A mum-of-four was left terrified after being told her baby girl would be born with intestines on the outside of her body.
Laura Woodward has described the moment the sonographer scanning her baby looked at her and said "I'm sorry".
The 24-year-old and her partner Adam Porter, 30, who already had three children together were excited to add the "final piece" to their family.
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But Laura's world went into in "slow motion" during the 12-week scan at Blackburn Hospital.
After a consultation at Burnley Hospital, Laura and Adam's unborn child was diagnosed with gastroschisis - a rare birth defect that causes the baby's intestines to be on the outside of their body.
Laura was petrified by the diagnosis which took away the happiness of the pregnancy and replace it with fear for her little girl's future.
But after a tense few months, Milli Woodward came into the world via C-section on December 11, 2020.
Weighing 5lbs and 11ozs, her exposed intestines were wrapped in cling film before Laura was allowed her first cuddle.
Within hours, her vital organs were re-inserted into the body - leaving no trace for the traumatic start except a little outie belly button.
Laura, a care assistant from Clitheroe, Lancashire, said: "To look at her now, you'd never think she's been through all of that.
"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."
Mum Laura was over the moon when she found out she was expecting a little girl with partner Adam.
The couple had 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."
But at the 12-week scan on 22 June 2020, the sonographer at Blackburn Hospital revealed their unborn baby had a rare birth defect.
"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 birth defect.
Doctors soon confirmed she would be born with gastroschisis, where the intestines grow 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 fixed - so we just have to hope for the best."
Laura admitted she found it hard to remain positive and was unable to enjoy her pregnancy as she had with her previous children - the panic for her unborn child was overwhelming.
But she found 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 2020, 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 in clingfilm and allowed me to hold her for a bit which was just what I needed after all those months of worrying."
Millie received reversal surgery, to reinsert her small and large intestine 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."
