AS if one set of twins wasn’t enough, Pam Ebiou, 39, from Bolton, Manchester, has her hands full with double multiples.
Now she shares her story with Fabulous.
GRIPPING the handle of a brand-new double buggy, I pushed it through the front door, knocking it on both sides.
“How am I going to manage?” I sighed.
I had been asking myself the same question ever since I had discovered I was pregnant with twins.
The news had come as a huge shock. There was no history of twins in my family and not only that, eight weeks before falling pregnant I had suffered a miscarriage – twins again, that I’d lost at 10 weeks. My husband and I were glad to be given a second chance at starting a family.
Read More Real Life Stories
After wrestling with the supersized pram, I put it alongside the two cots, two car seats and mountains of babygrows we had bought in preparation of our double arrival.
Because of the miscarriage, I couldn’t help feeling anxious. But thankfully scans showed the babies were growing well. When I wasn’t working, I sat at home munching on box after box of green grapes. My craving for them was insatiable.
Most read in Fabulous
On the day of my C-section, I lay on the bed holding my husband’s hand as our boy and girl twins were delivered. We named them Kamron and Kaycee.
After the surgery, I sat up in bed while a nurse handed me our precious babies. I balanced one twin in each arm and gazed between the two. They were perfect.
A few days later, I returned home and life quickly became about survival.
I lived and breathed caring for Kamron and Kaycee. Then when they turned one, things between me and my husband broke down and we separated.
After the surgery, I sat up in bed while a nurse handed me our precious babies. I balanced one twin in each arm and gazed between the two. They were perfect.
At first it was really tough not having an extra pair of hands to help out, but I soon came into my own. And seeing the twins begin to interact and smile at each other made the days even more rewarding.
In need of money, I listed the double buggy along with the substantial number of baby items I’d accumulated on eBay. Selling them helped me out with the expense of having twins, as well as giving me more space.
When the twins were three, I met Matthew* on a dating website. We hit it off straight away and then I told him my big news.
“I’ve got twins,” I said.
“I don’t mind,” he replied. “I’ve got two children myself.”
Six months later, Matthew* moved in – and before I knew it, I was pregnant.
“Another one to add to the gang,” I said.
At 16 weeks, I paid for a private scan to discover the baby’s sex.
The sonographer rubbed the scanner over my stomach, and I began to hear the familiar whooshing sound.
“There’s the heartbeat,” he said.
Suddenly, a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding escaped along with a smile. It dawned on me I was terrified of conceiving twins for a third time.
And it turned out I had.
I knew I should have been excited and grateful for two healthy babies, but I couldn’t help feeling disheartened. It hadn’t exactly been a breeze raising twins.
Once again, as my bump grew, I manically chomped through boxes of green grapes. And I kicked myself for selling all of Kamron and Kaycee’s things. I forked out for another double buggy and everything that went with it for my second set of boy and girl twins.
I knew I should have been excited and grateful for two healthy babies, but I couldn’t help feeling disheartened. It hadn’t exactly been a breeze raising twins.
When I was five months pregnant, things between Matthew* and I split up.
On the day of my C-section, I had a nurse as my birthing partner, and I felt so grateful to have her there as my babies were born. I named them Edward and Lily.
I told the surgeon they were my second set.
“Every time I fall pregnant, it’s with twins,” I said. “No matter who the dad is.”
“Sounds like you’re hyper-ovulating,” he replied.
He explained it meant I was releasing several eggs every month rather than just one. It also accounted for the very heavy periods I had experienced for years, as well as the extreme pain on both sides every month – double ovulation.
What is Hyperovulation?
Hyperovulation refers to the production and release of more than one egg during a menstrual cycle.
Hyperovulation can occur naturally or be stimulated via hormone treatments for the purposes of egg donation in third-party reproduction.
Under normal conditions, when more than one egg is released, the chances of conceiving fraternal twins or triplets is increased.
Stimulated hyperovulation involves several drugs and the careful monitoring of hormone levels and ovarian status using an ultrasound.
Once mature, follicles are punctured during the egg retrieval procedure and evaluated for quality before being used for in vitro fertilization.
Source: Repropedia
Back home, in Bolton, Greater Manchester, I took things day-by-day as I rode the newborn wave for a second time, but without a partner – and with two five-year-olds to boot.
Now Kamron and Kaycee are 10 and Eddie and Lily are six. When people discover I have two sets of twins they call me Supermum or Wondermum, and tell me I deserve a medal. I certainly have my hands full.
I’m still a single mum and I really miss the company of another grown-up, so I’m on the dating scene. But I’m always wary. Knowing I’m a super-ovulator means I have to take extra precautions in the bedroom. I always use contraception and am prepared to take the morning-after pill the next day if it stops me falling pregnant.
Now I keep a vigorous check of my cycle and every month when I know I’m ovulating, I stay well-clear of men – just to be on the safe side!
I’m nearing 40 and though I absolutely adore my children, managing all four can be hard work. There’s no way I’m risking adding to my brood, because I always get more than I bargained for.
Read More on The Sun
“I’m single and terrified of having yet another set of twins, so I avoid having sex near ovulation – it’s my danger zone.
“And when I do, I always use condoms and follow up with a morning-after pill to reduce the risk.”
