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any surprise twins??

17K views 20 replies 14 participants last post by  catlvr976 
#1 ·
i wonder if there are any mamas on here that didn't know they were baking twins?

if so, when did you find out? at birth? just late in the game?

i am not pregnant with twins- not knowingly- and bless your souls for having two at a time to contend with. i am just still really feeling like twins could be a possibility for me. i don't do ultrasounds, and have just had the midwives listen for baby's heartbeat with the fetascope. i guess that makes me feel like there is a chance someone has been missed. also, so far i have had three pregnancies that ended up with live, healthy babies. i have had girl pregnancies and boy pregnancies. i have thrown up one time with each pregnancy, and had very similar pregnancies through all- similar weight gain as well as other patterns.

this time, i had horrendous morning sickness, not throwing up necessarily, but unable to function in most any way for the thought of food- up until about 15 weeks. i have measured ahead, and gained a ton more weight then any other pregnancy. i am 29 weeks, 2 pounds away from where i ended with my last one- and i started out weighing in less. i have been active with every baby, including this one, and have eaten similarly. i am actually eating much healthier at this point, simply because my knowledge of nutrition has evolved throughout the ages.

what gives? i know all babies are different, but something seems a little more off to me.

sooooo...anyone find out late about their twins?
 
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#2 ·
there was a lady here about a year ago that found out after she birthed her first one that there was still one more to go!

so it is possible but very very rare, most midwifes will be able to feel two heads as time goes by.
 
#3 ·
Have you talked to the midwives about it? Have they felt for twins? If you're 29 weeks, it seems like chances are pretty good they'd be able to feel a 2nd baby.

I know you don't do ultrasounds with singletons, but with twins it's a whole different ballgame. Some types of twins are at high risk for certain complications that would not be noticed with the doppler. If I hadn't gotten an ultrasound I actually would have lost one of my twins. Sometimes the risk of not knowing is greater than the risks of an ultrasound, so I strongly suggest that you talk it over with your midwives if you do believe it's twins.
 
#5 ·
I didn't know for certain that I was carrying two babies until I had one in my arms and there was another bump in my belly, from which we heard a heartbeat.

Before then, I had a few suspicions. My fundal height was measuring much bigger (but only starting at 30 weeks). I felt hiccuping in different places (but not at the same time, so I figured that the baby had just moved). I couldn't accurately palpate the babies form. It seemed like it was just going to be another huge baby, like my first. My midwife found the heart beating strong in two different locations, but with the same beats per minute. My due date came and went (and don't twins often come early?)

The babies were born ten days after, at home, in the water. It was a beautiful birth.

I could have gone in for an ultrasound to find out for sure if there was more than one baby that I was carrying. Truly, though, I'm glad that I didn't know. The stress would have been too much. It was the best surprise ever and I wouldn't change anything about how it went.
 
#6 ·
I am another one who strongly suggests going for a quick ultrasound if you suspect twins. There are certain types of twin pregnancies where the ultrasound can mean a difference of life and death...not to be overly dramatic or anything! It doesn't have to be a full anatomical scan where they measure everything -- just enough to check if they see one or two. If they see just one, you have that knowledge and can move on from there. If they see two, you might want to reevaluate -- but again, the knowledge allows you to make informed choices.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Let us know what you decide and what you find out (whether now or when the babe/s is/are born!
 
#7 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by LoisLane View Post

I am another one who strongly suggests going for a quick ultrasound if you suspect twins. There are certain types of twin pregnancies where the ultrasound can mean a difference of life and death...not to be overly dramatic or anything! It doesn't have to be a full anatomical scan where they measure everything -- just enough to check if they see one or two. If they see just one, you have that knowledge and can move on from there. If they see two, you might want to reevaluate -- but again, the knowledge allows you to make informed choices.

Congratulations on your pregnancy! Let us know what you decide and what you find out (whether now or when the babe/s is/are born!
I agree! I do not believe that twins automatically mean high risk however it does have it's own challenges. I had a very low intervention provider and they did want to ultrasound them here and there to ensure that everything looked good..... there are certain circumstances with twins ie) TTTS that can only be discovered with ultrasound. In addition, even if it's a perfect twin pregnancy, there is also the babies positions to check via ultrasound which would guide your decision making for delivery location, route, etc. While it is possible to tell with palpation, twins are pretty tricky. Good luck with your decision.
 
