My OB had me go to see a prenatal medicine specialist to evaluate everything, and it was highly informative.
For one thing, he says my first ultrasound results were wrong, there is only one placenta for sure. From this appointment, I found out that our twins are monochorionic diamniotic (MCDA) twins, which means they are IDENTICAL! A very small number of MCDA twins are fraternal, but that's unlikely.
With my sadly limited medical understanding, here's what I got from this.
One fertilized egg started developing. One placenta and the outer layer of the amniotic sac, the chorion, started forming. Then, the fertilized egg split and decided to be two babies. This happened soon enough that there's only one placenta and one outer layer of the amniotic sac, but late enough that each baby formed their own inner amniotic sac. So, they're not actually floating around together, they're divided, but only by a thin membrane.
Also, I found some interesting stats on this. There are NO KNOWN predisposing factors for these kinds of twins. It's totally luck of the draw, no genetics, age, nationality, nothing. It happens in 3 out of every 1000 pregnancies. Why it happens is unknown.
Don't I feel special!
So, there you have it! From here on out, I'm going to see the specialist every four weeks and my OB every two. It seems a little excessive to me, but at least I feel well taken care of.
Crazy, huh?
Sorry for the dumbed down approach, but with my brain swirling with all of this, I need all the simplicity that I can get.
Any tips for being able to tell babies apart until I get the hang of things? I was thinking about painting their nails. Dallin doesn't like that idea, too frilly, and wants to use a permanent marker on one baby's hand. Personally, I'm still voting nail polish. Any thoughts? (Hint: choose sides and vote for my idea. Or you could contribute something original, just don't back Dallin up.)
Also, I wonder if we're going to be asked to have them participate in any studies. We live in a college town, so it's definitely possible. Wouldn't that be interesting.
13 comments:
Give one of them a tattoo. :)
Actually, I'm totally on board with the nail polish idea. Sorry, Dallin. :)
Nail polish is a great idea...or cute bracelets or anklets...
maybe one will be born with a birth mark!
wow! identical! so cool!!
WOW!!! How crazy. That's super exciting though. I like the nail polish idea...I can only imagine late at night(or during the day) when you are so tired trying to remember who you last nursed or changed their diaper. You will be amazing though! GOOD LUCK
My initial thought was permanent marker on the forehead, so Dallin's idea is a no-brainer in comparison =D.
Oh my gosh!!! How crazy!! Wow. How exciting. Maybe tattoos??? : ) But I like the name bracelet idea. Give them bracelets to wear right away at the hospital and leave them on for a while. Oh man, if you were closer I would totally make them for you! I guess I still could and mail them to you. Let me know their names when it gets closer and I would love to make some bracelets for you.
Yeah, I actually meant a permanent marker on the forehead too--sort of a "mark of the beast" or "Harry Potter scar" type of thing.
But I thought of something better: we make one of them wear an eye-patch. Easy to tell who's who, pre-wrapped for Halloween, and we can make-up fake pirate dialogue for her ("Arrgh, where be my milk-bottle of rum?!")
--DL
That is so exciting. You should feel special. And I liked your explanation of the identical stuff. I think the nail polish is a perfect idea. Their nails are so tiny - it would hardly be anything but a dot on each finger or toe.
bracelet. Do you want me to bring back some african bracelets?
i was gonna say nail polish, but african bracelets would be much cooler :)
Haha, yeah, don't know about the marker idea. I think the nails would be cute! What exciting news!
I saw a baby with her toe nails polished, and it was very cute. My vote is for the nail polish. Sorry Dallin.
I love the cute nail polish idea. Or you could use a bracelet.
You could do one a bracelet and one an anklet, cause in the dark in the middle of the night you probably can't tell the color of th enail polish or see the name on the bracelets
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