Nicole Ziesemer, a 31-year-old woman from Michigan, US, had quite the surprise after giving birth to her first child. Doctors were astounded when a nurse noticed a second head while stitching up the new mother. It turned out that Nicole was expecting twins! Her son, Cade, was born just 59 minutes after the discovery.
Nicole had only one scan during her pregnancy, which was on the day she gave birth. It seems that Cade had managed to hide behind his sister during the scans, avoiding detection. Nicole, who hails from Grand Haven, Michigan, is now happily welcoming the two new members of her family.
Before becoming a mother, Nicole worked in insurance. She recalls the shock and absurdity of learning she was carrying twins. “There were no indications that I was carrying more than one child,” she said. “Everyone commented on how petite I was.” The revelation of a second baby inside her was horrifying, but Nicole has embraced the idea of having two children. She loves the thought of them always being together.
Nicole had originally planned for a natural, home birth with the help of a midwife. However, her waters broke at 36 weeks, and she had to go to the nearest hospital, Gerber Memorial. Throughout her pregnancy, she experienced severe morning sickness and opted for breathing techniques, a yoga ball, and cool showers instead of painkillers. She wanted a “natural pregnancy” and didn’t have any scans aside from the one on the day her waters broke.
After being in labor for more than 45 hours, Nicole decided to have an epidural and a suction. On December 30, at 10:06 p.m., her daughter Blakeley arrived, weighing 4 pounds and 4 ounces. But the excruciating pain Nicole experienced after giving birth alarmed the doctors. They discovered that another baby was still inside her.
Emergency ultrasound revealed that Nicole had given birth to a second baby boy, Cade, weighing 5 pounds, just 59 minutes after Blakeley. Due to breathing difficulties, Cade was immediately taken to Spectrum Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Nicole stayed with her daughter while her husband, Matthew, spent most of his time with Cade.
The couple, who met online in 2012, found themselves shopping for additional baby supplies when they were finally allowed to go home. They later discovered that twins and triplets were prevalent on Nicole’s mother’s side of the family. It seems to be a family tradition.
While people often ask if they would get more scans in the future, Nicole doubts they would. The shocking surprise may have been overwhelming, but all they wished for was the well-being of their new babies.
