- Amy Elliott was born four months early on June 1, 2012 weighing just 1lb 3oz
- But after she was born, her mother Maria's contractions suddenly stopped and doctors decided it was safer for her sister Katie to stay in the womb
- Katie was born on August 27 weighing 5lb 10oz after Maria was induced
- The Irish twins are now set to become a Guiness World Record
- Doctors described their survival as 'medical equivalent of a lottery win' and said they 'had never seen anything like it in their careers'
Defying the odds: Twins Katie (left) and Amy (right) arrived a staggering 87 days apart after their mother's contractions stopped after Amy was born
As Maria Jones–Elliott hugs her beautiful baby twin daughters, she hails them her 'little miracles'.
Incredibly, despite Amy and Katie being twins, they were born a staggering 87 days apart.
Maria went into labour four months early, giving birth to Amy and amazingly Katie arrived nearly three months later.
Their incredible birth is now set to become a Guinness World Record as the 'longest interval between the birth of twins'.
Maria, 34, of Glenmore, Co Kilkenny, said: 'I call the girls our little miracles because they are.
'As I held Amy for the first time I stroked my bump and prayed to God for a miracle.
'I just wanted my girls to be together and safe and well.
'Usually you experience nothing but joy at the birth of a new baby, but it was so achingly bittersweet as both of their lives hung in the balance.
'Amy was fighting for life in an incubator and Katie was struggling to survive in my womb.
'It was the hardest three months of our lives. But my husband Chris kept saying: "Where there's life there's hope".'
Maria, 34, and husband Chris, a psychiatric nurse at Waterford Regional Hospital where the babies were born, had been thrilled to discover they were expecting twin girls.
'We were so excited when doctors told me at my first scan at seven weeks,' said Maria, who has two other children Olivia, 13 and Jack, 11.
'I always felt I was going to have twins and even as soon as I found out I was pregnant Chris said: "Oh that'll be twins then" as they run in the family.
'During the scan I was looking at the screen and because I'd had to other pregnancies, I expected to see a round circle with a tiny blob – but this time there was a line going through it.
'I said: “What's the line?” and the nurse said: “Congratulations, it looks like twins.”
The pregnancy went smoothly until at 23 weeks and five days in May last year, Maria went into labour.
She says: 'I started feeling unwell at work and I felt extreme pressure on my abdomen but I thought that must be normal as I was having twins.
'But I was worried enough to get an appointment at my GP who told me to go straight to hospital and get it checked out.
'To my horror when I got there just hours later, my waters broke. I was immediately admitted.'
Maria was then dealt the devastating blow she was going into labour and there was real chance both her unborn babies could die.
She says: 'I just went numb. I was so shocked I burst into tears. The doctors told me there was very little hope of them surviving as they’re so premature.
'Thank god Chris was by my side. I was sobbing and in shock but I refused to give up. I kept saying: “This is not going to happen, this is not going to happen...I'm not going to lose them. No way. I willed my babies to fight for life.
'I remember praying to God, day and night, asking him for a miracle.'
Maria then faced a grueling two-day labour before given birth to her first baby Amy at exactly 24 weeks – almost four months before her due date of September 21.
Born at just 1lb 3oz she was dangerously small.
She says: 'Once I’d given birth to Amy she was rushed off to intensive care as she was so premature.
'I was exhausted but I thought it’s no over yet there’s another child to come so I had to focus.'
But then incredibly instead of twin Katie being born straight afterwards Maria’s contractions stopped.
Maria said; 'My contractions just stopped dead – it was like I’d never even given birth.
'Doctors were stunned they’d never seen anything like this before.
'It should have been a joyful time but it was horrific. I had one baby in intensive care and one baby still inside me clinging to life.
'It was like being hit by a bus – I felt what the hell is happening. I remember shouting to nurses: “It's not supposed to be like this”.
Doctors made the decision to try to induce Maria the following day.
Maria explained: 'They tried to induce me the next day but nothing happened. After hours, Chris and I said: “Enough is enough. Let nature take it’s course".'
There on, there was nothing she could do but wait.
Maria said: 'I made up my mind I would not be leaving the hospital unless it was with both my girls.
'Even if it meant I had to lie in bed for the full three months I had left of my pregnancy – I would do what ever it took to.'
It was four days before a still pregnant Maria could see her first-born twin Amy as she was in intensive care.
