Baby Born 3 Times Smaller Than Twin Sister Beats the Odds

baby born three times smaller than twin Reagan and Mila Lambert Reagan Lambert Mila Lambert Audrieanna Lambert Chase Lambert Lambert family West Penn Hospital i Pittsburgh in vitro fertilization IVF ut southwestern medical center c-section IVF treatments

By Lili Scott , Parent Herald Jul 19, 09:09 pm

A tiny baby who came into the world three times smaller than her twin sister had beaten the odds despite doctors expecting a tragic outcome.

Reagan Lambert, who celebrated her 6-month birthday with twin sister Mila Lambert in June 2022, has been called a miracle baby by their mother, Audrieanna Lambert.

Audrieanna and her doctors grew concerned during the 20th week of her pregnancy that one of the twins had stopped growing. According to Daily Mirror, her doctors at West Penn Hospital in Pittsburgh expected the worse. They thought that Reagan, the smaller twin, would not survive in the womb.

Reagan lives!

In December 2021, Audrieanna underwent a C-section for the twin's birth. The babies were born 11 weeks early, with Reagan just weighing a pound while Mila weighed 2lb 13oz.

Audrieanna could not believe that Reagan lived after all the medical projections. However, the babies were still not in the clear because Mila needed to get stronger and healthier in the hospital for 45 more days. On the other hand, Reagan had to be hospitalized for 118 days because she also battled sepsis.

The mother and her husband, Chase Lambert, have been waiting to have their baby for some time after years of struggling to conceive. In June 2021, the couple was overjoyed to learn that they were expecting their first child after only one round of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

On the sixth week of the pregnancy, the Lamberts were told by their doctor that they would have fraternal twin babies, but one of the fetuses had a smaller gestational sac. According to UT Southwestern Medical Center, smaller fetuses at the age of six to eight weeks of gestation may run the risk of a miscarriage. The experts said this abnormality is more significantly associated with pregnancies through IVF.

The Lamberts briefly had good news when Reagan "caught up" with her expected growth at 15 weeks of gestation, but by the 20th week, it was downhill again as she was 18 percent smaller than Mila. Doctors were worried for the twins and the mother again; thus, Audrieanna's pregnancy was constantly monitored.

@laudrieanna Growing like little sunflowers Reagan starts physical therapy this morning to help improve her motor skills. #milanreagan #twinsisters #twinsoftiktok #iugr #fraternaltwins ♬ bleeding love -

Saving Reagan, welcoming the twins

Upon the mother's 24th-week scan, Reagan was suffering issues with her umbilical cord flow, which meant she was not getting enough nutrients. At this point, the doctors were sure, based on all medical accounts, that the baby would die in the womb in the next two weeks.

But she defied what the doctors said and was still thriving with a strong beating heart at 26 weeks. The doctors were also determined to save her.

So, on the 27th week, Audrieanna was scheduled for a C-section. The mother heard Mila cry when she came out of the womb but could only hear a whimper from Reagan.

"I knew she was going to be tiny but she was still so much smaller than I had imagined," the mother said, per Metro. "Mila was three times the size."

After the twins fought to improve, the Lamberts were ecstatic to share their antics on TikTok, where Audrieanna has documented everything from her IVF treatments to the babies' current milestones.