'I gave birth to premature twins the day before our honeymoon - we were told to say goodbye to one of them'

A young couple were told to say goodbye to one of their premature twins the day before their honeymoon in Turkey. Alex Grice gave birth to Archie and Ava 25 weeks and five days into her pregnancy.

The then-19-year-old, from Ramsbottom, felt "something was wrong" as she prepared for the holiday. Examinations revealed she was 6cm dilated and she had to give birth - but the babies were so small she couldn't feel the contractions, Lancs Live reports.

Archie, born weighing 1lb 12oz, and Ava, at 1lb 9oz, were both born with holes in their hearts. Moments after giving birth, Alex watched her newborns be hurried off into intensive care, where they were put on life support.

READ MORE: The takeaway so filthy the mice were eating the grease

READ MORE: Woman, 25, killed in horror crash as man arrested

The tiny tots - born the size of Alex's hand - were wrapped in 'plastic bags' to keep them warm. Alex and partner Declan Real were told to say goodbye to Ava because doctors didn't think she would make it through the night.

But after 126 days in hospital, the tots came home. Now, they have celebrated their first day at school, a day Alex feared they'd never get to experience.

Alex, head of organic content at an advertising agency, said: "I just felt like I couldn't name them because I didn't know if they were going to survive. So they were labelled twin one and twin two. They had to be taken straight to the neonatal unit. We weren't allowed to see them, touch them, hold them.

"They put them in this almost plastic-bag like thing to keep their bodies warm because they couldn't regulate their own body temperature and they were rushed away. It's one of those feelings I just can't describe.

"It was so numbing. It was so empty and it