Giving birth is one of life’s great joys but things don’t always go to according to plan.
For Debbie Devane, from Co Laois, her pregnancy was quite the journey and she ended up welcoming her twins at 24 weeks.
Weeks earlier, doctors told her that she would have to have surgery for Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome, which occurs when identical twins share a placenta and one receives more blood supply than the other.
We spoke to her about her experience of having premature twins and found out how Sophia and Pippa, now three and a half years old, are getting along…
My first three pregnancies (all boys) were normal. When I got pregnant this time, I thought it might be a girl. When I went for my 12-week scan, they told me there were two babies. I was shocked. I was told that I would have to go to Dublin to have them. I thought it was a bit strange as I knew loads of people who’ve had twins in Portlaoise. However, because they were identical, there was a higher risk. But I wasn’t worried as everything looked great at the first appointment at 16 weeks.
Then I had another appointment a week later and another one the following week, at 18 weeks. Everything was fine at this point. At 21 weeks I went for another scan. This time the midwife was scanning for ages. I started to get worried. She said she’d have to call the doctor to have a look. Straight away I knew it was bad news. The doctor scanned for two hours. He told me it was Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. This was on Monday. I had to go back in on Wednesday and it had progressed. Professor Fergal Malone from the Rotunda came in and I saw him on Friday. When I went in on Friday, they asked me if I had had breakfast. I said no. They said they’d be taking me in for surgery that day. It was nerve-wracking going back in for surgery. Actually it was terrifying as I had to stay awake for it. The surgery took an hour and then I was in recovery and back in the ward. Then I was scanned and the doctor said everything looked good. There were two heartbeats and the fluid level was good. They drained three litres of fluid altogether. I was discharged but they said they’d be keeping an eye on how things were going.
During this time, I noticed a pain that I’d had in the early days of my pregnancy had gone away. But one day when I was getting out of the car, it came back and I said that to Gary, my partner. We went back in and they scanned me. The doctor said the fluid was back and worse than ever. I said you’re joking but they said no. They rang the consultant. I went back in a few days later at which point they told me they could take me in for surgery but that it would be very complicated. To go back in would be too risky because of the chance of premature labour. This would mean that the babies would arrive at 22 weeks and they wouldn’t try to save them as they would be too small. They said they would wait and watch and see how we go. They said they might admit me at 26 weeks.
I was back in then a few days later and everything looked okay. Blood flow was going to the babies. I was then told to come in on Friday and bring a bag just in case. I went in and there was more fluid. We found out that there was a strain on Sophia and Pippa was anaemic. They did another test. They said they would drain the fluid and keep me in. With three kids at home, that wasn’t exactly ideal. The fluid was drained and I was scanned for two hours on Saturday. The consultant asked me if I had had breakfast and said that I needed to get Gary there as they would have to deliver the babies as things had become critical. So I rang Gary and told him I needed him there. What I do remember telling him is to bring the pink blankets from the press because I just thought, if my girls are coming, I want them to be wrapped in pink blankets. Of course, he brought the wrong ones!
Sophia was born first, followed by Pippa. Pippa was born in the sac and the consultant said that she was the tinniest baby. She fitted into the palm of your hand and was only 500g when delivered. They wrapped up Pippa so I didn’t see her at all. Sophia was placed in an incubator so couldn’t see her either. I did go to see them that night or the next day, I can’t remember. Gary took me in a wheelchair. I wasn’t completely shocked because I was expecting worse. Pippa was extremely sick when she was inside me but when they came out, it was Sophia that became very ill and went into heart failure. At this point the doctors said they couldn’t have done any more. They said she was on 100% of everything and wasn’t in any pain. That got to me. I got upset when they said that. But then the paediatrician came in and said ‘I have faith, don’t mind what they say.’ I clung onto that. As the days went past, things got better.
Pippa was fine. She had a few infections and had five or six blood transfusions. They feared that she would have cerebral palsy because of the lack of blood she had in the womb. Sophia overtook her as they got older. She came off everything first and came home first. The first year was horrendous. They were in and out of hospital seven times. On one occasion Pippa was seriously ill with the flu and was transferred by police to Temple Street but she battled through and came out the other side.
They’re good now. They’re walking, talking and climbing – doing everything a normal child would, but a bit later. Sophia is missing four fingers and Pippa is deaf but she’s fantastic and has a cochlear implant. She’s the boss of the house. When she sat up for the first time, we were overjoyed, because we were looking for signs of cerebral palsy. But when she started to do more things, it was another thing ticked off the list. Every little thing matters. Every photograph. They’re extra special and they’ve fought so hard.
The most stressful time was before they were born, that three weeks when I was in and out of hospital. When they’re inside you, there’s only so much you can do. You don’t know what’s going on with them, from one minute to the next. I used to wake up wondering if I could feel them moving. I never knew when I woke up every morning if they were gone. And there’s nothing you can do. Once they’re born, they have the medical machinery and intervention. Once they’re born, you just have to get on with it as best as you can.
If I was giving other parents with premature babies some advice, I’d say put your trust in the doctors and don’t be afraid to ask questions. If you feel something is not right, speak up. I’d also say, if you have other children at home, try and get back to them every day. I would have gone to the hospital and then come home in the evenings to see the boys, as if I was going to work. It was the least disruptive way to do things.
The twins are three and a half years old now and they’ve battled through so much. They can go through anything I think. They’ve been through so much already and are relatively unharmed. There’s been no major issues. Yes, Pippa is deaf but she’s no different to the other kids. From day one I said I want them to live but not at all costs. Thank God we never had to have that conversation. If it did come to it, I’d like to think I’d be kind enough to say enough is enough. The one thing I held onto was that their brains were okay. There are so many complications that can happen. We were actually really lucky.
Pippa and Sophia.
