The likelihood that a 20-year-old woman would give birth to two sets of twins in less than two years was 1 in 3,200.
When Shauna became pregnant in 2017, Josh Fell, 22, and the couple from Swinton were shocked to learn they were expecting twins. Parenting is “easier than they imagined,” according to the couple, who welcomed Amelia-Rose and Maison in November despite neither of their families having a history of numerous pregnancies.
But when Shauna fell pregnant again a year later, it was an “even bigger sʜᴏᴄᴋ” to discover she was expecting twins for the second time. The pair welcomed their second set of twins, Isla and Darcie, adding to their family.
“There are no twins in the family at all, as far as we know, so it was a complete surprise when we first found out,” Shauna said of the new arrivals. “With the first two, everyone said it would be difficult, but it wasn’t as difficult as we thought. I got pregnant again and at the first ultrasound we were told we were having twins again – it was an even bigger sʜᴏᴄᴋ.”
The couple said they expected to be told they were having only one child with their second pregnancy.
The NHS says around 12,000 sets of twins are born in the UK each year and there is a 1 in 112 chance that the twins are not identical. According to Jane Denton, director of the Multiple Birth Foundation, a woman who already has a set of non-identical twins is more likely to have another multiple pregnancy.
The odds of Shauna having two sets of non-identical twins were 1 in 3,136. Therefore, Shauna and Josh were very surprised when they were told that their family would be growing with two more children.
The couple is living with Shauna’s mother, where they hope to have all three bedrooms to themselves in the near future. Meanwhile, Josh, who works in construction, said he is saving up to buy a seven-seater car as soon as possible.
“It’s the car we’re most concerned about,” explained Shauna. “I currently have a four-seater, which is absolutely useless, and Josh has a five-seater. We’ll have to save up and buy seven seats so we can all travel together.”
