Rare newborn twins in Ohio

Photo: The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

In this May 9, 2014 photo, Sarah Thistlethwaite holds her twin daughters, Jenna and Jillian, after her delivery of the monoamniotic twin girls at Akron General Hospital in Akron, Ohio. (AP Photo/Akron Beacon Journal, Ed Suba Jr.)

Twin girls born with a rare condition in Ohio were breathing on their own and their mom said she and her husband were able to hold them on Mother's Day.

Sarah Thistlethwaite said babies Jillian and Jenna were removed from ventilators Sunday afternoon after they were able to breathe comfortably. She told The Associated Press that she and her husband Bill both held them for a while on Mother's Day.

"It's just hard to put into words how amazing it feels to know the girls are OK," she said. "It's great to know that they're doing so well, and being able to hold them."

The identical twin girls shared the same amniotic sac and placenta. Such births are called monoamniotic, or "mono mono," and doctors say they occur in about one of every 10,000 pregnancies.

They were born Friday at Akron General Medical Centre, grasping each other's hands when doctors lifted them up for their parents to see after delivery.

Thistlethwaite told the Akron Beacon Journal that was "the best Mother's Day present ever."

"They're already best friends," said Thistlethwaite, 32. "I can't believe they were holding hands. That's amazing."

Jenna was born first at 4 pounds, 2 ounces and 17 inches, with Jillian following 48 seconds later at 3 pounds, 13 ounces and 17.5 inches.

They were moved temporarily to Akron Children's Hospital because they needed breathing assistance. Thistlethwaite expects to be released from Akron General on Tuesday, while the girls will remain in the hospital two to four weeks.

Online:

Akron Children's Hospital: bit.ly/1jwEkq8