I have a friend that is 36 weeks with twins and getting induced tomorrow - Page 2

[Kitten]

From the Twin to Twin Syndrome Foundation website:

"TTTS affects identical twins (or higher multiple gestations) who share a common monochorionic placenta."

So TTTS would only affect identical twins who share a placenta (not all identical twins share placentas by the way). Isn't this something that can be determined by ultrasound? And shouldn't ultrasound be able to show if one twin were larger than the other?

Frankly, this just sounds like something else for OBs to get all overly medical about. And recommend early c-sections of course. Obviously true TTTS sounds like it really does warrant medical attention. But really, do *all* these women you know have large/small girl/girl or boy/boy twins sharing a placenta? That seems a little unlikely to me.

I live in a large metropolis with plenty of medical centers and teaching centers so maybe that is why.

I suspect the teaching centers might have something to do with it. Those residents need experience doing c-sections, after all.

Anyway, we have no idea if this is the case with the woman the post is about.

[*Karen*]

Actually they are identical and share a placenta. I guess I forgot to mention it! But I do agree that they could have looked at the ultrasounds to look for TTTS. I still haven't heard anything yet.

[Rachael Cail]

Mainstream friends issue

I am really struggling with this issue right now, and with my closest girlfriend, no less. I know a whole lot of it is because of her own issues with her son's birth ("emergency" c-section at a hospital with a 41% !?! c-section rate, resulting in a preemie in the NICU). I try to remind myself of this whenever I feel that unvoiced tension. She and her husband are trying to get pregnant again, and I KNOW she's going to use the same hospital, which I wouldn't touch with a ten foot pole. The first birth I attended as a doula was there, and the doctor cut an episiotomy without any warning because he was impatient. A lot of doula's in my community will not attend births there. Anyway, a mutual acquaintance who recently gave birth had planned for natural (hypno, midwife, doula, etc.), and ended up with a c-section (another supposed emergency) and unfortunately I heard the news from my aforementioned friend. She says excitedly "___ had her baby!" and then, in the same excited voice "she had an emergency c-section!". She was positively gleeful to be able to announce that to me. I swear, every time I think about that conversation it makes me angry, and of course it was one of those times when you think of what you should have said when it's too late. Anyway, I have a resentment over it but seriously do not want to hash it out with her because she is very unconfrontable and hits below the belt no matter how calmly issues are brought up. Anyway, it's really uncomfortable for me, because I love her and she's a wonderful friend and has been for years. I'm sure MANY of you can relate.

[applejuice]

I want to scream every time I hear "emergency caesarean section". I am 53 and I have heard it too many times in my lifetime from both family and friends.

OBs and firemen have alot in common in that they both save lives; only firemen usually do not start the fire.

So TTTS would only affect identical twins who share a placenta

I agree with this and it makes alot of sense.

However the very first time I knew of someone carrying twins and diagnosed with TTTS was a woman carrying a boy and a girl twin, so they were not identical and did not share a placenta, so how could they have been diagnosed with TTTS? .

She also had a caesarean section; she had had a natural birth three years before. A year later, this same woman had breast cancer. So sad. :

[dubfam]

Originally Posted by applejuice

OBs and firemen have alot in common in that they both save lives; only firemen usually do not start the fire.

That really is a good analogy....Every time I hear "Thank God we were at the hospital..." I want to :Puke

I know that occasionally there really are emergencies, but I believe most of the problems are created in the hospital.

[True Blue]

TTTS is something they would be watching very, very closely for from very early on. I have a friend whose twins had this, and they very sadly lost one.

[applejuice]

Originally Posted by dubfam

That really is a good analogy....Every time I hear "Thank God we were at the hospital..." I want to :Puke

I know that occasionally there really are emergencies, but I believe most of the problems are created in the hospital.

I want to credit Dr. Mendelsohn with that one. I do not know where he got it however, but yes, it is a good analogy. So are doctors pyromaniacs in white coats?

[f&p'smama]

Originally Posted by applejuice

However the very first time I knew of someone carrying twins and diagnosed with TTTS was a woman carrying a boy and a girl twin, so they were not identical and did not share a placenta, so how could they have been diagnosed with TTTS? .

It wasn't TTTS, then, if the twins weren't identical. Maybe someone was using the terms loosely. They do, however, watch twins closely for discrepant growth and will want to induce early if it seems like one twins is growing at the expense of another. My girls are fraternal and we had an undiagnosed case of discrepant growth; one girl was 2 lbs heavier than the other, but the ultrasound didn't catch it.