30 March 2021

“In September 2020, at my 12-week scan, I found out we were expecting twins. We were over the moon; it was a complete shock but such exciting news.

The sonographer said they were MCDA identical twins, which can be a higher risk pregnancy. This was a little worrying, but we remained positive.

During the pandemic my husband Ryan was not allowed to attend any of my appointments or scans, which was tough, he’d always been there for my two other pregnancies, and now carrying twins, he had to wait for my phone calls at home.

I had suffered, like my previous pregnancies, with Hyperemesis Gravidarum (severe sickness) up until around 18 weeks. This was hard in itself, having to go into hospital for an IV drip, having no energy most of the time and not being able to keep food or water down.

After a couple of months, I started to feel ok and was beginning to enjoy my twin pregnancy.

However, at 18 weeks, during my routine scan the sonographer told me I had stage one TTTS (twin to twin transfusion syndrome). He said it could resolve itself or get worse, so I’d be closely monitored and scanned every couple of weeks.

Find out more about TTTS

Obviously, I was very concerned and did not really understand what the condition was or how serious it was until I researched it.

I worried a lot but tried to reassure myself everything would be ok.  

I waited anxiously for my next scan. Unfortunately, at 20 weeks the condition had worsened slightly and twin two had little to no amniotic fluid around him and no bladder was visible.

A midwife and doctor explained to me the possible scenarios I would be facing, which was awful and so worrying to hear, I just broke down.

They explained that I could lose both babies or the option to have a laser ablation procedure which could resolve the condition.

However, there was a 50/50 chance this would not work, or it could break my waters. I was so worried and had receive all this news alone.

I phoned my husband and we decided to get booked in for the laser ablation procedure. We were told that we were in the best hands and possibly be our only option for the chance to safely carry on with the pregnancy.

I was booked in for the procedure on 16th November 2020, however early hours in the morning that same day, I felt that my waters may have leaked.

I went straight to delivery suite assessment and it was confirmed that they had in fact broken. I was only 21 weeks.

Doctors did an ultrasound scan and could not see where the waters had actually broken. However, the swab led them to believe that they had broken and prepared me to expect the worse.

I was told I would most likely go into labour and that the babies were not viable for resuscitation. I was also told to let nature take its course and my babies would most likely not make it through the birth.

This was all so heartbreaking for me to hear, again alone, and I had to keep ringing my husband to update him.

I was in pieces and was waiting to go into labour naturally knowing what the outcome would be.

I was admitted onto a ward and told they would closely monitor me for the next few days. During this time I had my 29th birthday, not really a celebration but my children Isabelle and Noah visited me in the hospital car park with presents and cake. I felt so upset and heartbroken, they were too young to understand what was happening.

I lay in the hospital bed waiting to go into labour. Three days passed and I still hadn’t gone into labour. They took me for another ultrasound scan with a fetal medicine consultant.

He scanned me and was puzzled as to why my waters had broken, he could not see on the scan any broken membranes where water may have come from. It was a mystery. He then confirmed that twin two had gained more water around him since my last scan and said they would have expected me to go into labour by then and that I may not at all now.

I was told to make a support bubble for extra help and to bed rest. They monitored me twice weekly and scanned me every week with the aim to get as far along in the pregnancy as I could.

Finally, a little more reassuring news, I got discharged from hospital and we moved into my parents’ house. I was strictly resting in bed and only went out for my hospital appointments.

A few weeks went by and my scans were looking a lot more promising, the TTTS had actually resolved itself and twin two had the same amount of water around him as twin one. It was a miracle.

I had reached 28+ 6 weeks when I went for my routine scan, I was told I was in labour, although I did not realise.

I had an emergency c-section within an hour at Heartland’s Hospital in Birmingham and luckily my husband made it on time to be there!

Our absolutely gorgeous tiny miracle twins were born. George weighing 2lb 8oz and Jude weighing 2lb 2oz.

Our boys were finally here, so tiny and so fragile, but they did so well.

We went on to have over 8 anxious and worrying weeks in NICU and then in SCBU at Good Hope Hospital.

They had their ups and their downs, but with the help of all the doctors and nurses, our boys were discharged in early March 2021.

My two other children finally got to meet their baby twin brothers after waiting all that time.

Our boys are now putting on weight and are settled at home. I wanted to shine some light on my experience and reassure other women and families who may be in a similar situation, that there is hope and miracles can happen."

Don’t lose faith and keep going.