Mum left shocked when she gives birth to surprise twins

A first-time mum and her husband were left completely shocked when, during the birth of their first child, they found out they were actually welcoming two babies into the world.

Nicole, 31, and Matthew Ziesemer, 34, had only just been introduced to daughter Blakeley when doctors realised she was still in labour.

They spotted “another head” as they went to stitch her up post-birth, and baby Cade was born 59 minutes later.

“There were really no signs that I was carrying more than one baby, in fact people said how small I was,” Natalie, Michigan, US, said.

“We thought the biggest surprise was going to be the sex of the baby, little did we know!”

Nicole planned a natural home birth with just a midwife present, but had to go to the nearest hospital – Gerber Memorial, Michigan – when her waters broke at just 36 weeks.

Nicole – who had severe morning sickness throughout the pregnancy – decided to forgo painkillers in favour of breathing exercises, a yoga ball and cool showers.

She didn’t have any scans throughout her pregnancy, apart from one on the day we went into labour.

“It was really scary when they said that something else was inside me,” she recalled.

“And when they told us that it was another baby I literally asked her if she was lying!

“I just couldn’t take it all in and was still in so much pain that it was almost impossible to process.”

Medics were trying to retrieve her placenta when it became clear something wasn’t quite right, and decided to do an emergency ultrasound.

“The craziest thing is that on the day I went into labour I did have a scan but it only picked up the one baby,” Nicole said.

“They think that Cade must have been hiding right behind his sister.”

Baby Cade, who was having difficulty breathing on his own, was rushed straight off to nearby Spectrum Hospital, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA, while Nicole and Blakeley remained for observations.

When allowed home, the couple, who met online in 2012, went shopping for duplicates of all the baby equipment that they’d previously purchased for just one.

“I really can’t imagine having just one baby now. It’s like they were meant to be,” the mum said.

“I love the thought that they’ll always have each other.”

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