound then the midwife moved the doplar further over my stomach & stopped, looked at us & said are you sure your only having one baby It's like I'm picking up two completely different heartbeats this one sounded like a galloping horse, by this time my partners face had drained of colour & since then he's convinced there is two in there, I'm sure there's only one hey would of picked it up on scans surely? Just wondering if this has happened to anyone else?

Could it have been the placenta?

I would be very surprised if they hadn't picked up a second baby.. we have twins and they were really obvious!

No there was another sound before the second one was picked up and she said that was the placenta, they were two completely different sounds, she looked quite shocked and asked if I was sure there was only one baby x

My friend was carrying twins and it was only spotted when some bloods came back at 18 weeks as unusual she was sent for an emergency scan and what do you know thy had missed it!! Anything is possible

I have twins, scans at 5 weeks 4 days, 7 weeks 4 days and then 9.5 weeks. They're 12 now and they picked up twins right from the outset. I think perhaps it could be missed once but not 3 times.

My mum's friend had twins where they'd gone undetected until baby 1 was sagely delivered, but that was 45 years ago when scans were quite primitive and you usually had just one.

Yes that's why I'm convinced it couldn't of been missed because Iv had 3 scans already, my partner on the other is now convinced there are two & one of them has been hiding lol

Are you going for another scan?

Are you measuring bigger than normal for your dates? Did she check where the uterus was up as far as because in twin pregnancies it would be a lot higher than in a singleton pregnancy. If there were twins she would pickup your heartbeat, both babies heartbeats and the pulse of the placenta(s). Did she send you for a referral scan to check?

Ooh I don't think I could take the suspense! Can you get a private scan?

I was pregnant with twins and had a scan at 8 weeks where they were very obvious , I think it would be pretty hard to miss with that many scans . Mine was 24 yrs ago so scanning probably wasn't even as good then ( I've no idea really ), most people only had scans at 12 /20 weeks then and extra as needed by a consultant during an appt if you were under consultant care , or so it seemed talking to other people at the time . I had loads of scans because I miscarried one twin at 12 weeks and then everything went a bit haywire with the remaining one . I'd definitely go and ask for another scan though just in case , and if she's wrong I'd ask for a different midwife as that's quite a mistake to make .

Most posts Iv read people say they have gut feelings they are carrying twins I don't have anything lol, I'm a sufferer of hyperemisis too & I know hey say it's more common in multiples but I also suffered that with my first and I only had one baby then if it wasn't for having 3 scans already I might of been a little doubtful it had been missed xx

I have my next scan coming up in the next 2/4 weeks x

I don't really know anything about how likely it is twins could have been missed in a scan, but whenever I hear the heartbeat in my midwife appointments it sounds completely different depending on the position of the baby or where on my abdomen she's got the doppler, even from one minute to the next. Sometimes like a horse, then straight afterwards it's like a train again.

Honestly it seems very, very unlikely that a second baby was missed on three scans. It's not completely impossible and I'm sure stranger things have happened to someone, somewhere, but I would guess that the odds are extremely small.

If your MW thinks she picked up a second baby's heartbeat, surely she should arrange to refer you for a scan to double check. Ask her.

She hasn't referred for another scan as I already have another one coming up, I have no doubt there's only one baby, i just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this and how unlikely it is to be missed to put my partners mind at rest he's convinced now there's 2 baby's haha x

I gave birth to twins in August: at my twelve week scan the Trainee sonographer did miss that I was having twins, however at the scan after she had finished the supervising sonographer who was monitoring asked to take over and pointed out that I was having twins. The trainee hadnt noticed but the supervising sonographer had spotted twins from the other side of the room xxxx