Delaney and Bexley: Twins Surprise First-Time Parents
Early in their relationship, Samantha Saenz and her fiancé RJ talked about the children they’d have someday and made a list of baby names they liked. They just weren’t expecting to use the list quite so soon – or to need more than one name during their first pregnancy journey.
After getting home from work one day, I was telling RJ about my day and mentioned that I had felt off all day,
Samantha explained. It immediately hit me that my cycle should have started that day, and I’ve always been very regular, so I just stopped talking mid-sentence and went to take a test. It was positive, and I was in disbelief!
Initially, Samantha was certain it was a false positive. The next morning, she bought more at-home pregnancy tests, and the results were the same – positive!
A Surprise Discovery and High-Risk Pregnancy Care
We were definitely surprised and very excited!
Samantha said. But my first trimester was rough. I was nauseous all the time and very sensitive to smells. I wouldn’t sit in our living room because it smelled different than our bedroom. And, I started showing very early, but since it was my first pregnancy, I thought all of that was just normal.
Samantha was waiting for new insurance to become effective, so her first prenatal appointment was when she was about 13 weeks into her pregnancy. Before she made it to that appointment, she and RJ were in for a second surprise.
I’m a veterinary technician, and the vet I work with knew I was expecting and waiting on my insurance,
Samantha explained. One day towards the end of my first trimester, she was like, ‘We have an ultrasound machine here, before you leave today, let’s just take a peek at baby.’ Later, she’s scanning me and points to the screen and says, ‘See the line? There are two little things in there.’ I was looking at the screen too and did not see it, but she kept showing me what she was seeing until I could clearly see that there were two babies. So that’s a fun story – a veterinarian told me I was having twins!
Twin pregnancies occur naturally in one out of every 250 pregnancies and often have a higher risk of complications, necessitating specialized care. Some of the most common risks of twin pregnancies include gestational diabetes and pre-term delivery. Growth restriction, where one or both twins may not grow at the expected rate, is also common and can require a high level of care after birth.
At her first pre-natal appointment, Samantha learned that her pregnancy would be considered high-risk because she was expecting twins and her family history of diabetes and high blood pressure. She was referred to Dr. Emma Rodriguez, a maternal-fetal specialist at CHRISTUS Children’s.
Samantha’s twins were dichorionic-diamniotic twins, meaning that each baby had its own amniotic sac and its own placenta,
Dr. Rodriguez explained. Often referred to as ‘di-di twins,’ this is the most common type of twin pregnancy and usually the least complicated.
Over the coming weeks, Dr. Rodriguez kept a close eye on Samantha and her twins. In late October, Samantha passed the results of blood work to her cousin in preparation for their upcoming Dia de los Muertos-themed gender reveal party.
I was hoping for a boy and a girl, but I knew that it would probably be two girls, who would end up being tiny tornadoes as karma for being one myself,
Samantha explained. So, I was not very surprised when the cake and poppers were all pink!
Monitoring and Preparing for a Safe Delivery
At Samantha’s 29-week anatomy scan, they learned that twin A was considered growth restricted. From there, she saw Dr. Rodriguez weekly to check twin A’s placental blood flow and fluid levels. At each appointment, Samantha also had a non-stress test to monitor the heart rate of each twin.
During my 30-week appointment, the monitor showed I had a contraction,
Samantha said. I didn’t feel it, but twin A did – her heart rate dropped slightly. That really concerned Dr. Rodriguez, so she sent me to the hospital.
Fetal lung maturity occurs later in the third trimester,
Dr. Rodriguez explained. If we anticipate delivery might occur prior to 37 weeks, we give mom corticosteroids that can cross the placenta and help the fetal lungs mature faster. This lowers the risk of respiratory complications in preterm babies.
Following a brief admission for her steroid administration, fetal testing remained reassuring, and Samantha was discharged with a follow-up appointment scheduled shortly after. Dr. Rodriguez’ concern then shifted to Samantha, whose blood pressure began to rise as her pregnancy progressed, prompting concerns about preeclampsia.
Preeclampsia is a pregnancy-related condition marked by elevated blood pressure usually occurring after 20 weeks. If left untreated, it can lead to complications for both the pregnant person and the baby, necessitating careful monitoring and management to ensure their well-being.
A C-section was scheduled for Samantha’s 37th week. On March 28, 2024 at CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Hospital – Westover Hills, both twins arrived safely, and neither needed to be admitted to the NICU.
I absolutely credit Dr. Rodriguez’ foresight to administer the steroid shots when she did as the reason why Twin A did not need NICU care,
Samantha said. Twin A was actually healthier than we expected her to be!
Twin A was a whopping 4.1 pounds and was named Delaney Jo – her middle name a nod to both Samantha and her mother, whose middle names are Jo and Josie. Twin B weighed 5 pounds and named Bexley Eloise.
Eloise is after my dad’s mom,
Samantha shared. She died when I was young, so I don’t have any memories with her, but she and my dad were very close. My dad likes to tell me that the first time his mom held me, she said, ‘Payback time!’ She knew I would end up being a handful.
As a precaution, the CHRISTUS Santa Rosa team kept a close eye on the smaller Delaney Jo by administering blood sugar and temperature checks frequently, but both babies impressed their Labor & Delivery care team from the beginning.
The nurses kept telling me that premature babies often have trouble latching and would eat very little at a time, but not these girls,
Samantha laughed. They were hungry and took right to nursing. Both of them passed their birth weight at their two-week check-up!
Today, the family of four is thriving. Delaney and Bexley are already picking their heads up and have outgrown newborn diapers and clothes.
I’m so grateful to have been referred to Dr. Rodriguez for my high-risk pregnancy care,
Samantha said. I felt extremely comfortable with her from our very first appointment. And, she’s a girl twin mom too, so she knew exactly how I was feeling along the journey. She’s always giving me advice and is great about explaining everything in an easy-to-understand way.
Click here to learn more about the expert maternal-fetal medicine at CHRISTUS Children’s.
