Multiple Birth Awareness Week

It’s quite timely that my twins were born during multiple birth awareness week. Last year I shared my story of the early days up at the hospital. I can still remember being wheeled back from surgery on the gurney, cradling two pint-sized babies under the sheet. As I passed a woman in the corridor, she, obviously seeing my horizontal state with protruding tubes, thought the worst and gave me a sympathetic smile. I beamed back and cuddled my hidden gifts tighter.

These little treasures will turn four tomorrow and the last few years have had their challenges but many families have it far more challenging. Fertility treatment and giving birth later in life are contributors to the rise in multiple births. Fifteen out of 1000 women who gave birth in New Zealand in 2010 had a multiple birth resulting in 910 sets of twins and 20 sets of triplets. One in 80 births produces non-identical twins.

I couldn’t count the number of times during the first year I was asked if my boy/girl twins were identical. I’d stare at the person waiting to see if they were joking. When it became apparent they weren’t, my response would be: “Ah, well one of them kind of has an appendage …”

Usually they’d laugh redly but, surprisingly, some still looked blank.

Just to clarify, generally boy/girl twins cannot be identical.

It struck me the other day as I watched a family walking along swinging their toddler between the mum and dad that our twins have never experienced this. It was always a case of too many babies and not enough adult hands.

It’s simply an accomplishment to parents of multiples to safely transport their children from A to B (and all going in the same direction if on foot). The local supermarket must empathise for they now have double newborn trolleys, not like “back in my day” when I’d have to awkwardly push one while pulling the other.

But for any shortcomings of being a multiple, there are bonuses, like always having your best friend by your side, including regular ‘sleepovers’.

Sadly, many twins drift apart as they get older and I know of many who are no longer close. As I lie awake at night listening to the occasional boy racer roaring off in the distance, I can only hope mine will still be looking out for each other in their teens at least. At this stage I’m happy to report they’re still BFF’s.

So for tomorrow’s birthday we’ll just be celebrating with one cake. It won’t be pink and it won’t be blue. I figure I’ll get away with only making one while I can.