Most people do not know or understand the risk involved with twins, triplets and other high order multiples... It's not all rainbows and butterflies. The families you see on TV are the RARE except to the rules... they are not the rule. They may have had access to extremely technologically advanced facilities, or doctors that have done this a million times.
Even with all that on your side... failure could be just right around the corner.
Even a singleton pregnancy has many risk.
Lets multiply those risk x3.
Having major risk makes you look at others peoples pregnancies with a different view. You will never appreciate your perfectly healthy pregnancy-Until the unthinkable happens to you, you will never see how lucky you are. Your morning sickness you complain about is nothing. Your back pains are nothing. Your headaches, your extra weight, how huge you are... all your complaints are nothing. Keep in mind all the woman who can not get pregnant, struggling to get pregnant or can not stay pregnant next time you decide to complain about one of your petty problems.
When your 40 weeks pregnant complaining you want the baby out...
Instead be grateful.
{back to multiples}
Be prepared.
The entire time I had a "feeling" this was too good to be true.
{some think we were crazy to be having triplets,
It wasn't chosen... it was given to us.}
I tried so hard to be excited and stay positive. I really did not want to purchase anything until after 26 weeks (even then they babies would face many weeks in the NICU and struggle .. but they had a chance). I was very stand offish when I would talk about "what we needed". I tried not to buy too much stuff, tried not to talk to much about how excited we were. Everything was going well, growing, I was healthy, strong heartbeats...I had no reason to be worried... until the past month. My body started to fail me.
When you carry multiples you grow much faster, meaning there is more weight pressing down much earlier than a singleton pregnancy.
When you carry multiples you grow much faster, meaning there is more weight pressing down much earlier than a singleton pregnancy.
My feeling was right and devastation is an understatement.
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THE FACTS:
Although there are many joys for these families, far less well know are the higher risks for the mothers and babies. Prematurity and low birth weight are the main reason for increased mortality and disability for these children.
Sadly, much of these pregnancies involve losing one or all babies, or caring for one or more children with cerebral palsy and other health and developmental problems.
Complications:
Preterm Birth
Preterm labor and birth pose the greatest risk to a multiple pregnancy. Sixty percent of multiples are born prematurely (<37 weeks) compared to about 10% of singleton pregnancies. Feasibility of a vaginal delivery depends on the size, position, and health of the infants, as well as the size and shape of the mother’s pelvic bones. Cesarean section is often needed for twin pregnancies and is expected for delivery of triplets.
The chance of preterm delivery at 24 to 32 weeks is about one per cent in singleton pregnancies, five per cent in twins, 20 per cent in triplets and 10 per cent in triplets reduced to twins.
The chance of preterm delivery at 24 to 32 weeks is about one per cent in singleton pregnancies, five per cent in twins, 20 per cent in triplets and 10 per cent in triplets reduced to twins.
"Selective" REDUCTION:
Lets talk abut the fact you are asked to basically abort some of your babies. You are encourage out of the best interest for yourself and your pregnancy to reduce down to either singleton or twins.
I refused, and absolutely have no regrets. It was all or nothing...
Maternal Complications:
I don't know why we were chosen for this pain and others are not.
That is the one question I keep asking. Some woman can have 2,3,4,5,6 babies, ok even 8- at one time. Why could I not carry mine?
I should stop asking because I'll never know... and what benefit would it be to me if I did get my answer.
I can not change what has already happen.
-and that is the key.
Lets talk abut the fact you are asked to basically abort some of your babies. You are encourage out of the best interest for yourself and your pregnancy to reduce down to either singleton or twins.
I refused, and absolutely have no regrets. It was all or nothing...
In the management of multifetal pregnancies there are three options:
- Continuing with the whole pregnancy
- Termination of the whole pregnancy
- Embryo reduction to twins
Maternal Complications:
- postpartum hemorrhage
- preeclampsia
- HELLP (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelets) syndrome
- intraventricular hemorrhage
- The perinatal mortality was 41 per 1000. (Death few weeks before or after birth)
I was shocked by that number...
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This is only a small glimpse of what we deal with, what we face and what we agree to when we embark on such an emotional journey.
{There is lifelong heart break and lifelong suffering which is so often underestimated or forgotten by professionals and the public.}
I don't know why we were chosen for this pain and others are not.
That is the one question I keep asking. Some woman can have 2,3,4,5,6 babies, ok even 8- at one time. Why could I not carry mine?
I should stop asking because I'll never know... and what benefit would it be to me if I did get my answer.
I can not change what has already happen.
-and that is the key.
-Samone-
