Viewers were left sobbing last night after watching a mother-to-be break down as doctors told her two of her triplets had died in the womb on Baby Surgeons: Delivering Miracles – before she delivered the stillborn baby.
Ann-Marie, from London, appeared on the Channel 4 documentary last night and described how she and her husband Paul had always dreamed of having children together.
She revealed she had learned one of her triplets had died at the nine week scan, but was left devastated when, at the 28 week scan, she learned a second triplet had also died.
Cameras captured the heartbreaking moment Ann-Marie went through a stillbirth, before she welcomed a healthy daughter, Poppy.
Many of those watching the programme were left in tears, with one writing: ‘Oh my heart is absolutely breaking for Ann-Marie and her husband. This is the saddest thing I’ve seen on the telly in such a long time.’
Ann-Marie, from London, broke down in tears after learning two of her triplets had died during a scan which was filmed for Channel 4’s Delivering Miracles: Baby Surgeons last night
Cameras captured the moment Ann-Marie delivered the second triplet, before she welcomed a healthy daughter, Poppy, with the couple describing the birth as ‘bittersweet’
Another wrote: ‘Ann-Marie is incredibly brave to have shared that incredibly sad, heartbreaking and personal moment.’
At the start of the programme, Ann-Marie shared a host of photographs pinned to the couple’s fridge, saying: ‘This is the 12 week scan, this is when they found out we were having triplets.
‘At this scan, we found out that one of them had passed away at week nine.’
She said she had had to grieve the loss, revealing: ‘It is emotional, definitely emotional because you’ll have to explain it to them at some point.
Many of those watching said their hearts had ‘broken’ for the couple, and admitted the programme had left them sobbing
‘Because they’re all identical, you’d have to say, “she was going to look just like you”.’
Meanwhile her husband Paul said the death of one of the triplets had ‘dampened the excitement a little bit.’
Ann-Marie said: ‘The challenge at the moment is one of the twins has selective growth restriction.
‘The last time we went, she was just under a pound and her sister was two pounds. She’s basically half her size.
‘The risk is she won’t get the nutrients that she needs.
‘If the little twin stops growing and she potentially passes away because of that then she will affect her sister.’
She added: ‘Usually when I’m sad, they actually kick. I can feel them now.’
After going to the Professor Basky Thilaganathan, Ann-Marie was amazed to learn both the babies were growing at a healthier rate.
But he explained that it didn’t mean the couple were out of the woods yet, saying: ‘As the smaller twin grows, it will demand more of the placenta.
‘If we leave it too late, and something happens to the smaller one, there will be damage to the other baby as well. It’s about getting that balance right.’
Paul said: ‘It does feel like we’re having a slow motion car crash and we’re not doing anything about it.’
Ann-Marie revealed: ‘I always wanted two children, and I think Paul is exactly the same. We dated at school together and then we broke up. Ten years later, and we’re back together.’
Paul added: ‘I always liked the idea of having girls, a daddy’s girl. Take them to dance club and stuff.’
Ann-Marie added: ‘We always thought, “Oh wouldn’t it be great if we had twins”. You don’t realise there are things you have no idea about.’
The couple, who first met when they were in school, had been together for years and had dreamed of having daughters
At 28 weeks, Ann-Marie arrived for her next scan and told the doctor that she had felt some ‘period-like cramps’.
But after finding the heartbeat for one of the babies, he was unable to find a heartbeat for the second baby.
Anne-Marie couldn’t contain her emotion, and broke down in tears as she wailed: ‘No, no no.’
After the scan, the couple sat down to speak to the doctor, with Anne-Marie asking: ‘There wasn’t anything I could of done?’
At her 28 week scan, Ann-Marie was devastated when she was told by the doctor he was unable to find a heartbeat for the second baby
Professor Basky explained: ‘ There is nothing you could have done. By the time you had symptoms, it’s already too late.’
He continued: ‘One third of the time, when a co-twin dies, the other twin doesn’t survive. So I don’t wish to be harsh, but I have to focus my concerns on her sister.
Professor Basky gave the baby a blood transfusion, before telling the camera: ‘I ask myself, “did I do anything wrong? And what will I do better next time every time?” Every time.’
With Anne-Marie approaching her due-date, she revealed she had named the babies Emily-Marie and Poppy Emily-Marie so that she ‘could always have her sister with her.’
Professor Basky Thilaganathan had tears in his eyes as he told the couple the news that one of the triplets had died
Professor Basky told her: ‘Emily the first twin has passed away but Poppy the second twin is still alive and that’s a difficult situation to be in. Emily will be pushed out first.’
Paul said: ‘They’ve already said to us that she might come out not looking that normal.’
Anne-Marie delivered the baby with a single push, with doctors telling her: ‘We’re going to wrap her in a towel and then I’m going to pass her to you.’
The couple wept as they held the baby, with the doctors leaving the room to give the three of them some time before delivering the final baby.
Ann-Marie and Paul were in tears as Professor Basky warned her the third baby’s life was also at risk
Cradling his wife, Paul said: ‘You kind of just hope the science was wrong don’t you.
‘That she would just come out and “oh look, they got it wrong.” It wasn’t wrong.’
After Ann-Marie gave birth to Poppy, the couple wept with emotion as they heard the baby crying.
Paul said he had dreamed the doctors had ‘got it wrong’ and cried as his wife delivered their still-born daughter, who they named Emily-Marie
Paul said: ‘We were saying it was such a shame. If she had made it 9 more days, we’d have two babies right now. Life can be cruel.’
Three months later, the couple were joined by the cameras with their daughter, saying: ‘The last time I was here, they were both alive. It’s quite hard actually.’
Paul revealed: ‘Bittersweet is too simple of a term.’
After Ann-Marie delivered the still-born baby, the couple were given time with their daughter by the doctors
Viewers were left sobbing over the emotional programme, with one writing: ‘I don’t know how Ann-Marie did it. She’s gone from the most awful, horrendous time to the happiest time within minutes. She’s such a warrior.’
Another wrote: ‘My heart breaks. Ann-Marie and Paul are so strong.’
One added: ‘There is nothing more haunting than the cries of an expectant mother being told she’s lost 2 triplets in the womb.’
She later gave birth to the third baby, whom the couple named Poppy Emily-Marie, after their still-born daughter