The Honeymoon is Over

Our visit to the specialist gave us a little more insight into what was actually happening in my belly. The doctor explained that the mention of the babies "sharing a sac" referred to the fact that the twins are classified as "monoamniotic twins." The technical term for the situation is "monochrionic and monoamniotic" or "MoMo twins" for short.

He explained that fraternal twins (which I wouldn't have been surprised to have since Ben and I both have a family history of them) are formed when two eggs are both fertilized. Identical twins, on the other hand, happen purely by chance (1 in 250 pregnancies to be exact!) when the fertilized egg splits. If this occurs before the amniotic sac forms, the babies share a placenta but have their own amniotic sac. (This is usually the case.) Unfortunately, my egg waited until about 7-9 days after conception to split, forcing my babies to have to share the same living space.

The doctor explained that our situation is an incredibly high-risk one. The main concern with momo twins is cord entanglement. As a result of cord entanglement, one or both babies' cords can become compressed to the point that they no longer receive any nutrients. These "cord accidents" usually occur gradually. Therefore, I will be very closely monitored throughout my pregnancy through ultrasounds and fetal monitoring.

The plan that he proposed to us was that I would visit the doctor about every two weeks during the second trimester, be admitted to the hospital at the beginning of my third trimester, and deliver the babies via c-section at 32 weeks. When we told him that we were moving to Durham, he let us know that he just moved from Raleigh and studied in Chapel Hill. Therefore, he was able to refer us to Duke Maternal-Fetal Medicine, having personally worked with the director. He suggested that we make an appointment as soon as possible after the move, so that the doctor here could take a look and come up with a care plan.

Needless to say, we left with a much more pesimistic outlook than we had when we arrived. It was kind of a reality check letting us know the honeymoon was over.