Sarah Thistlethwaite gave birth to twin daughters on May 9 in Ohio. What makes her Mother's Day even more special is that her new daughters, named Jenna and Jillian, are a rare set of "mono mono" or monoamniotic identical twins. The girls shared one amniotic sac and placenta and were always in contact throughout the pregnancy.
Jenna was first born at 4 pounds, 2 ounces and 17 inches while Jillian followed less than a minute later at 3 pounds, 13 ounces and 17.5 inches. The twins were first seen by their parents holding each other's hands.
"Mono mono" twins are very rare in that it happens only once per 10,000 pregnancies. Monoamniotic twins are at a high risk since the infants' umbilical cords may be compressed or entangled while in the womb.
"It's definitely, truly a miracle," Thistlethwaite said. The 32-year-old mother to a 15-month-old son, Jaxon, and wife to Bill, Thistlethwaite did not know she was having identical twins until last January. She was hooked to fetal monitor machines for 20 hours every day. The math teacher was hooked to heart rate monitors to observe heart variables or deceleration and got an ultrasound every two weeks.
Akron Children's Hospital explained that twins who share one amniotic sac have many risks that should be monitored. There is also a risk that one of the twins' umbilical cord might wrap around and suffocate the other one's neck.
Dr. Melissa Mancuso has delivered numerous of amniotic pairs in the past 11 years. Mancuso delivered Jenna and Jillian and said that they were heavily monitored because of this risk. Another woman is expected to deliver monoamniotic twins later in the week at Akron General as well. "Sarah was given the option to deliver between 32 and 34 weeks gestation," Mancuso explained. The decision for Thistlethwaite to have a C-section was a tough one because the doctors had to weigh prematurity risks versus entanglement risks. The mother was excited to be a "real mother" on Mother's Day.
Jenna and Jillian were temporarily moved to Akron Children's Hospital for breathing assistance. Akron General is scheduled to release Thistlethwaite on May 13 as her twins stay in the hospital for two to four weeks.
