A MUM who gave birth to premature twins has shared a heartwarming photo of the siblings ‘hugging’ each other when reunited for the first time.
Ann Le’s newborns Olivia and Zoe were separated for the first month of their lives after entering the world at 29 weeks.
But once they were strong enough, the pair were reunited and reached out for another in a sweet embrace.
Ann, 29, from Australia, told Daily Mail Australia: “We had been waiting so long for the girls to meet so when the day finally came we couldn’t believe it.
“We waited 27 days exactly for our first twin cuddle and it was so much more than we could have expected.
“Olivia was placed on me first, then when it was Zoe’s turn she reached out her left arm and hugged her sister. My tears were flowing, it’s a moment I’ll never forget.”
During her pregnancy, Ann learned that she was carrying mono-chorionic mono-amniotic twins. The condition, referred to as “momo” twins, happens when the babies share an amniotic sac and placenta, according to Very Well Family.
Every fortnight from the 10-week mark Ann had ultrasounds to ensure the girls were progressing as they should be.
Doctors decided the girls needed to come out at 28 weeks and five days after fearing one of the girls was in distress.
Ann said: “It wasn’t long before they pulled Olivia out who let out a loud cry. Zoe came next but was breech, so after a bit of pulling, the doctor managed to get her out.
“She didn’t cry or move which made us really concerned. Both girls were quickly taken by the midwives to the pediatric team for assessment.”
When Olivia and Zoe arrived three months early in January, the babies were instantly transferred to separate incubators in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to regulate their breathing. It was nearly a month before the girls finally met face-to-face outside of the womb.
She said: “It has been emotionally draining for my husband and I, but now that they have passed the one-month mark, their chances of survival are now greater than 95 percent.”
Before their big meet-and-greet, the twins were separated to prevent accidental suffocation of one twin to another. They were also on breathing supports.
“Life with babies in NICU is pretty damn hard. It’s exhausting, stressful, and always unpredictable,” Ann wrote on Instagram. “But when I look down and see these two, I forget about how difficult things are and realize just how lucky we are to have these two ❤”
