A woman with one ovary who had a ‘less than one per cent’ chance of conceiving while on the coil was shocked to discover she was pregnant – with twins.
Lindsay Green, 43, from Hull, East Yorkshire, was working a busy 13-hour shift as a trainee nursing associate when she suddenly noticed she was bleeding.
She’d had her fallopian tube and ovary removed the year before after being diagnosed with an ovarian tumour.
Fearing that it had grown back, the mother-of-five rushed down to her colleagues in the A&E department for a scan.
She was left ‘totally shocked’ when tests revealed that she was five months pregnant with twins while using the contraceptive coil.
Lindsay was told by medics that the device is ’99 per cent effective’ in preventing pregnancy.
She then had to break the news to her partner, Joe Wood, 47, a HGV driver – whom she’d only met 12 months before – after she got divorced from her first husband.
Both Joe and Lindsay have older children – Lindsay has three daughters, aged 20, 19, and 17, and Joe has three sons, aged 28, 21, and 18.
Lindsay Green, 43, from Hull , East Yorkshire, who had a ‘less than one per cent’ chance of conceiving while on the coil was shocked to discover she was pregnant – with twins
Despite children ‘not being on the cards’, the couple were over the moon when their miracle twins, Eloise and Eddie, were born on December 12, 2023, at 9.59am and 10.01am, weighing 5lbs 5 oz and 5lbs 11oz respectively.
Lindsay said: ‘They really are little miracles.
‘They’re doing really well – they’re so healthy and happy, which is a relief considering I hadn’t taken the best care of myself for most of the pregnancy because I had no idea.
‘It was such a shock, it never occurred to me that I could be pregnant.
‘I’m really enjoying motherhood as an older mum – I feel more laid back.’
Lindsay was ‘going through a difficult time’ in July 2021, when her marriage of 20 years came to an end.
She was left ‘totally shocked’ when tests revealed that she was five months pregnant with twins while using the contraceptive coil
Despite children ‘not being on the cards’, the couple were over the moon when their miracle twins, Eloise and Eddie, were born on December 12, 2023, at 9.59am and 10.01am, weighing 5lbs 5 oz and 5lbs 11oz respectively
Eloise Eileen Wood was born at 9.59am weighing 5lbs 5oz, and Eddie Charles Wood was born at 10.01am weighing 5lbs 11 oz
Four months later, she started to experience heavy bleeding, pain and tiredness – and was diagnosed with an ovarian tumour.
It was the second time she’d been diagnosed with an ovarian tumour – after previously having one removed in 2019.
She requested a hysterectomy but says she was told by doctors she was too young and instead had surgery to remove her fallopian tube and ovary.
Lindsay said: ‘I thought the tumour might come back, so I wanted to have a hysterectomy to be safe.
‘At the time, I didn’t want anymore kids.
‘I was quite angry when I was told I was too young to have one, and was put on the coil instead.’
The following year, in September 2022, Lindsay met her now-partner, Joe, through mutual friends.
They had decided they didn’t want more children and instead had plans to go on holidays and enjoy their time as a couple.
Lindsay – who was 43 at the time – only knew about her pregnancy for the final three months, which she described as ‘hard going’
They had only been together for a year when Lindsay discovered she was expecting.
Lindsay said: ‘I didn’t want to tell Joe over the phone, so I asked him to meet me at the hospital.
‘He sat down, and when I told him, the colour literally drained from his face.
‘He went grey and was nearly sick.
‘Of course he came around – it was just such a shock because he wasn’t expecting more kids at his age!’
Lindsay – who was 43 at the time – only knew about her pregnancy for the final three months, which she described as ‘hard going’.
Lindsay claims she had no symptoms and was left completely shocked to find out she was so far along.
After tragically experiencing two miscarriages in the past, the expectant mother had to have a cervical stitch – to prevent the cervix from opening too soon and the twins being born prematurely.
She spent two months on bed rest, before giving birth to her miracle babies on December 12, 2023, at Hull Royal Infirmary.
Eloise Eileen Wood was born at 9.59am weighing 5lbs 5oz, and Eddie Charles Wood was born at 10.01am weighing 5lbs 11 oz.
Proud mum Lindsay said: ‘My delivery was better than I expected – I had a scheduled c-section so everything was planned.
‘The recovery was hard, but Joe was amazing and so supportive.
‘My older daughters have been brilliant, it’s like having little mothers around to help out.
‘The twins are doing so well, they’re both so healthy and happy. I’m really happy, it’s like a dream.
‘I’m very tired but I wouldn’t change a thing!’