So, here we are at Simpsons: Dad, Mum and me. It’s actually Mum + me as I’m only two months along with another seven months to go until I grace the world with my arrival. So far it’s been fine: it’s nice to be cosy and safe in here and to be learning something of the world from my vantage point. But something happened today that’s upset everyone. Mum is very worried that I’m not okay. Dad’s pretty solemn too and not his usual jokey self and that’s made me more frightened. But the nurse examining Mum is trying to keep us all calm.

NURSE: Now what I’m going to do is use this detector to find baby’s heartbeat. It may take a while because baby is still so wee. So just bear with me.

Now, let’s try here…. and here….

She’s moving the heartbeat detection thingy all over Mum’s tummy, back and forth, back and forth. But she can’t seem to pick up my heartbeat. I’m trying to help her by presenting my little chest to the detector as it passes over but my heartbeats just don’t seem to register.

I think all the tension in the room has made the nurse move the detector fast and I’m having to swim like mad to try to keep up. (PANTING) Forwards…back…forwards. Surely she must be able to hear my racing heart now.

Then suddenly I must have been in just the right place because:

(SOUND OF FAST HEARTBEAT)

NURSE: Can you hear that? (SMILING) That’s baby’s heartbeat. And he sounds like he’s just fine.

MUM :Oh, thank goodness. And what a strong beat!

DAD: Are you sure that’s a baby? Sounds more like an express train to me. Perhaps there’s a tunnel running under the hospital?

NURSE: Definitely a baby – I’m sure. Telling the difference between a baby and a train was the first thing they taught us on my midwifery course ( LAUGHING). So that’s us, everything is right as rain and baby is fine. I’ll just disconnect all of this…

But then a very strange thing happened.

(SOUND OF LOUD, FAST HEARTBEAT)

NURSE: Oh, that’s odd. I seem to have picked up baby’s heartbeat from here too. Let’s try again here with this detector. …and here with this one.

(SOUND OF TWO LOUD, FAST HEARTBEATS)

Well! We seem to have two heartbeats. That means…

MUM: (EXCITEDLY, INTERRUPTING) Two babies?

DAD: Two trains?

NURSE: Well, I think it’s most likely the former.

MUM: (DELIGHTED SQUEAL) Twins! How brilliant is that!

Dad: I think I need to sit down.

MUM: (LAUGHS).

So it’s turned out everything is absolutely perfect AND there are actually two of us in here waiting to be born and we didn’t know! I can’t wait to get acquainted with my new-found, ready-made sibling. From now on it’s not just ME but US and for ever and ever.

What started as a low day for us all ended on the highest of highs. And all thanks to that very clever nurse at Simpson’s.