Tikun Olam-תקון עולם: Make the World a Better Place

My wife is nearly 34 weeks pregnant (unbelievably pregnant!) with twins conceived at the NYU fertility clinic using a donor egg procedure. Two weeks ago, we had a special ultrasound that allows intricate measurements of fetal growth and health.

Our OBGyn, Dr. Robert Levine at Swedish Hospital, told us that it is natural for the one twin to grow at a faster rate in the final weeks before delivery and for the other to lag somewhat. The ultrasound results two weeks ago caused some minor alarm because our boy (whom we’re planning to call Adin Chanan) weighed 3 lbs. 11 oz., while the girl (who we’re planning to name Miriam Rose) weighed 3 lbs. 3 oz. The boy was in the 46th percentile and the girl around the 14th. There was an approximate 13% weight differential. Dr. Levine told us to do another ultrasound in two weeks and that if the differential increased to 20% or if she decreased to the 5th percentile that we might consider delivering early or other precautions to help the little girl.

In the interval, my wife and I gave our girl a pep talk, telling her not to let her brother intimidate her. We told her to make sure she got her own. We probably should’ve played Billie Holiday’s, God Bless the Child: “God bless the child who’s got her own, got her own.”

A few days ago, we went in for the subsequent ultrasound and thankfully all is well. She weighs 4 lbs. 2 oz and he weighs 4 lbs. 10 oz. He is still in the 46th percentile, but she’s risen to the 16th. The weight differential is now 11%. Everyone’s breathing a sign of relief.

Our doctor says that he’d like Janis to get to 38 weeks before delivering (this is considered full term for twins). But the awful symptoms of pregnancy are weighing down upon her heavily. I’m betting on her getting to term, but I sure don’t wish the suffering she’s experiencing on her or anyone.

I’ve uploaded ultrasound images of the twins in the past, but our technician didn’t seem to come up with images that looked good enough to me to print. So no images this time around.