#8 ·
Greetings from the August DDC, Elevena! My twins are obviously not a LATE surprise - just an early one. I was intrigued about others' surprises, though.
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I was very nauseous throughout the first trimester, though with adequate eating, usually kept my food down. These are my first babies, so perhaps that exaggerates the effect, but I noticed uterine stretching starting at 8 weeks, rather than 12 or 14, and had once or twice had the idea of twins flit through my mind - not really believing it. For me, anyway, the other major early symptom was extreme fatigue. Since 9 weeks, though, we've known there were two, so all measurements and weight gain have been appropriate for that, versus being big for an expected singleton. I don't even know what they've been, except my weight. I'm 28 weeks, tomorrow.

I agree that - for me, at least - the grave risks of twin-to-twin transfusion (and changes to care that might save one or both babies) would make me think a single ultrasound, in CASE of twins, in CASE they were one of the small but real percentage of sets with transfusion syndrome, worthwhile. Knowing before they're born, in that case, can make all the difference. I don't want to sound alarmist, and truly believe that, with adequate maternal diet and rest, most twins are likely to do well - but did read about transfusion syndrome a little, while they were unable to tell whether my twins were mono- or di-chorionic. Getting twins with (especially untreated) transfusion syndrome to the point of birth is no guarantee of survival. One or both may well die from heart failure or anemia, afterward. The chances of survival go up if something can be done to limit damage, before birth.

However, I truly envy littlebearsmama the home waterbirth, to two healthy babies, which KNOWING about my twins has put out of reach....
 
#9 ·
FWIW, I found out about my twins at 19 weeks at a routine U/S (at that point I was still with my OBs.) Huge surprise. They were my first, so I have nothing to compare, but through the entire 39w pregnancy the only twin symptoms were 1. early quickening, 2. heightened sense of smell early on, 3. I did get pretty big. I could have very easily gone all the way with no idea, although in my case a good midwife should have been able to palpatate - my girls were essentially shrink wrapped in my belly, and knowing what to look for, I could just about see them!

As you'll see from other threads here, lots of us have had wonderful twin homebirths. (I ditched my OBs for a MW when I saw that surgery would be a certainty, and am very glad I did.) One more reason to know about the twins ahead of time is so that you can find a midwife who's experienced and comfortable with that possibility.

Best wishes, whatever your choice!
 
#10 ·
Quote:
Originally Posted by littlebearsmama View Post

My due date came and went (and don't twins often come early?
Not necessarily, plenty of twinmoms reach or go past their due date. I swear there was a 42 week twinbirth around here not that long ago! It depends on the pregnancy. Double the babies means double the risk of complications, like PROM or preeclampsia, premature labor, etc, so that's why twins often come early. Congrats on getting to have such a beautiful birth!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Imprint View Post

I agree that - for me, at least - the grave risks of twin-to-twin transfusion (and changes to care that might save one or both babies) would make me think a single ultrasound, in CASE of twins, in CASE they were one of the small but real percentage of sets with transfusion syndrome, worthwhile. Knowing before they're born, in that case, can make all the difference. I don't want to sound alarmist, and truly believe that, with adequate maternal diet and rest, most twins are likely to do well - but did read about transfusion syndrome a little, while they were unable to tell whether my twins were mono- or di-chorionic. Getting twins with (especially untreated) transfusion syndrome to the point of birth is no guarantee of survival. One or both may well die from heart failure or anemia, afterward. The chances of survival go up if something can be done to limit damage, before birth.
Twin to twin transfusion syndrome isn't the only risk. One of my twin's placenta's started failing, I think because there wasn't enough room for it to grow properly, and her growth basically stopped. (IUGR). The ultrasound alerted us to the problem and also gave us the information that she would never survive the stress of labor. I hadn't heard of it before, but after the diagnosis I did research and realized that IUGR is another of those twin risks that happens often and isn't really understood well.

I also hate to sound "alarmist," but I'd prefer that to seeing a mama lose one or both babies because of a lack of information.
 
#11 ·
No, of course. You're right: that's also a risk serious enough to make watching the wiser course.
 
