Melissa gave birth to her twins, Levi and Tate, in late October 2021, however, this was no normal childbirth.
The Season 8 bride gave birth to her gorgeous twins when she was just 29 weeks and one day pregnant.
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In her personal blog, Her Second Shift, Melissa has recently opened up about her birth story and the “heartbreaking” moments following the birth of her twins.
“The first time I saw my sons after their birth was just before midnight,” Melissa wrote.
“When I stepped into the prep room swirling with medical staff, my heart shattered.”
She revealed that her children were “tiny, fragile and helpless,” weighing just 1kg at the time of birth.
“At that moment, I knew how selfish it was of me to have been excited they were born early,” Melissa wrote.
“They should have still been in my tummy for weeks; safe, growing and healthier.”
Levi and Tate stayed in the hospital for six weeks following their birth… Melissa was not able to hold her newborn in her arms on the first night.
“Going home alone without them was nearly unbearable. I was also scared I would not be enough or strong enough for them,” she shared.
Looking at the twins now, they are happy and healthy.
In October 2023, Levi and Tate celebrated their second birthday, an incredible milestone for Bryce and Melissa.
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This isn’t the first time she has gotten candid about motherhood.
Back in March 2022, Melissa shared a candid peek into her motherhood journey, after welcoming twins with her fiancé Bryce Ruthven.
Like most new mothers, especially those who have welcomed kids during the pandemic, Melissa has suffered through all the struggles and joys that parenthood brings.
Opening up on some of the hard times she’s faced since becoming a new mum, Melissa took to Instagram to share two photos side-by-side to show how far she’s come along.
“5 months in vs 5 months out,” she penned alongside two photos of herself, one of her five months pregnant and the other of her holding her boys five months after she gave birth.
“This is one of the only beautiful pregnancy photos I have and I absolutely love it (thanks @bryceruthven for capturing),” she said.
The former reality TV star then shared some of the struggles she’s faced in the past year since falling pregnant and then giving birth to the twins prematurely.
“We were in lockdown for most of our pregnancy and like so many others, we missed out on the opportunity to have professional photos, a gender reveal party, baby shower or any kind of celebration for the twins.”
She went on to add: “And then to have them born premature and living in the hospital for two months was almost unbearable.”
“But at the end of the day, we didn’t need any of those life events. We just needed these two beautiful little boys in our lives to make our hearts whole.”
Despite the challenges, it’s clear to see that Levi and Tate have their proud parents wrapped around their tiny fingers, with both Melissa and Bryce equally as taken with their boys.
Bryce and Melissa often share adorable updates on their boys on social media, with the most recent one being a photo of their very first smiles.
The family of four also shared a few snaps from their recent weekend away to Traralgon, Victoria a few weeks back.
“It was our first weekend away as a family and the boys had a ball,” Melissa shared, along with a video documenting their trip.
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