My one-night stand at pal's wedding landed me with twins - as morning after pill didn't work for this little-known reason

Holly Firth, 29, was attending a family friend's wedding on July 9 2024 when she had a romantic liaison with one of the other guests.

The bank worker went to get the morning after pill the next day and thought nothing more of it until the smell of her air freshener at the office started to make her feel sick two weeks later.

The sickness prompted Holly to take a pregnancy test and on August 7 2024 she was shocked to discover that she was pregnant. The same week Holly attended a six-week scan appointment that showed she was pregnant with one baby.

Two weeks later, the 29-year-old was shocked to discover that she was actually pregnant with twins after attending her eight-week scan appointment. The single mum later discovered that because she had already ovulated before taking the morning after pill, it often becomes ineffective.

Her twin girls, Charlotte Firth and Rose Firth, were born via planned c-section on February 27 2025. Holly believes the pregnancy was meant to be and now can't imagine her life without the twins.

She is raising the identical twins as a single mum, and says that while the twins' father has chosen to have no involvement, the door will always be open if he wants to reach out in the future. Holly from Ayrshire, Scotland, said: When I found out I was pregnant I burst into tears. It was just utter shock.

I went for a scan at six weeks and the picture showed just one baby. I went back two weeks later and that's when I found out there were twins. Obviously that came as a shock - I was single and I didn't know the guy. I remember going out for dinner that night with my mum and dad and saying to them that it meant double the love.

I knew from then that it was meant to be. Holly says the morning after pill has worked for her previously and she didn't realise when she went to get it that it can be ineffective if taken after ovulation has already taken place.

Holly said: I've taken the morning after pill for other reasons in the past and it's never failed me before, so I thought it would be absolutely fine. I've since found out however that it doesn't work if you've already ovulated, which they didn't tell me when I went to get it.

My period was actually due the day after the wedding so I had definitely already ovulated and I think that's why it didn't work. The identical twins were born five weeks early via planned c-section on February 27, Charlotte Firth weighing 4lb 12oz and Rose Firth weighing 4lb 8oz.

Holly, who has wanted to be a mum since primary school, believes that falling pregnant was meant to be. While the twins' dad hasn't had any involvement yet, she says the door will always be open should he want to get in touch in the future.

Holly said: I wasn't planning to get pregnant - I'd been single for four years. I'd been single for so long that I genuinely didn't think that I was going to have kids. I wouldn't have it any other way - regardless of if it was from a one night stand or from a relationship - I've got the girls and I wouldn't have them if it didn't happen.

I remember seeing them for the first time and feeling such an amount of love that I'd never felt before in my entire life. I can't imagine my life without them now. We're going to be the three musketeers for the rest of our lives. I have said to the dad that the door will always be open for him, if he ever wants it.

He hasn't used it yet, but if the girls ever want to reach out there will be ways of doing that. If that's what they want then as long as they're happy, I'm happy.