CRESTVIEW — Brandon and Lyndsey Brooks are not only expecting twins; they're expecting monoamniotic twins, also called mono-mono twins.
The girls — named Savannah Lynn and Hannah Kathleen — share the same amniotic sac and placenta. In common twin pregnancies, the unborn children have separate amniotic sacs.
Mono-mono twins occur in just one of 10,000 pregnancies, which can have complications, according to the Journal of Perinatology.
Entangled or compressed umbilical cords and twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, in which one twin receives most of the nourishment, leaving the other undernourished, are among the concerns.
But Lyndsey, at 25 weeks, is under the watchful eye of doctors and specialists at Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
“The girls are doing phenomenal right now, but that can change in an instant,” she said.
The staff regularly monitors the mother and children to ensure their safety throughout the pregnancy.
Unexpected
The pregnancy surprised the couple when they found out in March.
“Leave it up to Lyndsey and I; we are overachievers,” Brandon said.
“I was actually about to get my tubes tied, but I wouldn’t change a thing in the world,” Lyndsey said.
Savannah Lynn and Hannah Kathleen will join the couple's 8-year-old daughter, Amelia, and their 5-year-old son, Logan.
“Logan and I are about to be outnumbered," Brandon said.
The twins will be delivered by Caesarean section at 32 weeks, pending a doctor’s approval.
Raising funds
Lyndsey’s mother, Victoria Teems, is already thinking about the twins' fashion.
“I am beyond stoked,” she said. “I can’t wait to dress them up.”
In the meantime, she's considering the costs of prolonged hospital visits.
Teems is collecting donations via Gofundme.com to help cover hospital and travel expenses. When he is not working, Brandon travels from Crestview to Pensacola to spend time with Lyndsey.
“This isn’t for them to spend on fun and games,” Teems said. “It’s going to help with utility bills, medical costs and gas.”
Teems said she appreciates any help, should residents want to contribute at http://www.gofundme.com/9dh5a0.
“If they donate, then we thank them from the bottom of our hearts,” she said.
Email News Bulletin Staff Writer Matthew Brown, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview family expecting ‘mono-mono’ twins