Far North twins surprised parents by arriving 9 weeks early still thriving

Elias and Ezra, now 7 months, made a surprise early entry into the world

Twins born at 31 weeks, one weighing less than half the average weight of a newborn, surprised their parents with a very quick and early entry into the world. 

Elias and Ezra Tissingh are now 7 months old and thriving with Mum Kerryn, Dad Joel, and their four siblings from the Far North of New Zealand. 

But their premature and prompt labour in December last year resulted in a quick helicopter flight, and an even faster delivery.

“I started experiencing early signs of labour, but I was too busy to notice them,” mum and part-time nurse, Kerryn says.

“I knew that it was typical for twins to come earlier than single babies so I was anticipating the twins to come in mid January. They were due on 1 February.

“When I finally noticed that something wasn’t quite right I saw my midwife, and on 2 December I was given 30 minutes to pack and board a helicopter to Auckland.”

Kerryn still had a week left of work and was not prepared for the babies’ arrival at all; she assumed the contractions were Braxton Hicks.

With a quick handover by the midwife to the hospital staff, Kerryn assumed she would be given medication to prevent labour and be sent home. But shortly after arriving, her body went into active labour. 

Even her husband Joel struggled to comprehend the gravity of the scenario, saying he thought it was stress related and encouraged his wife to try to relax.

After Kerryn was moved from an assessment room to a room on the ward, a doctor came to check her progress.

“I was told I was 9cm dilated and needed to go to the theatre for an emergency caesarean.”

A quick call was made to husband Joel, and 44 minutes later, first born Ezra was welcomed into the world weighing 1880g, followed by Elias at 1650g. The twins were nine weeks premature.

The babies were taken straight to NICU and needed fluids, breathing support and to be in incubators. 

Apart from needing to have turns under blue lights for jaundice, there were no major complications. The boys were too young to feed naturally and required tube-feeding.

Kerryn Tissingh with sons Elias and Ezra

“It was lovely meeting the boys despite all the tubes attached to them. They were perfect, miniature, versions of their siblings. They had hardly any fat on them,” Kerryn says.

After being in Auckland City NICU for a week they were transferred to Whangarei NICU where they stayed for five more weeks.

“They needed time to gain weight and learn to breathe and feed by themselves. I had to be patient. It was hard. The nurses encouraged me not to take them out of their incubators too often as the incubators imitate being in the womb. I cherished the times I was able to get them out and hold them.”

Today the boys are seven months old, or five months corrected. They are thriving, growing, and developing as they should, already able to sit, roll, smile and laugh.

“Even though it was a tough experience, I appreciate the extra nine weeks I had with my boys. It was fascinating to see how they looked at 31 weeks. Not many mothers get to see their babies at that age. They were so precious and vulnerable, so dependent on adults to care for them.”

Kerryn says the experience demonstrated the incredible importance of protecting a baby growing in the womb.

“I believe that babies in utero have value and should have the same rights as those out of utero. Babies need love and care before and after they are born.”