#12 ·
hello ladies, and thank you for all of your experiences and insight.

at this point, i have not yet said anything to my midwives (i have been in-between appointments), but will be asking when i see them again in june. as unreal as twins seems to me, with my obsessive palpitating without being able to precisely identify baby, movements that feel quite disconnected from the parts of baby i can easily feel, huge gains, flitting thoughts of twins, surprising history of twins in my family coming up without me searching, added on to my original details--- i am quite curious. interestingly enough, it seems that there are very few women who opt out of ultrasounds these days, even if it's just one, and so the twins have been dectected pretty commonly.

my midwife is wonderful in many ways, but she also has the experience of decades, and is the midwife in town that less experienced midwives call when they have twins, or breech babies, or some other complications. in fact, prodding my mama friend that has two beautiful 6 year-old twin daughters, it turns out that she had her babies at home with my midwife in attendance! i would have never known. when i go in for my 33 week apt, i will definitely ask her to feel out if there could possibly be 2 babies in there. i am incredibly minimal with what i feel is necessary-- we don't even use a doppler to listen for baby's heartbeat, we use the fetascope. i'll likely look for some insight from my midwife after i see what she thinks from palpitating, etc. i hear you all in expressing the very real concerns about twins--and should it actually be twins i am carrying, i will do some major research and soul-searching, as well as ask my midwife for her input when it comes to what steps i will take from there.

thanks for all of your thoughts! and if any other mamas have experience in finding out about twins late in the game, i would still very much like to hear about it.
 
#13 ·
I didn`t find out about our Duo til 21wks at a regular ultrasound to check my placental placement due to a history of low lying/borderline previa. I had a momma instinct before hand - I questioned online many times about how likely it was to NOT know - being my 4th pregnancy to progress thus far. I showed NO signs that were textbook, other than the fact that I was measuring on track for my gestation - something I had never done before - always measuring 3-4wks behind (with 8 and 10lb babies). I popped in the belly area at 15wks - never before til at least 20wks. My doctor said I was nuts. The tech proved otherwise.
 
#14 ·
as far as baby positioning in the womb, once you mamas were in your seventh and eighth months of pregnancy, was it clear to you by feeling that there were two babies in there? what was your experience in that realm?
 
#15 ·
The only thing that was clear by palpation in my case was that there was a whole lot of baby! Baby B was so far tucked into my side that you had to dig for her little head. I am always all over my belly during pregnancy, figuring out how the babe is lying, so I knew where B's head was and had to really encourage my midwives to dig that deep! They never would have, if we didn't know there were two at that point. We often could not get both heart beats with a fetoscope either, but a lot of that was because of A's anterior placenta, though some was positional. I had a significant intuition that there were twins, because of several unique symptoms very early on, and it was driving me crazy enough that I insisted on an U/S. Usually, I refrain from all ultrasound devices in pregnancy, but because I am 30-45 min from a hospital in good weather, and my twins were due in March in an area that gets a lot of winter weather, I didn't want to risk a surprise twin birth at home. My midwife first attempted to do a thorough search with the doppler, but only came up with one heart beat. I thought I got two with my fetoscope on a couple occasions before the U/S, but it was so difficult with the anterior placenta, most times all I could hear was placenta. We confirmed twins at 19 weeks. I was only measuring about 5cm ahead, but after I drastically increased protein, I jumped to 10 cm ahead and even more toward the end. If I hadn't focused my intake, I wonder if I would have ever gotten that big, and may not even have had that clue. It was a lot of work toward the end to eat enough and gain weight. I only gained a couple pounds in the last two months, even though my girls weighed 7#12 and 6#8 at 38 weeks. My total weight gain was similar to my singleton pregnancies. Also, my girls didn't often move at the same time, and were both rather quiet babes. My previous singleton moved a lot more on her own than these two did together. So, I can totally understand how twins could get missed.
 
#16 ·
well, to check back in, i did have my 33 week appointment today. one of the first things my midwife asked me, before i could even bring it up, was..."is it possible that there are two babes in there?"

and after a long time feeling out babe's position, she says what a funny position it is....and that probably baby is just really, really long, but that there could be another babe hiding behind.

she has been doing this for a long time. decades. and has seen a fair amount of twins in that time.

i am sort of in shock....in a way i was waiting to hear that my hunches were out of bounds. looks like that is not the case, though nothing is confirmed.
 
#17 ·
I found out a week before they were born...but they were born at 24 wks.

I was going to a clinic and my appt. had been primarily with a nurse. The doctor came in at the end and asked if I had any other questions. I said, "Well, yes! Why do I look like I'm 9 months pregnant, before I'm even in my 3rd trimester?"

His face turned red and I realized he must have assumed I was just overweight. So he told me to lay back and he'd do a quick ultrasound. When I laid back (and my belly didn't just blubber off to the side...), he said, "OMG. That's ALL baby!"

