My name is Rachel Wallace and I have found myself expecting monoamniotic, a.k.a. momo, twins. Hoping to make one sibling for my singleton daughter, I received the shock of my life when I learned I was carrying twins. My shock was amplified when I realized how little I knew about twins, and turned into full-blown anxiety when I learned I was carrying one of the rarest, and also most high-risk, twin types of all. Reading the viability statistics of monoamniotic twins that were readily available on the internet was heartbreaking. But it did not match the relatively optimistic outcomes reported in the recent medical literature. As a PhD of evolutionary morphology and an anatomy instructor at a medical school, I am privileged to have access to, and be able to interpret, such literature. Further, because monoamniotic twins are so rare, it is impossible to hear enough anecdotal experiences to feel satisfied about the journey that lies ahead of those expecting monoamniotic twins. These realizations and frustrations have inspired me to do something I never imagined I would do: start a blog. My hope is to share with other families expecting momo twins (or even other types of multiples) my journey so that they can feel more excited about their diagnosis, rather than afraid.
I don’t know how my experience carrying monoamniotic twins will go. Statistics are on my side that the pregnancy will end well. But anyone who finds themselves in the 1 in 60,000 category begins to lose comfort in statistics. I am feeling optimistic about their future, but no matter what happens, I hope I can bring education and comfort to those on their own momo journey.
My Momo Journey 