‘We were so overwhelmed by our baby’s premature birth we forgot to ask if we had a boy or girl’

Two couples entered parenthood weeks before their babies were due. We learn how they navigated this worrisome time

Parents Eden Gannon & partner Shane Matthews with their twin daughters Fiadh & Evie (16 months) at their home in Ballymun, Dublin.

“Do you know if you had a boy or a girl?” the midwife asked Fiona and Justin Bell, minutes after their first baby was born.

“We were just too overwhelmed — we’d completely forgotten to ask,” says Justin, recalling baby Sophia’s arrival at 29 weeks last May.