MoMo Twins

I've been putting off writing this particular post since March, which is when we found out we are expecting twins.

The thing is, we aren't just expecting your average, run-of-the-mill twins. We are expecting "MoMo" twins--monoamniotic monochorionic twins. This means that they are identical twins, sharing the same sac, with no separating membrane.  It's pretty much a statistical anomaly that we are having twins in the first place; there is only a 3% chance of spontaneous twinning and twins don't run in our families. BUT to add to the statistical craziness, only less than 1% of twins have this condition. Unfortunately this condition presents a major risk to both babies because their cords can become tangled and cut off cord supply. There is really nothing they can do to prevent cord entanglement, and the only thing they can do to intervene is deliver the babies. This means that at 24 weeks I will be reporting to the hospital for inpatient care (i.e. I will live at the hospital) and 24/7 monitoring. Provided that we don't find any problems in the weeks following my report date, they will deliver the babies sometime between 32 and 34 weeks.

The following is an example of what the cords can look like-->

Amazingly enough, these cords actually belong to twins who made it safely into this world! They were continuously monitored and when the doctors saw the cord flow slowing they performed an emergent c-section. 

Chances for these babies are not super high; without 24/7 monitoring the success rate is 50%, with inpatient care and 24/7 monitoring the rate of success rises by 20-30%. 

Rob and I are so grateful for modern medicine and the ability doctors now have to do such monitoring. We are also extremely grateful for our knowledge of Heavenly Father and his plan. We know that whatever the outcome, God has a plan for our family and that brings us so much comfort and joy.