Maya and Zoe are identical twins. Like 70 percent of identical twins, they shared one placenta. In a shared placenta, sometimes blood vessels grow that divert blood that should go to one twin to the other. This condition is called twin-to-twin transfusion. The receiving twin grows more quickly than the other. That's one reason why so many identical twins have different birth weights. If the diversion is significant, the receiving twin will start to make more amniotic fluid--fetal urine--than the other. The other twin may not be able to put out enough amniotic fluid to stay well-cushioned as it grows. The current guess is that twin-to-twin transfusion takes place in about 15 percent of shared-placenta identical twin pregnancies.
In my pregnancy, Maya was the recieving twin. We were lucky that the fluid imbalance didn't start until week 25. The extra fluid started contractions that sent me into preterm labor, beginning in week 27. The doctors at Packard Children's Hospital treated me with magnesium sulfate to slow the contractions. That gave us a chance to give medication to the fetuses to speed up their lung development, just in case they should be born soon. Five days after I went in to the hospital, they were born. They were frighteningly tiny, and skinny and red, but very beautiful just the same.
"Maya" comes from the Hebrew word "mayim," which means water. Her middle name is "Bracha," which means blessing. On the day the twins were born, the Torah portion being read in synagogues around the world was "Zot HaBracha" (Deuteronomy 33.1-34.12): This is the Blessing.
Zoe's whole given name is Zoe Nava. "Zoe" comes form the Greek word for life. "Nava" comes from the Biblical book, the Song of Songs, and means having a beautiful soul.
We are so happy that they are home.