Pregnant with twins!

[girl9690]

So I’m pregnant with twins, found out at 5+5 on the 10th August so that would make me 8 weeks today. I had a scan at the hospital on Sunday and they said the biggest twin was measuring 8+2 and then smaller one measuring 7+2 (around what I should be from that first scan) they are non identical in separate sac’s. The midwife was reassuring and assured me it’s completely normal to have one smaller than the other, I had a private scan at 6 weeks and one was measuring a few mm smaller. Biggest twin is measuring 17mm smaller is 11mm. The lady who scanned me was a little off she said it was hard to know the outcome of the smaller one etc 😖 I’ve got another scan in 2 weeks to check and I also have a bleed so need that checked too, on the scan findings report it doesn’t say anything about the smaller twin just says “normal twin ultrasound” should I be worried?! They both had heartbeats & have done since my 6 week ultrasound (I pad for a private scan 2 days after finding out it was twins) I’m just so worried about the smaller one 😫❤️ Can anybody offer any advice? Or been through similar? Xx

I dont have any advice, but i think its considered normal for one twin to be smaller. My sister has not long had twins, and one consistently measured small and is still tiny compared to his brother but they were born with healthy birth weights (for their gestation) a few weeks early.

Does your consultant have experience with twins? If not ask to see someone else. My twin boys were the same, non identical, iwn sacks but twin 2 was around 20% smaller than twin 1 the entire pregnancy (I believe it's not really a cause for concern till it hits about 25% but can't really remember). Our consultant kept an eye on it and we went for scans every 4 weeks, then 2 weeks in 2nd trimester then 3 days as I was going into third trimester. The gap reached 25% and they decided to perform an early c section at 28 weeks as twin 2 was struggling. Can't lie it was all a bit stressful but all went as well as it could and they're now 18 month old monsters.
Twin pregnancies are different so you really do need someone with experience, I don't think our boys would have made it without our consultants expertise and knowledge.
Also worth asking whether the person who performed the scan has experience with twin pregnancies as it can be much harder to get accurate readings, it's entirely possible the gaps not as big as they think, especially this early on. When my boys were born the estimated weights/sizes were well out.
Good luck, try not to worry. I hope my story doesn't upset you, my boys really are amazing and are perfectly normal, am pretty sure our story is not the norm. There's still a large difference in my boys weights. It's normal for there to be a size difference in twins anyway. Good luck, being a twin mum is the best xxx

I haven’t seen a consultant yet just a midwife and the scan lady as I’m under the early pregnancy assessment unit. I’m trying not to worry as I know it’s very common for one to measure smaller but just her attitude towards it wasn’t very nice xxx

@girl9690 it's very likely you won't see a consultant until 20 weeks as they are in separate sacks, though it's hard to tell the placentas so early, if they are separate too then you will be scanned every 4 weeks from 20 weeks (obviously one at 12 weeks, though some trusts do one at 16 but most don't for 'non identical'). They will still have a one on three chance of being identical if they are of the same sex but this can only be confirmed after birth.

It's nice you've decided to keep them. I'm 27 weeks nearly with the same sort as yours, also baby number three and 4 and one has always been nearly a week behind, it's totally normal.

@ChampooPapi thank you!!! I’m being scanned every 2 weeks currently as I also have a small bleed underneath each sac, they said until this shrinks in size or goes away I will need to be scanned. These are babies no 3&4! I’m just so worried about the smaller one. Although I 100% know the date I conceived and If we go by that and my LMP then I should only be 8 weeks today (which is closer to what the smaller twin was measuring who would be 7+6 today) it’s all so confusing! Just keeping my fingers crossed for some good news on the next scan!! Thank you for your comment lovely xxxxx

@girl9690 I am pregnant with twins and like you one is measuring a week behind the other (which is spot on with LMP dates!). I've been worried sick since the first scan which dated one at 7+3 and the other at 5+5. They also told me I had bleeds in both sacs. The consultant 2 weeks later measured them a bit under and a bit over 9 weeks and bleeding had gone (I think!) as she said she couldn't see any. She wasn't worried and discharged me. I had my 12 week scan 2 weeks ago and bigger twin was 12+2 (58mm) but small one still a week behind (45mm). No one has really been able to explain it and I've been searching for similar stories. I'm waiting for the results of my NIPT as Twin 2 (smaller one) came back as higher risk of downs than the bigger one (1:119 risk) because NT measurement was a bit bigger. I'm now under another consultant who should be following things from now.
It's horrible not knowing what's going on. Really push to try and get to see a consultant as I am sure I would have fallen through the gaps if I hadn't had a really good GP.
Like you though, I have been told by everyone that size difference in fraternals isn't unusual, but I cant get it straight in my head how it could start so early on!
I hope things go well, xx

I'm 17+6 with fraternal twins and both of mine happen to be measuring about the same at the moment but it is really common for there to be a size difference. Remember that coming from two eggs and two sperm then they potentially didn't fertilise at the same time so there could be 5 days or so accounted for there plus the usual range of size in terms of centiles for gestational age.

Hey everyone! Dunno if you guys are still following- I had my 12 week scan and both babies are completely fine and healthy! How are you all getting on? Xxxx

@girl9690 I'm so glad they're fine!

My brothers are fraternal twins. One 5lb at birth, the other 8lb. No problems and both healthy 28 year olds.

Aww congratulations!glad everything is well

My non ID twins were always slightly different in size.
The medical professionals didn't think this was a major problem, quite normal in fact.
When they were born at 37 weeks there was almost 1lb between their weights.
Try not to worry, I think it is normal for twins to have a size difference.

Congratulations, welcome to the twin mum club 😊

Thank you! At the 12 week scan twin 1 measured exactly 12 weeks & twin 2 was 11+4 but the lady had no concerns at all and was really happy with them both. Xx what are you having?! Here’s my twin 1 (first pic) and twin 2! Had so many girl guesses on twin 1 lol! We are having a surprise but I’m so so excited to meet them both!! Xxxx thank you xxx

Lovely to hear that they are both ok. Im 22+2 now. Both of mine are boys. Just started sorting out all the baby clothes I've kept from my Singleton in an effort to show I'm being organised and getting prepared!

I'm a bit late to the party but I am actually a fraternal twin! I was always the bigger baby and I was born first and weighed more. My mum had a natural labour and we were both breech (sorry mum lol).

As we were twins we were put in incubators as we were small but we were soon off home and we were fine. My brother is a strapping 6ft 2 police officer and I am 5ft 7. Neither of us have any health issues so please try not to worry and congrats on your babies xx

I'm late to this but one of my twins was 1 week behind for pretty much the whole pregnancy. All fine at birth, she was just smaller. Glad it's all ok!

Thank you!! I am a lot calmer now I’ve had the 12 week scan and know they are okay, I have a private booked at 16 weeks and then 20 weeks NHS and then after that it will be every 3/4 weeks! Having surprise genders I have a feeling it’s one of each! I’m so so excited to meet them but we are having to buy a house and move out of where we live & get a bigger car so it’s all a tad stressful and I’m deffo feeling it 😫❤️ Lots of love ladies xxx

Amazing. It can be stressful and the first couple of years are full on, there's no two ways about it. But twins are so special, you'll love it. Welcome to the club.