Twins born at 22 weeks in Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham, who were given “zero chance of survival”, are expected to go home this week after almost five months in hospital.
At birth, the twins weighed just 500 grams, or 1.1lbs, and measured “the length of a king-size Mars Bar”, according to media reports.They were born almost a fortnight before the 24-week legal cut-off point for abortion in England.
Mom Jade says that when the babies were born, she was told by medical staff to prepare for the worst. “The doctor was so shocked, she told me she could see the membrane bulging, so the sac of water was basically showing. It was so scary. I knew I was 22 weeks, but I didn’t know about the viability thing. They told me they were going to admit me, but that I was probably having a miscarriage.”
While doctors continued to tell Jade she was “miscarrying,” she insisted, “it couldn’t be because I could feel the babies moving. I knew they were OK, but was being told they wouldn’t survive at this gestation.” She said that after birth “their little cries sounded like a tiny kitten.”
But five months on, the twins are all set for home. Jade says: “They’ll go down in medical history. I’m sure they’ll have a ward named after them because everyone is just amazed by them!”
