My Beginnings

Ariana, Marleni and Karina  ages 2 and 5

I am the mother of three daughters. It is very hard to describe only one experience due to the fact that these experiences are different but alike in nature. My first daughter Marleni marked the beginning of a new life for me. The second birth was the birth of my twins. Knowing that I was having twins left me numb and terrified.

Ariana, Marleni and Karina ages 16 and 19

During my first ultrasound (which I demanded because this pregnancy just didn't feel right.Their father brought a tape and asked to record it to show Marleni and the family. The Technician said " You have a lot to show alright, here is one head and another you are having twins" The pregnancy was difficult. I developed gestational diabetes, my blood pressure went up, I suffered premature contractions. One visit the doctor said we needed to remove the pump and deliver the babies early because one of the babies wasn't growing.(Ariana)  I had an emergency C-Section. I saw my babies for a brief second and they were whisked away to neo-natal. I was informed that the girls suffered Acute Twin Transfusion Syndrome.Twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) is a disease of the placenta (or afterbirth) that affects identical twin pregnancies .Acute TTTS describes those cases that occur suddenly, whenever there is a major difference in the blood pressures between the twins. This may occur in labor at term, or during the last third of pregnancy whenever one twin becomes gravely ill or even passes away as a result of the abnormalities in their shared placenta. Acute TTTS twins may have a better chance to survive based on their gestational age. I was informed that Ariana's development will be slower than Karina's. Ari did have problems not major compared to Kari but I kept myself informed and worked with other parents in the same situation as me.