Couples end up trying for years in the hopes for at least one healthy pregnancy. The harsh reality of it is that pregnancy isn’t always just miracles and blessings… Sometimes, things can go extremely wrong and awry for these young couples. Unfortunately for Lisa and Derren Hansen, this is exactly what happened.
Happy Couple
Lisa and Darren Hansen from Vancouver Island, British Columbia were well into their happy years of marriage. Like most couples, they decided that they wanted to start a family. They had no idea how many years of trying and hardships were ahead of them to just get pregnant once…
Trying For A Family
It took the couple nearly three years to get pregnant. It was a tough time for them and their worst fears were becoming realized, but then that one pregnancy test came back positive and changed everything. Lisa and Darren were extremely thrilled to be welcoming a new bundle of joy to the family. They thought that they were out of the thick of it, but little did they know things were just about to get harder. Their situation quickly began to spiral during a doctor’s appointment a few weeks down the road.
Trouble Is Brewing
The first few doctors appointments went normally. The baby was healthy, there were no signs of immediate danger or stress, and it was developing in a healthy manner. Since this pregnancy was so hard to acquire, it was like breathing a sigh of relief for the parents. After a few weeks of unaware bliss, the situation took a turn during the nine-week scan…
Something He Hasn’t Seen Before
After the ultrasound, the doctor could tell that something wasn’t right. During a closer examination, he knew that he had to break some scary news to the new parents. Lisa was already pregnant with twins, which can turn into a high-risk situation very quickly, but there was also something very rare happening in her womb. And it was dangerous. They didn’t know if the babies were going to make it.
A Rare Occurrence
The doctor knew that it was odd to have the babies so close together, so he took another look. The troubling thing about twins is that they are extremely close together and it looked like there was no protective barrier between one another… As it turns out, the babies were in the extremely rare and dangerous condition of being monochorionic-monoamniotic twins.
What’s Happening With The Babies?
The chances of a pregnancy like this are one in 10,000. Lisa’s pregnancy is extremely rare and extremely dangerous. Since monochorionic-monoamniotic twins is a mouthful, these types of pregnancies are referred to as MoMo twins. This situation happens when a fertilized egg implants itself into the uterus and then splits into two eggs, creating twins. Then, things start to get extremely tough, physically and mentally, for Lisa.
A Tricky Situation
The doctor did a full investigation into the situation and came to a harsh conclusion. A few days later, he sat the couple down and offered to terminate the pregnancy in order to prevent complications To Lisa. He warned them that there was only a small chance that the twins would survive and the long-lasting stress put on Lisa’s body wouldn’t be worth it. The couple did not heed the doctor’s advice. “We loved you and wanted you even before we saw you,” Lisa wrote on her blog.
A Tough Road Ahead
Having MoMo twins virtually means that the twins share the same placenta and are in the same amniotic sac. Usually, the babies will have their own sacs so that they don’t harm each other while in utero. Moving around in the womb can obviously get cramped, and if they bump into each other that could be problematic for development.
Troubling Times For The Soon-To-Be Parents
They also share the same blood flow, which means that one could be a ‘stronger’ twin and end up taking more of the nutrients. Another worst-case scenario is having the umbilical cords get damaged. Since they are in the same sac, that also means that their umbilical cords are in that very tight space. The fetuses could easily pull on each other’s cords by accident or end up getting caught in them. Many MoMo twins don’t survive because the cords can get wrapped around their necks during the birthing process. It’s a very scary case that can force these parents to lose the babies they hoped and prayed for so long…
Checking Herself In
Lisa decided that having healthy babies was her main priority, and that meant a total life change. She checked herself into the hospital at only five months pregnant for full-time care. Her care included four stress tests per day and three ultrasound checks per week. It was a lot to handle, but Lisa was determined to get these babies as healthy as possible if she could help it. Lisa and Darren were doing their best despite going through an extremely difficult time.
Loss
Things continued to get harder for the couple. Lisa needed to be completely stress-free, and being in the hospital honestly didn’t help that. Then, she made the announcement on her blog that she lost her pet when she was 30 weeks pregnant. “At 30 weeks, we were heartbroken to say goodbye to our very senior and sick fur baby.” The stress was getting too much for the young mother…
Getting A Following
Lisa was blogging her harrowing experience, which was helping her loneliness and anxiety. As she was nearing the end of her pregnancy, she wrote, “Nine days till I get to see our babies and six till I get to see Darren! I am so excited. I try to remain calm and not get worked up but it is hard, I feel calm but my body is wound up.”
It’s Their Birthday!
Finally, it was time to meet the babies! Due to the severity of her pregnancy, she had to go through a cesarean section. C-Sections are extremely taxing on mother and the babies. It’s usually used as a last-resort option for birth. It was still unclear whether all three would make it out alive.
River and Piper
After a few painstaking hours, River and Piper were born. They were extremely underweight and did not come out breathing, so they were rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit in order to stabilize them. The small babies were hooked up to incubators, and Piper got hooked up to light therapy to stop her from getting jaundice. It was looking grim, and all Lisa and Darren wanted to do was hold their babies…
It’s Not Over Yet
Being a parent to two premature twins is rough work. Lisa wrote about the tough details of her new life on her blog, saying, “Twins are tough cookies to take care of. I estimated the amount of ‘down time’ in the 12 hours I cared for them, and it was three. Three hours to eat, pump and sleep because I can tell you this, that’s all this girl is going to do. Holy smokes, I am going to be  a tired mama, but oh so happy, I can’t wait.”
Finally Being A Family
The family had to stay in the hospital for a whopping 14 weeks before the babies were healthy enough to be taken home. It was a painstakingly rough time for them, but they absolutely came out stronger on the other side. The MoMo twins were finally able to leave the hospital! The celebrations and love didn’t stop there!
Huge Supporters
Lisa announced on Facebook that the twins were finally leaving the hospital, saying “The twins were born prematurely at 32 weeks to avoid the risk of umbilical cord compression and entanglement. A week after birth, they were transferred from Vancouver Neonatal Intensive Care (NICU) to Abbotsford NICU and now they are COMING HOME.” With that news, a local Christian Fellowship ended up throwing her a baby shower to welcome the new family home after a long and taxing experience.
Going Viral
Lisa and Darren actually ended up documenting the entire process and journey to post online. Since her pregnancy was so rare, she knew that this would be interesting to viewers and to other mothers who have experienced it. The videos were viewed millions of times with tons of people offering their support and blessings.
Getting Better and Better
On River and Piper’s first birthday, Lisa wrote, “Our whole journey together started out as a roller coaster ride but now it’s like a cruise into the sunset. That doesn’t mean every moment is easy but with all the scary stuff so far behind us now, it feels like easy sailing.”
Another Addition
The family of four are out of the thick of it and are doing wonderfully. In fact, Lisa and Darren are about to welcome a third baby! “It’s all about enjoying every moment, no matter how big or small while rolling with what life dishes out.”
Where Are They Now?
Lisa and Derren are now proud parents to three beautiful children and are still happily married. They’ve joined the community of MoMo twin parents and are active in sharing facts and tips for expecting parents! Lisa is also a fitness mogul who focuses on mental and physical health. They still garner attention for their rare pregnancy and give out advice whenever they can!