A set of rare mono mono twins were born in Ohio over the weekend and both are doing well and breathing on their own. Even more incredible, the baby girls were delivered holding hands.
Mono mono twins are twins that share the same amniotic sac and placenta. They only occur in about 1 in every 10,000 pregnancies.
Although the twins were born healthy, they faced many challenges in the womb and during birth. Mono mono twins are very high risk because they can become tangled in their own or each other’s umbilical cords.
Doctors were worried and gave their mother Sarah Thistlethwaite the option of giving birth when she was between 32 and 34 weeks pregnant.
“Sarah was given the option to deliver between 32 and 34 weeks gestation,” Mancuso said, according to Akron Children’s blog. “This type of twin is at high risk for stillbirth because of cord entanglement. We were just having a discussion about how difficult a decision it is to make, weighing the risk of prematurity vs. the risks of entanglement. She was excited about having her C-section on May 9 because she would be a ‘real mother’ on Mothers’ Day.”
The babies will still have to stay in the hospital for two to four weeks because they were born early and they did require breathing assistance right after they were delivered. They are now doing great, as is their mother.
“It’s just hard to put into words how amazing it feels to know the girls are OK,” she said. “It’s great to know that they’re doing so well, and being able to hold them.”
The couple named their baby daughters Jillian and Jenna. They also have a 1-year-old son named Jaxon. They are excited to bring the girls home to their nursery and for Jaxon to meet his sisters for the first time.
What do you think about the twins?
Image via News Inc
