This is going to be a wild ride you all, but hang on, because it it awesome!
THE STORY
THE STORY
It all started on Saturday morning when I started to feel a little cramped. It hadn't happened since I had been told I was pregnant and I thought, "huh." So I went up stairs and started sewing while Thomas was downstairs straightening up (yes, he is the best ever). Before long, he was done and at the same time he came up stairs, I went into the bathroom. And I had the single most terrifying experience of a pregnancy.
I was bleeding.
Of course I wracked my brain and we hadn't done anything on the no go list. I hadn't lifted anything heavy, I hadn't exercised, nothing! So I called the Gyft Clinic and of course it was 8:15 and they didn't open until 8:30. So I ran downstairs to get dressed, just in case they wanted me to come in. At 8:30 I called back and go through to Bette the nurse.
And this is what she said. Bleeding this early in is completely normal. As long as I don't feel like I need to go to the ER because I was bleeding too much, just put myself on bed rest and come in for my prescheduled ultrasound appointment the next day (Sunday morning).
So I complied and the bleeding stopped by about 1. I stayed on bed rest until my appointment the next morning. Honestly it was a very weird day. I knew that my bleeding wasn't a crazy amount. It was more then just spotting, but more like a light period. So I didn't think I had miscarried, but I knew there was still that chance.
So Thomas and I walked in those doors, very unsure of what the out come was going to be.
So Dr Murrain talked through what had happened the day before, and then he started the ultrasound. Immediately, he said that he saw the bleeding, but then he was quiet for a minute while he looked through everything. And this is what we were all looking at.
I was bleeding.
Of course I wracked my brain and we hadn't done anything on the no go list. I hadn't lifted anything heavy, I hadn't exercised, nothing! So I called the Gyft Clinic and of course it was 8:15 and they didn't open until 8:30. So I ran downstairs to get dressed, just in case they wanted me to come in. At 8:30 I called back and go through to Bette the nurse.
And this is what she said. Bleeding this early in is completely normal. As long as I don't feel like I need to go to the ER because I was bleeding too much, just put myself on bed rest and come in for my prescheduled ultrasound appointment the next day (Sunday morning).
So I complied and the bleeding stopped by about 1. I stayed on bed rest until my appointment the next morning. Honestly it was a very weird day. I knew that my bleeding wasn't a crazy amount. It was more then just spotting, but more like a light period. So I didn't think I had miscarried, but I knew there was still that chance.
So Thomas and I walked in those doors, very unsure of what the out come was going to be.
So Dr Murrain talked through what had happened the day before, and then he started the ultrasound. Immediately, he said that he saw the bleeding, but then he was quiet for a minute while he looked through everything. And this is what we were all looking at.
After he looked at everything, he said, ok let me explain this all. To the left, you can see the dark gray patch, where you see the clotted blood. That is great that it is all clotted. And when you look at the gestational sac (the black circle), to the left you see a yolk sac and a heart beat and then to the right you see another yolk sac and a heart beat.
WAIT, WHAT?!?!
WE ARE HAVING IDENTICAL TWINS YOU ALL!
Here is the picture with everything circled so you know what was being pointed out to us.
And yes… we saw both of our babies heart beats!
One of the questions we get asked since finding this out was, so they were wrong when they said one? No, Dr Murrain was not wrong. Only 1 of our embryos attached from IVF, but our 1 little guy decided that it needed to split. And so we have 2. This is the ultrasound from last week, where you can see that the littles were to small for us to see, we could just see that 1 had attached.
God continues to amaze me again and again. We have had to give these littles to Him over and over again. He knew that we were having 2, it just wasn't the way that we imagined. He knew that He had a different story for us, and that we would see it eventually. He knew and He gave us peace every step of the way.
So the answer is….
2
And it should have looked like this. 2 identical little stockings for us coming next year.
What amazes me the most is how much we have had to rely on God with these little buggers.
THE FACTS
Subchorionic hemorrhage or bleeds are common and they happen in 20 - 25% of pregnancies.
It's normal.
We are having identical twins, which means 1 embryo implanted and then split.
This happens 2% of the time in IVF pregnancies and 0.25-0.5% of regular pregnancies.
Our little embryos each have their own amniotic sac, which is great because although they are in the same gestational sac, they need their own amniotic sac so they do not get tangled up and harmed later in the pregnancy.
Identical twins means they split the DNA, so we are either having 2 boys, or 2 girls.
And yes, they will look exactly alike.
Identical twins are 1 in 285 sets of twins. It is just God, there is nothing you can do to make yourself have identical twins.
And yes, we are still crazy shocked.
It's normal.
We are having identical twins, which means 1 embryo implanted and then split.
This happens 2% of the time in IVF pregnancies and 0.25-0.5% of regular pregnancies.
Our little embryos each have their own amniotic sac, which is great because although they are in the same gestational sac, they need their own amniotic sac so they do not get tangled up and harmed later in the pregnancy.
Identical twins means they split the DNA, so we are either having 2 boys, or 2 girls.
And yes, they will look exactly alike.
Identical twins are 1 in 285 sets of twins. It is just God, there is nothing you can do to make yourself have identical twins.
And yes, we are still crazy shocked.
UP NEXT
Of course there are a million things running through our heads, but most importantly is to get me to stop bleeding. I started up again Monday while I was at work, so we went home and I have been on bed rest every since, where I will remain until I see the DR on Sunday.
So we need your prayers that I will stop bleeding and the it will never encroach on more then 50% of the gestational sac (which is what it is at right now). Pray that these 2 littles are safe, that they are growing perfectly, and that they are healthy.