Identical twins.. panic!

[penguin93]

At my 12 week scan last week me and DP found out we are expecting identical twins. This is my first pregnancy and I have been told I will have to have lots of extra scans and monitoring as my pregnancy is now high risk which has terrified me.

We were told that I was only 11 weeks + 2 and one of the babies was a bit to small to take any measurements. I'm going back tomorrow for another scan (I will be 12 weeks + 3 tomorrow) and keeping my fingers crossed everything is ok and the smaller baby has grown more.

I really want to enjoy this pregnancy especially as it's my first one but I keep thinking about complications and having the babies premature and anything else I can think of to worry myself with!

Please can people share their identical twin pregnancy stories so I can try and reassure myself about it all .

Also pregnant with twins (18+4 today), although mine are DCDA (two sacs, two placentas) so likely not identical and the least risky type. However, I still get all the extra monitoring etc. and I agree it is a bit daunting to go from being low-risk to high-risk in the space of a few minutes.

I was worried at first, but you sort of get your head around it eventually, I promise!

I'm focussing on the good points:

• We get lots of extra scans so get to peek at our babies every four weeks

• we most likely get to meet our babies sooner than we would have done

• earlier mat leave

• people love twins - seriously, everyone I've told so far is just so excited and thinks it's the best thing ever.

• two babies for the price of giving birth once!

The vast majority of the risks are exactly the same, we're just slightly more likely to get them than we would have been otherwise. I infer from your comment that you were initially assessed as low risk. remember, all those factors still count!

Babies being a bit smaller than normal is to be expected with twins. That's what most of the extra scanning and checking is for, to monitor their growth.

People have twins every day without issue, and lots of single pregnancies have complications. The vast majority of twin pregnancies are trouble-free.

I've found the TAMBA website really helpful and positive - some other websites, I feel, are a bit scaremongery about the risks.

The best thing we can do for our babies at this stage is try to stay calm and know the signs for the risk factors.

Oh wow!!
Good luck for tomorrow!
How amazing. I hope it's ok.