Ferguson Family: Twenty Week Anatomy Scan

Since we found out three weeks ago that they are both girls my next question is are they for sure identical? So far only one of our doctors from the medical group I see says they're fraternal and everyone else since say there's only one placenta which means identical. The only one to say they aren't was the very first guy I saw at nine weeks.

When I asked the person on schedule today doing the ultrasounds she said she highly doubts that they are not identical and made sure to check the placenta very thoroughly. She said that sometimes at the initial ultrasound you'll see two placentas but then after they can fuse together to look like one for the rest of the pregnancy and a better look after delivery can clear all that up. In her opinion though she doesn't think that happened. She said the placenta was very smooth and did not look like two put together. After the ultrasound was done today she did take a look at the very first one that was taken and said she has no idea why the doctor said there were two placentas because even in that picture she only sees one. After today I think I'm pretty confident that I now know what kind of twin case I'm carrying.

The reason it is good to know for sure if they are fraternal vs identical is because there are more complications that can come with identical twins. With fraternal twins the babies have their own sacs and their own placentas. Which is the best case scenario with carrying twins. Full term with these types of twins is 37 - 38 weeks. With identical twins there are two types you can carry (technically more types if you add in conjoined twins but I'm just focusing on the main two types for now). One of the identical twin cases are when they share one placenta and have their own sacs. With this case the main complication arises if that placenta gives more nutrients to one baby and not enough to the second baby. It's not good for either baby in this case and both can pass. The other main case of identical twins are when the babies share one placenta and are both in the same sac. This poses the highest risk of complications because you still have to worry about the placenta working properly for two babes and also have to worry about cord strangulation. The second one would give me a high dose of anxiety because Hudson dealt with that and was told he likely would have been delivered as a still born had I gone the full forty weeks with him. He had the cord around his neck four times and he had a double true knot in his cord to top it off. Having two babies with all those cords in one shared sac can be a bit tricky for them. Luckily for these little babies in me as well as for me and my own sanity I'm carrying twins with two separate sacs. The doctor did say that the membrane between them is very thin but at least they are protected from each other's cords. This doctor also said that the placenta is working really well and both babies are getting equally nourished from it. It's common that identical twins don't go all the way to 38 weeks but that all depends on the status of the placenta. So I could be looking at early March at delivering these two little girls.

Which at today's appointment they were still two girls and they cooperated so well! My entire appointment from start to finish was just around 45 minutes. That's really great for getting everything you need with twins. I was prepared for it to last a lot longer but it was almost the same time needed for one baby. That's because they both were showing really good behavior haha. The sonographer even mentioned how easy this was because neither one of them was shy and showed everything they needed to. She started with Baby A and while those measurements were being taken Baby B kept her limbs to herself. Then when she turned to Baby B's for her turn it was like Baby A got out of the way so we could see her sister as best as we can. It was funny because after all the measurements were taken they both stretched out and got back into each other's spaces. Each baby had the other's ones feet in their face. It didn't look comfortable to me and when I asked the lady today if these girls could be born with bruises on their faces from all the kicks and punches they endure she laughed and said she'd never been asked that before. I got to see their little faces in 4D which was my favorite part about it all because of course I think they're super adorable already even though they will need these next few months to add more weight for sure. At this point they want to see a normal singleton baby to weigh anywhere from 8 to 12 ounces. They're considered a healthy weight if within that spectrum. These two girls both weighed exactly 11 ounces! No wonder I feel so huge already. I'm carrying two full sized twenty weekers. That's okay though because their health is all that matters right now with this pregnancy and the fact that they are measuring perfectly makes me happy. I can't believe I can be meeting these two sweet little girls in about 17 weeks. :)