The Pregnancy and Birth

May 28, 2012

I knew I wasn't feeling normal that day, and I was late by a week so I asked my husband (my fiance' at the time) to pick up some tests on his way home. I wouldn't say we were technically "trying" to get pregnant so you could say I was freaking out a bit. When he finally got home, I ran straight to the bathroom. After 3 minutes the screen gave me my answer. PREGNANT. This is the part where I wish I could tell you that we jumped up and down for joy, but we didn't. We just sat in silence for a while, trying to process everything that was about to happen.

After hours of shock and 3 other positive tests, we decided that it must have been "meant to be" and told our parents the next day. After talking to them it got more real, and we actually got excited. Sure it's not what we expected, and our wedding was 3 months away, but we were SO happy.

I went to the doctor who confirmed that I was pregnant. She grabbed the little probe that listened for a heartbeat and started rubbing away. She kept going and going and going. I started getting nervous, and I could tell my husband (still fiance') was too. I asked if it usually took that long to find the heartbeat, and she said she "felt him wiggling around in there". After 5 minutes of searching, we heard our baby's heartbeat. It was the most beautiful and relieving sound I have ever heard. After that, we set up my first ultrasound on August 18th...6 days after our wedding.

Our wedding was awesome. My dress fit (thankfully since I already had a little belly) and everyone had a great time.

August 18, 2012

I was 18 weeks along at this point and was getting ready for my first ultrasound. My husband and I decided we didn't want to know what we were having (I LOVE a good surprise). My mom came with us to see her future grandbaby. The sonographer started the ultrasound. After a minute or so I thought I saw something "off". Just after I told myself nothing was wrong, the sonographer said "I think we're looking at twins".
SURPRISE!!!
My mom shrieked and ran into the corner and my husband stood there with his jaw to the floor. I'm not kidding when I say my husband looked like he was going to faint/be sick/run out the door/scream/cry, all at the same time. I didn't even react because I kept asking if he needed to sit down! It wasn't until my mom ran over to me crying that I started crying. Then the sonographer said they were identical. Not having any knowledge of twins AT ALL (since nobody I know has any), I asked how he knew. He said "they share a placenta and amniotic sac". That statement literally meant nothing to me. He then said "They're called monoamniotic monochorionic". Also didn't mean anything to me. The rest of the ultrasound was routine (ya know, 2 heads, 4 arms, 4 legs) Then he asked if we wanted to know what we were having. We figured we'd make it easier on ourselves and just find out since we were already going to have the challenge of 2.

GIRLS

This was another moment where my mom shrieked into the corner of the room. She has been wanting a girl FOREVER. Both my older brother and sister have 2 boys each, so you could say we were long overdue for a girl, or two.

Both heads (also I realize the date on the picture is wrong)

My next appointment wasn't for another 4 weeks so I looked up some info...

I typed "monoamniotic monochorionic twins" (AKA momo twins) into Dr. Google and the results were terrible. Here are some stats that I wasn't prepared for:

Momo twins are extremely rare and make up 1% of twin pregnancies

Survival rate is 50%

The babies' cords can twist and knot and can prevent flow from placenta to baby

The babies can get too big and push against a cord and compress it, also preventing flow from placenta to baby

The babies can suffer from twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)

Momo twins can only be born by c-section

Momo twins must be born at 32 weeks

Obviously I have the best luck.

After all of the negative info I found, I was dreading my next appointment. When I got there, my doctor said "I really hope they aren't momo", which totally settled my fears...NOT, and grabbed an ultrasound machine. And whaddayuknow, they were, in fact, momo. I was told that I needed to see a perinatologist because I had now become "high-risk", and would be referred to one. 2 weeks later, at 24 weeks, I met with my peri. He measured my belly, took my vitals, and started his 2 hour ultrasound. Yep, even on the high-resolution ultrasound they were momo. When the ultrasound was over, my peri wanted to admit me into the hospital for daily monitoring. He allowed me to go home and get some necessities and I checked in that night at 7pm on October 1, 2012.

I had NST's done twice a day for 20 minutes, sometimes longer (like 2 hours). My team of docs would come in every morning to take my vitals and ask some not so modest questions. I was told every single day that we were doing awesome and the babies were just there to hang out. It really started feeling like I didn't need to be there.

One of my doctors let me do my own ultrasound. It was the coolest thing EVER.

October 26, 2012

I was 27 weeks and 6 days along.

 Everything was going to plan, my morning monitoring went well. I actually put myself together that day and me and my husband strolled through the little garden. My mother-in-law came to visit later to watch my night monitoring. The nurse came in my room at 7pm like normal, and strapped all 3 cords to my belly. We all looked at the screen to watch the heartbeats when we realized that baby "b" had a ruler straight line in the 190's. My nurse started looking worried, "C'mon baby you need to come down from there", she kept saying. We sat and starred for 15 minutes. She left the room and one of my doctors walked in. Immediately I knew what she was going to tell me. I was about to deliver my babies 3 months early. I broke down in tears saying that it wasn't time and that I wasn't ready. About 10 nurses came into my room and started prepping me for surgery. I stopped crying once I got into the O.R. There was nothing I could do at that point.

I layed on the operating table, and the nurses pulled the drape up. I was so worried that I was going to feel EVERYTHING, that I asked the anesthesiologist 100 times if they could wait because I could feel them touching me. He said "Oh! They are already through 3 layers of skin". Well keep going I guess...

At 7:57 and 7:58pm, my babies were born. Not even a minute after they were born the nurses told me to look to the right so I could see my babies. I looked over and 2 nurses ran out the door with them, I didn't see them at all. My husband went with the nurses while I was getting stitched and I was wheeled into recovery. My husband sent me pictures of the girls saying they were doing fine, and once I was able to wiggle my toes (an hour later) I was wheeled into the NICU.

Kenley Nicole

2lbs 2oz

12 1/4inches

Reagan Marie

2lbs 2.25oz

12inches