'I lost more blood than I had in my body during my twins' birth'

For Laura, a routine test at hospital turned into a terrifying ordeal that ended up with her losing more blood than she had in her body during the emergency delivery of her twins.

The 37-year-old attended Doncaster Royal Infirmary when she was 32 weeks pregnant, after noticing reduced movement from her babies.

She was in the bathroom to prepare a urine sample when she suddenly felt unwell, and was rushed straight for surgery after doctors realised her placenta had ruptured.

After her daughters were born by Caesarean section, it took seven hours to stabilise Laura, who had lost 10 pints of blood.

"I was told that if I hadn't already been in hospital next to the emergency alarm when my placenta ruptured, we probably wouldn't have made it."

The twins, Sophia and Rosalia, were treated in a special care baby unit but are now nine months old and thriving back home in Doncaster with Laura and her husband Reece.

Their mother also spent seven weeks recovering in hospital, and after being discharged had to return again when she fell ill with an infection.

Laura said she was taken for the emergency surgery just six minutes after arriving on the triage ward.

"As soon as I got into the bathroom, I looked down and there was a lot of blood. So I panicked, hit the emergency alarm on the wall and opened the door so people could get in.

"Dr Islam Wafa came to see me. He said, 'you've got placenta previa, you're losing a lot of blood, we need to get the babies out now'."

Laura's husband, Reece, said: "That's the most hopelessness that I've ever felt in my life. Those seven hours felt like forever.

"When Mr Wafa was able to come out and speak to me he said she'd lost six litres of blood, that's 10 pints, and women normally have five litres of blood in their whole body.

"I just found myself staring out the hospital window with no thoughts in my mind."

Meanwhile, Laura said she wanted to urge other pregnant women to seek help immediately if they had any concerns over their baby's movement.

"I'd been asleep a lot during the day, so I was thinking it's probably nothing, but it's good that I acted on that and I hope other people who have any doubts about the movements of their babies get it checked out.

"Whether it is nothing or it's something it will matter, just go to the hospital anyway because it did save their lives."

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