Experiencing Vanishing Twin Syndrome

As most of you now know, we lost our sweet Baby B twin. It wasn’t totally unexpected as my mom has carried several sets of twins and lost one every time. Baby B was smaller and had a much lower heart rate than Baby A. The news was sad but I wasn’t blindsided instead I was told that I was experiencing vanishing twin syndrome.

Discovering Our Loss

I have heard of quite a few twin problems but vanishing twin syndrome was never one that came up. After seeing that our little B heart had stopped and looked much smaller than Baby A, I wasn’t sure what would happen next. Would I have to have a D&C? Would my body automatically miscarry the twin out?

The doctor sat down with me and explained that Baby B would stay in my womb for the remaining of the pregnancy. I was completely taken back as I had no idea that’s what would happen. She began to explain that my body would soon start absorbing the baby back into my body. By my next ultrasound appointment, she stated that there would only be a little blimp left of our baby.

I called David and told him the news which he took pretty hard to himself. Though twins were a surprise, losing one was just as shocking for him. We decided we would let everyone know once we felt comfortable enough to do so.

Understanding Vanishing Twin Syndrome

More common than many know, when one twin doesn’t survive beyond the first trimester, it simply reabsorbs and well, vanishes. Vanishing Twin Syndrome occurs without warning and is typically for unknown reasons.  Many speculate that one baby perishes simply based on chromosomal abnormalities.

Due to how my twins sit in my uterus, Baby A shouldn’t have any issues with Baby B’s demise. When we went into my 12 week downs screening, I saw an empty sac on the screen for Baby B and a healthy Baby A. Baby B, though not present any longer, had a placenta that had grown to be almost as large as A’s. This worried me but I was told it was completely normal for it to grow then shrink.

The Aftermath

Now that some time has passed, some spotting has presented which is accumulated to Baby B’s placenta being absorbed. We are having trouble with trisomy testing as Baby A is coming back with a third set of chromosomes that are more likely due to the DNA of Baby B. We have opted for old school testing and additional ultrasounds to rule out Baby A having triploidy.

Though I am thankful for our remaining twin, it has been harder to bond with him/her. Every time things start heading in the right direction something else pops up as a possibility of something wrong. I’m trying to get my anxiety at bay until we have a definite reason to be worried but the struggle is real. Once we’re through the woods, I think bonding will come much easier.