The additional challenges that come with twin pregnancy can feel overwhelming, but knowing the signs of certain complications can be potentially life-saving. Here’s one twin mom’s story of dealing with a placental abruption plus basic facts so you can better understand the signs of this complication.
Being pregnant with twins is a beautiful thing. And at the same time, it means you’re in for a lot of extra “Wait, is this normal?” moments.
While you likely have an ideal vision for how you want your twin delivery to go, some twin parents find it helpful to also educate themselves about Plan B, Plan C and Plan D.
Below, twin mama Amanda shares her hopeful yet eye-opening story of surviving a placental abruption with twins.
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Making it through a placental abruption with twins
When you’re pregnant with twins, you know there’s a chance your babies may come early. You may even mentally prepare for a C-section or NICU stay being part of your journey.
But some things still catch you completely off guard, and for me, that was having a placental abruption.
The strangest part about the whole experience was that I actually had no idea how serious it was while it was happening in real time.
While my husband and the doctors all had a sense of urgency and grave concern, I remember being calm, almost in denial. Not because I was feeling extra brave, but more so because my brain was trying to protect me from the reality of what was going on.
Looking back, I can laugh at some of it now because everyone is okay (spoiler alert so you don’t swell with anxiety reading this). But also because I now know how lucky we were (and are). In saying that, my heart goes out to all the parents and babies whose placental abruption story did not end on such a positive note.
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So I’m sharing my placental abruption story for two reasons.
First: I genuinely believe that twin parents need more real stories of what actually goes down. Not just the polished “everything worked out” stories, but the messy, scary, “my brain did not process this correctly at all” stories too.
Second: because if you are pregnant and you are bleeding, especially later in pregnancy, I want you to take that seriously. Because your knowledge and awareness could save you and your babies’ lives.
And in my case, that is exactly where the story started.
The night my twins were born…
As I neared my twins’ due date, I had one very firm desire: I did not want them to be born on their older sister’s birthday.
It was her fourth birthday, and I had spent the day doing all the regular mom things. I was tired, my back hurt, and I was just over 36 weeks pregnant with the twins.
My doctor already told me that delivery was probably coming soon, but in my mind, soon did not mean that night.
After I put my daughter to bed, I decided to take a bath. My back pain had been awful, and my doctor suggested sitting in a bath with a little Epsom salt to help me feel more comfortable.
I almost skipped the bath entirely because I was exhausted. But I had been thinking about that bath all day, so I got in. As soon as I sat in the water, it felt like I had peed.
I looked down, and the bathwater was full of blood. Now, you’d think this would be the moment my brain went straight to emergency mode.
Sadly, it did not. Technically, I knew enough to call my doctor. She had already told me that if I started bleeding, I needed to go to the hospital immediately.
But emotionally? I was still thinking, “Okay, we’ll go in. They’ll stop the bleeding. I’ll come home. These babies are not being born today.” I was also thinking about how I was going to get from the upstairs bathroom to the car without making the whole house look like a murder scene from a movie.
That’s what was running through my mind. Not, “This could be dangerous,” or “My baby could be in distress,” or “This might lead to an emergency C-section.”
All my brain could think up were logistics: the stairs, the car, the blood, the birthday. That was all I could process.
When I got to the hospital…
I called my doctor, and she told the hospital I was coming.
When I got there, a nurse brought me in and started asking what happened. I told her about the blood in the bath, and she said what a lot of people say: water can make blood look like more than it is.
And that can be true. But when I took off my pants and they saw that the blood had soaked through my pad and underwear, it was immediately clear this was not just a little bleeding.
The vibe of the room changed fast. The nurse looked at me and told me I was going to have an emergency C-section in about 10 minutes.
And then suddenly, there were people everywhere. Everyone had a job. Everyone was moving quickly. They were asking me questions, trying to distract me, and trying to find both heartbeats.
And I knew what they were doing. I remember thinking, “I know you’re trying to distract me.” But I still couldn’t muster a true emotional response. It was all logic.
Then we got to the operating room and because my brain was still somehow clinging to this separate birthdays plan, I asked the team if they could wait until after midnight. Just 30 more minutes. My doctor said no which, obviously, was the correct answer.
And so my twins were born that night—on their big sister’s birthday.
What I learned afterward…
After my delivery, I learned that I had experienced a placental abruption.
It’s when the placenta starts to separate from the uterus before the baby is born. Since the placenta is the baby’s source of oxygen and nutrients, when it detaches too early, things can become serious very quickly.
