Multiple Births

Tennessee Mom Welcomes Twins 5 Weeks Apart

High school sweethearts Kristen and Ian Miller found out they were expecting twins just a few months after getting married.

Everything was going well when just 22 weeks into her pregnancy Kristen started feeling contractions during a church service. By the time she got home, her water had broken.

By using treatments and a variety of drugs, doctors were able to hold off labor for two more weeks to give the babies more of a fighting chance.

“Our goal, before he was born, was, ‘we’ve got make it to 24 [weeks]!’ Sure enough, he made it to 24 and one day,” Ian told WBIR.

On Valentine’s Day baby Micah was born nearly four months before his June due date.

Kristen and Ian Miller with their twin Micah

“Just because we’re having one [baby] doesn’t mean we have to have the second or the third. But it’s hard to find the person who’s a really good candidate,” said Dr. Kristina Shumard, a Maternal Fetal Medicine obstetrician at UT Medical Center.

Because her babies had separate sacs and placentas, Kristen’s twins turned out to the perfect candidates for delayed interval delivery and Dr. Shumard was able to stop her baby girl from coming.

The hope was to give the second a chance to grow and get stronger.

“We said, ‘Yes, if there’s anything you can do to keep one of them in longer, we want to do that.’ They all said, ‘Yes it’s possible,’ and hinted that it was unlikely.

Kristen was put on bedrest to improve her baby’s chances of survival.

“I think all of us had counseled her so cautiously. And tried to frame their expectations, but instead she kept doing better each day. And we just kind of all looked at each other and said, ‘Ok, another day it is,” said UT Medical Center’s Director of Obstetrics, Dr. Kimberly Fortner.

“We made it five and half weeks before Madelyn decided she wanted to come into the world. Thirty-eight days,” said Kristen.

Kristen and Ian Miller's twin Madelyn

Micah and Madelyn are expected to stay in the NICU for the next 2 months.

“We feel so blessed to be here,” said Kristen.

Kristen and Ian Miller's twins

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen a mom-to-be continue on with her pregnancy after one of her twins were born, in 2013 a UK mom made history by delivering her twins 87 days apart.


About the author

Lisa Arneill

Founder of Growing Your Baby and World Traveled Family. Canadian mom of 2 boys, photo addict, lover of bulldogs, and museumgoer. Always looking for our next vacation spot!

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