A usually stunning primary school teacher gave birth with a totally lopsided face, after being struck down by paralysis just two days before going into labour with twins.
Kirby Logie, 27, from Albury, New South Wales, woke on August 13 this year to find the left side of her face completely frozen and drooped after developing a disorder known as Bell’s palsy, which left her unable to close her left eye, move her mouth or raise an eyebrow.
Forced to drink through a straw and wear an eye patch to prevent ulcers, Ms Logie was so embarrassed by her appearance she did not want to be in any pictures with her newborns or have family visitors.
Thought to be caused by extensive bed rest and pregnancy stress, Ms Logie endured her symptoms for four weeks before her face finally returned to normal.
Describing the ‘interesting photos’ Ms Logie had during labour, she added: ‘At least my twin girls will get a laugh in years to come. The twins are adorable and I’m so happy I can enjoy motherhood now. ‘
A stunning primary school teacher gave birth with a totally lopsided face after developing a paralysing condition just two days before having twins (pictured with her boyfriend Matt)
Kirby Lobie woke to find the left side of her face completely frozen and drooped
Ms Logie was unable to close her left eye, moved her mouth or raise an eyebrow
‘The whole left side of my face was frozen’
Ms Logie said: ‘When I woke up the whole left side of my face was frozen.
‘I couldn’t blink or close my left eye, raise my left eyebrow, or move the left side of my mouth at all.
‘I had to drink through a straw and wear an eye patch, so I didn’t develop ulcers on my eye. It also affected my speech quite badly.
‘Twin pregnancy can be full-on and wearing an eye patch in labour made for some interesting photos.
‘At least my twin girls will get a laugh in years to come.’
Doctors believe Ms Logie developed the stroke-like symptoms as a result of eight weeks of bed rest and the stress of pregnancy.
She said: ‘I was terrified it was going to affect the twins, so Matt [Ms Logie’s boyfriend] took me straight in to the hospital.
‘There the doctors said it was a condition called Bell’s palsy; a temporary weakness or paralysis of the muscles in one side of the face.’
Reassured the disorder would not affect her babies, Ms Logie was sent home and asked to return the following day for an MRI scan.
Yet the next morning, she woke to find her face had completely drooped on one side.
Ms Logie said: ‘As soon as I woke up I struggled to close my left eye properly.
‘I tried to have a drink, but my mouth couldn’t even grip around the cup to slurp. And my speech started to change, going all slurry, as if I was drunk.
‘I was really scared, as I had no idea how long it was going to last.
‘I’d been reassured it wouldn’t hurt the babies, but I was thinking about how I would be and, as vain as it might sound, what our family photos would be like if my face stayed like this.’
When she returned to the hospital for the MRI scan, doctors told Ms Logie they wanted to keep her in for monitoring before she was induced the next day.
She said: ‘The MRI came back clear, but every nurse that came in asked me what had happened to my face. It was exhausting explaining to them all that I had Bell’s palsy,
‘I had never expected to be giving birth, looking like that and wearing an eye patch.’
She was so embarrassed by her looks, she did not want many pictures with her newborns
Ms Logie’s condition forced to wear an eye patch to prevent her from developing ulcers
She is thought to have developed the disorder due to extensive bed rest and pregnancy stress
Ms Logie was reassured the babies would be unharmed but was still kept in for monitoring
‘I didn’t want to go out’
Wheeled into the hospital’s delivery suite on August 15, still wearing her eye patch and with her boyfriend by her side, she said: ‘I couldn’t see anything that was happening on the left side, so I really didn’t want to miss parts of my own labour.
‘When I started pushing, three-and-a-half hours into my four-hour labour, the nurses said I could take the eye patch off and I was so relieved.’
At 11.56am Ruby was born, weighing 4lb 8oz, followed by her younger sister Mia, weighing 5lb, at noon.
Ms Logie said: ‘It was the most magical thing, seeing our gorgeous little girls.’
Although Ms Logie was sent home after four days, the twins remained in hospital for 12 days, before being reunited with their parents.
Yet, Ms Logie’s face remained paralysed for four weeks before going back to normal.
She said: ‘I tried not to think about what my face looked like, but I didn’t want to go out, or for friends or family to come over to meet the girls, because of it. It was embarrassing.
‘Even small things like pictures of me with the twins, I did my best to shy away from. ‘
Although Ms Logie’s palsy has 95 per cent gone, she still feels some twinges.
She said: ‘At least I can leave the house and don’t want to look at the floor constantly.
‘The twins are adorable and I’m so happy I can enjoy motherhood now. ‘
She could not see much in the start of her labour, but was later allowed to remove the patch
She was sent home after four days but the twins Ruby and Mia were kept in for 12
Ms Logie was shocked to discover she was expecting twins when told at her 12-week scan
Ms Logie’s face returned to normal after four weeks (pictured with her boyfriend Matt)
Increased risk of premature labour
Ms Logie discovered she was pregnant in January this year, with her 12-week scan revealing she was expecting twins.
She said: ‘I think the sonographer thought we knew we were having twins, as she just said, “Oh you’re having twins” and kept doing the scan,.
‘Both me and Matt, who I’ve been with for nine years, looked at each other and said, “What?” We were in total shock, as up until then we thought it would just be the one baby, not two.’
At a 28 week scan, the couple discovered Ms Logie had an increased risk of going into premature labour due to her short cervix.
Kept in hospital for three weeks to be monitored, Ms Logie was then sent home and told to rest for the next five weeks before being induced.
Ms Logie discovered she was pregnant with her boyfriend of nine years’ children in January
She was at an increased risk of going into labour prematurely due to having a short cervix
Ms Logie says she is so happy she can enjoy being a mother to her ‘adorable’ twins