You’re more likely to win the lottery than produce four sets of naturally conceived, non-identical twins in a row.
And yet, that’s exactly what New Zealand couple Emma and Loma Uhila managed when, earlier this year, Emma gave birth to Levi and Mia.
According to scientists, the odds are around one-in-24-million.
Channel 7’s Sunday Night ran a segment on the family of 11, which mum Emma says wasn’t planned.
“It just happened,” she said. “Definitely weren’t planning any of them really.”
“It was nice though.”
The couple’s eldest, Micah, is six — until June, he also had six little sisters, all twins.
Ava and Lily, Isla and Eden and Indi and Emme.
“It evens the score a bit, having another boy,” Emma says. “We’ve got our netball team and two boys now.”
Neither parent has a history of twins in their family, making their multi-packs of joy that much more baffling.
“Met her in Novemeber, got engaged in Feburary, had Micah in October and then got married the following year,” Loma, who is a highschool youth worker, explained. “And then twins and then twins and then twins… and then twins.”
He admits to being a little overwhelmed, “but at the same time… fast forward 20 years from now and I’ll never have to cook again”.
“We do have a lot of rules… I think they are really important because it’s how we keep controlled chaos, that’s what we like to call it,” Emma says.
“Routine routine routine,” confirms Loma.
Already the brood is eating their way through between $250-$300 worth of meat and veggies each week (not to mention about $200 worth of nappies each month).
“It’s only gonna go get more expensive,” says Emma.
At present the couple, understandably, doesn’t have plans for more children — but they also haven’t ruled it out completely.
“My body needs a break,” Emma says.
“That’s what she said after the first set of twins. And the second set,” says Loma.
“The best part has yet to come… the retirement plan, remember?”
We spoke to a mother who had two sets of twins on the I Don’t Know How She Does It podcast. Hear how she managed here: