Wendy's Story - last minute u/s before D&C saves baby

[wendalynn]

Wow, I just found this site by accident. I thought that I was basically alone in having something like this happen!

When my DD was 4 months old I discovered that I was once again pregnant. I had an u/s that measured my baby at about 6 weeks and was told to come back in a week later to see the heartbeat. When I went in the doctor told me that I was miscarrying and to go home and let it happen naturally. In the next week and a half I got really bad morning sickness and was having no cramps or bleeding. My blood tests showed that my hormone levels were still very very high and I was sick so the Dr. ordered a D&C. When I went in for the procedure I kind of freaked out and asked the doctor to look one more time. He did a vaginal u/s and then called for the abdominal...he had seen a shadow. On the abdominal u/s there was definitely another baby. I had been about 3 minutes from killing my son. He's 4 now and I still look at him and get choked up sometimes because I came SO close to not saying anything to the doctor. My first pregnancy was a miscarriage and I was afraid I was just deluding myself that I was still pregnant.

I am sad about the other baby (imagine, I could have had an 11mo old and 2 newborns, LOL) but I think I am more upset at how close I came to losing my son. It's really a haunting feeling. I can't believe that I finally found some others who have gone through this horrible experience! Somebody, finally, who would understand if I told them that I still cry sometimes when I am by myself and start thinking of it.

Wendy :heart:

[Kay]

Wendy, hope you don't mind that I gave you your own post for this. Your story is amazing and I didn't want it to get lost in all the other posts.

So, I'm trying to understand, your son had a twin then that didn't make it and your son was just 'hidden' behind the other baby? We are seeing more and more studies about finding a hidden baby after the other baby is miscarried. Pretty amazing. I am just more and more for natural miscarriages. There are just too many 'what ifs' with a D&C and if a woman can safely have a natural miscarriage, I'd have to think it is worth it.

And, I know exactly how you feel. Sometimes when I look at my two kiddos I get pretty choked up thinking about some doctors would have pressured me into D&C's and, truth be told, if I wasn't so set on a natural miscarriage, I'm sure I would have caved.

(((hugs))) and congrats.
Kay :heart:

[wendalynn]

You know, I didn't hardly think twice about getting a D&C...I just thought that is what you DID when it didn't happen naturally right away. And of course, I was sick (morning sickness) and so upset to have lost my baby.

The whole story is that I went in and had an u/s, there was a yolk sac and a fetal pole but no heartbeat was visible yet. The next week, I went in and had another u/s and, sadly, the sac had started to shrink significantly. The doctor told me to go home and that I would definitely miscarry. In that week, I also broke my leg and got Xrays, thinking that I was no longer pregnant. When, a week and a half later I was feeling VERY sick, I called the doctor. My hormone levels were abnormally high, in fact, he thought that I was farther along than the first measurements showed. This was mind boggling, though not COMPLETELY impossible, since our first (and correct) dates showed that I had conceived when DD was only 10 weeks old. It turned out that my hormone levels were high, even though I was miscarrying, because I had double babies and double hormones to start out with. But anyway, doctor said that if I was this sick and with such high hormones I should probably come in and have a D&C to get back to "normal".

The very scary thing is...I was just going to do it. It was my husband, on the morning of my appointment, who asked me to please get another u/s and make sure that it was really happening. I had SEEN the fetal sac shrinking, watched the doctor show me the measurements from the first u/s and then measure the second. And even without measurements I could see that where there had been the beginnings of a baby there was now only a very small round spot on the screen. I didn't WANT to see again, didn't want to have to go through the agony of seeing I wasn't pregnant on another u/s and so I really, truly, almost didn't ask for another u/s. Then, when I did, at the very last moment, I still almost backed out. The doctor had said okay, but he was sure that I was miscarrying. When I started to back down, thank God!, this doctor said absolutely no. He said that although he was sure, I had to be. And called in the u/s machine even though I was kind of embarrased and protesting at that point.

This u/s, on the day of the D&C, showed the very last speck of my son's twin. However, the doctor was really moving around, I guess to make sure that I wouldn't have any doubts. Then, he stopped and said he saw a shadow, it was probably nothing, but he wanted to go ahead and look at it from a different angle, on the abdominal u/s. Way, way, way up high, where you are not even supposed to be carrying the baby, he saw a fetus...exactly the size it should have been according to his first measurements on the twin. I was 8 weeks at that point and still had another agonizing week to wait to see a heartbeat. The fact that it wasn't visible at eight weeks was disheartening and the doctor warned me I wasn't out of the woods...but lo and behold, it showed up at the 9 week u/s.

