Mima’s Miracle

It was the fall of 1994 when my daughter discovered at 4 months pregnant that she was carrying twins, the excitement soon turned to grave concern. After numerous tests, and several ultrasounds, it was discovered that the twins were in the same amniotic sac, sharing the same placenta, with no dividing membrane...the setup for conjoined twins. Because of her faith and trust in GOD, she continued with the pregnancy, despite the grim statistics. (Most terminate their pregnancies upon this news.)

She was sent immediately to bed, to be monitored and watched carefully for the duration of the pregnancy. She was under the care of a high-risk, multi-birth specialist in conjunction with her OB doctor. We were astounded at the number of tests and screenings that could be done on the babies in utero. She had many, many ultrasounds, to screen for possible joining. The blood pressures of the umbilical chords were also monitored to see if they were each getting equal sustenance.

It became apparent as the babies grew inside her, that there was no major joining (spines, heads, limbs) and there were two little boys floating independently of each other in that very confined space. Although a condition developed known as twin-to-twin transfusion, where a shunt develops off the umbilical chord of one to the other, the boys were born by Cesarean section, at 35 weeks (also wonderful and fully unexpected ).

Many medical professionals and students were in attendance in the delivery room, to see this medical miracle, and pictures were taken of the umbilical chords, which were loosely knotted 3 times! Findings of tests documented by the March of Dimes proved the placenta tissue to be true mono-amniotic/mono-chorionic (also referred to as “momo” twins). This is a 1 in 269,000 pregnancy ratio. Of these cases healthy live deliveries of such twins are so extremely rare as to be described and chronicled in the “miracle statistics” category.

Their birth-weights were 4 lbs 11 oz, and 5 lbs 12 oz.

The smaller, yet stronger of the two, developed jaundice and had to be monitored for a couple of weeks for that, but was able to go home 4 days after birth. His brother, had developed the lung condition similar to pneumonia, that often accompanies premature birth, so was kept in the NICU for ten days and was also then able to come home.

These boys have thrived and grown to be physically healthy and normal in every respect. We give all the glory and praise to our Miracle-working GOD Who watched over this "dynamic duo" from their moment of conception and continues to do so now as then. You may see these boys at ...Papa's Place.

Additional Info about Identical Monoamniotic, Monochorionic Twins