The mother of Northern Ireland's first ever set of sextuplets has told how she and her husband declined without hesitation the option of aborting some foetuses during her pregnancy.
26-year-old Nuala Conway of Dunamore, Co Tyrone, said 14 weeks into the pregnancy, she and her husband, Austin, were warned about the risks of carrying on with the multiple pregnancy.
However she rejected doctors' advice to abort several of the foetuses because her children were a 'gift from God'.
She said she put her faith in God and pressed on regardless.
'These babies are a wonderful gift from God. Whatever God laid out for our lives we were taking it,' she said.
The babies, Austin, Eoghan, Karla, Kerrie, Shannon and Ursula, were born last month in a successful Caesarean section delivery involving 30 medical staff at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital.
They were fourteen weeks premature when they were delivered.
The babies, weighing between 1Ib 7oz and 2lb and 2oz had been conceived naturally without the aid of IVF.
They remain in intensive care but doctors hope they will be strong enough to go home in about two months.
In an interview with the Sunday Express newspaper, Ms Conway said they ignored medical advice to abort some of their foetuses and insisted on putting their faith in God.
The Conways have been keeping an almost constant vigil in the intensive care unit where the six babies are being cared for.
In Northern Ireland, abortions can only be carried out if it can be proven that the pregnancy would damage the physical or mental health of the woman.
