Mono mono twins are a one in 10,000 occurrence. Because they share the same placenta and amniotic sac, the pregnancy is considered extremely high risk. But despite the odds, Jenna and Jillian Thistlewaite not only survived, but captured the hearts of millions when they were born holding hands.
Their mother Sarah had spent 57 days on bed rest to minimize the risks and was relieved to give birth to two healthy girls. The girls were were born May 9 at Akron General Medical Center, in the state’s northwest. Sarah said: “I had a lot of anxiety at the beginning, especially, when I found out they were Mono Mono twins – just whether or not they were going to survive. Really, I can’t believe how big it was. I look back and I’m like, ‘Wow, that’s us. That’s us on TV’.” doctors had detected the monoamniotic pregnancy at 19 weeks during the third ultrasound. That day, the parents, who already had a one-year-old son named Jaxon, also found out their were having twins. Most twins have their own amniotic sack during the pregnancy. But monoamniotic twins, who are always identical, share the same one, which comes with additional risks. Their umbilical cords can become entangled or compressed, or one of the cords can get wrapped around the other twin’s neck. Doctors told them they could deliver the twins at 32 or 34 weeks of gestation and the parents settled on 33 weeks. Jenna and Jillian were born on May 9, weighing almost five pounds each after what was already a rare birth. But what they did during the first seconds of their lives stunned the Dᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs even further.
Hospital spokeswoman Amy Kilgore, who was there for the birth, said:” Once they made sure they were OK, they held them up so mom and dad could see. As soon as they were side by side, they held hands. It gave me chills. When they held them up and I saw their hands together… It’s indescribable, really.” They were moved to Akron Children’s hospital after birth because they needed breathing assistance. Jenna and Jillian were delivered by Caesarean section at Akron General Medical Center and were holding hands when presented to Sarah and Bill in the delivery room. Sarah said:” They’re already best friends. I can’t believe they were holding hands. That’s amazing. Now, they are still incredibly close.”
By the time they turned 1, Jenna and Jillian kept grabbing each other at every opportunity while sitting together or during meals. Two years on, they have developed distinct personalities. Jenna is the cautious one while Jillian is more of a daredevil. If one of them starts crying, the other will try to comfort her by rubbing her back, hugging her or finding a pacifier. But even though their bond remains strong, Jenna and Jillian have started to dabble in a bit of sibling rivalry. Thistlethwaite said:” If Jenna does something bad, I’ll ask her about it and she’ll say, ‘No, Jillian did it!’. But they look so much alike that sometimes I really can’t tell which one of them is in trouble.”
