When young mum Renee Albert went to the doctor feeling unwell, she hoped a blood test would confirm that she and husband Shaun were expecting their longed-for second child.
“They confirmed I was pregnant with our second bub, and we thought everything was going to be just like our first-born, Jayda, who’s now two and was the easiest baby ever,” explains Renee.
When the results came back at the four-week mark, the levels of hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin), which is a protein hormone normally in the placenta of a pregnant woman, were showing at 49,000 – indicating just one baby.
“At the 13-week scan we expected to hear one little heartbeat,” says Renee, 27.
“At first, they said we were having twins, and I remember saying, ‘Don’t be silly, there’s…