“Oh, no. I hope everything is okay.”
“We’re keeping a close eye on both mom and baby.”
I send up a silent prayer for the family.
“You’re still measuring larger than you should.” She glances at Tyler. “We’ll be able to determine the actual size of the baby on the ultrasound today. It could be that you’re further along than we thought.”
I glance at Ty, and we both know that’s not possible. Not unless the condoms we used failed. We would have noticed if that was the case, right? He must see the worry in my eyes as he bends to kiss my forehead. “It’s all good, baby.” He’s trying to ease my fears.
There’s a knock at the door. “Jeanine is ready,” the nurse tells the doctor.
“Perfect. Let’s go take a look at your baby.” She smiles widely. She doesn’t seem concerned that I’m measuring big, so I take a deep breath and slowly exhale. “Go ahead and get dressed, and open the door when you’re ready. I’ll have one of the nurses take you to the ultrasound room. Then after, we can meet again if you have any questions.”
“Thank you,” Ty and I say at the same time.
The ultrasound room is dark. Jeanine, the tech, tells me to take a seat on the table, pull up my shirt and pull down my pants, just below my belly. Ty is right next to me, holding my hand.
“Let’s take a look at your little one, shall we?” she asks. She places a huge glob of warm gel on my belly then proceeds to take the ultrasound wand and move it around. “I’m just getting some measurements.” She clicks the screen while rolling the wand around.
She glances at me then back to the screen. “Is something wrong?” I ask her.
“No, not at all. However, I’m glad you’re sitting down. Dad, you might want to pull up a chair,” she tells Ty.
“I’m good. What is it? Is the baby okay?” he asks, his panic evident in his voice.
“Everything is fine.” She turns the screen so we can see it. “Mom and Dad, meet your babies. This is Baby A, and this—” She moves the wand to the other side of my belly. “—is Baby B. Congratulations, you’re having twins.”
“Twins?” I look up at Ty, and he’s grinning from ear to ear.
“Twins, Reags,” he says happily. Leaning down, he kisses me softly. “We’re having two babies,” he says, his voice filled with adoration.
“I have endometriosis,” I say, still trying to process what I’m hearing. “We only heard one heartbeat.”
“Many women with endometriosis have viable, healthy pregnancies,” Jeanine tells us. “Looks like you are in that percentile. As far as one heartbeat. The babies’ heartbeats were in sync, hence us only hearing one on the doppler. It happens quite often.”
“It’s us, babe. You and me. It’s the magic we make together,” he whispers so only I can hear him.
“We’re having twins,” I say, testing the words on my tongue.
“Definitely. They both have strong heartbeats, all the measurements are on target for sixteen weeks. Twins tend to be on the smaller size, but you’ll measure big since there are two.”
“I am. I mean, I have been. I was worried something might be wrong.”
“Nope, just an extra baby.” She grins. “Now, let’s see if we can’t get these two to cooperate. You do want to know the gender, correct?” she asks.
“Yes,” Ty and I reply in sync.
“Perfect, let’s start with Baby A. Oh, and I’m recording this, so you’ll have still pictures and the video to keep.” She moves the wand around and clicks on the screen. I have a strong grip on Ty’s hand. “Ah, there we are, see there.” She points to the screen. “Baby A is a boy.”
“A little boy,” I repeat, feeling the tears threatening to spill over. I never knew if this day would be possible for me. I always wanted to be a mom but was fearful of my early diagnosis and comment from my then physician that it would be unlikely that I would be able to experience it, and now… now I’m having two babies. At once.
“All right, little one, turn just a little,” she says, moving the wand around. It’s a little tender, but I don’t say a word. Instead, I keep my mist-filled eyes glued to the screen and my hand gripping my husband’s, drawing from his strength. “There we go. This little guy didn’t want to cooperate.” She chuckles to herself. “Baby B is also a boy. Congratulations.” She continues to move the wand while taking pictures and measurements, but I don’t notice. All I can see is the loving eyes of my husband as he smiles down at me in wonder. Two babies! He leans in and presses his lips to mine. No words are needed between us. We say everything we need to with the kiss.
The technician withdraws the wand and wipes my belly with paper towels. She hands Ty a handful when she’s done, and he finishes cleaning me up.
“I’ll get this video and the still images ready for you. If you head back down the hall and make a right, you’ll see Dr. Hatfield’s office. I’ll let her know that you’re ready for her.”
Numbly, I nod as Ty leads us out of the room and down the hall. “Reagan,” he says softly. I turn to look at him. “Baby, talk to me.”
“Babies,” I say, unable to hide my smile. “Did she really say babies? We’re having two boys?” I need to hear him say it.
He laughs. “Yeah, twin boys.” He leans in and kisses me. “My boys did good, huh?” he teases.
“Apparently,” I agree with him.
“Congratulations, you two,” Dr. Hatfield says, joining us. “Can I answer any questions?”
“I think we’re still processing,” Ty tells her.
“I can imagine. This does explain why you are measuring larger. The babies are fraternal, which means they won’t look exactly alike but can be very similar in appearance still. They have their own sac and placenta,” she explains. “Usually with multiples, you won’t reach your forty-week mark for delivery. We’ll keep a close eye on you, and if necessary, will schedule an induction.”
“Is that safe for them? For the babies?”
“Perfectly. There are injections and medications that we can give you to help develop and strengthen their lungs. I assure you that you and your babies are in good hands.” She pulls off her glasses and folds her hands in front of her on the desk. The act alone tells me there’s more. “We did discover something else on the ultrasound. It appears that you have a condition called Placenta Previa.”
“What—what does that mean?” I ask, my voice shaking.
“It means that your placenta for Baby B is growing at the lower part of the uterus, which means it’s covering all or part of the opening to your cervix. In your case, it’s covering about 50 percent.”
“What causes this to happen?” Tyler asks. His hand grips mine like a vise. I welcome the comfort that it brings.
“There are many causes. Likely is a result of your endometriosis, and the procedures you’ve had associated with the diagnosis.”
“Are the babies—?” I swallow back the lump in my throat. From elation to worry in a matter of minutes. “Are they going to be okay?” I force the words.
“Yes.” Her voice is certain. “More often than not, the condition resolves itself. You’ve seen no effects such as bleeding, so I’m optimistic that will be the case for you as well. I do want you to take it easy. No exercise or strenuous activity.”
“Should she be working?” Tyler asks.
She looks down at my chart. “Says you’re a beautician?”
“Yes,” I confirm the information in my chart.
“It’s my suggestion that you rest as much as possible. Standing for long hours isn’t advisable.”
I nod. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my babies safe and healthy. “Okay. What should I do?”
“You’re doing it. Rest as much as you can, don’t stand for long periods of time, no heavy lifting, no exercise, and no sex.” She looks between the two of us to make sure we understand.
“Whatever it takes,” Tyler confirms.
“I suggest you remain off work until we see where this
goes. I’ll write you a note for your employer.”
“Not necessary. I own the shop,” I tell her. “Is it okay to still be there, just for ordering and things like that?”
“No heavy lifting, but if it’s deskwork, I see nothing wrong with that.”
“Thank you.”