She says: 'I burst into tears when I saw her in the incubator - she was just so, so tiny and vulnerable.
'She was covered in tubes but all I could see was her mass of black hair.
'I just touched my bump and made the vow I would get Katie out safe and well and the girls would be together.'
Maria then spent every day visiting Amy in intensive care while praying Katie would survive in her womb.
She says: 'I couldn't enjoy being a new mother at all and continuing on with a pregnancy not knowing which way it was going to go was so, so hard.
'But I steeled myself. I was given a task to do and I was going to do it.
'I told myself my womb wasn't big enough for the two of them. The intensive care incubator became Amy's womb and I fed Katie in my own womb.'
It was five weeks before Maria held Amy for the first time in her arms.
Maria says: 'She was still so tiny I could barely feel her lying on my chest. She loved it.
Her heartbeat stabilised as I held her. I was so emotional I couldn't even speak. I kissed her head and held her.
'Her little feet rested on the top of my bump. I remember stroking my bump at the same time, hoping for a miracle.
'Katie immediately reacted. She kicked and started moving, as if she knew. The second time I held Amy the following day she turned and put her head towards her sister inside the womb.'
Every day Maria was on a knife's edge: 'I knew I could go into labour at any moment.'
'Doctors explained: “We just have to wait but every day is a bonus”.
'I viewed it as a mission to take the pregnancy on as far as I possibly could. There was no room for negative thoughts or fears.
'I looked at me and the staff as a team. All I wanted was for them to grow and be safe, wherever they had to do it. And as the days and weeks passed the tiny life growing inside me got stronger.'
Maria was induced finally on 27th August at 36 weeks and three days after doctors decided it was safe.
She gave birth to Katie, who weighed 5lb 10oz after just over an hour.
She says: 'When they put Katie in my arms and she smiled at me then the nurse said: “She's fine”. And she was absolutely perfect. We both cried with relief.
'Incredibly there was just a 1lb 10oz between them...but what immediately struck us was that Amy takes after my side of the family and Katie takes after Chris’s.
'Two hours later we reunited the twins. Amy was still in her incubator and we put Katie's cot beside it.
'The nurse took Katie and put her in the incubator, facing her sister as they slept and Amy immediately smiled.
It was an incredible moment, there was no doubt they recognised each other. But it was also surreal as I'd gone round for three months with a baby and a bump.
And finally there was two babies...and they were mine. But Amy wasn't out of the woods, I'd go in and sing to her.'
Straight after the birth Chris went out to register the world’s most unusual birth.
Maria said: 'I refused to register Amy until Katie arrived as they were twins. I wanted to do them together.
'But as you can imagine, registering them cause quite a stir. Their certificates say: Amy Elliott, Twin one, date of birth 1 June and Katie Elliott, Twin Two, date of birth 27 August.
'Luckily the lady who works there was a neighbour so she knew their amazing story. Her colleague said: “I've worked here for 25 years and I've never seen anything like this before” and she sat there with her mouth open.'
Katie went home at five days old and Amy joined her seven weeks later on 16th October.
'You can't ever say everything is OK until you are going out of the door,' Maria said.
'Our friends and family helped us – Chris's colleagues even worked hours for him. I don't know how we'd have got through it without them. We also received tremendous support from the charities Bliss and Irish Premature Babies.
'Nan had decorated the house with balloons and “congratulations” banners decorated the house.
'That night I said to Chris: “We have four beautiful children with us under one roof”.'
As for birthdays this year is cause for a double celebration, she revealed.
'For now they deserve their own first birthday – with one in June and one in August with cake and all the trimmings,' she said.
'But there will be a special visit on that day – going back to the hospital to thank them.
'By the time we go to school we might do something in the middle...but we'll take that as it comes.'
And dad Chris says he is still 'pinching himself': 'I kept saying to Maria "where there's life there's hope". And I never lost hope even in the darkest moments.'
'When I finally held my two girls for the first time I had to pinch myself. When Amy was born I was almost frightened to hold her as she was so tiny and frail and Katie was still a bump in her mother's tummy. It was surreal. That may sound like a cliche, but it really was.'
'But look at them both now. The medical team did such an incredible job we will be forever in their debt.'
Maria adds:'I'm so thankful and grateful. It was meant to be...for whatever reason. I'm so honoured to have had these two girls that are so special. For all of us to be here, could I be any luckier?'
By SARAH ARNOLD
More photos click here - miracle-twins
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