I know, the only way to really know is to have an ultrasound. But here's my question anyhow. I am 18 weeks pregnant, my 5th pregnancy (including one miscarry), I was 122 lbs at conception and at 18 weeks already weigh 147 lbs (I've never gained this much weight while pregnant). I am almost 30. Twins do not run in my family (that I know of). And I seem to be measuring about right in fundal height for my due date (self-exam).
Now because of the increased weight, double morning sickness, extra fatigue I began to entertain the thought of twins. I have never gone to the doctor for any pregnancy as I birth at home unassisted (It just works for me, so I do it). I have never had an ultrasound. But at the chiropractor today. He said he would use the doppler to hear the heartbeat. After he listened all over my belly for a bit and checked it against my pulse he put the headphones on me and said listen to this. He placed the monitor on the left side of my belly in the blob of "jelly goop" when I heard a loud, rapid swish-swish, swish-swish. Then he moved across the top of my belly to the other side. As he did the sound faded to gone and suddenly reappeared on the right side of my belly just as loud and rapid but didn't seem to me to be in the same beat with the previous beats. He exclaimed, "I think I'm hearing two placenta's, you had better get and ultrasound in a couple weeks to make sure"
I do not want to get my hopes up it would be great if I were having twins but tell me if you know anything about this or can give advice on his findings. I need something to read over while I wait my "couple of weeks" to find a midwife with an ultrasound machine.
Thanks!
If you are pregnant with twins, it's a done deal. No need to worry about it. Just wait until you get a mid wife with an ultrasound and that can confirm or deny what you think.
I know this is hard, but if you really want to know you can find out by going to a clinic and getting a quick ultrasound or a blood test to confirm your HCG levels.
Time will tell...
Good luck and congrats every which way!
I think you should see a doctor. Not just to find out if you are having twins, but to make sure there aren't any problems. I have known a couple people that had twins that didn't gain weight that fast. Then again I know people who had a single birth and they DID gain weight that fast because they said they were "eating for two". Babies don't eat as much as adults so that is just an excuse to pig out. I had two kids and I used that excuse too. haha Anyway, even if you are still planning on birthing at home, I would suggest you get an ultrasound anyway.
And kudos on giving birth on your own. I know I couldn't have done it. You are amazing. :)
A doctor can't diagnose whether you're having twins or not just by heartbeat alone. My first appointment with my doctor he let us hear the heartbeat and we were super excited. We thought one baby nothing more. It wasn't until we had an ultrasound did we realize there were two. Babies can move around alot and even though the chiropractor "found" two heart beats doesn't mean that there are two babies. Get an ultrasound. Trust me when I was super tired and starting to wear maternity pants by 9 weeks along, having twins didn't even cross my mind. I just thought I was getting fat fast, lol. An ultrasound will be the only way to adequately know whether there are two babies or not.
How exciting to be expecting. My concern about your weight gain would be gestaional diabetes. Make sure you have a test for that. I hope you get what your hoping for. I love babies! Rina
Wow thats great. You should go to the doctor right away because there are many more risks if you are carrying twins. There is pre term labor, early delivery before the babies are ready and even though you have birthed at home you might nreed to consider a different option this time. Just go find out for sure then you can discuss home birth with the doctor.
I gained weight much quicker and sooner with my second child than my first. With my first pregnancy, I was gaining a couple pounds a month for the first few months. With my second one, I gained 6 lbs, 6 lbs and 8 lbs the first few times I went in. The doctor wasn't concerned about it, but I couldn't figure out what the deal was. Well, when it came time to take the gestational diabetes test, I failed and had to take the extended test. I failed two out of the four 1-hour sugar readings (anything higher than one is a fail) and was diagnosed as gestational diabetic. Once I did that and went from eating my regular diet to the diabetic approved one and started testing my blood sugar levels, the weight gain curbed dramatically. My whole point is, get in to see a doctor!
I'm ALL for home birth with low-risk pregnancy, I hope to have one myself if I ever get the opportunity, but that doesn't rule out pre-natal care, which is how one ascertains the risk level. I really hope you'll find a competent mid-wife who will make sure you're on track. Good luck!
