Heartbroken mother whose twin babies died at birth discovers she is pregnant again nine weeks later - with TWINS

She was still grieving for the twin babies she had lost just weeks before.

So Barbara Short couldn't believe the news when doctors confirmed she was pregnant again - with twins. 

The 32-year-old, from Hartlepool, had been devastated when her twins Ava and Alfie, born at just 23 weeks, had died.But just over two months later, she received the wonderful news that she was pregnant again - and there were two heartbeats.

She added that while she was 'overjoyed when the babies were born healthy,' she still felt an emptiness for the children she had lost. 

She has now given birth to another set of twins - Frankie and Lilly Wallace.Ms Short said: ‘It’s as if Ava and Alfie have been sent back to me. I can’t believe how I can be so blessed to have another two and be able to take them home with me. 

‘Everyone, even the doctors, were shocked at me having two sets of twins in less than a year. It was definitely meant to be that I was given Frankie and Lilly.’

Ms Short suffered complications almost as soon she found out she was pregnant in April 2012 and just 23 weeks into her pregnancy she was rushed to hospital and gave birth.Tiny Ava Wallace and Alfie Wallace were born at the University Hospital of North Tees in Stockton. 

Ava came into the world at 2.50am weighing just 9oz, while Alfie was born 10 minutes later and weighed 1lb.

The pair - who Ms Short says could have fitted into the palm of her hand - were taken to the James Cook University Hospital, in Middlesbrough, and placed on ventilators.

But Ava lost her fight eight hours after she was born and Alfie battled on for just a few more hours before dying at 4.30pm on the same day.

Former delivery driver Ms Short, who has two older children, Molly-Jo Short, seven, and four-year-old James Wallace, said her world came crashing down after their deaths.She said: ‘I felt like I was looking in on someone else and it wasn’t me. I’d had two babies, but I was going home with none. 

‘None of it seemed real. I was empty, my stomach was empty, but yet I had nothing. I still haven’t got over that and I don’t expect I ever will.’

But just nine weeks later Ms Short went from despair to happiness when she discovered that she was pregnant again - with twins.

And unlike her pregnancy with Ava and Alfie, she had no health problems and went into labour at a safer 36 weeks. 

After a Caesarean birth, Ms Short delivered Frankie and Lilly on July 22 last year at 4.17pm. 

Although Frankie was not breathing when he was born, doctors worked on him and he took his first breath six minutes later.Lilly was taken home two days after her birth and Frankie came home five days later, after being looked after in the special care baby unit.

Ms Short, who has since split from the babies’ father, said seven months on, both babies are healthy and Frankie is ‘really stern and serious’ and Lilly is ‘full of smiles’.

Ms Short said: ‘It’s hard to explain but when they were born I was over the moon, but at the same time I was still grieving for Ava and Alfie. 

‘But even though they have filled the void, I’ll still always feel an emptiness for the two I lost, especially when I go to the cemetery.

‘I know their souls are with us though. They can never be replaced.’