Getting the news!

(First ultrasound at 5.5 weeks pregnant)

After nearly 14 months of trying to get pregnant, Mark and I were elated to get the news from my doctor that I was pregnant.

Two home pregnancy tests had been positive, but we weren’t about to set ourselves up for another disappointment. We learned early that peeing on a stick was not always accurate.

I was at work, on my way to an assignment when I called my doctor for the results. I shook in anticipation. Not only was I pregnant, but my test results showed extremely high levels of the pregnancy hormone HGC —an early indication it could be multiples.

Another test was in order. Again, my levels were high.

I then went for an ultrasound to yet again confirm the pregnancy. I had told my husband not to come; it was too early to see anything anyways — or so I thought. While twins were a possibility, I didn’t actually believe it would happen to us.

The conversation with the ultrasound tech went like this:

Me: “So can you see anything yet?”

Tech: “Yes, I can see the two sacs.”

It took a second to register. I didn’t know much about pregnancy, but I didn’t think there was supposed to be two amniotic sacs for one baby.

Me: “Two sacs?”

Doc: “Yes. Do you have twins in your family?”

Then it hit me… I had two babies inside me!

The doctor had said this assuming I already knew it was twins. I assured him I was oblivious.

I fell silent as he finished the ultrasound. Inside, I was screaming.

How was I going to do this? For the longest time I didn’t even want children and then had decided I would be missing out on something if I didn’t at least have one.

Then I got to tell Mark. He had wanted twins all along. Must be a guy thing cause I know a few other disillusioned men who think this way. These men obviously don’t know how much work one baby is let alone TWO!

Anyways, I couldn’t reach Mark. He was supposed to have his cell phone on so I could give him the confirmation whenever I got it. I was getting frustrated. Here I had this incredibly scary news to tell him and I couldn’t get a hold of him. I knew I had to tell him first or he would be mad, but I thought about calling my mom.

When I finally got him on the phone, I was back at work sitting at the courthouse waiting for a verdict in a trial I was covering.

“You got what you wanted…” I told him.

He didn’t understand so I spelled it out — WE ARE HAVING TWINS!

He was speechless.

That night we both didn’t sleep well.