Twins put you at increased risk for just about everything (though of course can be delivered normally at home but IMO you'd want at least a midwife and doula there just to be sure) and a higher risk for prematurity so I would go get the ultrasound if only to verify that everything is healthy and going normally.
You will also need to do your homework as to obstetricians and hospitals you would want to go to in case you need to deliver or be transferred to one. Better to find the right fit now than in the middle of a crisis!
And, if your single baby has two different heart beats that would also be concerning enough IMO to get it checked out. I highly doubt that's the case as you heard the heart beats in two different areas of the belly.
Dear Kellee,
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
I'm all for doing things as naturally as possible, but that just didn't work for me with either of my successful pregnancies. I know things have worked out fine for you so far doing things the way you have, but pre-natal care is so important for the health of you and your baby. Or babies as the case may be. I'm sure there are clinics in your area that staff midwives who can be sure that you get whatever tests you may need and follow through with you and help you prepare for your home birth. Gestational diabetes is a concern, even if you've never had it before, it can still occur. And you should be getting your blood pressure checked on a regular basis. It's non invasive and a change in your pressure can signal other things. When I was "surprised" by the pregnancy with my son, I was gaining 7 pounds a week. My doctor was freaking out. I didn't eat anything unhealthy, but I was drinking at least a gallon of whole milk every single day. I was eating a dozen oranges, I craved fish, I couldn't help myself. I'm a small woman and in a 6 week period had gained 42 pounds. I was tested for everything under the sun. To make a long story short, I guess my body knew what it was doing because I became critically ill and spent the last 4 full months of my pregnancy in the hospital unable to eat and barely hanging on. My son and I survived, but only due to the diligence of my doctors and nurses who never left my side.
Get yourself to a midwifery center as soon as you can. I'm sure you'll find someone you feel comfortable with.
Please be sure to let us know what you find out.
I want to start by commending you on having home births yourself so far. I could never do such a thing (though I also have some chronic illnesses or I would probably have looked into the idea more). If you find that you are pregnant with twins you should definitely look at the possibility of having a midwife on call for your birth because giving birth with twins can be much more complicated. As well, you should pick out a hospital in case something happens and you need to be taken to the hospital. I am not at all saying that you should not be able to have your twins at home just that you need to be prepared for big emergencies. You should be able to find a hospital that you are comfortable with for emergencies. As well, you'll want to watch your due date and how far along you are because if you go into labor too early then you probably will want to go to a hosptal just so that your little ones can be taken care of if they have a problem. I think if you look hard enough you may be able to find birthing centers that are made for natural birthing but have doctors and emergency equipment on hand in case it is needed. You may want to look for one of these. Good luck and if twins is what you want then I hope that you are blessed with such.
Chiropractors do not have training in listening to heartbeats, or any prenatal care. Your chiropractor was out of line with his training, and frankly irresponsible.
if it were me I would
a) ignore everything your chiropractor says about the pregnancy
b) switch chiropractors
c) get a test for gestational diabetes
Prenatal care is important. I hope you find a midwife soon!
What training does a chiropractor have in ob/gyn? How can he hear 2 placenta's, shouldn't it be heartbeats? My best friend is a chiropractor and she has had no training in this area. I would dismiss what he said and get an ultrasound. If it is twins, your risks for pregnancy related problems goes up. You can still birth at home by yourself or with a midwife, but I would retain a ob/gyn and get in for the testing you need. Increased weight gain is a concern for other conditions, other than twins. Congratulations on your pregnancy and best wishes.
Wow, what a brave mama!!! For the sake of your health and the well being of your other children, please go see a doctor as soon as you can. (they need a strong healthy mom) I am thrilled for you that your previous pregnancies have been easy and that you were able to deliver at home without complications, but without a proper medical screening there is no way to know that this one will end as well. You do not have to make any plans about labor and delivery right now, you can just go to get information. I had an extremely high risk pregnancy and would not have lived through delivery without all of the excellent medical help I was lucky to have. I would never have know there was a problem without an ultrasound. Just think of it as getting educated about what your choices are.
