Doctors snapped a pic of the amazing sight, and the photo has since gone viral. Baby Jenna was born first, at 4 lbs. 2 ounces and 17 inches, with Jillian following just 48 seconds later at 3 lbs. 13 ounces and 17.5 inches.
“They’re already best friends,” said Sarah Thistlethwaite, their proud mom.
The babies are monoamniotic twins (or mono mono twins), which means they shared the same amniotic sac and placenta. Doctors say mono mono twins only occur in 1 out of every 10,000 pregnancies. Since this condition comes with a high risk of stillbirth because of the potential for umbilical cord entanglement, doctors at Akron General Medical Center in Akron, Ohio, delivered the girls at 33 weeks.
Sarah says she was excited about having her C-section on May 9, so she would be a “real mother” on Mother’s Day. The girls were removed from their ventilators and breathing on their own by Sunday, so Sarah and father Bill Thistlethwaite were able to hold them while celebrating the special holiday.
The couple have a son, Jaxon, whose first birthday was on January 27 — coincidentally the same day Sarah and Bill learned that they were expecting twins.