Sensitive post - one strong embryo and one with no heart beat

[AJKP]

Hello, I've just had my first scan following double fresh ET, i'm 6wks 6days pregnant. I have one embryo with large gestational sac and good heart beat.

The second one has an embryo and gestational sac but no heart beat and is much much smaller.

I've had no miscarriage symptoms yet and I'm booked in for a follow up scan a week later.

I am happy for the one baby but feel full of loss for the other, I'm also very anxious about the both of them and possibly having lost one. (I've had a previous miscarriage)

Did anyone else have similar experience with 2 embryos or even with one embryo that didn't have a heartbeat, did it manage to catch up and go on to a healthy pregnancy?

Thank you x

[DianeArnold Partner Nurse Fertility Network UK]

Hi AJKP. Oh dear, so sorry to hear this, it seems as if the first embryo is a strong little person which is so good. You may be fortunate enough for the second one to catch up, so everything crossed. I hope you’ve got plenty of support around you just now. Thinking of you. Diane

[AJKP in reply to DianeArnold]

Thank you Diane, thats very kind, yes I've got some close friends to confide in and taking time off work as I knew it would be an emotional rollercoaster. There certainly is a little fighter in there so i'll focus on positive vibes for little bean xx 😊

[minnesota_girl]

Hi AJKP, I wanted to write back because I was in exactly the same position with this pregnancy - they call it 'vanishing twin' syndrome, and at my 7 week scan I had one baby measuring bang on with a great heartbeat and 1 measuring only at 5+3 weeks and no heartbeat after a double fresh transfer.

I am so sorry for the loss of your one embryo - I know it's hard because I was so grateful for the baby that was there (I normally got bad news at the 7 week scans) but also felt a sense of loss for the other one - of course. And it's quite conflicted and I tried to focus all my attention on the joy I felt for the baby who was growing inside me.

As you, I felt anxious for the baby that was still growing (and I have had recurrent loss so I was incredibly anxious and got scans weekly especially during the first trimester) , but I can say from my perspective she has grown from strength to strength across the weeks and months and there isn't really evidence that vanishing twin causes issues for the other baby.

I also didn't have any bleeding - this often happens in this case, the embryo is absorbed in most cases and often times there is no sign of miscarriage. I was also worried about this more because I knew I'd be anxious with bleeding and was trying to prepare myself that I might bleed.

My baby is right now nearly 26 weeks and she is constantly kicking me, a real little wriggler, and she's bang on for measurements.

Congratulations on your little one - I know this is both a joyful and hard time for you xx

[AJKP in reply to minnesota_girl]

Thank you for your reply, its given me some reassurance hearing this. Its such a mixture of emotions, I'm consumed with loss for the small embryo whilst telling myself I have a strong embryo growing and how lucky I am with this one. Congratulations on your little one, it sounds like she is growing very well, good luck with the rest of your pregnancy xx 😊

[ki50]

Hi AJKP, I had a vanishing twin as well, saw the heartbeat for both at 6ish weeks but at 8 weeks I had sadly lost one. It is very conflicting to go through, I feel like my sorrow for the loss of one twin overshadowed my relief that the other was still developing for a while and I did have a lot of anxiety throughout the pregnancy, but that little fighter is now lying in my arms asleep so it's another example of the vanishing twin not impacting the viable pregnancy. I do still grieve the loss of the one I lost every so often, but am eternally grateful for the little one that made it through.I had a tiny bit of spotting around the 6-7 week mark, and it did mean the test that they couldn't do the harmony test I think because the twin I lost could distort the results but I did get a very in depth scan at 12 weeks where they checked a lot of the risk markers in terms of development.

Hoping the rest of your pregnancy progresses smoothly, best of luck! X

[AJKP in reply to ki50]

Thank you so much for your reply. Im feeling very guilty today as I grieve the lost twin and haven't quite allowed myself to be excited by the baby that is there. Im sure I'll get there. Sorry for your loss but really reassuring to know that you had a successful pregnancy, hopefully my little fighter will get there x 🤞

[MAPB]

Just echoing the comments above really but yes and no. But currently giving my healthy baby a little cuddle so it does get easier and there’s no reason to assume the other one is going to go the same way xx

[AJKP in reply to MAPB]

Thank you for your reply, its reassuring to know that in a lot of these pregnancies the little fighters grow to be healthy babies 😊

[Sweatsour]

Hi AJKP,

I had 2 embrio transferred, 2 heart beats at week 6 and one heart beat at week 8. The other embrio stopped growing around week 7. I had small spotting at week 10. My second embrio was growing and developing perfectly during the pregnancy although i was continously worrying until my planned C- sectionand. She is now 2,5 year old good luck!

[AJKP in reply to Sweatsour]

Thank you for your reply, sorry to hear about your early loss but pleased to hear that your growing embryo grew healthily into a little baby girl. I'm getting my head around it all now and routing for my little one 😊

[Sandydaiz]

Same here as the other ladies, AJKP. 2 heartbeats after double transfer at 9wk scan and only one at 12wk scan. I was devastated. It was the most unusual experience I've ever went through and I'm no stranger to grief. I found that people dismissed the lost twin all the time. "Oh but isn't it ok as you have the other one" and "youre lucky to still have the other one" and I just wanted to scream that the lost twin was part of our family and always will be. I didn't have any miscarriage symptoms either. The baby just absorbed back into us. Which is kind of nice I suppy. Always be part of us. I was scanned monthly after that to watch them both (I'm in Ireland) and eventually around 18weeks, the lost twin was no longer visible. Didn't have any negative effect on the heathy twin or the pregnancy. He is one now. My advice is to ask for a scan photo of your little baby and one of them both together. These will be a treasure to you. At every occasion, christening, first birthday, a framed photo of them both is in full view and we have a large print on the wall of both so the baby will always be part of our family. I'm sorry for your loss.

[AJKP in reply to Sandydaiz]

Thank you for your reply, im sorry to hear you went through all of that. The nurse had dismissed my little embryo but it's quite helpful advice to ask for a picture as I'd quite like some memory of it. I'm going back this week so will ask then. Thank you for this suggestion. I'm really pleased to hear your little one wasn't effected and that they are a blossoming one year old 🥰