First, only 1lb 2oz, and she gave cry as if to tell us ‘I’m here’
cord occlusion, a procedure to have the smaller one terminated.” Amy explained: “They believed Gaia was really struggling and she wouldn’t make it. They thought there was the potential that if Gaia died inside the womb Luna would try to give her a blood transfusion to save her which would then kill Luna as well. “This is because with twins there is always a chance of twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome. That means that if one is in trouble the other will try to save it.”
Twenty weeks into the pregnancy the couple attended London’s Queen Charlotte’s Hospital which has a specialist maternal medicine unit. Doctors there discussed with them a procedure known as laser cord occlusion. Amy explained: “The mum is conscious when it is happening and the operation would involve a laser to remove Gaia’s umbilical cord from the placenta leaving her to die inside me. But there are risks including going into early labour and the other baby dying too.”
The couple had three scans over three weeks at the hospital but they showed neither signs of deterioration or improvement in either twin’s condition. It was after the final scan that Amy and Richard decided against the termination.
Amy said: “Gaia wasn’t still, though. Both the girls were always kicking and turning. To me it didn’t feel like they were struggling as much as the doctors thought they were.”
And she added quietly: “I knew I couldn’t just sit there awake while it was happening. I couldn’t just let one of my babies be taken from me.” “In the end we decided to let nature take its course,” said Richard.
“We thought that if there were risks either way we might as well take the risk of having them both, rather than risk losing them both.
“We don’t stress about anything. Life is what it is. It will either happen or it won’t. We didn’t worry about it – and it worked.”
The couple returned to Aberdeen where the twins were closely monitored. They arrived 31 weeks and one day into the pregnancy by planned caesarean section.
Luna spent 11 weeks in the unit and Gaia 12, before returning home.
“They are as lively now as they were in the womb,” said Amy.
“They are on the go from the minute they get up until they go to bed.
“But even though they are identical twins – from one egg – they are their own people. They’re close, but independent too, and they are always giggling and fighting like siblings do. “Obviously they were meant to be and they fought all the way to get here.”
‘
Doctors told us it was unlikely we were going to have two babies