Triplets!!!

Two nights ago, a woman came into triage complaining of spotting at 8 weeks. So we stuck the transvaginal ultrasound probe in and started probing. And I saw something weird... it was a black space on top of another black space. One black space should be the open (pregnant) uterine cavity, and if you saw another, triangular, black space to the anterior and inferior side of it, that would be a full bladder. But this black space was to the anterior and superior side of it, so it definitely wasn't bladder.

Then I saw two yolk sacs, one in (what turned out to be) each amnionic sac.

TWINS!

The patient was completely shocked, but in a good way. She told us that her 4-year-old had just recently told her that he thought she was carrying twins, and she had blown it off as a 4-year-old being silly.

Then, we kept looking around, and we realized in the anterior amniotic sac, there were TWO yolk sacs. More scanning confirmed it: THREE HEARTBEATS!

Those little round blobs were so adorable, with their little heart flutters. And the parents were totally and completely in shock.

No infertility treatments, and no history of twins or triplets on either side of the family.

1. It was crazy to see, and so nice to see a happy reaction to pregnancy news (our patient population isn't always that thrilled)
2. It was nice to know that I immediately could see and interpret the ultrasound evidence, because that means I'm getting better at my ultrasound technique!