A friend has just had a scan showing that she is pg with identical twins. However, one is much smaller than the other and may not survive. I know that losing a fraternal twin is relatively common during pg (up to 20% I read?) but has anyone experienced miscarrying one identical twin and the other surviving. I guess I'd just like to give her a good news story. She's trying so hard to be positive - its taken years + medical assistance for the pregnancy to happen.

I there, just a quick note I will get back to you however I am at work. Yes you can lose an identical twin during pregnancy and the other twin can go to fullterm. It is a high risk pregnancy but yes absoutely it can happen, I have a fried that it happened too, will speak soon with more info.

Lynn
Matthew 3.5
29.3 week Twin Boys Ethan 2.5 and his twin Angel brother Bailey forever 2 days
<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://lilypie.com/days/051016/0/4/1/+10" alt="Lilypie Baby Ticker" border="0" /></a>

Me again, trying to pop on during work, it sounds like your friend is experiencing Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, which is how I lost one of my little twins however I got to 29 weeks with both of them and my precious baby died in NICU at two days from complications associated with the devastating condition. Again please reassure your friend you can carry one of the twins 'if' the other one dies in utero. Please PM me if you need to chat.

Lynn
Matthew 3.5
29.3 week Twin Boys Ethan 2.5 and his twin Angel brother Bailey forever 2 days
<a href="http://lilypie.com"><img src="http://lilypie.com/days/051016/0/4/1/+10" alt="Lilypie Baby Ticker" border="0" /></a>

Hi, perhaps suggest your friend contacts your local multiple birth association? They have good info re twin-twin transfusion syndrome, and usually some contact mums who have experienced it first hand to talk to.

Nicolie

DDs Paige & Hannah (23/09/03)

Bless you both. I just wanted to give her some real life stories rather than statistics. Her husband is a twin and somehow that makes it even more painful.

The 20% was an estimate in a book about miscarriage. It was trying to take into account the lost fraternal twins that were undetected.
Okay have done some more internet research and it appears that TTTS usually begins mid-pregnancy. In this case it is in the first trimester, so maybe that's worse? Looks like the advent of laser surgery is a big improvement on the previous options.

Hi

Tell your friend to try and stay positive. I had bleeding early on in my pregnancy (8 weeks) and when I had an ultrasound, they told me that I had twins, but that one sack was smaller than the other and the bleeding was probably due to the size difference and that there was a chance that I was going to lose one twin. Thankfully, no such thing happened and I went on to have healthy fraternal twin boys.

Hope everything works out for her.

This message was edited by healthytwins on Sunday, 22 May 2005 @ 11:38 PM

I am another one who had TTTS during pregnancy. My girls seem fine and healthy, so it's not always a big problem, but the earlier it sets in, the more severe it is. Often it is not diagnosed during pregnancy unless there is a very big difference in sizes between the two babies. In our case, it was only obvious at birth and I had no clue. I went into premature labour though, which was an indication all was not right.

My best wishes to your friend, I hope it all turns out OK.

Narelle

Narelle 30
DH Craig 31
Identical twins Kelsey & Jenna ,born 19 Sept 2004

Hi there,
Can I suggest your friend contact her local multiple birth club and ask for help. There will be someone there who will be able to direct her to more information. The AMBA website has tonnes of information.

I wish her all the best.
michelle

Just to let you know that my friend has had a 12 week scan and there is only one healthy baby present. I guess if there had been no early scan they never would have known about the identical twin. Thanks for your help.

Hmum
I lost a twin at 13 weeks ..and despite on going bleeding till 20 weeks..had no other major problems with the pregnancy and carried my son to 37 weeks..

best wishes to your friend

Lea

Hi There

I thought I'd just add my story to this. We found out we were expecting twins at about 6,5 weeks and with the following ultrasound at almost 9 weeks 1 had not made it. They called it vanishing twin syndrome and it is indeed quite common, but not many people are aware they have had it as they don't usually get an u/sound done until 12 weeks. By that time you sometimes can't even see the 2nd - thus the name vanishing twin.
I remember being quite stressed with the loss of 1 of the twins and was particularly scared to lose the surviving twin.

I carried my daughter until 33 weeks and although she was a premmie, she is now a beautiful bouncing girl who smiles all waking moments. Sometimes we wonder how her twin would have been, but I suppose it's like with a miscarriage (which I had earlier that year), after a while you have to let go of that thought and focus on what you have.

Best wishes to your friend!

Barbara