Jess’s boys are identical twins. This is because they share the same genetics, coming from one egg and one sperm. It also means they shared a placenta during pregnancy, known as an MCDA (monochorionic diamniotic) twin pregnancy. Because they shared a placenta, Jess was told by her midwife early on that there could be extra complications and she would need additional monitoring. This included fortnightly scans from 20 weeks to check for a condition called twin to twin transfusion syndrome, which could have been dangerous for her babies (but thankfully didn’t happen). Jess was also seen by the obstetric doctors, who explained other reasons why twins may come early, as well as that her birth would be planned at 36 weeks even if none of these things had happened. So Jess already knew she would have a preterm birth and may need to spend time the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) but had no concept of what that entailed, especially when things started to happen on their own much earlier! On the 23rd January 2022, Archie and Luca arrived via emergency caesarean section 10 weeks before their ‘due date’.

Archie was very keen to make his entrance into the world and decided that 4 am on a Saturday morning, at 29 weeks and 6 days was a great time to surprise his parents and break his ‘waters’. Once Jess arrived at the hospital, she was given some medicine that helped to settle contractions and there was time for two shots of corticosteroid injections, given 24 hours apart (these help to mature baby’s lungs before birth and so make breathing more easy afterwards). After an uneventful day on the ward the following day (now 30 weeks exactly), Jess started to experience some pain and Archie became ‘tachycardic’ on the monitor (his heart was beating fast). The doctors suspected Jess had developed an infection in her womb (called chorioamnionitis, common after the ‘waters’ have broken). They suggested it was time for the boys to be born and the decision was made for a caesarean section.

Jess’s husband, Kieran, made it to the hospital just as she was being wheeled off to the operating theatre. Both Jess and Kieran were very nervous and frankly terrified at the prospect of surgery and meeting their boys who would be so small. With reassurance and comfort from the staff around them, Archie arrived at 7:01pm weighing 1580g and Luca at 7:04pm weighing 1350g. Archie and Luca were immediately whisked off to the NICU with Kieran in tow.

Archie and Luca at 6 days old

Once Jess’s surgery was over, she met her beautiful boys for the first time. She describes it as an extremely overwhelming experience being wheeled into the NICU and seeing all the wires and machines Archie and Luca were hooked up to, especially the breathing support (called CPAP, you can see it in these pictures with tubes into their noses and a strap around their chins to hold it in place). However, Jess and Kieran knew their boys were being well looked after.

Archie and Luca spent two weeks at Auckland NICU before being transferred to Waitakere SCBU (Special Care Baby Unit) for a further eight weeks. Archie spent five weeks on breathing support and Luca spent seven weeks. Jess says the 10 weeks in hospital was an emotional rollercoaster with lots of unexpected twists and turns. Jess and Kieran say that no words can express how thankful and grateful they are to the NICU and SCBU nurses who were so amazing and supportive throughout all the tough moments and the exciting ones too!

Archie and Luca are now nearly 3-year-old toddlers who are thriving and loving life with what seems like endless bundles of energy. Looking at them now, you would never know they had such an eventful start to life!