Missoula Area News

Missoula hospital reports five twin births in one week

Posted: Mar 8, 2013 7:54 PM by Robin O'Day - MTN News

MISSOULA - Dylan McFarland is learning parenting fast. He's on double duty, with twins who were born on Friday morning. He's not the only proud father: Three other sets of twins were born this week, and while this reporter was at the hospital, another mother was in labor with twins.

That's a total of five sets of twins born at Community Medical Center this week. The hospital averages one set of twins a month, says Community OB/GYN Clinical Manager Cindy Wolverton, so they are busy and amazed.

"That's what we say, it's only in Missoula that these people have these connections and that you think it's serendipity and it's meant to be that this families are coming together and these babies are being born," she said.

If you're getting dizzy from all the double takes, hold on, the story only gets better. Two of the couples went to Flathead High School, and are friends with one of the nurses, who also went to Flathead High.

McFarland said it's a small world. "It's amazing to know we are all going through the same things and we definitely have each other's email addresses, so we'll definitely be in touch."

Extra staff have come in to accommodate the baby birth boom and the future looks bright for the newborns.

"We're always concerned when twins are born, a lot of times they come early," Wolverton said. "These babies are all near their due dates, so we expect they are going to have very great outcomes and go home happy with their parents."

Dylan admits parenting will be tough, but it's a challenge he is embracing twice.

"Really, we're just really excited about this experience and can't wait to see them grow and be part of our lives."

Wolverton says about half of the parents used in-vitro fertilization to become pregnant.