Hello! My name is Judy . I am 36 years old and the mother of David (born February 17, 2001) and twins Katherine and Elise (born April 9, 2003). My first pregnancy was uncomplicated and my husband and I were shocked but happy to learn that I was carrying twins with our second pregnancy. I was halfway through my pregnancy (at 21 weeks) with the twins in December of 2002 when a routine ultrasound showed that there was a problem. My OB noticed that Baby A had very little amniotic fluid and told me about twin to twin transfusion syndrome. He explained the cause and told me all the possible risks involved, including the eventual loss of both babies. He talked about serial amnioreduction and placental surgery as treatment options in severe cases and mentioned that some people opt to abort the babies. I asked if there were any hope for the babies and he said, "Of course." With that, I decided to do anything I could to help my babies. He said our goal was to reach at least 24 weeks of gestation, which would give the babies a 50%survival rate at birth.

My OB placed me on bed rest and I went home in tears, fearing for the lives of my babies. I researched TTTS on the Internet and read whatever information I could find. To be honest, much of what I read terrified me and made me fear the worst. I found Mary's website for the TTTS Foundation and contacted her immediately. She returned my call right away and suggested I call Dr. De Lia. I called Dr. De Lia's office and left a message for him, stating that I had been recently diagnosed with a TTTS pregnancy. I was somewhat surprised and pleased that Dr. De Lia himself called me back. He asked about the pregnancy and the factors which led to the diagnosis of TTTS and suggested that I increase the protein in my diet with protein supplements such as Boost and Ensure. I began drinking three protein drinks a day and also added soy milk to my diet.

I returned to my OB's office one week later for another ultrasound to see how things had progressed and to determine what step to take next. My OB and I were relieved to see that Baby A actually had more fluid in the amniotic sac this time. Both babies were measuring approximately the same size and there were no other worrisome indicators so my OB said to continue on bed rest and return for weekly ultrasounds. Each subsequent ultrasound showed that although Baby A always had less fluid than Baby B, it never returned to the drastically low level seen initially. After several ultrasounds, My OB felt confident enough to schedule them for every two weeks, rather than weekly. I remained on modified bed rest and continued to drink three protein drinks a day for the remainder of my pregnancy.

Via e-mail, I kept Dr. De Lia informed about my OB visits, ultrasounds, and condition of the babies. He called me a couple of times to check on us and was very supportive, even when it became clear that our situation was not severe enough to require surgical intervention. His support and encouragement was invaluable.

Since Baby A was breech and Baby B was transverse (sideways), I was scheduled for a C-section on April 9, 2003. We had made it to 37 1/2 weeks of pregnancy- a miracle given that we were initially told that our goal was to make it to 24 weeks! Katherine Joy was born at 9:57 am, weighing 5 lbs., 8 oz., and 18 1/2 inches long. Elise Hope was born at 9:58 am, weighing 6 lbs., 9 oz., and 19 inches long. Neither had any complications at birth and we were discharged from the hospital after the 5-day stay necessitated by my C-section.

Kate and Elise are now almost 8 months old and are wonderful, healthy babies. Every day I look at them and their big brother David and count my blessings. I will never forget how scared I felt when I thought that I was going to lose my babies. My heart goes out to every other family who experiences this disorder or who has lost beloved babies because of this. Please know that you are not alone. I don't know what I would have done without the support and prayers of family, friends, and even strangers. Take care of yourself, find an OB who specializes in high-risk pregnancies who is knowledgeable about TTTS, and make use of the resources from the TTTS Foundation. Mary Slaman-Forsythe is a remarkable and caring woman who will do anything she can to help. Thank you for listening to our story.

Sincerely,
Judy and John