I never had bleeding, spotting or cramping. I never actually miscarried...the twin just kind of reabsorbed. This actually makes it a little harder in some ways, if I hadn't had to get early u/s to date the baby...I would have never known about my son's twin. Kind of a creepy thought. The rest of my pregnancy was completely normal and Bjorn was born right on time at a whopping 9lbs 4oz!

Reading this site, I am beginning to believe that I MUST have a tipped uterus. I can't imagine why it was never noticed on the u/s's I had with DD (my doctor did one every single visit for us nervous first time moms) but it seems a likely thing. I mean, it was weird how far away from where he should have been my son was "hiding". I actually get upset now when I hear that someone I knew had a miscarriage and a D&C...I don't want to give women false hope, but I could never have one knowing my story!!!

Wendy

Mom to Lily(5) and Bjorn(misdiagnosed miscarriage 4)

[Kay]

You might have a tilted uterus but seems as if hidden twins are found in both retroverted and anteverted uteri so it may not matter.

I tell you, the more stories I read, the more I think D&C's should be for emergency situations only. Even if a woman starts bleeding and passing tissue, there is still a chance there is a twin in there and that amazes me.

I read a study recently about how many twins are reabsorbed and maybe that was for the best in your case. If you'd been bleeding they might have tried to get you to do a D&C without the ultrasound.

Thank God for your husband and that doctor who wanted you to be sure. Many doctors don't feel you need to be sure and that you just need to accept what they tell you because they are the 'expert'. Miracles happen and congrats on your miracle. My 'blighted ovum' is almost two and I love her to pieces.

Kay :heart:

[Yvette1000]

Hello Ladies,

I've been writing on the Babycenter.com web site, and thought you might like to share my story.

In May 2004 i gave birth to identical twin boys @ only 25 wks gestation, sadly both the boys passed away at only 6 wks of age due to severe complications of prematurity.

I have a history of premature labour with no actual signs until I'm at least 6-7 cm dialated. I had huge complications with the twins, starting with a manual removal of the placenta after the birth as it would not expel. Then 4 wks later having to have a D&C to remove retained product, due to continual bleeding. Then 8 wks later having to have an emergency D&C to remove more retained products because of severe bleeding. When I was eventually told I have placenta acreta, and if the D&C failed to stop the bleeding only a hysotectomy would stop the bleeding.

Thankfully, my bleeding stopped 4 wks later. Then in Nov'04 I found myself pregnant again, only to miscarry at 8 wks. I was so upset as I'd been told it would be unlikly I would ever get pregnant again.

However I found myself pregnant again in April"05, I thought I must be approx 7 wks when I started to have a bleed again, I was sent for a U/s which showed a sac & yolk sac but no fetal pole. I was warned this may be a blighted ovum.

I was booked for another scan a week later to seen if there had been any changes, fortunatley they found a fetal pole and a heartbeat with no trouble at all. They also said I was only about 5 wks pregnant 2 wks behind what I thought I was.

I have an apt with my conusltant on 23rd May to check the progress, but am very worried they may be something wrong, it's not that there should be but I think because of all the trouble I've had I am just always expecting the worst. I still feel very pregnant for the 1st time I have morning sickness, which to me is very odd as I never had it with the twins or my daughter who is now 5.

Anyway I will keep you posted, with my news, but thought my story may give hope to you ladies who may have been told to expect the worst to happen.

Yvettejavascript:emoticon(':heart:')

[Kay]

Yvette,

I am so sorry for the loss of your baby boys. I cannot imagine a more heartbreaking thing.

Congratulations on finding this baby. I bet that was just the most beautiful ultrasound. Ask if you have a tilted uterus. If you do, you are not necessarily two weeks behind here. Many of us always show to be one to two weeks behind during the first trimester, and then, during the second when the uterus is back in a more normal position, the dates are right on again

Please keep us updated. I'll be praying for you and that little one.