So, he floats the ultrasound wand around for a while, then remarks, "Yep. That is one big baby!"

I asked, "So it really IS just one big baby?"

He said, "Oh, no. It's definitely TWO big babies."
 
#18 ·
the day after i had my midwife visit, i laid down to once again obsessively palpitate my uterus and i asked babe to please make it really obvious if there was only the one, or truly two. immediately thereafter, hiccups started in my upper left quadrant, above my belly button. at this point i have one hand on hiccupping baby, and another hand on what we affirmed to be the the head, down low (but off center) in my pelvis-- on the right side. no movement what so ever at that point from the head. that was our first bout of hiccups, and since then there have been many, always alternating where they are felt. sometimes down on the right, where baby head is, and sometimes on the upper left. tonight i felt baby hiccuping on my upper right, then a flip, and the hiccups moved to the upper left.

anyone want to talk to me about hiccups?

after talking to midwife again, she says she was talking about the situation with her partner after the appointment the other day, and they are pretty curious about the whole thing. when i described the hiccups, she says, that sounds like a pretty good indication, them being up so high and on the left. we are opting to go for a quick ultrasound sometime next week, as soon as my insurance kicks in. i would love to just be surprised, but right now i am thinking about all of the help i will need to organize for immediately after baby. i am a single mom, going from 2 kiddos to 4 will be crazy.....

anyone else breastfeed twins successfully with past supply issues?
 
#19 ·
Hello! I found out about my twins at 20 weeks routine u/s but I had serious intuition about them before hand - and I am not an intuitive person normally. I was STARVING the whole time, got a lot bigger than first preg, definitely felt moving (although I can't remember about hiccups specifically...) in different places - oh and I was exhausted the whole time (of course, having a 1 year old, a new puppy and an master's to finish probably didn't help...). As time went by I could also feel two big lumps in my belly. I was so sure it was twins.

No one believed me, they said oh you are always bigger second time round etc etc, so when we went into the ultrasound room I was watching the technician like a hawk... And when she said "it's actually twins" I burst out laughing, except it turned into sobbing and everyone thought I was upset. I kept trying to say "I'm laughing!" but couldn't get the words out! Anyway, it was very satisfying to tell everyone I had been right all along.

I did breastfeed them, although ending up expressing a lot for one twin who was fussy about slow(er than bottle) let down. It worked fine. You have to eat A LOT though...
 
#20 ·
With us I found out at 4 months. We'd gotten married in a civil service in June and our wedding was planned for November. My beautiful wedding gown no longer fit in November but I wasn't showing much. My last kid has been 14 years prior so my uterus had shriveled up and nearly died from boredom. I knew I was pregnant at Halloween and held off for the doc's appt for confirmation. He did an u/s because I thought I was only a "few weeks preg" when in actuality I was 18w. The doc miscalculated my pregnancy and told me I was 11w... with twins. Girls.

Throughout my pregnancy my due date would change and loom closer and closer with each visit to the doc. It was very stressful. I didn't enjoy the pregnancy much because I kept going over the numbers and none of them added up. I delivered at 36w 4d, 6 weeks earlier than my original EDD. My girls were healthy, kicking and screaming and only spent 3 days in NICU. I thought they were listed as pre-term but I glanced at their charts and noticed someone input "full term." That's great news for us. I no longer have to contend with that stupid adjusted age crap.

My twin pregnancy looked normal until around 6 months. Then I really popped and I felt more than one baby moving. I guess they ran out of room. I called them Cirque du Soleil because they liked to jump and twist and turn. Even now with this pregnancy I feel the babies subtle movement in their sacs and I'm just hitting 9 weeks. I look like I'm about 4 months preg though.
 
#21 ·
We found out about ours at the 20 week ultrasound. Huge surprise. I didn't feel much movement b/c my placenta was anterior. I did remember being slightly more nauseated at the beginning, but I thought that maybe this was a boy since I had only had girls....haha, was I ever wrong.

My brother's gf told me the day before my u/s that she thought maybe there were 2 in there as I was bigger than she remembered when I had my 3rd. I told her no, it was probably b/c this was my 4th baby and my muscles were pretty much nonexistant. Wrong again!! LOL!

I remember the doctor being able to palpate 2 babies and once they reached a certain week of pregnancy, they were pretty much stuck in the same positions. I knew who was who and could tell when my dd had hiccups as hers were different from my ds' whose hiccups were stronger.
 
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