When Pregnancy Means Three: Why Specialized Care Matters When Giving Birth to Multiple Babies 

For Nyla Craft and Marco Bernal of Southern California, the arrival of their three sons was a moment they’ll never forget. On August 18, the couple welcomed naturally-conceived triplets, Elio, Elias, and Enzo, who were born healthy and at full term. Together, the three boys weighed 19.3 pounds, coming close to the Guinness World Record for the heaviest set of living triplets at birth.

Pregnancy Care for Multiple Babies

While giving birth to healthy triplets is cause for celebration, carrying more than one baby also means the pregnancy can require specialized monitoring and care. Multiples in a pregnancy, including twins, triplets, and higher-order multiples, can carry increased risks making close observation throughout pregnancy critical.

At Jackson Health System, maternal-fetal medicine specialists provide specialized care for women experiencing high-risk pregnancies. Care is tailored to each mother and may include more frequent monitoring, advanced testing and imaging, and coordination among specialists to help identify potential complications as early as possible.

Advanced Imaging and Technology at Jackson

If you’re pregnant with more than one baby, close monitoring is extremely important. At The Women’s Hospital at Jackson Memorial and The Women’s Pavilion at Jackson North, we offer the most accurate tools to diagnose and monitor your pregnancy, including:

• High-resolution ultrasound testing to check for the baby’s (or babies’) growth and development.
• Nuchal translucency testing to screen for certain genetic conditions.
• Cell-free DNA testing, a blood test that screens for common chromosomal conditions.
• Doppler studies to measure blood flow and make sure the baby is getting enough oxygen and nutrients while in the womb.
• Amniocentesis, a test that checks the baby’s chromosomes and potential infections.
• Chorionic villus sampling, an early test to learn about genetic conditions.
• Fetal MRI, a detailed scan that can show conditions ultrasounds may not fully explain.
• Prenatal diagnosis and management with personalized plans.

Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome

For some twin pregnancies, specialized fetal care can be especially important. One condition doctors monitor for is twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a potentially serious complication that can occur when identical twins share a placenta. In TTTS, abnormal blood flow between the babies can cause one twin to receive too much blood while the other receives too little.

When fetal intervention is needed, families have access to advanced treatments before birth. At the UHealth Jackson Fetal Care Center, located in The Women’s Hospital and led by world-renowned fetal surgeon Dr. Rodrigo Ruano, a multidisciplinary team handles the most complex cases by prioritizing mom and baby. This can include laser surgery to treat twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome, as well as other in-utero therapies and interventions.

The goal of specialized maternal-fetal medicine isn’t simply to identify complications, but to give families the information, monitoring, and treatment they need throughout pregnancy and delivery.

Find the Care You’re Looking for at Jackson Health System

For families expecting twins, triplets, or more, our level of expertise can make a meaningful difference. From advanced prenatal testing to fetal intervention and specialized delivery planning, having a multidisciplinary team prepared to care for both mother and babies can provide reassurance during what can be an exciting, and sometimes complicated, journey to parenthood.

For more information on Jackson’s birthing, maternity, and newborn care services, or to make an appointment, visit https://maternity.jacksonhealth.org/.