Hmmm..How often does 2d scan miss twins?

[Sophist]

My family has been teasing me that I am having twins, and I have dozens of "risk" factors for twins, they run in my family, etc.

At a recent family gathering, I told them all not to worry, I've had two (2D) scans that have just shown one baby.

Then my SIL who had twins last October laughed and said, "yeah that's what we thought too!" She had had 3 (2d) scans before her 20 week appointment 3d scan showed two babies. My brother said, "once they see a baby, they stop looking...I bet they miss twins a lot on those little in office scans."

So now everyone is sure I'm having twins again! Just wondering how often they are missed, I thought ultrasound was a pretty reliable indicator, and TBH was relieved when there was just one baby!

 

[vyktoriah]

I would have thought 2d scans were pretty reliable! But now you've got me worried! Twins run in my family big time, so being told there was only one was a relief. Now I've got more reason to be impatient with my 20 week scan!! Lol

 

[mummymadness]

I think by 12 weeks its quiet reliable on spotting twins hun xxx

 

[Sophist]

I think by 12 weeks its quiet reliable on spotting twins hun xxx

Let's hope!

SIL's scans were 8w, 12w, 16w.

I had (external) scans at 8 and 12. They were not thorough--no measurements or checking dates even, just "Let's say hello to baby" kind of thing. My next appointment is at 17 weeks and I'm going to ask her to check and make sure.

 

[debbie7155]

my grandmother was a twin, my mum is a twin & im a twin, but im only having the one, but then mum said they all had 1 baby each before then having twins, so maybe next time if/when i get pregnant i could have twins?,lol, my mum didnt even know she was pregnant with twins til she was 7 months, she was a slim lady too, we both weighed 4lbs each x

 

[hb1]

I know someone who saw 1 baby at the 12 week scan and found out they were having twins at the 20 week scan.
hx

 

[JynxPhD]

I had an internal at 6 weeks that clearly showed 2 babies. Maybe because they were right next to each other. It's possible that one twin could "hide" behind the other one though if the sonographer isn't careful.

 

[2016]

I think the scans are quite accurate. Don't agree that they see one baby and stop looking...I has every inch of my uterus viewied from every angle. I guess it can happen, but the odds of missing twins are much much slimmer than the odds of having them!

 

[Sophist]

I think the scans are quite accurate. Don't agree that they see one baby and stop looking...I has every inch of my uterus viewied from every angle. I guess it can happen, but the odds of missing twins are much much slimmer than the odds of having them!

In my case, they did not do a thorough ultrasound. Literally they put the instrument on my tummy and there was baby. They took a picture, and pointed out the HB, that was it.

There was no professional sonographer either in my case or my SIL. These are little in-office scans done by my midwife (and in my SIL's case, her OB) during the regular appointment.

 

[kookyklw]

My scan was a bit like that too, quick pointing out of baby and heartbeat and then whisked away! Now I don't have a history of twins but I would have liked longer to say hello! x

 

[pinkneon]

My family has been teasing me that I am having twins, and I have dozens of "risk" factors for twins, they run in my family, etc.

At a recent family gathering, I told them all not to worry, I've had two (2D) scans that have just shown one baby.

Then my SIL who had twins last October laughed and said, "yeah that's what we thought too!" She had had 3 (2d) scans before her 20 week appointment 3d scan showed two babies. My brother said, "once they see a baby, they stop looking...I bet they miss twins a lot on those little in office scans."

So now everyone is sure I'm having twins again! Just wondering how often they are missed, I thought ultrasound was a pretty reliable indicator, and TBH was relieved when there was just one baby!

That is NOT true! When I had my scan they found the baby but still kept looking to see if there was another - twins run in my family too. I have known people who have had twins missed at their 12 week scans but it's unusual.

 

[Beanbabe]

When I was in hospital having my ds 5 years ago there was a bit of commotion on the ward one night. It turned out this lady had gone into labour at home and delivered very quickly. Ambulance crew asked for obstretic team to a and e cos she was still feeling the urge to push. Low and behold baby number two was delivered in a and e. Noone had any idea she was expecting twins. I would say its a rare occurance but it does happen. God help her i'd say she got some shock.

