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KATHY AND GARY ARE PARENTS OF TWINS because of successful in vitro fertilization. Kathy provided the captions for this series of nine photos that tell about her babies' development. (Photos 1 - 4 here; photos 5 - 9 on album page 2.)


This is a photo of the embryos I had put back in my uterus during the embryo transfer procedure (hence the letters ET on the photo). It is taken under the microscope, but the embryologist who took the photo did not include a scale. They would be the size of the original eggs though because the embryos have yet to break through the zona pellucida. The photo was taken on the third day after egg retrieval and fertilization, right before transfer. It was taken by an embryologist at Pacific Fertility Centers where we did the IVF. There is no way of knowing for sure which embryo is James, which is Emily and which is the third triplet.


        
This was taken by my OB. The triplet who had died at this point is not really visible in its amniotic sack - unfortunately that fetus is out of the plane in this view, but, as I said, it's the best I have. We don't know why that fetus died - presumably it was because of chromosomal abnormality, but there is no way of telling for sure because I never had chorionic villi sampling or an amniocentesis done.

        
This is an ultrasound image taken by my OB when I was 14 weeks pregnant. James is on the left, Emily is on the right.


        
This was taken on March 22, 1997 in the N.I.C.U. The kids were 4 days old. Emily is on the left, and James is on the right. They still weren't able to maintain their body temperature adequately (they were born at 35 weeks), and were only allowed out of their isolettes all wrapped up. I took this photo - Gary is holding the babies.


More photos

Gary and Kathy's story:
"Why Don't You Just Adopt?"

The Biological Imperative