fundal height during twin pregnancy

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

i am almost 19 weeks pregnant and trying to avoid ultrasound exposure during this pregnancy so we haven't done an ultrasound and are planning on only using a fetascope to monitor FHT instead of a doppler. My fundal height has measured ahead for both my 13 and 17 week appointments and my midwife suggested it is a possibility that we are having twins. (mind you, I have no maternal family history of twins, but hey) do any of you remember what your fundal height measurements were during pregnancy and how far ahead of a singleton pregnancy you measured at different points. i'm doing some research too, but i haven't been able to locate this info yet.

thanks,

[Glittergal]

well, i just noticed your post and have nothing to do with multiples but am a midwife was your fundal height already above your belly button? i don't really think twins unless it is above your belly button before 20-22 wks. measuring bigger can just be your uterus popping up quickly, esp in someone with a couple of babies. usually if a mom is measuring 30 at 22 wks or something or a big gap like that, i might suspect twins. hope this helps a bit

[mama_at_home]

Hmmm, I think in 2nd trimester I was measuring about 4 weeks ahead. Then around the 3rd trimester I began measuring 6-8 weeks ahead and the last month (36-40 weeks) I measured 10 weeks ahead. I don't think I was measuring ahead in the first trimester.

[sarahloughmiller]

At 14 weeks I was already up to my belly button, by 17 weeks I was measuring 11 weeks ahead and was 54 cm at 40 weeks! I was huge, I remember going in for that 14 weeks appt and telling my mw I felt like I was 7 months pregnant. We had an u/s the next (we had also not been planning on having one) and found out it was twins. I also had no twins in the last few generations on my side.

[Camellia]

I measured normal or a cm small until 30 weeks. Then I jumped to 46cm by 33 wks and deliverd 10 days later.

Let us know what you find out

[mimid]

I've been measuring about 8 weeks ahead from almost the start. At 5 weeks dh was wondering where the tummy bulge was coming from and by 8 weeks half of my clothing was in storage.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

well i'll be 19 weeks on monday and if i'm measuring myself correctly (my midwife taught me-but she's the expert) i'm around 23 as of yesterday. my next appt. is at 21 weeks, so i guess we'll see where she measures me at that point!

maybe i'm just making myself crazy but at night i swear i feel movement in two seperate places....

and i look and feel at lot like i did w/ my DD at around 6-7 months. who knows? guess we'll wait and see!

[cdahlgrd]

It is when you feel movement in FOUR places, then you know!!

I was a good 6 weeks ahead the whole time (I started out about 10 weeks ahead, but I think I lost a triplet at 14 weeks, sigh.).

[Skiesmama]

fundal measurements for twins

Hi

I haven't ever posted here yet, but I am due any day with twins. I have not measured ahead at all. In fact I was measuring 37 at 37 weeks etc. It is definitely possible to have twins and not measure ahead, and also possible to measure way ahead, and not have twins. My body hides baby really well. With my first, both the drs and midwives thought my babe would be maybe 6 lbs, and she was 8 lbs. My second I measured 1 cm under most of the way thru to the end, and he was 9 lbs, 6 ounces. Sooooooo different bodies just carry babies in all different ways We didn't confirm twins until 36 weeks, tho I suspected them since around 32. I didn't have an ultrasound, so it was palpating that was the confirmation.

Heather

[yma611]

I delivered at 35 weeks and I measured 46 weeks the day of delivery. I was about 6-8 weeks ahead second & third trimester. Twins were 6lbs 14oz and 6lbs 7oz...

[wifeandmom]

At 18 weeks, I measured 24, so 6 weeks ahead.

I got to a point around 28-32 weeks that I measured 8-10 weeks ahead.

By delivery at 38.5 weeks, I was at 46, down from 48 the week before.

All that said, with my singleton, I measured 4-6 weeks ahead from 25 weeks til delivery at 38 weeks. Once the difference between fundal height and number of weeks got to 4 or greater, they recommended an u/s just to make sure all was well.

Apparently, measuring more than 4 weeks bigger (or smaller) than expected can be a sign of several different problems. In my singleton pg, I had A LOT of amniotic fluid (right at the very top of the range for normal), coupled with the fact that I got pg so soon after my twin pg. Those two factors were what supposedly made me measure so far ahead.

[2+twins]

I measured roughly 21cm at my 14 week (she didn't use a tape measure but said I was measuring a good 6 weeks ahead), I don't remember for the next couple visits, but about the same I think (an extra 6 or so cm), then 35cm at my 26 week visit (we then elected to confirm via u/s which was NOT what I had wanted to do), and measuring myself (which I'm good at) now I'm 38.5cm at 29 weeks & 2 days.

