I normally post on here about car stuff, but this one is about my personal life because my wife and I need some good thoughts sent our way.
Her and I are expecting twins, and up til today things were going fine (she's 21 weeks along--40 wks is full term). However, my wife was meassuring too large for this stage in pregancy and the doctors were concerned. Today, they found her to have "Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome." You've likely not heard of it (unless you are in the medical field) b/c it's very rare. Out of ~4 million pregnancies a year, ~6000 have this. That's .0015% of all in the US annually.
Essentially, there is one placenta for both twins (unusual for even twins). The shared placenta has enabled vesils to form which instead of the placenta feeding both babies, one baby feeds off the other using those vesils that aren't supposed to be there. This causes one to grow too much and to produce too much urine (amniotic fluid) and the other to stop growing and not produce anough fluid. The one with too much can develop problems from too much pressure from the excess fluid in it's little sack, and the other can develop problems from the lack thereof (imagine sitting at the bottom of a 10 foot deep pool for an extended period of time, or having to do a marathon at 10,000 ft --one's too much pressure, and the other's too little).
The risk for loss of one or both babies is more than we'd hoped for. The good news is there is treatment if bedrest and tons of protien drinks don't help (as they think they *might*). The doctor best known in the US for doing this treatment (intro uteran surgery that is) is 45 minutes away. However, there are, yet more risks with surgery.
Soooo, my wife was ordered on bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy (3 months).
To her, I am positive, optimistic, and helpful b/c we also have a 3 year old son and I am the man who has to keep the house running and the bills paid. However, inside I am (pardon the language) freaking the **** out.
I'm presonally not very religious, but I am spiritual. No matter what you believe, please send some positive thoughts our way.
Even if nobody replies, I feel better having written this.
Her and I are expecting twins, and up til today things were going fine (she's 21 weeks along--40 wks is full term). However, my wife was meassuring too large for this stage in pregancy and the doctors were concerned. Today, they found her to have "Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome." You've likely not heard of it (unless you are in the medical field) b/c it's very rare. Out of ~4 million pregnancies a year, ~6000 have this. That's .0015% of all in the US annually.
Essentially, there is one placenta for both twins (unusual for even twins). The shared placenta has enabled vesils to form which instead of the placenta feeding both babies, one baby feeds off the other using those vesils that aren't supposed to be there. This causes one to grow too much and to produce too much urine (amniotic fluid) and the other to stop growing and not produce anough fluid. The one with too much can develop problems from too much pressure from the excess fluid in it's little sack, and the other can develop problems from the lack thereof (imagine sitting at the bottom of a 10 foot deep pool for an extended period of time, or having to do a marathon at 10,000 ft --one's too much pressure, and the other's too little).
The risk for loss of one or both babies is more than we'd hoped for. The good news is there is treatment if bedrest and tons of protien drinks don't help (as they think they *might*). The doctor best known in the US for doing this treatment (intro uteran surgery that is) is 45 minutes away. However, there are, yet more risks with surgery.
Soooo, my wife was ordered on bedrest for the remainder of the pregnancy (3 months).
To her, I am positive, optimistic, and helpful b/c we also have a 3 year old son and I am the man who has to keep the house running and the bills paid. However, inside I am (pardon the language) freaking the **** out.
I'm presonally not very religious, but I am spiritual. No matter what you believe, please send some positive thoughts our way.
Even if nobody replies, I feel better having written this.
) four months into the pregnancy for health reasons (although different from yours) and take up some bedrest. Luckily the twins were born ok and big too!
).
