Sextuplets mother 'ignored abortion advice'
THE mother of Ireland's first sextuplets has revealed how she ignored medical advice to abort several of the foetuses.
In her first interview since the birth of the six babies, Nuala Conway from Dunamore in Co Tyrone, revealed that she had been warned about the high risks of carrying on with the multiple pregnancy, and how she could feel 24 limbs kicking in her womb.
At 14 weeks, she said she was given the option of terminating some of the unborn babies. "They more or less advised us to," she told the Sunday Express. "They told us about the risks we faced if we went ahead with the pregnancy."
But the former fashion store sales supervisor insisted on putting her faith in God and pressing ahead despite the risks. "Whatever God laid out for our lives we were taking it," said 26-year-old Nuala.
The proud parent says she wants 'time to go faster' so that the children can come home: "I'm in love with every single one of them. I fell in love when they were in the womb. When one moved they would all move and I could definitely feel 24 limbs kicking.
"Every day seems like a year. Every minute seems like an hour. I just want time to go faster so they can get home. I just want to have a cuddle with them. I prayed as much as I could for a child. I would have been happy with one, but God blessed us with six, which is amazing.
"I can't wait to have them home. I just feel lost without them. We have a house here but it feels so empty. It's not a home until all our babies are here safe and well."
She added: "I can start to organise the house now I'm home. I don't know where to start but there are plenty of people who have offered advice."
The six babies, Ursula, Austin, Shannon, Karla, Eoghan and Kerrie, were born in a successful Caesarean section birth involving 30 medical staff at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital. The sextuplets who were born within just five minutes of each other last month, weighed between 1lb 7oz and 2lb 2oz. All six remain stable in intensive care.
Nuala and husband Austin, who were married in 2006, did not conceive the babies through IVF. The births are the first sextuplets in the UK since the Waltons, all girls, who were born in Liverpool in 1983.
The couple say they are not concerned about the impact of six children on their marital relationship.
"Having one child makes a relationship strong so having six will bring us even closer. If we don't find time to go on a night out or away with each other we won't mind," she added.
The newspaper also reported that the couple who 'grew up within 15 miles of each other and met when they were 18 in a local nightclub' are determined to cope with their new family members. "We will manage somehow", said Austin and Nuala.
The birth of sextuplets is rare, occurring in about one out of 4.5 million pregnancies.
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Monday 28 May 2012
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