Kay :heart:

[Mom In Waiting]

Yvette,
The more stories I hear of the agony women go through trying to have a baby, the more convinced I am that God is so Gracious!!! If it were not for God's grace in our lives to help us heal from these tradgeties, I don't think we'd ever have enough strength to try again (and again, and again). Praise God for His faithfulness in our grief.
I am so sorry for the loss of your boys as well as your other baby. You sure have been through a lot! You will be in my prayers during this pregnancy, you already have proven the dr.s wrong in that you are indeed pregnant agian! That is some hope I'd surely hold on to!! I pray that the Lord will continue to strengthen this precious little one and that you will soon be able to hold him/ her in your loving arms. God bless you and please keep us updated on your progress. Blessings and love, Cyndi

[iatm]

Congrats on your son..
Your story is very close to mine. We are very lucky to have a surviving twin. I also am sad at the lose of one. I cried all day on mothers day. My older childrenn 16 boy and 14 girl tried so hard to make it special. Had I only known.
:thumbsup: for thinking to do another ultra sound.

:cheer:

Dianne

Soon as I can figure out the picture thing I will share Tim with you.

[iatm]

Yvett,

I am sorry to hear of your story I will keep you in my prayers.
Dianne

[tlink34]

With all this talk of twins being reabsorbed, I am looking for a case like mine and while I am doubtful I am going to find one but thought I would put it out there.

My dr. says I ovualted twice in one cycle and got pregnant twince as well, 15 days apart. The first pregnancy made it it approximately 7 weeks and began to decline. The yolk sac disappeared. One week later another sac with a found with a yolk sac and a tiny fetal pole. One week after that a tiny baby with a flutter was found. But there is the kicker, my betas are declining. They have dropped from 107,000 to 91,000 in about a week and a half.

Anyone out there with similar situation?

[tlink34]

With all this talk of twins being reabsorbed, I am looking for a case like mine and while I am doubtful I am going to find one but thought I would put it out there.

My dr. says I ovualted twice in one cycle and got pregnant twince as well, 15 days apart. The first pregnancy made it it approximately 7 weeks and began to decline. The yolk sac disappeared. One week later another sac with a found with a yolk sac and a tiny fetal pole. One week after that a tiny baby with a flutter was found. But there is the kicker, my betas are declining. They have dropped from 107,000 to 91,000 in about a week and a half.

Anyone out there with similar situation?

[tlink34]

With all this talk of twins being reabsorbed, I am looking for a case like mine and while I am doubtful I am going to find one but thought I would put it out there.

My dr. says I ovualted twice in one cycle and got pregnant twince as well, 15 days apart. The first pregnancy made it it approximately 7 weeks and began to decline. The yolk sac disappeared. One week later another sac with a found with a yolk sac and a tiny fetal pole. One week after that a tiny baby with a flutter was found. But there is the kicker, my betas are declining. They have dropped from 107,000 to 91,000 in about a week and a half.

Anyone out there with similar situation?

[Lark]

Teresa,

I don't know about the ovulating twice, though I know it is possible. If you are past 8 wks, then your hcg's will decline a bit and then plateau. Sometimes drs come up with really wild explanations for why their diagnosis's were wrong though. For example, if your dr told you there was no hope and that you had m/c and then, lo and behold, there's a baby with a heartbeat, some drs will say that you m/c and got pregnant again. In other words, if this baby you are carrying is born around the time the baby you were told you miscarried then it could be one and the same baby and the dr was just trying to cover his tracks! That may not be the case for you, but I know someone that happened to, so it can happen. I'm praying for the best for you and your little munchkin!

God bless

Lark

[brightonwoman]

Many of us always show to be one to two weeks behind during the first trimester, and then, during the second when the uterus is back in a more normal position, the dates are right on again
Kay :heart:

This is slightly OT, and my apologies if it's out of line...I have a tilted uterus, and my first us showed me 12 days behind what I thought (based on carefully charted ovulation I might add--I use NFP and knew teh date exactly). A second u/s has moved me to only 7 days behind...both of these u/s have been vaginal, as the abdominal is too fuzzy with my tilted uterus...is it likely that the dates from teh u/s are still off, even with a vaginal u/s? I'm terribly curious!!! Also, if you know...is it common to 'lose' a heartbeat with a tilted uterus? They found it at the first u/s, but not this one...I'm insisting on another u/s before I think about miscarriage (whihc I'd do naturally) but dr seemed to think that one u/s with no heartbeat was definitive.
Thank you for answering all my questions! I jsut found this site today, and am already feeling so much better about yesterday's emotional u/s!