Laura Woodward, 24, from Clitheroe, Lancashire, received the news her baby had gastroschisis – a rare birth condition that causes a baby’s intestines to develop outside of their body – shortly after her 12-week scan.

The mother was terrified, but after a tense few months little Millie Woodward was born via planned C-section on 11 December, weighing 5lb 11ozs, at Liverpool Womens NHS Foundation Trust.

Her exposed intestines were carefully wrapped before Laura was allowed her first cuddle, and within hours her vital organs were placed back into the body – leaving little visible sign of her difficult start in life other than an outie belly button.

‘To look at her now, you’d never think she’s been through all of that’, said Laura.

‘My whole world stopped when the sonographer told me they were “sorry” – I thought that was it.

‘But after the most stressful time of our lives she arrived, and it couldn’t have gone better.

‘We’re so proud of her – she’s just a beautiful little girl.’

The couple, who already had children Ava, seven, Zachary, five, and Tommy, decided to have a private eight-week gender test in May 2020 before the 12-week scan a month later.

‘I wasn’t worried because I’d done it all three times before with my other children,’ Laura said.

‘I knew the process, and my other pregnancies had been so smooth, so I didn’t have any reason to think this time would be any different.’

Laura tried not to let it worry her when partner Adam Porter, 30, wasn’t able to join her for her 12-week scan at Blackburn Hospital in June, due to coronavirus restrictions.

But her world was turned upside down when the sonographer revealed their unborn baby had a rare birth condition.

‘They just looked at me and told me they were sorry – it felt like everything went into slow motion,’ Laura said.

‘I didn’t understand what it would mean for our baby, I was just terrified.’

The couple were referred for a specialist scan to gain further insight into their little girl’s condition, and doctors confirmed she would be born with gastroschisis, where the intestines develop outside of the body.

‘They tried to reassure us but it sounded terrifying,’ Laura said.

‘We were told I didn’t have to continue with the pregnancy if I didn’t want to, but there was no way I wasn’t giving our baby a chance.

‘They told us it was a high survival rate and something that can be treated – so we just have to hope for the best.’

Laura said she found it incredibly hard to remain positive and was unable to enjoy her pregnancy – so was overwhelmed with relief when she was finally admitted to hospital for a planned C-section.

Little Millie, now eleven months, arrived at 11:11 on 11 December, weighing 5lb 11ozs.

‘I’ve always thought 11 is a lucky number – even more so now!’, Laura said.

‘When she arrived they wrapped her exposed organs up carefully and allowed me to hold her for a bit which was just what I needed after all those months of worrying.’

Millie received corrective surgery to place her small and large intestine back into her body, an operation that went ‘incredibly smoothly’ at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool.

‘To look at her now you’d never think she’s been through so much,’ Laura said.

‘She just has a little outie bellybutton to show for it, and is a little smaller than her friends, but I couldn’t love her more if I tried.

‘I try not to molly-coddle her but I just want to do everything I can to protect her now she’s here.

‘She’s just perfect in every way.’