As told by mum, Tayla
My husband, 2 year old son and I live in Whangarei and were excited to be pregnant with our second baby. After a very easy first trimester we turned up to our 12 week scan to find out I was carrying identical twin girls! It was a huge shock and we were very overwhelmed to say the least.
We had barely gotten our heads around the fact that we were having two babies before we were referred to Aucklands maternal fetal medicine team due to a size discrepancy between the two babies. We were diagnosed with selective fetal growth restriction as one baby was over 20% smaller than the other due to where the cord was inserted into the placenta. The doctors weren’t sure if our babies would survive, but we just keep coming back for a scan every fortnight to monitor their progress and all the other risks that come with carrying identical twins.
Both babies growth tracked well, although the size difference remained. The smaller twin also had abnormal blood flow patterns which meant that at only 26 weeks pregnant, it was recommended that I be admitted to Auckland hospital for close monitoring incase our babies got into trouble and needed to be delivered prematurely.
I had ultrasound scans 3 times per week and CTGs twice daily. The goal was to reach 32 weeks before they would deliver our babies (unless they got into trouble sooner) as this was when the risks inside started to outweigh the risks of being delivered prematurely for our type of pregnancy.
It was here on the high risk antenatal ward, that I first meet the Little Miracles Trust team who hosted an antenatal support group for mums whose babies may end up in NICU. I didn’t even know there was a whole ward dedicated to high risk pregnancies so it was nice to be able to chat to other mums about their situations and have their support too – even if I did cry every time I talked about my journey so far!
My husband and son were able to travel down from Whangarei every weekend and stay at the Ronald McDonald house to spend time with me which was my favourite part of each week.
Luckily my babies stayed stable and continued to be happy inside and grow appropriately. The day before our scheduled C-section at 32 weeks pregnant, I had a routine CTG which showed our little twin was in a bit of distress so the doctors decided to get our girls out 1 day early.
Mila and Kayley were delivered on the 5th of June 2024 at 2:06 and 2:09am weighing 1.8kg and 1.47kg respectively. They came out with a strong cry and the nurses called them ‘fiesty little girls’. They were stabilized on a type of breathing support called CPAP and transferred to NICU.
The girls did amazing, coming off there breathing support after only 5 days. After this they were mainly just ‘feeders and growers’, requiring breastmilk via a nasogastric (NG) tube so they could grow until they were strong enough to learn to breastfeed.
The staff at the Little Miracles Trust were a huge support for us, checking in daily to see how we were and hosting another support group for mums who had babies in NICU once a week. I was able to meet other mums going through a similar journey to us and hear their stories. I didn’t know many people who had premature babies so this was an amazing support for us. They also provided us with a chilly bag full of goodies and the shop in NICU was so good to stock up on lactation cookies and buy anything else we needed for me or the babies without needing to head to the mall.
We were able to fly back to Whangarei hospital’s neonatal unit via the Starship air ambulance when the girls were 2 weeks old so we could be closer to home. Kayley needed a few days of high flow breathing support after the flight. They progressed well moving out of the incubator and into cots and could now be dressed in clothes. Mila and Kayley both started practicing their breastfeeding around 34/35 weeks, but still required breastmilk top ups via the NG tube for another few weeks.
Unfortunately Kayley caught a virus which really set her back as she was so snuffly and tired, she wasn’t able to breathe properly and the coordination required to breastfeed was too hard for her so she was relying on only NG feeds again. She needed to go back on high flow to support her breathing for the third time but luckily it was only for a few days. She started to get better and pick up on feeding again about 2 weeks later.
After a total of 58 days in hospital, on their due date, the girls were fully breastfeeding and putting on weight so we were allowed to go home! They weighed 3.06kg and 2.54kg respectively.
We have been home now for over 4 months and the girls are thriving! They are feeding and growing well and have no medical conditions. They are happy, healthy little girls and we are enjoying all living at home together as a family of 5. It’s a bit chaotic having 3 kids under 3 and we are still finding our routine but we are so grateful to have them at home, safe and sound after such a rollercoaster of a pregnancy and start to their lives.
A huge thank you to everyone who was a part of our journey:
· The maternal fetal medicine team at Auckland Hospital
· Ward 98 staff (high risk antenatal ward)
· The team in NICU
· Diane, Simone and the rest of The Little Miracles Trust team
· Ronald McDonald House
· The Starship Air Ambulance team
· The staff in Whangarei’s neonatal unit
Thanks so much for sharing your personal story
We get a lot of positive feedback from families in a neonatal unit who read these stories and feel strength, hope and positivity knowing that they are not alone going through these experiences and feeling certain emotions.
If you would like to discuss sharing the story of your neonatal journey, we’d love to hear from you. Please email info@littlemiraclestrust.org.nz
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- The Little Miracles Trust provides support to families of premature or sick full-term babies as they make their journey through Neonatal Intensive Care, the transition home, and onwards. We do not receive any Government funding and are entirely reliant on the generosity of individuals, companies and organisations in the form of donations, value-in-kind donations, grants, sponsorship and fundraising events to supplement operating costs and fund our services and initiatives.
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