"I was in a state of euphoria and unbelief," Hannah Masters, a 26-year-old mom, tells PEOPLE
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():format(jpeg)/Hannah-Masters-031726-1ad926cf672c42df90c6f961cf13d638.jpg "Mom Unexpectedly Finds Out She's Welcoming Twins Halfway Through Her Pregnancy")
Credit: Courtesy of Hannah Masters (2)
NEED TO KNOW
- Hannah Masters was left speechless when she received shocking news during her anatomy scan halfway through her pregnancy
- The doting mom admits that finding out the news later helped her prepare without excessive worrying or anxiety
- She shares her parenting journey on Instagram to connect with and support other moms
One mom was left speechless when she received shocking news halfway through her pregnancy.
Hannah Masters, 26, and her husband, Joey Masters, 28, were so excited that they were expecting another little one together nearly two years after becoming parents. Hannah recalls finding out the happy news pretty early into her second pregnancy, remembering how "vividly" the double blue lines appeared on the test.
"I thought it was a little odd that they came so fast and dark for being so early," she tells PEOPLE. "I remember sitting both my husband and son on the couch and then bringing out the positive test. My husband wrapped me in a hug and was over the moon. Our son was 1½ and had no idea what was going on, but knew it was happy news by our reaction."
Credit: Courtesy of Hannah Masters (2)
As with her first pregnancy, the doting mom chose a more holistic approach with her prenatal care, opting out of the 8-week ultrasound, desiring little medical intervention in the process. The California-based mom tells PEOPLE she didn't feel "overly tired or uncomfortable" during her pregnancy, nor was she measuring overly big. The only thing different from her first pregnancy was that she started noticing a lot of movement around 21 weeks, which she attributed to her baby being very active.
Halfway through her pregnancy, she and her husband decided to go in for the anatomy scan, which checks the development of fetal organs and body parts and can detect certain congenital conditions. During the scan, Hannah tells PEOPLE the ultrasound technician looked at her and asked if this was her first scan and if she felt any different. At that moment, she explains that the ultrasound technician turned the screen toward her, revealing that she was expecting twins, leaving her in "utter shock."
"I think I told her 'No, that's not possible!' " she recalls. "I never envisioned twins for myself or wanted twins. There was no vision board, prayers, secret wishes or manifesting for twins in my entire life. I was in a state of euphoria and unbelief."
After receiving the news, Hannah shares that she was left alone for 20 "long" minutes as the ultrasound technician went to get help to measure both of her babies. Her husband originally wasn't allowed to come into the room, so she tells PEOPLE he began to worry after her appointment was taking longer than expected.
"I kept getting texts from him to see if we were okay. And I wanted to say, 'No! I am not ok! I've been growing two babies this whole time!' " she says. "Finally, they let my husband in the room. I let the technician tell him the same news, and his jaw dropped. I don't think his jaw came off the floor for several minutes."
"But the shock wore off, and the joy soon surfaced on my husband's face," Hannah adds. "Seeing his smile from ear to ear made me feel like everything was going to be okay. We discovered we were having two girls, instead of one!"
During the car ride home, Hannah tells PEOPLE they began to really process the logistics of the news.
"We needed a new car, an additional room in our home, an extra car seat and crib, [and] pretty much a double of everything we already had! Plus, I had to now birth two babies!" she says. "We knew that it was going to be a huge test for us as parents and as a couple, but that God was going to be with us through it all. We felt chosen in a way, and that comforted us."
Hannah says it was a "blessing in disguise" that she found out she was having twins later in her pregnancy. She explains that finding out halfway through gave her less time to worry and be anxious, while still allowing her the opportunity to reach out to other twin moms for comfort and confidence and prepare for the future ahead of her.
"My all-natural twin birth was the most euphoric experience, and I wish more twin mothers knew about it," Hannah tells PEOPLE of her birth experience, where she was supported by both a midwife and a supervising doctor at a birthing center. "Having one baby girl on my stomach while monitoring the heart of the second girl still in my belly was so crazy. When they were finally both on my chest, the anxiety left my body, and I was over the moon to finally have them in my arms.
Credit: Courtesy of Hannah Masters
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Since welcoming her identical twin girls, Jane Joy and Esther Rose, last year, Hannah tells PEOPLE she's been soaking in every precious moment with her girls and son Ozzie, 3. She adds her family of five has exited the "newborn trenches" and adjusted to their new normal.
"My daughters are one year old now, and I am so blessed to finally be at this point with them. The newborn trenches are deep with twins. Those first few months were so incredibly hard and exhausting. But now that my girls are one year old, I really look forward to watching how they interact together," she explains. "It's so rare to get to experience parenting identical twin girls, so I'm trying to soak up every moment without looking too far ahead and missing the magic that's right in front of me."
Hannah regularly shares updates for her family on Instagram, connecting with other moms and being the voice to others that she says she "desperately needed" when she first found out the news.
"I truly love sharing our twin life on Instagram and connecting with other twin moms who need advice, reassurance, or just someone who gets it," she tells PEOPLE. "My social platform has reached so many twin parents, and it’s such a gift to now be the encouraging voice I so desperately needed when I first found out I was pregnant with twins."