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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Sophie Halle-Richards

'We're gonna need a bigger car'... the young couple from Salford who have had TWO sets of twins in less than TWO years

When first-time parents Shauna Copple and Josh Fell were told they were having twins, it came as a big shock.

Friends and family warned the couple it was going to be hard work.

But Shauna, 20, and Josh, 22, found caring for non-identical twins Amelia-Rose and Maison easer than they thought.

That was 21 months ago.

Little did they know, things were about to get a whole lot more difficult.

In November 2018, the couple, from Swinton, discovered Shauna was pregnant again.

They expected just the one baby this time around.

Shauna and Josh with daughters Isla and Darcie (Sean Hansford)

So, it came as an even bigger surprise when doctors told the pair that they were having twins - for the second time.

Last week, Shauna gave birth to two healthy non-identical girls - Isla and Darcie.

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All six members of the famlily are now back at home.

The new arrivals have been introduced to their siblings in a somewhat busier household.

Shauna says the family has just enough room at her mum's three-bedroom house, but they're most worried about finding a big enough car.

"It's the car we are most worried about, I currently have a four-seater which is absolutely useless, and Josh has a five-seater," Shauna said.

The couple with their four kids (Sean Hansford)

"We're going to have to save up and buy a seven-seater for us all to be able to travel together."

The couple, who have been together for five years, say that neither of their respective families have ever had of twins before.

"There are no twins in the family at all that we know of so it was a complete surprise when we found out the first time," Shauna added.

"With the first two, everyone was saying it was going to be difficult, but it wasn't as hard as we thought.

Non-identical twins Amelia-Rose Copple Fell and Maison Copple-Fell (Sean Hansford)

"I got pregnant again and at the first scan we were told we were having twins again - it was an even bigger shock."

Shauna and Josh say they were expecting to be told they were having one baby the second time around.

So it came as a massive surprise when they were told their four-strong family would grow by two.

"We thought, 'oh it will just be one that time so it will be easier'," Shauna said.

The couple are living with Shauna's mum in Swinton.

Shauna and Josh with their new arrivals (Sean Hansford)

They hope to have all three bedrooms to themselves in the near future.

In the meantime, Josh, who works as a builder, says the couple is saving up to buy a seven-seater car as soon as possible.

The NHS says around 12,000 sets of twins are born in the UK every year.

There is about a 112-to-one chance of a pregnancy resulting in non-identical twins.

According to the Jane Denton, director of the Multiple Births Foundation, a woman who already one set of non-identical twins is more likely to have another set than a woman who doesn't - around four times more likely.

So, it's roughly 112 x 28... which is 3,136.

The chances of Shauna having two sets of non-identical twins, therefore, was around 3,200-to-one.

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