I wrote a post on Thursday, telling of my plan to watch the highly recommended television show, “In The Womb: Multiples” by National Geographic. And I did watch it. And loved it.
This show was amazing. With their 4D scans, GCI, and facts about multiples this show was riveting. I fell asleep before I watched the whole thing, but it is airing again tonight and I’m planning on watching the whole thing.
The next day, which was yesterday, I talked to three different friends and raved about the show.
The majority of what I was amazed with were the theories that the show shared about conjoined twins. According to the program, there are two theories about conjoined twins. One theory is that the egg splits late and doesn’t ever split all of the way apart. The second theory is that the egg splits early and splits completely. At the time that the cells begin organizing, cells called adhesion cells begin to adhere to each other. This second theory suggests that the cells pull the twins back together in a mix up between the cells between both twins. This theory is the most accepted because conjoined twins are joined at the head, torso or hip. Not in random combinations.
Lastly, my overall impression was of awe. Even in so called “normal” pregnancies there was so much to be impressed with. Although, I do have to admit, the embryo images did kind of freak me out looking like little shrimps or something.
To finish off my learning and bring it really to life, my friend gave birth last night to her twins. A little boy first, then a little girl who join her 5 year old son and 3 year old daughter. Holding those two today really drove home not only the mystery of birth, but the mystery of multiples.
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