We both have twins in the family so it was no surprise to learn that our first baby was babies! My pregnancy was fairly normal, and the boys were due on 11th June. It had already been planned that I would go in to St .Michael's in Bristol on 29th May for a Caesarean section, but we got overtaken by events.

Toby's membrane ruptured so my waters broke on 14th April. The further complication was that we were in Cirencester at the time. I went into St .Michael's where they tried to slow the labour down, and I had the steroid injection to help the babies' lungs. We were warned that there was a lack of intensive care beds in Bristol and we were given a choice of where they might be transferred to if that happened. We chose the RUH in Bath .

Josh and Toby were born on Monday 16th April weighing 3lb 8oz and 4lb 1oz. Josh subsequently lost 10 oz. which is a lot when you are so small. They were born naturally, 7 minutes apart. Josh was whisked away, but the kind doctor let me kiss him. As predicted, they were moved to Bath , which is where we really got to know them. Amazingly, apart from the fact that at some time in the future Josh might need a minor operation, they were both in good shape, and we just had to wait for them to grow.

The staff at the RUH were simply wonderful, giving help, advice and information without ever seeming to interfere. We had a lot to learn as we made our twice-daily visits, me to feed and both of us to cuddle and love them. We were offered the opportunity to move back to Bristol but declined. It would probably have been fine, but by that time we had such confidence in the RUH that the move was unthinkable.

There is a sort of Yin and Yang about NICU. The staff are kind, sensitive, humane and wonderful in every way; the equipment is high-tech and quite scary until it is explained to you. The space is cramped and very hot (do the nurses have a place where they can go and cool off?) and the flat in which we spent our last two nights is poorly laid out. I think the nurses deserve a bigger and better space in which to work.

We brought our family home 4 weeks after they were born and a month before their due-date. We have no regrets about staying in the RUH in spite of the daily travelling because we are very sure that nowhere could have given our sons a better start in life.