A first time mum was amazed to giver birth to her twins two days apart. Dylan and Oscar are twins, but unlike most twins, they don’t share the same birthday, as they were born two days apart.
Their mother, Joanne Reilly, from Swinton, Manchester, was sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ when her water ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇʟʏ at 24 weeks. She gave birth to a baby boy weighing just 1 lb 10oz on January 10, 2019, which she named Dylan.
She said: “I had a lovely ᴘʀᴇɢɴᴀɴᴄʏ and I was enjoying every second as everything was running smoothly with no cravings and barely any sɪᴄᴋɴᴇss. I had a scan a week before my waters ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ and everything was fine so I was very ᴄᴏɴғᴜsᴇᴅ and ᴘᴀɴɪᴄᴋᴇᴅ when my waters had ʙʀᴏᴋᴇ at 24 weeks and five days. I went straight to St. Mary’s Hᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ with my partner Anthony, 44, and a few hours later – I was in ʟᴀʙᴏᴜʀ. Dylan was born at 4.43am but he was in a ᴘᴏᴏʀ sᴛᴀᴛᴇ and needed ʀᴇsᴜsᴄɪᴛᴀᴛɪɴɢ for 30 minutes. We almost ʟᴏsᴛ him which was very ᴛʀᴀᴜᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ. It was so strange as I was focusing on him but also bracing myself to push again but hours passed and nothing happened. Time passed but nothing happened and the ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀ said I have to stay on strict bed rest to try and keep the other baby in for as long as possible. I was sʜᴏᴄᴋᴇᴅ as I didn’t know know that was possible. In a way, I just wanted Oscar to come too as it felt weird having one but not the other.”
Joanne was unable to visit Dylan in ⓃⒾⒸⓊ but was given an iPad to watch him in the ɪɴᴄᴜʙᴀᴛᴏʀ. Oscar was born at 10:39am at 25 weeks. She said: “I really wanted to see Dylan but I knew I had to follow the doctors orders to do what is best for Oscar. Every hour counted towards his development so it was vital for me to stay on bed rest to ensure he was given the best chance. Fortunately, he was born without any ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs. We always say the extra two days did Oscar the world of good as he had ᴢᴇʀᴏ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs and was taken off the ᴠᴇɴᴛɪʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴ first.”
Joanne described her sons as ‘ᴅᴇʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇ and ᴘᴏᴏʀʟʏ’ when she first held them after two weeks. The twins were put into a cot with one another for the first time after three months in ⓃⒾⒸⓊ. Joanne worried they may not form a special bond having spent so much time apart. But now, 19 months on, they are thriving and have an unbreakable brotherly bond. She said: “We are very fortunate to have had ᴘʀᴇᴍᴀᴛᴜʀᴇ babies who had no ʜᴇᴀʟᴛʜ ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs. But in ⓃⒾⒸⓊ you can’t help but feel lonely, like you are the only one going through the worry and stress. It is ʜᴏʀʀɪʙʟᴇ seeing your tiny baby in an ɪɴᴄᴜʙᴀᴛᴏʀ and there is nothing you can do. I had nothing to worry about in terms of their bond as they are very much aware that they are twins, they can’t settle without one another. If one leaves the room, then the other will cry. They also love to annoy one another.”
