I HAD TO CARRY MY DEAD BABY TO SAVE HIS BROTHER

After her baby's heart stopped beating Laura Pridding, 31, had to keep his twin alive

Wandering the aisles I picked up matching babygros, matching blankets, and finally two matching brown teddies. It was summer 2022 and after going to the hospital at six weeks pregnant with intense pains in my legs just hours earlier I’d found out I was expecting identical twins. Now I couldn’t wait to dress them in cute outfits and watch them learn to walk and talk together. I was already imagining how adorable they’d look in their matching babygros.

My partner Ali, then 33, and I had both been stunned when we’d been told - and couldn’t believe how lucky we’d got. I was already mum to Harry, five, while Ali had Isla, six, and now we’d be adding two more perfect little babies - our happy little family would be complete.

The doctors had explained the pain in my legs had been caused by the extra pregnancy hormones in my body, a result of carrying two babies. But as I shopped for double baby bits all I could think about was seeing our twins become best friends.

Nine weeks later, at 15 weeks pregnant, I had another scan to make sure the babies were growing as they should. Only, as the doctor peered closer at the screen, I could tell by the look on his face that something wasn’t right.