A Regina family is moving home with their newborn twins just in time for Christmas, after the two premature babies spend a few weeks in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
Adjusting to life with twins would be intimidating for most mothers, it has become routine for Petrina McArthur. This is her third pair of twins in four years.
“I mean, what’s two more? I was already used to the chaos,” the 32-year-old said with a laugh.
The first twins were a shock
McArthur and her husband, Trevor Lonechild, started their family seven years ago, welcoming a son. This was followed by a girl a few years later. Then the couple were stunned to learn that they were expecting twins.
McArthur gave birth to non-identical daughters, Hailyn and Hannah, in November 2017.
“I thought I was good with just the two, but my first pair of twins shocked me enough, because I didn’t know I was capable of having twins,” she said.
Turns out she has a knack for it.
In May 2019, she gave birth to another pair of twins, a boy and a girl named Kai and Kitty.
The third set took place on November 29 of this year: Felix and Francine.
3 sets is rare
Calgary obstetrician Dr Stephanie Cooper, who has not provided care to this family, said the overall rate of twins in Canada is around one in 90, but that includes twins born in Canada. help from fertility drugs.
She says it’s twice as rare to have twins without fertility treatments – as it was for McArthur – and “definitely unusual” to have three pairs of twins in four years.
“If you are someone who tends to ovulate more than one egg per cycle, it would make you more likely to have twins in a later pregnancy,” she explained.
Some women are more likely to ovulate multiple eggs in a cycle based on their ethnicity, family history, or use of fertility treatments, she said.
“I feel tired for her,” Cooper said with a smile. “It’s also going to be super fun.”
Born a month prematurely, Félix and Francine are now moving home.
McArthur admits she doesn’t get much sleep or privacy.
“I really don’t have time for myself,” she said, once again with a laugh.
But the mother of eight says she’s okay with it; she receives a lot of love and hugs.
Watch how this family is adjusting to life with 3 pairs of twins in 4 years:
Many Canadians will celebrate Christmas with only their immediate families, but that’s probably enough for a family in Regina. Petrina McArthur is moving home after giving birth to twins and as CBC reporter Bonnie Allen tells us, it’s not her first set or even her second. 2:05