“With Toby assisting you.”
“Yes, we talked about this,” I confirm.
The crease between his brows softens, relief making his smile nearly boyish. I reach over as he stands, entwining our fingers.
“Thank you.” His voice is so earnest it makes my heart twist.
“Glad that’s settled.” Dr. LeGuin clears her throat. “Now, let’s finalize the birth plan. With twins, we’ll need to be extra prepared.”
I sit up straighter, my hand instinctively drifting to my belly. “I want to try for a vaginal birth, if that’s possible.”
“Yes, that’s absolutely an option, depending on how the babies are positioned as you get closer to term. Right now, Baby A”—she flips the ultrasound photo on my chart toward us—“is head-down, which is encouraging. Baby B is more sideways, but that can still shift.”
Tristan leans in. “What happens if the babies don’t shift as expected?”
“If Baby A is delivered headfirst, sometimes Baby B will naturally rotate into position once there’s more space. We also have techniques like external manipulation, using ultrasound guidance, or gently helping reposition during delivery. But if Baby B stays stubbornly transverse or breech, we would move quickly to a C-section for that twin.”
I bite my lip. “Is that normal? One vaginal, one C-section?”
“Yes,” she says, nodding. “It’s not common, but it does happen. That’s why we always have an operating room prepped when twins are born, even if you come in planning for vaginal. Safety net in place.”
Tristan’s hand tightens on mine, and I can practically feel the checklist forming in his brain.
“Twins often come earlier. Thirty-six or thirty-seven weeks is considered full term for them.”
“Baby B is still smaller,” Tristan says.
The doctor nods. “We’re tracking growth discordance. If necessary, we’d admit one or both at NICU for observation. Our team is excellent. We’ll have a neonatologist on call for delivery day.”
The acronym for the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit puts my stomach into a freefall. Dr. LeGuin looks at me kindly.
“Most twins do beautifully. But I always want you to feel informed and empowered. If your goal is vaginal delivery, we’ll support you.”
Relief trickles through me. “That’s what I want. I want to try.”
“Then that’s what we’ll plan for,” she says, scribbling a note. “We’ll schedule extra growth scans every two weeks now. If anything changes, if either twin starts showing distress, or if your body says it’s time sooner, we’ll adjust.”
Tristan clears his throat. “What is an example of showing distress?”
I roll my eyes at him.
Dr. LeGuin finishes her notes on the computer before answering.
“BydistressI mean consistent contractions or any kind of pain.”
“Got it. No bungee jumping,” I state in mock seriousness.
She chuckles. “See you in a couple of weeks. And good luck with the playoffs.”
Tristan attempts a polite thanks, although I can see the worddistresslooming over his head like a storm cloud.
“Hey, everything is good. I made my compromise, and you’re going to beat Florida on the first round.”
“Ligaya, please promise me you’ll take it easy. And don’t pretend it’s the same as a few weeks ago. I can see how sluggish you are. How hard it is to go back to the campus for the nightly rehearsals.”
I take his face in my hands and ensure we’re eye to eye.
“You’re right, this hasn’t been easy. You have my word, Tristan. I will not do anything to endanger the babies. And by Wednesday, my feet will be up, waiting for their rub when you come home.”
