Supermum Dominique Manson has recently rejoined our club, with the arrival of her singleton after two sets of twins!
Dominique’s first set of twins, Danielle and Brooklyn are now nearly 14 years old, and her second set of twins, Vinnie and Eli just turned 12. Little Arian is 6 months old.
Here’s 5 questions with double twin mama Dominque Manson
1. How does having a singleton compare to your two sets of twins (and were you relieved during the scan!)?
When we found out I was pregnant again, we never mentioned it to anyone until the first scan, just to see how many little ones there were. I was relieved and also sad at the same time due to knowing the incredible bond the twins have with each other that our singleton will never experience.
Having a singleton after two twin pregnancies has been rather different in many ways. When I have guests come over for hugs I have to give up bubs – but with twins you can still hold one. It has been a huge adjustment in that regard. The twins had to learn to self-sooth a lot sooner. My singleton doesn’t have another playmate all the time. The twins used to love laughing at each other and playing on the floor with their inbuilt best friend. As time goes on I feel twins are easier compared to a singleton.
2. What key things have you learned about raising twins, now you’ve done it twice over?
I have learned to just go with the flow and that not every child is the same, even if they are twins. Both of my sets are identical, yet they are so different to each other. Their personalities couldn’t be more different and I love that about each one. The first few months of twin life is hard but once they get to an age where they can interact with each other, life becomes so much easier. Ask for as much help as you can and reach out to family and friends. They will love helping out in exchange for baby cuddles.
3. Do you have any advice for those of us going through those busy baby and pre-school years?
Treat each twin like an individual. I know it is hard, but as they grow you will get to know their personalities more and you will be able to cater to their needs. A fed baby is a happy baby, meaning a happy household. Don’t worry if you can’t breastfeed (I found it really hard with the twins and they needed extra help in the form of nipple shield). Trust your gut instinct and do what you feel is right for you and your family.
I found as the twins got older pre-school days were easier, but it did come with its own challenges. Since both sets were ID I found the kindy teachers couldn’t tell them apart, which had a huge impact on their kindy profiles and the twins thinking it was okay for teachers to always ask them who they are. If I could redo that time again, I would make more of an effort to teach the kindy teachers which twin is which so they could have their own identity.
4. How rare is two sets of ID twins?
My two sets of ID twins are 21 months apart. When I first looked, the odds were 1 in 70,000 – unsure if it has changed now. We only found out they were ID when each set turned 4. We thought they were FRAT twins due to being DCDA, but it turns out they were ID.
5. Bonus Q – Is there anything else you’d like to add?
Honestly, just role with the twins needs as they come. As the twins have grown, I have found they have changed so much. The boys loved being in the same class through kindy, Year 1 and Year 2 – but once they hit Year 3 they were never in the same class. They loved being different from each other. In contrast, the girls never liked being in the same group/class even though we tried it when they were in Year 4. We thought ‘never again’ after what their teachers told us, but as they have grown they love being in the same class (they are now Year 9).
Authored in October 2023 by Natasha Bull