Jesy Nelson has confirmed the birth of her twins with partner Zion Foster in an emotional Instagram post after undergoing emergency surgery to ensure their safety.
The former Little Mix star had been in hospital since late March after being diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) – a rare condition that can put one or both babies at risk.
But she confirmed both were safe and well after taking to social media on Sunday – three days after giving birth prematurely.
She wrote: ‘So… Our beautiful baby girls decided to come at 31 weeks plus 5 days. It all happened so quickly, but we are so blessed that they are here with us, healthy and fighting strong! We’ve never felt more in love.
‘Everybody meet Ocean Jade Nelson-Foster and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster.’
Nelson, 34, accompanied the post with her first photos of the twins being cradled by herself and partner Zion.
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Jesy Nelson has confirmed the birth of her twins with partner Zion Foster in an emotional Instagram post, shared on Sunday – three days after their birth
In March, she had to undergo an emergency procedure after suffering complications and was advised to remain in hospital until she was at least 32 weeks into her pregnancy.
Throughout the ordeal, Zion admitted he and Jesy, who was seven months pregnant at the time of her procedure, had ‘grown to understand each other on a deeper level’.
He told OK!: ‘I think it’s at these times when you really, really know what love you have and what your relationship means.
‘And I think for me and Jess, this has just taken it to a whole other level of us knowing we are literally made for each other.’
He said the couple had also tried to make the hospital as much of a home as possible.
‘There’s a couch that turns into a bed that we pushed next to the hospital bed, so we’ve made our own double bed.
‘And it’s like we’ve moved in. The nurses just said, “Oh, my God. It looks so nice in here. It looks so homely”.’
The couple revealed Nelson’s TTTS diagnosis in March.
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The Little Mix star has been in hospital since late March after being diagnosed with twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) – a rare condition that can put one or both babies at risk
WHAT IS TWIN-TWIN TRANSFUSION SYNDROME?
Twin-twin transfusion syndrome is a rare but serious condition that can occur in identical pregnancies when twins share a placenta.
Abnormal blood vessel connections form in the placenta and prevent blood from flowing evenly between the babies.
One twin then becomes dehydrated, which affects its growth.
The other develops high blood pressure and produces too much urine.
This leads to an enlarged bladder and excessive amounts of amniotic fluid, which can put a strain on the twin’s heart, leading to heart failure.
Without treatment, TTTS can be fatal for both twins.
The condition occurs in about around 15 per cent of identical twins who share a placenta, according to the charity Twins Trust.
Around 300 twins die from the condition every year in the UK, while 6,000 babies are affected annually in the US.
Draining excess amniotic fluid can help to improve blood flow.
If this is not enough, laser surgery is used to seal shut abnormal blood vessels and permanently disconnect them.
The surgeon then drains excess fluid.
Even when treated successfully, most TTTS babies are born premature.
However, the majority go on to have long, healthy lives.
Source: Cincinnati Children’s hospital
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Throughout the worrying ordeal, Zion admitted he and Jesy had ‘grown to understand each other on a deeper level’
Nelson later broke down in tears while revealing she needed surgery because her symptoms had worsened.
She explained: ‘Unfortunately, the symptoms have got worse so they now have to perform the procedure, which is obviously not what we wanted to happen but it’s necessary because it’s going to give our babies the best chance of surviving.
‘So we’re just waiting to go in and we’re just hoping and praying for the best really.
‘I feel absolutely gutted because I was really hoping we wouldn’t be in this position.
‘It’s obviously really scary because there’s so many things that can happen. Pray for us, please.’
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In March, she had to undergo an emergency procedure after suffering complications and was advised to remain in hospital until she’d reached a certain number of weeks in her pregnancy
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Nelson confirmed both babies were safe and well after taking to social media on Sunday to announce their arrival – three days after giving birth
Asma Khalil, Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at St George’s Hospital, University of London, recommends that families facing a similar situation to Nelson and her partner contact the charity, Twins Trust, for resources and support.
She said: ‘TTTS is a rare but life-threatening condition that affects 10 to 15% of identical twins that share a placenta (monochorionic twins).
‘If left untreated, you can lose one or both babies in up to 80% of the cases. Laser surgery is the recommended treatment. In 85% of these pregnancies, at least one baby survives and in up to 70% of cases both babies survive.
‘The laser surgery is usually performed under local anaesthesia and it usually lasts for less than 30 minutes. A fetoscope (thin camera) is inserted into the womb via a small incision. Abnormal vascular connections in the placenta are sealed using the laser.
‘The laser surgery is not a risk-free procedure. It can trigger early birth or a miscarriage. The pregnancy still needs close monitoring.
‘Parents could lose one or both babies. As this is a very stressful time for the family, the parents often need emotional support.’
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In March, the singer broke down in tears while revealing she needed surgery because her symptoms had worsened
Nelson previously explained how she’s suffering ongoing ‘complications’ during her pregnancy with identical twins.
Sharing a video alongside her boyfriend, she told her followers that she’s currently having twice-weekly scans to monitor her babies.
The singer said: ‘We wanted to let you in on our journey of what we’ve been going through.
‘So we are having identical twins which is so exciting – we cannot believe it. But, unfortunately, there are complications that come with having identical twins.
‘The type of twins we are having are called mono/di twins and so normally most twins will have two placentas that they feed off of.
‘But when you have mono/di twins, that means your twins live off one placenta which can lead to lots of complications – one of them being one baby might take all the nutrients which, and it’s really awful to say, but could lead to both babies dying.’
She added: ‘I am currently pre-stage TTTS which is twin-to-twin transfusion and I am being monitored very closely and I have to go and be scanned twice a week.
‘The current situation is that every time I’ve gone it has got a little bit worse but we are just hoping and praying for the best.
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TTTS is a rare but life-threatening condition that affects 10 to 15% of identical twins that share a placenta (monochorionic twins)
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Asma Khalil, Professor of Obstetrics and Maternal Fetal Medicine at St George’s said: ‘The laser surgery is not a risk-free procedure. It can trigger early birth or a miscarriage’
‘It’s just really sad that it does come with these complications. We had no clue that this kind of thing happens when you have twins. We just really wanna raise awareness about this.’
TTTS is a potentially fatal condition that can occur in identical pregnancies when twins share a placenta.
Abnormal blood vessel connections form in the placenta and prevent blood from flowing evenly between the babies.
One twin then becomes dehydrated, which affects its growth. The other develops high blood pressure and produces too much urine.
This leads to an enlarged bladder and excessive amounts of amniotic fluid, which can put a strain on the twin’s heart, leading to heart failure. Without treatment, TTTS can be fatal for both twins.
There’s just a 50/50 chance of both twins surviving.
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Nelson recently shared an Instagram tribute from her hospital bed after Zion completed the London Marathon
