Lisa Hansen from the USA quite possibly has a textbook definition of challenging childbirth ahead of her: Not only is she carrying twins, but her doctors discovered her babies are identical monoamniotic and monochorial twins, or siblings that came from the same zygote and share a placenta.
These types of pregnancies are extremely rare and extremely risky. Lisa's OB/GYN said she'd never seen one before, but was prepared to monitor Lisa through a long and trying 9 months. Not only does carrying these twins have a lot of risks for the mother's health, nearly 50% of these pregnancies end in stillbirth. That's why Lisa had to be monitored in the hospital starting from her 5th month. Lisa was feeling pretty uneasy about the whole thing, but her friends, family, and loving husband helped her carry on - she really needed all the support she could get.
Even after some 30 ultrasounds, doctors were unsure of the sex of the babies. But they were able to see that the umbilical cord of one baby was wrapped around the neck of the other. If something wasn't done right away, the baby could asphyxiate.
Lisa was hoping for a natural childbirth, but it was determined a C-section was a much safer option for mom and babies. Her husband supported her decision and gave her the strength she needed before going under the knife, which, of course, has complications of its own!
The operation was a complete success: The brave mother overcame the stress of the situation and babies, River and Piper, were brought safely into this world. Unfortunately, the premature little ones had to spend 6 weeks in the ICU before they could go home with their parents, but their was no raining on the joy of these new parents.
After a total of 14 weeks, Lisa could finally head home from the hospital with her two newborns in her arms. The twins are now inseparable and are likely to stay that way for some time yet...
Here is a video of the emotional birth experience of these beautiful babes:
Every child's birth is a joyful experience, but I'd say these parents have extra good reason to be over-the-moon about finally being able to hold their children in their arms. You can already tell that these siblings will have a very special connection. We send our congratulations to the Hansens for these two little miracles from the bottom of our hearts.
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