Former Little Mix star Jesy Nelson has opened up about the “heartbreaking” experience of having her newborn twins in neonatal intensive care, sharing her feelings of helplessness at not being able to protect them.
The 33-year-old singer, who welcomed twin daughters Ocean Jade and Story Monroe Nelson-Foster with boyfriend Zion Foster on May 15, took to Instagram to share her emotional journey.
In a candid post, Nelson described the overwhelming feelings that come with having babies in the NICU, saying: “Nothing or no one will ever be able to prepare you as a parent for NICU.
“It’s the most scary overwhelming feeling of emotions not being able to feel like you can protect your babies.”
The twins were born prematurely at 31 weeks and five days, with Nelson announcing their arrival several days after the birth.
Nelson had previously been open about complications during her pregnancy, including Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS), a condition that affects 10 to 15 per cent of identical twins who share a placenta.
The singer revealed earlier in her pregnancy that the twins were “living off one placenta” due to pre-stage TTTS, which according to the NHS “can have serious consequences”.
She underwent emergency surgery during her pregnancy and later confirmed that the TTTS had “cleared up”.
Nelson first announced she was expecting twins with her 26-year-old boyfriend Zion Foster in January this year.
In her heartfelt Instagram post, the singer went on to describe the emotional toll of seeing her babies in the NICU: “Naturally as a mother you just want to hold them and comfort them when they cry but you can’t because there are what feels like a million wires coming out of them and tubes and masks in the way with people poking and prodding them, it breaks your heart into a million pieces.”
The singer shared a photo of herself holding both twins alongside Foster, expressing joy at their progress.
“Slowly as the days go by and they get stronger and wires start to come away, moments like this feel like a dream,” she went on.
The post continued: “Having them reunited for the first time ever today was the most magical feeling I will never be able to describe.
“The strongest little girls I’ve ever known who really do have the most inspiring story to tell.”
Nelson is best known for her time in Little Mix, the pop group that rose to fame after winning X Factor in 2011, alongside Leigh-Anne Pinnock, Perrie Edwards and Jade Thirlwall.
After nearly a decade with the group, which produced chart-topping singles including Cannonball, Shout Out To My Ex and Wings, Nelson left in December 2020.
Since departing the band, she has released two solo songs – Boyz featuring Nicki Minaj in 2021 and Bad Thing in 2023.
Fans will soon get a closer look at Nelson’s journey through her high-risk pregnancy in the upcoming Prime Video docuseries, Jesy Nelson: Life After Little Mix.
The programme is set to explore her decision to leave the girl group.
