Claire and Hayden Clark with eight-month-old twins Ben and Mitchell.
Camera IconClaire and Hayden Clark with eight-month-old twins Ben and Mitchell. Credit: Supplied/Dominique Menegaldo

Surprise is twice as nice

Staff ReporterEastern Reporter

The couple were using IVF treatment and after one embryo was implanted, Mrs Clark fell pregnant.

‘I had a scan at seven weeks looking for a heartbeat,’ she said. ‘I was elated when they found one.

‘I was in shock and disbelief when they found the second. I had no idea I could be having twins.’

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Mrs Clark said the embryo had split in the womb, creating two identical foetuses.

In June last year, she delivered Ben and Mitchell two months early.

‘They were premature so spent a month in the neonatal intensive care unit,’ she said. ‘But otherwise they were healthy and are now chubby little things.’

Mrs Clark’s story was one of many highlighted during Multiple Birth Awareness Week last week, which aims to promote awareness of the challenges and benefits of raising multiple children.

Mrs Clark said family support and advice from other mothers with twins were important. She also said the Perth and Districts Multiple Birth Association provided her with more advice, products tailored to twins and items such as second-hand high chairs.