Melbourne twins defy the odds by giving birth at the same hospital hours apart

“It is not something that is common… it is not commonplace for even sisters to give birth on the same time or on the same day,” obstetrician Dr Joseph Sgroi says.

Gillianne and Nicole have always done things together. 

As twins, the 36-year-old women share an inseparable bond that is hard to describe. 

From the moment they were born, they've been in sync with each other.

The Melbourne pair were close growing up and have always done things side-by-side. But they didn’t imagine this would continue into motherhood.

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Twins Gillianne and Nicole gave birth at the same hospital on the same day. Source: Nine

Twins have “always done things in sync”, including pregnancy

Gillianne, who has two kids, was overjoyed when she found out her twin was pregnant with her first child. But Gilliane had a secret - she was also expecting. 

When the Melbourne women discovered they were both pregnant, it took a bit of time to process. 

“The timing, you just can't plan something like that,” Gillianne told 9News. “So yeah, disbelief, shock, excitement, all of those emotions.”

“We have always sort of done things in sync,” Nicole added. 

Not only were the twins expecting a baby at the same time, but they also had the same due date.

Then they also gave birth on the same day, at the same hospital - Epworth Freemasons.  

On August 22 at 1:20 pm, Gillianne welcomed her healthy baby boy, Alexander. It was a mere five hours later when Nicole gave birth to her son, William. 

To top it all off, the babies were also the identical weight - 3.5 kilograms. 

“Oh yes, that came as another surprise,” said Gillianne. “Exactly the same,” Nicole chimed in. 

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The newborns are more like brothers than cousins. Source: Nine

Twin sisters giving birth at the same time “not commonplace” 

Dr Joseph Sgroi, the obstetrician who delivered both babies, said the chances of this happening were slim. In fact, this is the first time this scenario has happened at Epworth Freemasons.

“It is not something that is common,” he said. “It is not commonplace for even sisters to give birth on the same time or on the same day.” 

While the two boys are technically cousins, Dr Sroi believes the mum’s shared DNA makes the boys more like brothers. 

“We know that they share 100 per cent of their DNA, so these two boys, whilst they may be cousins, they are actually more akin to brothers in terms of their gene pool,” he said. 

As for the twins, they hope their kids share more than just the genetic connection. “Hopefully, they will be as close as we are because it really is a special bond that we have,” said Nicole. 

Originally published as Melbourne twins defy the odds by giving birth at the same hospital hours apart