Things I've Learned

When the ultrasound technician turned the screen so I could get a good look at Babies A and B, I went into a state of shock that prevented any logical questions from forming.  I did manage to say, "so there are two in there?'"  After that, nothing. . .  Other than alarm bells going off, there was absolutely nothing going on in my head.

So, in the couple weeks following this news, I've tried to gather some information about twins.

I found this list of factors that may increase a woman's chance of having twins at whattoexpect.com.

• You have twins in your family.
• You're African American.
• You're 35 or older
• You've been pregnant before
• You've had twins before
• You're undergoing fertility treatment
• You're overweight
• You're tall

You may have noticed that the only category I even remotely fit in is "you're tall," and I don't think 5'8" is considered that tall.  The moral of this story - Josh and I having twins is a HUGE surprise!

Other things I have learned: 

• When it comes to twins and family history, it is the mother's side that really counts. Since there is absolutely no family history of twins on my side, we can safely say that family history did not lead to these twins.  
• Our twins are in their own sacs, but we have no idea if they are identical or fraternal.  Fraternal twins always have their own sacs, but this also occurs in 20-30% of identical twin pregnancies.  Unless we eventually find out that we are having both a boy and a girl, we won't know if they are identical or fraternal until the day they are born.  
• An average twin pregnancy lasts 35 weeks, so it is likely these babies will be arriving at least a few weeks early.  

Next week, Josh and I are meeting with my midwife one last time.  After that appointment, she will refer us to an OB, who I will see through the rest of my pregnancy.   I'll make sure to post updates after all of my appointments.