 

[secretbaby]

When I had my early scan they clearly wrote '1 gestational sac seen' - so the obviously look to see how many are there. I think the obviously miss some ocassionally but would think it is very very rare. (we have non i.d twins on both sides of our families, several in DH's families)

 

[Tea Monster]

I know the sonographer at my scan took deliberate time to look through the whole uterus, checked my ovaries, etc to be sure there was only one - and though I'm sure it's rare for them to be missed, if yours didn't have a thorough look around then there's always a chance!!

I'm sure if you mention your concern at the next scan then they will check carefully for you - as the little wrigglers get bigger it'll be much harder to miss!!

 

[Pixxie]

Its unusual to miss a twin, at the dating scan they specifically have a good look to see how many there is! xx

 

[Aftereight]

I had a reassurance scan at 7 weeks 2 days and the sonographer missed that there were two hiding in there. It wasnt until an appointment at 11 weeks 5 days that both babies were spotted.

 

[twinmummy5]

twins DONT run in my family at all and iv 2 sets!! lol but on both occasions babies where seen at a 12wk scan and an emergency scan at 6wks with my identicals.

everyone was saying oh you gonna have twins again and im not! scans are quite reliable wen seeing more than one baby. dont worry and enjoy ya pregnancy xxx

 

[Sophist]

My brother said, "once they see a baby, they stop looking...I bet they miss twins a lot on those little in office scans."

So now everyone is sure I'm having twins again! Just wondering how often they are missed, I thought ultrasound was a pretty reliable indicator, and TBH was relieved when there was just one baby!

That is NOT true! When I had my scan they found the baby but still kept looking to see if there was another - twins run in my family too. I have known people who have had twins missed at their 12 week scans but it's unusual.

LOL, well as I just said in my case and my brother & SIL's case, it was true. They missed my SIL's twins twice because they didn't keep poking around. In my case they def did not look around the whole uterus, it was very quick and not a full scale scan done by a sonographer. No measurements taken, no dating, no checks of ovaries--nothing clinical. Just "hi baby.."

When I was in hospital having my ds 5 years ago there was a bit of commotion on the ward one night. It turned out this lady had gone into labour at home and delivered very quickly. Ambulance crew asked for obstretic team to a and e cos she was still feeling the urge to push. Low and behold baby number two was delivered in a and e. Noone had any idea she was expecting twins. I would say its a rare occurance but it does happen. God help her i'd say she got some shock.

Yikes! That would be quite the shock!

I know the sonographer at my scan took deliberate time to look through the whole uterus, checked my ovaries, etc to be sure there was only one - and though I'm sure it's rare for them to be missed, if yours didn't have a thorough look around then there's always a chance!!

I'm sure if you mention your concern at the next scan then they will check carefully for you - as the little wrigglers get bigger it'll be much harder to miss!!

I see my mw at 17 weeks, and I'm def planning to ask her to really check this time around and not her usual quick look to say hello to baby!

Its unusual to miss a twin, at the dating scan they specifically have a good look to see how many there is! xx

I haven't had a dating scan, or any kind of clinically ordered ultrasound, just the two, brief, in-office ones. I know when I ovulated and my MW believes me so no need for a dating scan.

I had a reassurance scan at 7 weeks 2 days and the sonographer missed that there were two hiding in there. It wasnt until an appointment at 11 weeks 5 days that both babies were spotted.

Interesting! Was your 7 week scan internal or external? My 8 wk scan was external and she said it was surprising we were able to see much of anything.

twins DONT run in my family at all and iv 2 sets!! lol but on both occasions babies where seen at a 12wk scan and an emergency scan at 6wks with my identicals.

everyone was saying oh you gonna have twins again and im not! scans are quite reliable wen seeing more than one baby. dont worry and enjoy ya pregnancy xxx

Thank you! I would love twins if I can be as organized about it as my brother and SIL are, they are perfect twin parents. But I'm just not sure I'm cut out for it!

 

[below zero]

I've never heard that twins were missed on the ultrasound. They must have been very sloppy.

 

[peanut56]

If twins are missed on a scan, I highly doubt it's because they just stopped looking, unless like below zero said, they were sloppy. That's one of the things they're supposed to be looking for at scans. At my 12 week scan, one of the first things they said to me was "there's only one baby in there."