Couple welcomes 2 sets of ‘rare’ twins 14 months apart
Britney Alba recalls the moment she and her husband, Frankie Alba, learned they were expecting twins. They had only been parents for six months when they welcomed their twin sons.
“Frankie and I were not attempting anything, but it just happened. “We just found out we were pregnant… so we went to get our ultrasound,” the mother of four told “Good Morning America.” ‘Are you sure it’s not two?’ said Frankie. He was joking around, and [the ultrasound technician] said, ‘Let me check again.’ She checked again, and there was, indeed, a second heartbeat.”
“I was definitely in shock,” said Frankie Alba, 25. “At the same time, I was ecstatic. They are unquestionably a blessing.”
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Luka and Levi, according to Britney Alba, are “great” and “very sweet” with their younger sisters.
The Albas stated that twins do not run in either of their families and that expecting twins twice was incredible.
“I never would have guessed in a million years that I would have one set of twins, let alone two,” Britney Alba, 27, added. “So we were overjoyed. I’m overjoyed. But it was like laughing and crying at the same time.”
MORE: A mother in Massachusetts is expecting two sets of identical twins.
Luka and Levi, the Albas’ first set of twins, were monochorionic-diamniotic (MoDi) identical twins, which means they shared the same placenta but had separate amniotic sacs. Lydia and Lynlee, their second set of twins, were discovered to be monoamniotic-monochorionic (MoMo) identical twins.The girls were born with the same placenta and amniotic sac.
Luka and Levi are monochorionic-diamniotic identical twins, which means they shared the same placenta but had separate amniotic sacs.
“It was already unusual to have identical twins back to back, let alone just my twins, because MoMo twins account for only 1% of all twin pregnancies. It’s extremely rare “Britney Alba revealed what her doctors told her. “So just their pregnancy was unusual. But having identical twin brothers right before them made it even more unusual, making it a one-of-a-kind situation.”
There is little research data on the rarity of such twin pregnancies, but one Journal of Perinatology study estimates MoMo twin pregnancies occur once every 10,000 pregnancies, while another comparative study estimates MoDi twin pregnancies occur once every 10,000 pregnancies.
MORE: Mom of eight welcomes her third set of back-to-back twins.
A MoMo twin pregnancy is not only uncommon, but also considered high risk. Sharing the same placenta and amniotic sac increases the risk of blood flow problems to each twin, as well as the risk of the umbilical cords becoming entangled. Britney Alba was admitted to the University of Alabama at Birmingham Women and Infants Center at 25 weeks pregnant and stayed for more than 50 days before the girls were born.
Lydia and Lynlee are identical monoamniotic-monochorionic twins, which means they shared the same placenta and amniotic sac.
Lydia and Lynlee Alba were born on October 25, 2022, and spent their first six weeks in the neonatal intensive care unit under the care of nurses and doctors.
According to the Albas, they were able to return to Tuscaloosa, Alabama, for the first time on December 7, and the family of six is now settling into their “new normal.”
The Albas say although life now with their four kids is “nonstop” and “fast paced,” they feel “extremely grateful” at the same time.
“It is nonstop, fast paced, but we love it,” Britney Alba said. “The boys are great with the girls. Their main focus is just to play and have fun but when they do see the girls and they’re around them, they’re very sweet. They have gentle hands, sweet hands. And they’re just really good around their sisters.”
Both Albas say they feel “extremely blessed” and “extremely grateful” for their family.
“Even on those nights where we feel like we want to pull our hair out, and none of our children want to sleep, we just have to remind ourselves how lucky and how blessed we are to be able to have these children,” Britney Alba said.
“Life has definitely changed dramatically and very quickly but it’s a huge blessing for us and we are just looking forward to what the future holds with these babies because they’re special,” Frankie Alba added. “We can’t see life without our babies.”
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