Does seeing an OB to get an ultrasound somehow prevent you from going forward with your birthing plan if everything seems okay from the ultrasound? I would take what the chiro said with a grain of salt, but if you are having twins, you need to consider giving birth at a hospital because twins often come early. I did not have twins, but I did give birth to my son at 29 weeks. Thank G-d I was in a hospital with an excellent NICU set up to care for premature babies. While some twins stay in for a full term pregnancy. Twins also need to be monitored more carefully in utero in case one is not getting enough nutrition, etc. Please get good prenatal care and then follow the birth plan that works for you and your family.
Maybe you have good reason to not want to see an OBGYN. Maybe youve had a terrible experience with one in the past or maybe you just want to do things on your own terms just because you can. Youve already lost 1 pregnancy so you might be considered high risk. If you are carrying twins, you are high risk and need some extra attention and advice. Im sure a mid wife can handle twins if all goes well, but who can predict the future and know for certain everything is alright? You trust your chiropractor, but not an OBGYN? Extra weight gain can mean gestational diabetes, or a larger baby. Heart beats can be heard all over the abdomen and doesnt mean twins everytime. Would you risk the health and/or life of a baby by not seeing a medically trained doctor whos specailty is delivering babies? As for "it works for me, its what I do", Thats an odd statement since a small helpless child is involved and each pregnancy is different so you dont really know if it "works" for you this time. Why is knowing if its twins the most important thing to you instead of making sure you and the baby are in the best health? Get some prenatal vitamins and eat right, and get plenty of rest. But most of all, call a doctor and have an exam to make sure it is all going right. Then go with the mid wife if you choose and be relaxed in knowing you showed how much you care for your children. Best wishes in your pregnancy and have a safe delivery and healthy babies. (o:
I'm not going to comment on the fact that you are not seeking prenatal care, regardless of how strongly I feel about that...it's your choice and I hope all ends well.
That's being said, my OBGYN told me at one of my appointments (because twins do run in my family) that there is no way to tell with just the heart beat. She said she could move the thing around to all different sides of my belly and hear different heart beats, but no way to tell if they are all the same heart beat or what.
As far as the weight gain. I'm sorry to say but you're getting older, every pregnancy is different and you may just be gaining more. Our bodies change so much for so many reasons.
Best of luck!
Catherine
As I was reading your other responses something else dawned on me (I should of thought of this originally) you could have preeclampsia. I had my daughter 2 weeks early because of it, but I have a friend who delievered at 26 weeks because of it. It's very dangerous! I would recommend going into Longs, Safeway, anywhere there is a pharmacy and check your blood pressure. I know if you gain more then 4 pounds a week is a sign. At a check up they test your urine for protein and that is a sign of preeclampsia. Are you swollen at all, hands, face, feet?
I have twins who are now almost three years old. I am a mother of four. When I went my appointment the said I was doubling in size every time I came in to see her. She listen to one side and heard a heart beat, then listen to the other heard the same thing. The wierd part was that their heart beats were exactly the same rate. She then sent me for an ultrasound, sure thing it was twins. Another I notice that I did not notice before with this pregnancy, it that I was sick before I missed my cycle. well good luck and hope this helps.
Wow! You are very brave to not see an OBGYN for your pregnancies and births of your little ones. However, due to your worries, it may be best to see an OBGYN just to make sure that you are healthy and your baby (babies?) too. Since you think you may be having twins, you probably need to be more careful. If you want to have a midwife to deliver at home, it works for you. You are comfortable with that. I don't see why you can't have an OB until your due date.
Every pregnancy is different, but the symptoms you are describing do sound like a twin pregnancy. Where are you living? There are places where you can go and get an ultrasound done. I don't recommend a "4-D" ultrasound because they are very loud for the baby(ies), but you shoould prpbably check. As for your prenatal care, do what you feel is best for you and your family! You might consider having a second (and third) pair of hands for the birth though if it is twins because there are some additional risks to consider. Feel free to email me directly, I'd be happy to talk to you.