A Regina mother says she’s used to “chaos” after delivering three sets of twins in four years, in addition to two older children.
A Regina family is settling in at home with their newborn twins just in time for Christmas, after the two premature babies spent a couple of weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
While adjusting to life with twins would be daunting to most mothers, it’s become fairly routine for Petrina McArthur. It’s her third set of twins in four years.
“I mean, what’s another two? I was used to the chaos already,” said the 32-year-old, with a laugh.
1st twins were a shock
McArthur and her husband, Trevor Lonechild, started their family seven years ago, welcoming a son. That was followed by a daughter a couple years later. Then the couple was floored to learn they were expecting twins.
McArthur gave birth to non-identical girls, Hailyn and Hannah, in November 2017.
“I thought I was good with just the two, but my first set of twins pretty much shocked me, because I didn’t know I was able to have twins,” she said.
Turns out, she has a knack for it.
In May 2019, she gave birth to another set of twins, a boy and a girl named Kai and Kitty.
The third set came on Nov. 29 of this year: Felix and Francine.
3 sets is rare
Calgary-based obstetrician Dr. Stephanie Cooper, who didn’t provide care to this family, said the overall rate of twins in Canada is about one in 90 — but that includes twins born with the help of fertility drugs.
She says it’s twice as rare to have twins without fertility treatments — as was the case for McArthur — and “definitely unusual” to have three sets of twins in four years.
“If you are somebody who just tends to ovulate more than one egg per cycle, then that would make you more likely to have twins in a subsequent pregnancy,” she explained.
Some women are more likely to ovulate multiple eggs in a cycle based on their ethnicity, family history or through the 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, Felix and Francine are now settling in at home.
McArthur admits she doesn’t get much sleep or privacy.
“I really don’t get time for myself,” she said, again with a laugh.
But the mother of eight says she’s fine with that; she gets plenty of love and cuddles.
Watch how this family adapts to life with 3 sets of twins in 4 years: