Monoamniotic twins arrive as early Mother’s Day gift (Video)

Twin girls born with a rare condition in the US are now breathing on their own.

Mother Sarah Thistlethwaite said babies Jillian and Jenna were removed from ventilators yesterday after they were able to breathe comfortably.

“I didn’t think they would come out and instantly [be] holding hands. It was overwhelming. I can’t even put into words,” Thistlewaite said. “There wasn’t a dry eye in the whole OR.”

The babies were monoamniotic or “mono mono” twins, which means they shared an amniotic sack and were in constant contact during the pregnancy.

Doctors monitor this type of condition closely for fear the twins could become entangled in each other’s umbilical cords. Thistlewaite spent nearly two months in the hospital during her pregnancy.

“They hook you up to heart rate monitors to watch for heart deceleration or variables,” she explained. “That’s what they look for the whole time. I got ultrasounds every other week.”

The girls were taken to Akron Children’s Hospital for breathing trouble, but they are said to be healthy.

Thistlewaite said she and her husband spent Mother’s Day introducing the twins to their older brother, who is 15 months.

Agencies/Canadajournal