Meet Ivy and Ella, Adeline and Maeve.
The four ‘gal pals’ have been through more than most babies their age after being born several months early last year at Mater Mothers’ Hospital.
Despite a two-month age gap, both sets of identical twin girls have become besties after their moms, Kristen and Estelle, met by chance outside of the hospital.
“My girls were born 13 weeks early and two months before Estelle’s, and while we didn’t meet in the hospital, we share similar experiences of having premature twins,” Kristen said.
“Not everyone has been through a N.C.C.U (Nᴇᴏɴᴀᴛᴀʟ Cʀɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ Cᴀʀᴇ Uɴɪᴛ) journey, so it’s nice for us moms to talk about what we have been through.”
“And even though the two sets of twins were in Mater Mothers’ N.C.C.U at different times, they have also somehow managed to form a special friendship.”
“All the girls have gone through so much after arriving so early, but they have come through the hardship all together and are great friends.”
Shining the spotlight on National Siblings Day (10 April), Estelle said she hoped the sisterhood among Maeve and Adeline and Ivy and Ella continued as they grew older.
“Kristen is a midwife, and I am a neonatal nurse, so we get the ᴍᴇᴅɪᴄᴀʟ sɪᴅᴇ of things,” she said.
“What’s really nice is to see all the girls achieving their milestones, and for me to have a friend who understands how having a baby so early can be a really emotional time.”
The Mater Mothers’ Hospital network is Australia’s largest ᴍᴀᴛᴇʀɴɪᴛʏ sᴇʀᴠɪᴄᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇʀ, with more than 12,000 babies born every year across the state.