With my 2nd dd I did consistently measure ahead though, but by only 3 or 4 cm.

[msrog]

I always measured 8-11 cm ahead. That was actually how I just KNEW it was twins. After I measured 22 cms at my 14 week visit (first visit), I went home and did internet searches for "fundal height measuring big" and stuff like that... and all I kept seeing were twin moms that had measurements over 3 cm ahead.

My babies came at 37 wks 1 day and weighed 5-12 and 6-3.

[SlingWearin'Mama]

At 12 weeks my uterus is right below my belly button, I am measuring 18 weeks so I am measuring 6 weeks ahead! Good luck!

Jenn

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

i wasn't suposed to see my mdwife again until the 18th, but she and another senior midwife are both going to be at a speaking engagement i'm going to tomorrow night, so they are going to check me then- measure, listen and feel- and see what they can tell. if i am measuring myself correctly i think i'm measureing about 6 weeks ahead!

i pulled out the photo album and i look about the same size as i did at 7-8 months with my daughter. half the time i'm convinced we're having twins and half the time i think- no way, we couldn't possibly! time will tell i guess.

thanks for all the feedback- it's been facinating to see everyone's input and how each of our bodies works the way it needs to regardless of textbook definitions!

[1Plus2]

If my memory is right I measured at least 6-weeks ahead at most appointments. Toward the end the gap was getting much bigger and by 38 weeks I was measuring a whopping 52 weeks!! My girls were born at 38w3d and weighed 6 lbs. 13 oz. and 7 lbs. 1 oz. I remember reading that twins should be suspected if you consistently measure 4 weeks ahead.

[Mindyleigh]

Around 15 weeks or so, I started measuring several weeks larger than my dates. My midwives felt that, had my measurements been consistently the same (i.e., always 3 weeks bigger than my dates) that twins were not a likelihood, but that, if the gap between my dates and my measurements got bigger and bigger during the middle of my pregnancy, that twins were a likelihood. So we got together every two weeks for a month and a half and the gap kept getting bigger and bigger. We did get an ultrasound to see that we were having twins and to see what kind of twins we were having. I quit getting "official" prenatal care and don't have a good record of my measurements in the last third of my pregnancy, but ultimately, I looked very full-term at around 7 months and by the end of it (40 weeks) had gained 80 pounds and looked enormous....street-stopping enormous. The babes were 7 pounds 10 ounces and 8 pounds 11 ounces.

[1stTimeMummytoLore]

so i saw my midwife last night and i'm now 4-5 weeks ahead. we tried to listen to FHT and twice thought we maybe had two, but the baby/babies didn't sit still long enough to time them both to compare that and my placenta is sort of anterior right now so all you can hear in part of my belly is a strong healthy placenta. it would be like one of my strong, free-spirited children to play hide and seek under the placenta!

so i'll see her again on the 18th and we'll see if i stay consistent or if my growth rate continues to accelerate. she also said if it continues to accelerate it would be more likely that we are having twins.

last night i curled up with DH in bed and told him i just feel like we are having twins. i know it would be easier i guess if i just signed up for the ultrasound, but that's not what i wanted to do with this pregnancy. so i guess i'm going to do my best to gestate in peace for two more weeks and see what happens at my next appointment.

[magentamomma]

Originally Posted by nancymom

Hmmm, I think in 2nd trimester I was measuring about 4 weeks ahead. Then around the 3rd trimester I began measuring 6-8 weeks ahead and the last month (36-40 weeks) I measured 10 weeks ahead. I don't think I was measuring ahead in the first trimester.

i was almost identical to this except I started measuring large at about twelve weeks

[SlingWearin'Mama]

Originally Posted by 1stTimeMummytoLore

last night i curled up with DH in bed and told him i just feel like we are having twins. i know it would be easier i guess if i just signed up for the ultrasound, but that's not what i wanted to do with this pregnancy. so i guess i'm going to do my best to gestate in peace for two more weeks and see what happens at my next appointment.

Well I would take a gut feeling more seriously then the fundal measurements! Instinct is an amazing thing so if you feel you are then you probably are. The night _before_ my first u/s, I was looking up how to sling twins, you know the important stuff . Also there is something to be said about putting off detecting twins, things are just calmer and more relaxed when you aren't sure. Enjoy it, but do eat lots just in case hehe!

Good luck to you!