What do I see there? Two hearts?!
“Oh well, we even said to each other, ”Soon there’ll be two of them.’”
“Oh, I just hope there aren’t two of them!”
“I hope there are two!”
A few common sayings. But you don’t really expect it… Until you suddenly see two flashing hearts on the screen! Clearly, the pregnant woman and her partner’s minds are racing in all directions.
Shocked => happy => sad => proud => in love => anxious.
It's all so confusing! People often don't know how to react at first. It's so understandable!
After confirming the findings on the ultrasound, we always take a moment to let it sink in. We take a good look at both babies and measure them. Slowly, we notice that the reality of it all is starting to sink in a bit more…
How common is it?
We think it's absolutely amazing to see. It doesn't happen that often, after all!
A twin pregnancy occurs in 16 out of every 1,000 pregnancies in the Netherlands. You have a higher chance if:
- an older age
- tall women
- a BMI over 30
- Negroid women
- fertility treatments
- hereditary “burden”
Monozygotic or dizygotic
In one-third of twins, there is a monozygotic twins pregnancy. This is a monozygotic pregnancy. Generally, these twins share a placenta. This depends on the timing of the cell division. It is also possible that they each have their own amniotic sac and their own placenta.
In two-thirds of twins, there is a dizygotic twins Pregnancy. This is a twin pregnancy. In this case, two eggs were released and both were fertilized. Each of these babies has its own amniotic sac with its own placenta.
You don’t always know in advance what “type” of twins they are. You do know if they are of different sexes—in that case, they can only be fraternal. If we see two amniotic sacs, it could be either (A). If the ultrasound shows that there is one placenta, then you know they’re identical (B and C).
Medical
A twin pregnancy puts a lot of strain on the body. That makes sense! After all, there are two little babies growing inside you! Your body is doing its very best to provide both babies with enough nutrients.
Unfortunately, a multiple pregnancy carries more risks. Women expecting multiples are at higher risk for gestational diabetes, high blood pressure, anemia, preeclampsia, and iron or folic acid deficiency. In addition, the risk of preterm birth is higher.
For this reason, after the ultrasound during which we see the twins for the first time, you’ll be referred to the hospital. We’re really sorry about this, of course, but we do think it’s the sensible thing to do. We’d still like to hear from you every now and then to see how you’re doing, and you’re always welcome to stop by for a visit during our office hours. You’re also more than welcome to visit us at our practice for Centering Pregnancy!
