NEED TO KNOW
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Abby Wood was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy after experiencing premature heartbeats in 2020.
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Years later, after struggling to conceive, she and her husband turned to IVF, learning Abby was expecting twins.
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Fearing that giving birth could be dangerous due to her heart condition, Abby welcomed Simon and Clive on Christmas Eve 2024.
For Abby Wood, the winter holidays now hold a special significance. She shares her home with her husband, Chris, and their twin boys, Simon and Clive, who were born on Christmas Eve in 2024.
“We had a birthday brunch in the morning,” Abby, 33, recalls about their recent celebration. “I didn’t want Christmas decorations, just birthday stuff.”
“Christmas morning was just the four of us,” she adds, reminiscing about holding hands with Chris on the floor, feeling emotional while looking at the boys next to the Christmas tree.
Abby’s journey to motherhood was marked by challenges related to both fertility and her heart health.
It all started in high school when she experienced occasional heart flutters. Initially, doctors reassured her that there was no cause for concern, and those flutters disappeared for a long time. But in 2020, while teaching preschool, the flutters returned, stronger and more frequent.
“I thought it might be stress or too much sugar,” she reflects. “But then I walked up the stairs, and my heart was racing like I had sprinted. That didn’t feel normal.”
A visit to a cardiologist revealed that over 20 percent of her heartbeats were premature, leading to a diagnosis of dilated cardiomyopathy, which caused her heart to enlarge and hampered blood circulation.
“I was definitely scared, especially during COVID,” she admits, recalling attending appointments alone.
After being prescribed beta blockers that reduced the flutters, Abby found herself needing check-ups every three months.
It was around this time that she met Chris, an engineer. They began dating just before the pandemic lockdown. Though they wanted to start a family soon after marrying, they faced difficulties.
“We went through five unsuccessful rounds of IUI,” Abby shares.
Eventually, they switched to in vitro fertilization. A specialist prescribed careful monitoring and advised Abby to attempt just one embryo transfer, which surprisingly resulted in a pregnancy with twins.
Abby felt both joy and fear when she learned of her pregnancy in June 2024. “I was terrified,” she says, recalling warnings about the dangers of having twins with her condition.
Given the high-risk nature of her pregnancy, she consulted two specialists who assured her they could closely monitor her condition.
“When I first met Dr. Barth, he said, ‘Who told you that you can’t have twins? I believe you can do this,’” Abby remembers. Their encouragement allowed her to finally celebrate the news of her twins.
From summer 2024, Abby traveled to Massachusetts General Hospital for regular check-ups while also wearing a heart monitor to keep track of her heart function.
By late October, as her pregnancy progressed, she found it tough to maintain her job teaching preschool. “I became exhausted just managing my day,” she says, adding that keeping up with errands was nearly impossible.
In December, doctors noticed a decrease in her heart function, leading to hospitalization and adjustments to her medication.
When it was time for her scheduled C-section on Christmas Eve, Abby was filled with dread. “I texted my family, ‘If something happens, take care of Chris and the boys,’” she recalls, her anxiety palpable.
Despite her concerns, the delivery went smoothly. Clive was born first, weighing 4 lbs., 15 oz., followed by Simon at 5 lbs., 2 oz.
The next morning was magical as Abby visited the twins, both adorned in little Santa hats. “It was Christmas morning, which made it even more special,” she reflects.
Now, more than a year after their arrival, Simon and Clive are busy exploring their world, while Abby has undergone an ablation procedure that has significantly improved her heart condition.
Looking back, she can’t believe how far she’s come. There were times she thought motherhood might never happen for her. “Now, having everyone together, happy and healthy, it’s all I could wish for,” she muses.
While she considers returning to teaching, for now, she cherishes the moments at home with her boys. “I can barely remember life before them,” she admits. Their little feet and giggles have transformed her home into a dream come true.