In my case, one of my twins had been affected more than the other and ended up needing extra time in the NICU.
That’s the part that still freaks me out. Because when it was all unfolding in the moment, I truly did not understand what was happening and how life-or-death it all was.
I was worried about the birthday, the mess and whether they could stop the bleeding so they could send me home. I truly didn’t realize that my baby could be in grave danger.
And I want to say this gently to every pregnant person reading this: your brain may not always process an emergency while it’s happening.
Sometimes your mind jumps in to protect you. Like mine, it may zoom in on the smallest, weirdest detail because the bigger picture is too much to hold all at once. And it doesn’t mean you’re being careless or dramatic. It simply means you’re human.
What is placental abruption?
Placental abruption is a pregnancy complication where the placenta separates from the uterus before birth.
It can be partial, meaning only part of the placenta separates, or it can be more severe. In more extreme cases, it can lead to:
- Heavy bleeding (hemorrhaging)
- Shock
- Reduced oxygen to the baby
- Emergency delivery and possible NICU time
- A blood clotting condition called disseminated vascular coagulation (DIC)
- Stillbirth
- Interrupted blood flow that can lead to damage in the brain or kidneys
It’s not something you can diagnose on your own; you need a medical provider to evaluate what’s happening.
What are the signs of placental abruption?
Some possible signs of placental abruption can include:
- Vaginal bleeding
- Belly pain
- Back pain
- Uterine tenderness
- A belly that feels firm or tight
- Contractions that come close together
- Decreased fetal movement
- Feeling like something is wrong
The exact symptoms and the severity of symptoms can vary. For example, sometimes there’s a lot of visible bleeding, whereas other times there is not.
So if you have bleeding, sudden pain, decreased fetal movement, or a major change in how you feel, it’s absolutely worth a call to your doctor or a trip to your nearest OB triage.
You’re not being annoying or overreacting. You’re taking care of yourself and your babies. As Twiniversity founder Natalie Diaz always says: “It’s better to overreact every time than underreact even one time.”
Are twins at higher risk for placental abruption?
Outside of cases where an accident leads to a direct impact on your abdominal area (like a car accident), medical professionals still aren’t certain of the exact cause of placental abruption.
That said, hypertension and being pregnant with multiples are two conditions that are associated with experiencing placental abruption.
So it’s definitely something expecting twin parents should know about, especially because the symptoms can be easy to explain away otherwise.
But that does not mean something bad will happen or that you should spend your whole pregnancy being scared of all the what-ifs.
It just means you should know your provider’s instructions, make sure you understand the warning signs of common complications, and trust yourself when something feels off.
What I wish I had known…
I wish I had known that back pain, bleeding, and sudden changes should not be brushed off just because you are tired, uncomfortable, or trying to make it through the day. Especially in the third trimester with twins.
I was so determined that my twins would not share a birthday with their sister that I asked an operating room full of medical professionals if we could wait 30 minutes.
We could not. And thank God we did not.
A note for twin parents
If you’re pregnant with twins and reading this, I don’t want my birth story to make you spiral. Twin pregnancy already gives you enough to think about.
So here is the takeaway: There’s no need to panic, but you should absolutely have a plan.
Know who you can call after hours, know which hospital you’re supposed to go to, and ask your provider which symptoms mean you should come in right away.
And if you have bleeding, sudden pain, decreased fetal movement, or a gut feeling that something is wrong, take it seriously. You don’t need to prove it’s serious before asking for help. That is what your medical team is there to determine.
My placental abruption story ended with two babies who thankfully made it through with a short NICU stay—and three siblings who now share a birthday story I will probably never live down.
But it also left me with a deep respect for how quickly things can change in pregnancy, especially with twins. I consider myself a smart, logical person. But that night, my logical brain was not fully in charge.
And maybe that’s why stories like this matter. Because when you hear someone else say, “I didn’t realize how serious it was while it was happening,” it gives you permission to take your own symptoms seriously sooner.
So if you remember nothing else from my story, remember this: If you are pregnant and bleeding, call your provider and go in.
Even if you feel silly, even if you think it might be nothing, even if part of your brain is still trying to protect the birthday plan. Just GO IN!
Interested in sharing part of your own journey as a twin parent?
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Want to know more about other twin pregnancy complications and how to cope with them? Check out the articles below:
- What Are Common Complications of Twin Pregnancy?
- Your Guide to Coping With Twin Pregnancy Complications
- What to Know About Swelling in Twin Pregnancy
