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James and I fell pregnant via our 1st round of IVF in March 2020 following just over 3 years of trying to conceive. At our 6 week scan we were told we were expecting identical twins!!! 

Aside from the horrendous morning sickness the pregnancy was going well up until the 20 week scan. At the 20 week scan, the Sonographer suspected we may have Twin to Twin Syndrome (TTTS). The membrane was not floating and one twin had too much fluid around her, whereas the other one had hardly any. Within a few hours, thanks to the quick work of the doctors at Frimley Park and St George's Hospital, we were undergoing life saving laser surgery to balance the fluid and save the girls lives.

The girls survived the laser surgery and by the next week the TTTS has corrected itself. However we were then faced with another rare illness, Twin Anemia Polycthemia Sequence (TAPS). TAPS is a rare condition that occurs when there are unequal blood counts between the twins in the womb, it can occur randomly or post TTTS laser surgery. We were taken straight into our second round of laser surgery to correct the blood flow that day.  

Once again the girls pulled through their second laser surgery and a few weeks later were cleared of TAPS. The rest of the pregnancy was full of anxiety as we waited for the MRI results to confirm the girls brains had not been damaged as a result of the illnesses. At 30 weeks we were given the all clear and welcomed the girls at 34 weeks via C-section at Frimley Park on the 26th October 2020 at 11.10am. 

Due to the early arrival they were little and spent two weeks in the neo natal unit building up their strength and getting used to the world. 

We are now at home and enjoying our little miracle babies. They have now passed full term and bring us joy every day!

TTTS and TAPS are both rare, however cases are on the rise and there is little or no funding for TAPS. Therefore I will be spending my maternity leave raising money for the Twins Trust who support the research into TTTS and TAPS as without the research and facilities available Florence and Amelia would not be here today! 

Any donations you can make will be greatly appreciated and thank you in advance for taking the time to read our story. 

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