A twin due to be medically terminated to save his brother’s life made a surprise arrival – in the toilet bowl. Mum Corinne Rose, 30, suddenly went into labour and welcomed twin boys, Grayson and Neo Cattanach, while on the loo at 32 weeks.
Corinne was delighted to fall pregnant with the non-identical twins in July 2022 after fearing she couldn't have kids. But the amniotic sac for one of the twins, Neo, burst too soon, and doctors broke the news that he wouldn't make it.
To give his twin, Grayson, a fighting chance, Corinne made the tough decision to undergo a medical termination for one of the boys. But the day before the procedure, Corrine found herself delivering both babies alone in the bathroom on January 19, 2023 – “scooping” them out of the toilet.
The pair went to the neonatal ward and Grayson, who weighed 4lbs 6oz, was discharged after three weeks. Neo, who weighed 2lbs 14oz, has defied all the odds despite doctors fears he ''wouldn't pull through''. He has finally joined his brother at home after being discharged on May 17, 2023 - after spending nearly 13 weeks in hospital.
Corrine, a restaurant manager, from Southampton, Hampshire, said: “I still can’t believe it. It was the morning of the procedure when they both arrived.
“I think it was his big bro, Grayson, bringing him into the world. He was like, ‘not today – Neo is coming out with me’. The poor kid’s been through the wringer, but he’s such fighter.”
Corinne feared she couldn’t have children due to past health issues and "made peace" with the thought of not having kids. But, in 2022, she was delighted to discover she had naturally conceived twins with partner, Will Cattanach, 32, a music producer. As non-identical twins, both babies were growing in separate amniotic sacs in the womb.
She said: "Doctors weren't sure if I could conceive - I sort of accepted it. I wasn't planning to get pregnant, so it came as a huge surprise.
"At first I was terrified, especially when I found out it was twins. But after the initial shock I started to get really excited."
When Corinne was 14 weeks along she was forced to call her midwife after feeling as if she had ''peed'' herself while out shopping. Her worried midwife urged her to go to A&E at Princess Anne Hospital in Southampton.
A scan revealed her waters had broken - which meant one of the babies' amniotic sacs had burst too soon and was losing fluid vital for healthy foetal development. The baby - which medics identified was Neo - was also diagnosed a catalogue of other health issues include bad lung function, bent limbs and his liver growing in his chest cavity. Doctors broke the news that her baby was unlikely to survive.
Corinne said: “I had to think about what his life was going to be like. We weighed up all the options and decided a medical termination was the best course of action.
"Also, it was the best thing for his twin, Grayson, who wasn’t getting nutrients or developing as well because of him. It was a horrible decision to make, but I had made my peace with the fact I was only having one baby.”
Most terminations in England, Wales and Scotland are carried out before 24 weeks of pregnancy. However, the NHS advises that they can be carried out after 24 weeks in very limited circumstances – for example if the mother's life is at risk or the child would be born with a severe disability.
Corinne was booked in for a medical termination at 32 weeks on January 19, 2023, at 2pm. But in the early hours on the day of the procedure, she woke up at 2.30am with “terrible” stomach cramps. She dashed to the bathroom where she felt the urge to push and realised, she was in labour.
“My waters exploded, and I had a light feel down there, and I felt a head,” she said. I had been having cramps all day, but just thought it was IBS – I wasn’t due for a few weeks.
“Grayson was born first and he came head first into the toilet. I scooped him up and five minutes later his brother came flying out. It was mad – I had a baby in each hand.”
Grayson arrived at 3.45am weighing 4lbs 6oz, followed by his little brother Neo at 3.50am, who weighed 2lbs 14oz on January 19, 2023. An ambulance was called for Corrine and the two boys were rushed to Prince Anne Hospital for medical treatment.
She said: "Neo was wrapped in a blanket and placed on my chest in the ambulance, I thought he would just drift off to sleep. But he was moving and squeaking and trying to open his eyes. I was a bit out of it and still in shock – it was very emotional.”
Doctors initially didn’t think Neo was going to pull through, but Corinne said he showed “signs of fight” and was quickly whisked off to the neonatal ward with his brother. Grayson underwent a blood transfusion and spent three weeks in hospital until he was big enough to go home.
Despite the odds against him, Neo began to make ''amazing progress''. He has finally joined his brother at home after being discharged from hospital on May 17, 2023. Now Neo's back at home, his dad, Will, has left his current job and will become the baby's full-time carer.
She said: “Neo has been working hard in the lung department and needs a breathing machine and high flow oxygen. But his liver flipped back to where it’s supposed to be.
“He’ll need corrective casts on his legs when he’s older still. Apart from his lung developed, he’s a happy little boy.
“Grayson is doing well – he’s such a chunky boy. I still can’t believe they’re both here together.”
