Welcoming twins into the world has happened not once, not twice, but amazingly three times to a couple from Suffolk.
With the odds of having three sets of non-identical twins put at one in 88,000, Rachael Bradley and her partner Jon Ranson, from Bury St Edmunds, will be one of Britain’s only set of parents with three lots of bundles of joy.
The couple, who have eight children in total, are overjoyed their three-and-a-half-week-old babies Rhydian and Skylar were born safely, by caesarean section, and are healthy.
Rachael, 30, said he had always wanted lots of children, but admitted they are drawing the line at eight.
She said: “My dad was one of seven and I think I got it from his family. My dad only had two children, me and my brother. I have always wanted a big family.
“I said to my partner before I will not stop until I get another girl. We got this set which was a boy and a girl and I was like ‘yay’.”
Rhydian and Skylar were born at West Suffolk Hospital on April 25 just one minute apart weighing 5lb 6oz and 5lb 15oz respectively.
They join a brood of six other siblings to help look after them and keep them entertained.
There are the oldest twins Bradley and Ayesha, who are nearly 14,ands go to King Edward VI School.
Next came Joshua, aged 10, who goes to Westgate Community Primary School along with the second set of twins Kaleb and Zaiden, who are nearly seven. Neo, no longer the youngest, is aged three.
Rachael produces two eggs for fertilisation on separate days each month, meaning she can get pregnant twice within days, so her friends call her a “double yolker”.
She said she had an “inkling” she was due twins once again as when she was expecting her “singles” she suffered from sickness, but she had none of those signs with the twins.
“My mum had twins, but sadly lost hers at 24-ish weeks and I always said my second set of twins was my mum’s first set,” she said.
Coping with eight children is by no means easy, Rachael said, but she has a very supportive mum, Sharon, and dad, Stuart, as well as good friends.
“I just get on with it,” she added.
She said financially they are managing, adding Jon is a self-employed carpet fitter, but their last big weekly shop came to £250.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here