Could you really be surprised by twins at birth? - Page 2

[AtYourCervices]

When my mother was pregnant with me her doctor told her she was having twins. He said he was picking up two heartbeats. My mother insisted it was just one baby in there. Sure enough, I was a singleton.

[littlest birds]

Originally Posted by katroshka

littlest birds: Oh, my god... I want to hear more about when you guys realized there was another one in there... I don't know why, but I always think back to the story from my childbirth instructor and wonder what happened in detail. Like #1 comes out, then you just keep having big contractions? Or what? And does everyone just freak out when they realize? I really don't know why I'm so curious, but I guess it's been all these years of curiosity just building up!

I was at the hospital. The doctor was checking on the placenta. He asked for another cord clamp sounding a little anxious and did not actually tell us why. So of course it took everyone few moments to figure out what he meant, I think the midwife who came with me told me what that had to mean because in my dazed post-birth excitement I did not get it.

We were jaw dropping over the moon blown away of course.

Lilymonster, that was ours, dd1 was 10lbs, while the twins were 10lb5oz total. I gained exactly the same weight total I had for my first dd for the twins but they were 35.5 weeks rather than 42. But I also was down to my prepregnancy weight the day they were born. I do very much wish I had known to be more careful with nourishment and rest, I think I myself technically lost weight during PG. But of course the experience was priceless. I don't think there are many surprise twins these days in the hospital LOL even though we transferred only because of early labor.

[katroshka]

littlest bird, that is SO crazy! Thanks for sharing!

[northcountrymamma]

I am beyond interested in this...for some reason this pregnancy stories about surprise twins keep popping out at me. I'm measuring 4 weeks ahead right now...26 weeks - measuring 30wks. I look more pregnant than I am for certain...

I don't do dopplers or u/s's but my midwife is going to see where we are at during the 30wk appt before we decide if an u/s will help.

My dad has fraternal twin sisters. But I have 18 cousins on that side, all of whom have had children and none of them are twins. It seems like it would be an anomoly.

I'm not sure what my preference would be...have surprise twins (which would mean at home, without medical intervention...assuming I went to term) or know now and be inundated with medical interventions. I know twins can be safely delivered vaginally, but the OB's around here won't do that.

Anyways...not trying to steal the thread, just really honestly curious for myself...dp is also kind of freaking out...but trying to remain calm and supportive for any possible outcome, but I can see the freak out in his eyes when it comes up.

[MaerynPearl]

Originally Posted by northcountrymamma

But I have 18 cousins on that side, all of whom have had children and none of them are twins.

Of those 18 how many are female? As it would only matter if the mother has a history of fraternal twinning in her family.

For example, my mother is one of four girls. two of her sisters have daughters who have had fraternal twins in the past two years without any fertility treatments... so at this point we are starting to assume that fraternal twinning runs in our mothers family (though at this point we think it is from their fathers side as we cannot get a good family history on that side, but see on their mothers side that it is not the case)

However, while that does mean that I may have an increased chance of fraternal twins, none of my brothers do. Because it means I may release multiple eggs more often than most women, while my brothers it would depend on what their wives do.

However, if any of my brothers were to have daughters, they could have that same gene.

[Juvysen]

My midwife said not that long ago she had a mother give birth to a surprise twin.

[sewingsparklz]

I'm fascinated, too!

[DanielleT]

Originally Posted by lillymonster

I am obsessed with the show "I didn't know I was pregnant"

I'm actually watching "i didnt' know i was pregnant with twins" right now on TLC...

[womenswisdom]

My MIL was one of a set of surprise twins in the late '50s. Her mother had had one baby prior and had thought there was a lot more movement, but none of the medical professionals picked up on it until the first baby was actually born.

[karen1968]

I AM a surprise twin.

I am nearly 42, so way before routine u/s, etc. Doc only every heard one heartbeat, and like others have said, the suspicion was that one of us was "hiding" behind the other.

Twins do NOT run in our family, alhtough my mom suspects she usually released more than one egg (judging from her v. heavy periods). Everyone believed Mom was having a big boy...except for her LLL leader and her mom, both of whom asked, "Are you sure it isn't twins??"

As for what happened in delivery, well, this was "back in the day", so mom was a little anesthetized (ether, I think). But as she tells it, she felt my sister (4lb13oz) come out and thought, "Hmm, that didn't FEEL like a big baby...". Then the doctor (between Mom's legs) looked at the nurse (behind her head), helpd up two fingers, and said "Dos!" (I don't know why he said it in Spanish, but that is Mom's story!). I was born 10 minutes after my sister, at 6lb3oz - so 11 pounds of baby total.

I can see how twins can be missed, or even how a woman can go entire pregnancy without knowing. Fetal and placental position both play a role in how much Mom feels; so does fetal movement (some babies are quieter than others). Mom's weight/amount of belly fat can affect what is seen/palpated from the outside. A history of irregular periods (PCOS, for example) and abdominal issues can contribute to thinking all those feelings in the belly are something else...Not every woman feels pregnancy the same way.

[MoonStarFalling]

I was UPing and I was pretty sure I was having twins. At 13 wks I measured 20 weeks. At that moment I just knew. Later on I felt like I had an octopus in there (had an anterior placenta). I've had an extremely inactive baby before too though so I can see possibly how people miss a pregnancy or miss a twin.

[Quinalla]

It is rare, but it does happen occasionally. My Aunt 20 years ago did have one ultrasound during her pregnancy and regular prenatal care and didn't know she was having twins until the doctor saw a foot coming out instead of the placenta he was expecting. These were fraternal twins and they definitely run in the family as I have 3 sets of fraternal twin cousins But yeah, my Aunt always calls the surprise twin her angel baby

[northcountrymamma]

Originally Posted by MaerynPearl

Of those 18 how many are female? As it would only matter if the mother has a history of fraternal twinning in her family.

So I think from reading your post...that because I am female and my dad's sisters are twins (yes they are fraternal) that I have an increased chance...but then so would all my female cousins which of the 18 of my cousins there are 6, they have all had babies (most have had 2 or 3) and no twins.

[MaerynPearl]

Not necessarily... sometimes fraternal just happen by chance... All women have the ability to ovulate more than once in a cycle, just some tend to do it more often than others and thats what is believed to be genetic.

which is why I said we think my family MIGHT because two mothers in the same generation have had fraternal... but that could still be chance. We do not know for sure if we have an increased chance.

However, even in families with that increased chance, its not going to guarantee any woman will have the fraternal twins, just they have more of a chance (and not actually all that much more) than the next woman down the line.

[dakotablue]

One boy I sat next to in band (he's now 28) was a surprise. The way he told us the story was his brother was born and the doctor was cleaning up and turned just in time to catch him...

I don't know how much of that is what happened or the story dwindled over time either way his mom had an ultrasound (back in the 80's) no idea. They are identical twins.